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.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Pritchard Park Summer Series: Hoop + Flow Jam Tuesdays
Jul 18 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Pritchard Park

We are honored to host the Asheville Community Hoop and Flow Arts Jam in Pritchard Park, located in the heart of our beloved city. This event began in 2008 and we are honored and thrilled to bring you this FREE event open to all ages and all levels of experience! Asheville Hoops provides jammin’ tunes, demo props for all to use and a positive event that promotes movement, creativity, dance and FUN!

JUST BRASS
Jul 18 @ 7:30 pm
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium

 

A brass-travanganza with BMC faculty and students.


PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS
BMC Brass Artist Faculty
College and High School Brass Ensembles

Please note: All seating is general admission.

SIX the musical
Jul 18 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the six wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st-century girl power! This new original musical is a global sensation that everyone is losing their head over! Featuring an all-woman cast and all-woman band, SIX has won 23 awards in the 2021/2022 Broadway season, including the Tony Award® for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The New York Times says SIX “TOTALLY RULES!” (Critic’s Pick), and The Washington Post hails SIX as “Exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!”  The SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT Broadway album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard cast album charts and surpassed 6 Million streams in its first month.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Swannanoa Gathering 2023
Jul 19 all-day
Kittredge Theatre

Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.

We invite you to join us.

This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.

July 9-15: Celtic Week

July 16-22: Old-Time Week

July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week

Wilderness Medicine + Survival Skills at Nantahala Outdoor Center
Jul 19 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

LEARN MORE THIS YEAR

Brush up on your wilderness medicine or learn new survival skills! SOLO Southeast & NOC are offering over 200 courses in 2023 and classes in locations across the southeast.

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bryson City, NC
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • Collegedale, TN
  • Greenville, SC

Find your next course with SOLO Southeast and be prepared for the unexpected!

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Jul 19 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

PEACE TALK: SIX the musical
Jul 19 @ 10:00 am
Peace Center--Ramsaur Studio

Broadway Peace Talks give audiences a deeper dive into the history, inspiration and people who bring our shows to life on stage.  Join Dr. Kristin Pressley (Dr. Broadway) and other Broadway lovers every month at the Peace Center for these presentations.

Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club
Jul 19 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Cradle of Forestry

Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club  is a weekly educational program designed for children ages 4 to 7 to explore nature with their trusted adult and Cradle naturalist. Programs are 1.5 hours long and begin with the reading of a forest-themed story and include fun activities, games and a craft.  Programs run weekly on Wednesdays between June 21 through August 9.  Come to one or all eight programs. Great for families vacationing in the Blue Ridge mountains this summer! 

The program costs $5 per child and $3 for accompanying adults – All children must be accompanied by an adult. Adults with a Cradle Season Pass get in free. 

Programs take place outdoors utilizing our paved trails and outdoor amphitheater. 

The program starts promptly at 10:30 A.M. at the outdoor amphitheater at the Cradle of Forestry. Plan to arrive early to find parking and check in at the Forest Discovery Center lobby. 

Please ensure all members of your party are dressed appropriately for the weather and are prepared for outdoor exploration. Note that the weather at the Cradle of Forestry is often cooler than nearby Brevard and Asheville. 


Please meet at outdoor amphitheater
 

 

WHAT TO BRING

Comfortable Walking Shoes
Water Bottle
Jacket
Rain Gear

CANCELLATION POLICY

All ticket purchases are NON-REFUNDABLE.  Unused ticket purchases will go to support the mission and work of FIND Outdoors, a 501(c)(3) tax deductible nonprofit organization Tax ID# 56-1302500.

Customers will receive a full refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to severe weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

Program Dates (Themes for each week to be announced): 

June 21
June 28

Due to generous grant funding from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences the July sessions are FREE for all attendees: 
July 5- Free for all attendees

July 12 – Free for all attendees
July 19 – Free for all attendees
July 26 – Free for all attendees

August 2
August 9

COST

Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club – $5 (for each child) There is no discount for child even with a pass. 

Accompanying Adult (½ price general admission)- $3

If accompanying adult is a Cradle Season Passholder, their admission free, but not the child’s.

 

A Chorus Line
Jul 19 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

The “One Singular Sensation,” A Chorus Line, is coming to Flat Rock Playhouse for the first time and we are thrilled to share this award-winning musical with everyone! A Chorus Line is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers. The show follows 17 would-be dancers in their quest to make the cut for a new Broadway Musical. One by one, the dancers come forward to share the stories of their lives, giving it their all and putting themselves on the line to make the cut. Only eight will remain. Capturing the spirit, tension, and hope of an audition, A Chorus Line is the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all out there to make it come true!

A Chorus Line once held the record as the longest running show on Broadway with over 6000 performances, and heralds nine Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreographer, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Conceived and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian. Original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.

Summer Animal Encounters
Jul 19 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Weekdays only at 2pm

Do you know our staff has a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn about the types of wildlife in the area and their jobs. Some of our best educators have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

Intro to Rhythm and Drumming with TRAP of Asheville
Jul 19 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library
Sign Up

Join us for this educational and fun guided drum session. This class is super fun and no drumming experience is needed. In this hour long session we will establish the foundations of rhythm and experiment with various concepts from there.

