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.

June – July 2024 Jun – Jul 2024
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jun 26 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
Mushroom Magic with Buncombe County Soil and Water Educators
Jun 26 all-day
Black Mountain Library

What helps make cheese and beer, clean up an oil spill, and cure cancer? Mushrooms!

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Join us as we discuss this incredible kingdom, including research on how mushrooms facilitate tree communication across the “wood wide web,” fungal research, and technology applications.

We’ll bring examples of different mushroom types from our area and explore for more outside.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Health & Wellness
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Docent Led Tours of The Learning Garden
Jun 26 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
NC Cooperative Extension Buncombe County Center

Tours on the last Wednesday of the month, June through September
June 26, July 31, August 28, September 25
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

The Learning Garden is open for informal visits Monday through Friday throughout the year, but if you visit on a Wednesday, during the growing season, you can meet the Master Gardeners working in the gardens and ask questions about the plants and their care. A visit to The Learning Garden, on a workday affords you the opportunity to view each of nine garden areas, to ask questions and learn successful horticultural practices from the Master Gardeners who lovingly tend the gardens.  The Learning Garden consists of these individual areas: Gateway Garden, Rose Garden, Cottage Garden, Four Seasons Garden, Dye Garden, Vegetable Garden, Pollinator Garden, Compost Area, and the Sun and Shade Garden.  In addition, the complex has about two miles of walking trails.

On the last Wednesday of the month from June to September (June 26, July 31, August 28, September 25) you can join a more formal tour and be lead through the gardens by a master gardener docent as you watch the other gardeners caring for the plants. See beautiful and interesting plants, delicious vegetables, native plants for beauty and pollinator interest. The tours start at 10:00 a.m. and should last approximately an hour.  The tours will begin outside the front door of the Buncombe County

In the event of steady rain in West Asheville, the workday and the tour will be canceled.

The tour is free and registration is not necessary.

We invite you to visit often, observe the gardens, and ask questions as the Master Gardeners tend the gardens through the growing season. If you have questions, call 828-255-5522.
Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jun 27 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training
Jun 27 all-day
Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

  • Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
  • Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
  • Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
  • Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
  • Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
  • Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
  • The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.
Learn More
Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 27 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
City Dance
Jun 27 @ 7:30 pm
Landmark Hal

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.

Read more
Categories: Dance Featured Parks & Recreation
Old Farmer’s Ball Thursday Dance
Jun 27 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Bryson Gym Warren Wilson College

Our Thursday Dance

This dance is fragrance-free (no perfume, cologne, strong deodorant, etc.), out of respect for those with sensitivities.

Schedule

  • Every Thursday night (except as indicated on the calendar)
  • Beginner lesson at 7:30 pm (advanced dancers are welcome to help out during the lesson!)
  • Dance 8 pm – 11 pm

Cost

  • Non-members: $12
  • OFB Members: $10
  • Warren Wilson community: $1

If this is your first time dancing with us, your second dance is free!

Read more
Categories: Community Dance
Friday, June 28, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jun 28 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
Pre-College Programs w/ University of North Carolina Asheville
Jun 28 all-day
University of North Carolina Asheville

Each Pre-College program runs from Sunday to Friday, with topics spanning the arts and sciences. All students live on campus to fully experience university life and the surrounding community, and the program cost, which starts at $1,430, includes lodging, meals, course materials, activities and excursions.

Dates for the Summer 2024 Pre-College Programs are June 16-21 and June 23-28, with several programs offered multiple weeks. Topics include:

  • June 16-21, 2024:

    • Ceramic Pottery

    • Climate, Robotics, Rocketry & Aerospace Engineering

    • Film Scoring & Sound Design

    • Geology & Adventure

    • Creative Writing:  Great Smokies Young Writers Workshop (Sensory Writing & The Poet’s Toolbox)

    • Pre-Med

    • Video Game Design

  • June 23-28, 2024:

    • Ceramic Pottery

    • Creative Writing:  Great Smokies Young Writers Workshop (Developing Voice in Fiction & Nature Based Poetry)

    • Meteorology

    • Music Composition and Songwriting

    • River Ecology & Adventure

    • Video Game Design

For more information or to register for Summer 2024 Pre-College Programs, visit https://unca.edu/precollege

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Community Education Garden Health & Wellness Music Outdoors
Registration Open: Fall 2024-Spring 2025 Asheville Junior Theater – School of Dance
Jun 28 all-day
Asheville Junior Theater

Get ready to dance into the spotlight because Asheville Junior Theater (AJT) –
School of Dance is excited to announce the grand opening its dance school. Registration
for the upcoming Fall 2024-Spring 2025 season is now open! With a commitment to igniting
artistic passion and fostering unparalleled talent, AJT School of Dance is your ticket to an
electrifying dance experience like no other.

AJT School of Dance is more than just a dance studio; it’s a gateway to a transformative dance
experience. With a focus on fostering self-confidence, promoting integrity, and nurturing a
genuine passion for dance, our dedicated instructors are committed to guiding each student on
a path of artistic discovery and self-expression.

Registration for the Fall 2024-Spring 2025 season at Asheville Junior Theater – School of Dance
is now open! Don’t miss your chance to be part of something extraordinary. Classes are offered
for ages 4-adult.
For more information on class offerings and registration, visit
www.ashevillejuniortheater.com/dance or contact [email protected].
Unique classes offered: Aerial Arts, Tricks and Stunts, Musical Theater, Performance Crew–
in addition to all the various technique classes of Jazz, Tap, Ballet/Lyrical, Hip Hop and more!

Read more
Categories: Dance Education Family Fun
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training
Jun 28 all-day
Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

  • Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
  • Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
  • Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
  • Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
  • Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
  • Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
  • The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.
Learn More
Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Fuego Fridays
Jun 28 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

Get ready to groove to the rhythm of the Caribbean at LEAF Global’s monthly DJ Dance Party! Step into the vibrant atmosphere of LEAF Global, where every floor comes alive with infectious beats and irresistible energy. DJ Haviken Hayes’ dynamic mixes of Caribbean, dancehall, and global sounds will keep the dance floor buzzing all night long. And for those looking to perfect their moves, professional salsa instructor Monika Guerra will be offering free salsa lessons starting at 8 p.m.

Admission to the DJ Dance Party is $15 at the door, with drinks and snacks available to keep you fueled throughout the evening.
Read more
Categories: Dance Music
LEAF Global’s monthly DJ Dance Party
Jun 28 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

Get ready to groove to the rhythm of the Caribbean at LEAF Global’s monthly DJ Dance Party! Taking place on the final Friday of every month, this exciting event invites music lovers of all ages and backgrounds to come together for a night of pure entertainment and cultural celebration.

Step into the vibrant atmosphere of LEAF Global, where every floor comes alive with infectious beats and irresistible energy. DJ Haviken Hayes’ dynamic mixes of Caribbean, dancehall, and global sounds will keep the dance floor buzzing all night long.

For those looking to perfect their moves, professional salsa instructor Monika Guerra will be offering free salsa lessons starting at 8 p.m. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or a complete beginner, Monika’s expert guidance will have you salsa-ing with confidence in no time.

Embrace the spirit of the Caribbean with a themed ambiance that transports you to tropical shores. All are welcome to join in the festivities, so grab your friends and come dressed in your best Caribbean-inspired attire for a night to remember.

Admission to the DJ Dance Party is $15 at the door, with drinks and snacks available to keep you fueled throughout the evening. Indulge in a selection of refreshing beverages including margaritas, mojitos, and more, provided by Flybird & Uno Mas.
Read more
Categories: Dance Music
Saturday, June 29, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jun 29 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
Registration Open: Fall 2024-Spring 2025 Asheville Junior Theater – School of Dance
Jun 29 all-day
Asheville Junior Theater

Get ready to dance into the spotlight because Asheville Junior Theater (AJT) –
School of Dance is excited to announce the grand opening its dance school. Registration
for the upcoming Fall 2024-Spring 2025 season is now open! With a commitment to igniting
artistic passion and fostering unparalleled talent, AJT School of Dance is your ticket to an
electrifying dance experience like no other.