Registration is required to use one of the provided djembes. Registration will be limited to 12 people to ensure we have enough drums for everyone. Feel free to bring your own drum or percussion instrument. If you are bringing your own drum you do not need to register.

This class is best suited for adults and kids older than 12.

PATIO: Sara Jean Kelley
Jul 19 @ 5:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

SARA JEAN KELLEY
A lover of wild things— plants, animals, people, and music— Nashville native Sara Jean Kelley crafts songs that combine upbeat, pop-inspired country hooks with thoughtful, often philosophical lyrical themes that explore our human connection to the natural world. Due to her dark sensibility and slightly melancholic sense of humor, Kelley’s particular brand of alternative country is multidimensional, with one foot firmly rooted in her Nashville Country/Americana background, another foot exploring the realms of alternative rock, rock and roll, pop, and even hip hop influences. Her voice, at times husky, dark and sultry, at times floating light-as-a-feather, has been compared to celebrated female country stars Brandi Carlisle, Patti Griffin, and Lucinda Williams. She’s opened for country music icons Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, and her songwriting reveals a clear, intuitive understanding of what makes a song work. Her latest EP Black Snake, is about life and death, transformation and rebirth, strength and resilience; all the things you experience in your early thirties that you wish you had known a decade earlier.

Pritchard Park Summer Series: Summer of Science with Asheville Museum of Science
Jul 19 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Pritchard Park

Explore hands on activities and experiments while we learn about the Science of Bubbles or the Science of Sound. Every other week we will play and learn together using a variety of tools, instruments, and toys. AMOS has a plethora of science to intrigue the zeal of every learner!

A Chorus Line
Jul 19 @ 7:30 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

The “One Singular Sensation,” A Chorus Line, is coming to Flat Rock Playhouse for the first time and we are thrilled to share this award-winning musical with everyone! A Chorus Line is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers. The show follows 17 would-be dancers in their quest to make the cut for a new Broadway Musical. One by one, the dancers come forward to share the stories of their lives, giving it their all and putting themselves on the line to make the cut. Only eight will remain. Capturing the spirit, tension, and hope of an audition, A Chorus Line is the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all out there to make it come true!

A Chorus Line once held the record as the longest running show on Broadway with over 6000 performances, and heralds nine Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreographer, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Conceived and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian. Original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.

BMC Artist Faculty Brahms Piano Quartet
Jul 19 @ 7:30 pm
Parker Concert Hall at Brevard Music Center

The Brahms G minor Piano Quartet is a relatively early chamber work, yet embodies an outsized orchestral scope of range, expression, and color. Throughout the piece Brahms refers obliquely to his beloved friend Clara Schumann, as well as to his favorite Hungarian melodies and rhythms. Indeed it was Clara Schumann herself who premiered the Quartet in Hamburg in 1861.


PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS

Auditorium seating is reserved.

SIX the musical
Jul 19 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the six wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st-century girl power! This new original musical is a global sensation that everyone is losing their head over! Featuring an all-woman cast and all-woman band, SIX has won 23 awards in the 2021/2022 Broadway season, including the Tony Award® for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The New York Times says SIX “TOTALLY RULES!” (Critic’s Pick), and The Washington Post hails SIX as “Exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!”  The SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT Broadway album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard cast album charts and surpassed 6 Million streams in its first month.

Gideon 
Jul 19 @ 8:00 pm
Salvage Station

Metal fans! Gideon will be performing LIVE on the Indoor Stage at Salvage Station on Wednesday, July 19th, 2023! Doors open at 7PM and the music starts at 8PM. This is a General Admission, 18+ show (no exceptions). FREE PARKING!

Thursday, July 20, 2023
Swannanoa Gathering 2023
Jul 20 all-day
Kittredge Theatre

Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.

We invite you to join us.

This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.

July 9-15: Celtic Week

July 16-22: Old-Time Week

July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week

Wild West Adventure Trips w/ Nantahala Outdoor Center
Jul 20 all-day
various locations
Wilderness Medicine + Survival Skills at Nantahala Outdoor Center
Jul 20 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

LEARN MORE THIS YEAR

Brush up on your wilderness medicine or learn new survival skills! SOLO Southeast & NOC are offering over 200 courses in 2023 and classes in locations across the southeast.

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bryson City, NC
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • Collegedale, TN
  • Greenville, SC

Find your next course with SOLO Southeast and be prepared for the unexpected!

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Jul 20 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

Rootabaga Express! Summer Plays
Jul 20 @ 10:15 am
Carl Sandburg Home

Carl Sandburg created his own version of American fairy tales when he published Rootabaga Stories (1922) and Rootabaga Pigeons (1923). He replaced the European fairy tale cast of princes, princesses, castles and kingdoms with icons American children would recognize — taxi-drivers, movie actors, skyscrapers, prairies and automobiles. Rootabaga Express! brings the stories of the Five Rusty Rats, Bimbo the Snip and more to life.You’ll meet new characters and journey farther into the Village of Liver and Onions and Sandburg’s imagination than ever before.