AJT School of Dance is more than just a dance studio; it’s a gateway to a transformative dance
experience. With a focus on fostering self-confidence, promoting integrity, and nurturing a
genuine passion for dance, our dedicated instructors are committed to guiding each student on
a path of artistic discovery and self-expression.

Registration for the Fall 2024-Spring 2025 season at Asheville Junior Theater – School of Dance
is now open! Don’t miss your chance to be part of something extraordinary. Classes are offered
for ages 4-adult.
For more information on class offerings and registration, visit
www.ashevillejuniortheater.com/dance or contact [email protected].
Unique classes offered: Aerial Arts, Tricks and Stunts, Musical Theater, Performance Crew–
in addition to all the various technique classes of Jazz, Tap, Ballet/Lyrical, Hip Hop and more!

Read more
Categories: Dance Education Family Fun
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training
Jun 29 all-day
Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

  • Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
  • Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
  • Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
  • Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
  • Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
  • Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
  • The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.
Learn More
Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 29 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Workday in the Garden
Jun 29 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Leicester Library

Come and enjoy a few hours getting your hands dirty in the lovely Leicester Library Giving Garden.

The Leicester Library Giving Garden aims to connect and strengthen our community through growing and sharing food. The food grown in the Leicester Giving Garden is given to the community for free, so the work you do in the garden directly supports your neighbors in Leicester.

These workdays are an opportunity to volunteer in the garden, learn more about how to get involved, and about gardening in general. Open to all regardless of experience!
Read more
Categories: Community Garden Garden Events
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jun 30 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training
Jun 30 all-day
Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

  • Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
  • Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
  • Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
  • Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
  • Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
  • Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
  • The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.
Learn More
Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jun 30 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Monday, July 1, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jul 1 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training
Jul 1 all-day
Asheville Area

Become a CRAFT member and join us for some incredible CRAFT farm tours this summer!

WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led effort to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture, straight from the hearts, mouths, and fields of seasoned local farmers in Western North Carolina (WNC).

Why join CRAFT?

  • Network with beginning and experienced farmers to exchange your ideas and knowledge and build community in the region.
  • Expand your training opportunities beyond your farm to bolster the robustness of your apprenticeship offerings.
  • Attract aspiring farmers to your apprenticeship positions to cultivate success and improve the future of our region’s agriculture.
  • Farm tours are held monthly from April through October and focus on a specific aspect of sustainable farming. Check out the tour schedule and read blog posts about past tours.
  • Gain access to the CRAFT Farmer Handbook: farmer-generated, regionally-specific information on all aspects of farming.
  • Round-table discussions provide a place for farmers to discuss advanced farming topics.
  • The farmer network includes farmers and farm workers and is built on a farmer-to-farmer exchange of ideas.
Learn More
Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events Tours
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
Jul 1 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Family Fun Garden Garden Events Outdoors
Monday Night Dance: Community contra dance
Jul 1 @ 8:15 pm – 10:30 pm
St. George's Center for Art and Spirit

Welcome to our weekly community contra dance in West Asheville!  The Monday Night Dance has been around for decades, and we are carrying the torch forward! We are a loving, kind, and safe dance community and highly encourage masking during the dance. No derogatory comments in relation to masking will be tolerated! We encourage non-maskers to mask while partnering with a dancer wearing a mask, or to at least ask if the person would like them to mask while they dance with them.

​

Practicalities
​

Time: Contra dancing 8:15–10:30pm, with a beginner lesson starting at 7:45 and a waltz session ending the evening.

Location: St. George’s Center for Art and Spirit, 1 School Rd., Asheville, NC 28806

Cost: $12–$45 sliding scale, CASH ONLY. Please pay as much as you can afford to cover the cost of the wonderful live music, the caller, sound person, rent, and other expenses! ATMs are available at banks on Patton Ave., as well as cash back options at local gas stations and grocery stores.

Requirements: Face masks and sign-in agreeing to the dance’s Safety Guidelines.