The 30-minute shows are appropriate for all ages and held rain or shine.These shows are supported by the Flat Rock Playhouse and the Park Store, operated by America’s National Parks.

For young visitors who attend the plays, there is a Rootabaga Junior Ranger program available. Activity sheets will be available at the amphitheater after the play and can be turned in at the Sandburg Home for a limited edition “Rootabaga Ranger” badge.


Apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse have performed adaptations of Sandburg’s works for park visitors since 1974. Using Sandburg’s own words from his collections of children’s stories, poetry, collected music, biography of Abraham Lincoln and his own autobiography, the performances provide visitors with a sense of the scope of his work and imagination. Sandburg was an expert storyteller, and easily wove important messages of fairness, empathy and social justice into his writings. Whatever play you are able to attend you will walk away with a smile on your face and a better understanding of the legacy of Carl Sandburg.

A Chorus Line
Jul 20 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

The “One Singular Sensation,” A Chorus Line, is coming to Flat Rock Playhouse for the first time and we are thrilled to share this award-winning musical with everyone! A Chorus Line is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers. The show follows 17 would-be dancers in their quest to make the cut for a new Broadway Musical. One by one, the dancers come forward to share the stories of their lives, giving it their all and putting themselves on the line to make the cut. Only eight will remain. Capturing the spirit, tension, and hope of an audition, A Chorus Line is the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all out there to make it come true!

A Chorus Line once held the record as the longest running show on Broadway with over 6000 performances, and heralds nine Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreographer, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Conceived and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian. Original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.

Summer Animal Encounters
Jul 20 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Weekdays only at 2pm

Do you know our staff has a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn about the types of wildlife in the area and their jobs. Some of our best educators have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

Billy Jonas-Family Music Concert
Jul 20 @ 4:00 pm
North Asheville Library

For 25 years, Billy Jonas, performer, singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator, has perfected the art of the neo-tribal hootenanny around the globe – original songs performed with a generous dose of audience participation. Jonas performs using voice, guitar, and industrial re-percussion – homemade creations of buckets and barrels, keys and cans, bells and body percussion. Each concert is a soul-spelunking, heart healing, joy-filled journey of spirited music that is accessible to anyone and everyone, regardless of age or cultural background.  Space is limited, pick up your tickets at the North Asheville Library circulation desk.

Intro to Ukulele
Jul 20 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

Students will receive a solid foundation in beginner Ukulele skills for vocalists. Chords, Rhythm patterns, and basic theory will be introduced through songs with an uplifting message. Students will also learn to play the song that the Songwriting Class will be writing and get to record it in the One Mic Studio.

PATIO: Miami Gold
Jul 20 @ 5:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE

MIAMI GOLD

Miami Gold is based in Asheville, NC. It is known for playing tight, energetic, and convicted rock n roll; an ability to musically style-shift while remaining true to its core rock sound; and a deep musical chemistry featuring lead guitar and a hard hitting rhythm section. The power trio have played with respected musicians and producers in a variety of live settings and recording studios.

Miami Gold is led by Joel Schantz, a guitarist, singer, and songwriter who fuses smart phrasing and intensity to create an emotionally and sonically engaging guitar style. As a frontman, Joel’s conversational musings and deadpan humor quickly establish a rapport with audiences. Joel has played with some of the luminaries of the rock world, as well as recorded 2 albums under the tutelage of legendary producer Tom Dowd (Allman Bros, Eric Clapton, Eagles, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Thelonious Monk, etc.) Joel’s brother, Ari, is the band’s drummer. His thunderous drive, skillful technique, keen sense of song construction, and attuned ear are a rare combination among rock drummers. Didier Rubio, the band’s bass player, writes heavy riffs that focus the band and lay a solid foundation for its guitar-centric sound.

Queer Music Exploration
Jul 20 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

Queer Music Exploration – Students will explore guitar, bass, drums, singing and piano with a focus on learning music by artists from the LGBTQ+ community. Students will have the chance to interact with their peers and share their experiences through music.

Rhythm + Percussion Class with The Rhythmic Arts Project (TRAP) AVL
Jul 20 @ 5:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Leicester Library

Join us for a fun hour of drumming! This class with The Rhythmic Arts Project is for teens and adults.
This program is free, but registration is required and class size is limited.
Please register so our instructor can provide enough percussion instruments. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own drums if they are able.

ArborEvenings
Jul 20 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Thursdays and most Fridays through September 30, 2022 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Beverage Service

Beer, Wine, and soft drinks will be for sale onsite at the Green Gardener’s Shed from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. each night of the event. Outside alcohol is strictly prohibited, but guests are welcome to bring in water or a favorite non-alcoholic beverage.

Food Available for Pre-Order, Picnics Welcome

Although the Bent Creek Bistro will not be open during the event, they will be offering their delicious dining options at ArborEvenings via pre-order! Simply place your online order — including alcoholic beverages — up until 11 a.m. on the date you plan to attend, then pick up your order at the Baker Information Desk between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (In the event of rain cancellation, pre-orders will be fully refunded.)

Guests are welcome to bring in outside food and non-alcoholic beverages. However, outside alcohol is strictly prohibited. 

Find more information here.