​

Please enter through the front red doors to the sanctuary. Extra parking available in the lots between Moore’s Foot and Ankle and St. George’s (please avoid parking in front of their practice.) This is a scent-free dance. Please bring your own water and water bottle. Beginners are encouraged to attend! Beginner-friendly dances start the contra dancing in lieu of a lesson.

​

Community Focus

​

The Monday Night Dance is more than just a dance; the community is deeply rooted. Folks are welcome to sell their wares, like jewelry, dance shoes, dance clothes, pottery, etc. They are also welcome to leave business cards and help wanted or work needed ads. Additionally, the Take Some Leave Some Closet is a new feature of the MND. You can take any clothes, food, produce, feminine products or first aid supplies that we have, and as you are able you can also leave some to replenish. Private times to receive from the closet can also be arranged during the week depending on to the dance organizer’s availability.

​

Safety
​

We emphasize safety here at the MND. Mask wearing is strongly encouraged, and courtesy to those choosing to mask is required. No discrimination to those wearing masks will be tolerated! In addition, this is a family and LGBTQ-friendly dance and a safe event for ALL races, ethnicities, genders, ages, shapes, and sizes. Accordingly, no discrimination, inappropriate sexually predatory behavior, racist or discriminatory comments, bullying, or verbal or physical abuse of ANY kind will be tolerated. See our Safety Guidelines for more info.

​

Volunteers and Donations
​

Ours is a dance built on volunteerism, and we need your help to survive! Please consider volunteering or becoming a patron by giving a monetary gift. Opening, door and closing help are some of the volunteer jobs available. Those completing their entire shift dance free! Email [email protected] for more info and to sign up. 

​

Finally, please follow, like and join us on Facebook!

​

Thanks so much and see you on the dance floor!

Read more
Categories: Community Dance
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Farm Beginnings® Program: Farmer program applications open
Jul 2 all-day
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

The OGS Approach

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

What does Farm Beginnings® include?

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to field days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced farmer mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Read more
Categories: Education Garden Garden Events
Volunteer w/ The Old Farmer’s Ball
Jul 2 all-day
Asheville NC

We need volunteers to make our dance happen

Please go to oldfarmersball.com and sign up to help – and you can dance for free!

 

Early Host (Board members preferred)

  • Arrive by 7pm
  • Greet the sound tech, band, and caller
  • Count money
  • Complete pay-out sheet
  • Supervise volunteers
  • Time commitment: 30 – 60 minutes

Benefits: Dance free the same night

SIGN UP TO BE AN EARLY HOST

Opener

  • Arrive by 7pm
  • Check in with Early Host
  • Sweep the hall
  • Set up chairs
  • Clean / stock bathrooms
  • Time commitment: 15 – 20 minutes

Benefits: Dance free the same night

SIGN UP TO BE AN OPENER

Door Person

  • Arrive by 7pm
  • Check in with Early Host
  • Work when needed to take money at the door
  • Alternate with other Door People and Early host to switch off who sits and who dances
  • Slots available: 2
  • Time commitment: goes until break

Benefits: Dance free one whole night

SIGN UP TO BE A DOOR PERSON

Closer

  • Arrive by 9:15pm
  • Check in with Late Host
  • Fold and store chairs and tables
  • Sweep the floors
  • Empty and take out trash
  • Confirm completion of tasks with Late Host
  • Time commitment: 15 – 20 minutes

Benefits: Dance free the same night

SIGN UP TO BE A CLOSER

Late Host (Board members preferred)

  • Arrive by 9pm (unless other arrangements have been made with Early Host)
  • Complete payout
  • Supervise Closers
  • Close the hall
  • Slots available: 1
  • Time commitment: 10 – 15 minutes

Benefits: Dance free the same night

SIGN UP TO BE A LATE HOST

Upcoming Dances

Three dances in July will be hosted by Swannanoa Gathering

July 4,

July 18 and

July 25

The July 18 dance will be a special Ceilidh Dance.

A reminder – We are NOT dancing on Aug 1 and 8

Be sure and save the date for our NYE dance

 

 

 
Read more
Categories: Dance Volunteers