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.
We need your help to reach voters this fall, and we have the perfect training to get you ready!
Interested in ways to help get voters to the polls this fall? Come join this upcoming training on how to coordinate outreach events – including voter registration and voter pledge card collection. We’ll have a break-out style training so that you can focus on your outreach method of choice.
Trainings are free and open to any group. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
This training is co-sponsored by JustEconomics, League of Women’s Voters, and Children First
WHAT: Skills Training: Voter Registration + Pledge Cards
WHEN: Wednesday, September 5, 6 – 8 PM
WHERE: YWCA of Asheville (185 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville 28801)
RSVP to let us know you’ll be there!
For more information, place contact Darlene Azarmi at (828) 216-3430 or [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/events/812971945493158/
From Africa to Appalachia to The Block, a conversation with Author & Culinary Historian Michael Twitty, Chef Hanan Shabazz and Chef John Fleer celebrating the journey of the food of our one Southern family across town and over many tables.
Casual reception and inspired light bites to follow. Space is limited, RSVP today!
We thank you in advance for your support to My Daddy Taught Me That and My Sistah Taught Me That, not-for-profit community organizations that support local youth through mentoring, career development and social activities. No amount is too small in reaching their goal of $2,000 to fund the first month of rent and food for their participants as Keynon and Leslie Lake make their dream to support diverse youth in Asheville a reality for generations to come. To learn more about MDTMT and MSTMT, get involved in their mission and impact today’s youth, reserve your spot for this unique experience today!
https://www.facebook.com/events/247614459278304/
Plates and Mugs: Focusing On Surface and Form With Laurie Caffery Harris
Tuesdays, 6:30-9pm
August 28- October 2
These two popular forms offer endless possibilities of expression to the clay artist. In this intermediate level class, we will use the potter’s wheel to create our forms, then focus on creating a unique surface that reflects your individuality. Through demonstrations and practice on our own test tiles, we will cover surface design including mishima (slip inlay), painting, and sgraffito carving. There will also be a heavy emphasis on handle making, as we seek to create forms that are both beautiful, and easy to use.
Level: Intermediate and Advanced
Tuition: $255 + $35 Lab Fee
This class is for anyone who wants to learn how to sell their handmade work or vintage goods online, using the Etsy platform. This class is for beginners, as well as established sellers who want a shop overhaul so they can start moving their work. We will thoroughly go into how to use SEO (search engine optimization) within Etsy’s new search algorithm, so that your items will get easily found on Etsy and Google search. This includes helping you develop searchable key words in the title and how to use tags in your listings, and write an enticing item description. We will also cover shop branding and give you photography tips to get your shop looking congruent with your personality and get a brand that will represent you and your product in this day’s market.
Level: All Levels
Tuition: $185, No Lab Fee
Select Evenings, May 17–October 7, 2018
Biltmore House & Gardens opens to the public on Thursday–Sunday evenings for a special reservations-only viewing of Chihuly’s stunning large-scale glass sculptures. Chihuly Nights at Biltmore is an enchanting opportunity to witness the effects of dramatic nighttime lighting upon the luminous colors and graceful forms of these spectacular pieces. Sunset over the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, live music in the gardens, and a wine bar make the evening experience all the more enticing. Chihuly’s towering works of art illuminated against a night sky surrounded by the timeless beauty and magnificence of Biltmore House & Gardens: a truly moving, memorable experience
Named one of the most talented singer-songwriters in America, Grace Pettis takes the stage for a night of stories and song with powerhouse duo act Rebekah Todd and the Odyssey. This is a pairing you won’t want to miss!
Rebekah Todd, of Wilmington NC is a blues and soul singer-songwriter with a voice like honey. Her new duo including herself and her husband takes her ability to showcase her lyricism to a new level. Don’t miss it!
https://www.facebook.com/events/254144255133573/
Jazz Night at SAB will feature trombonist/composer Steve Wilson (Principal Trombone of Greenville Symphony Orchestra/Faculty at Anderson University) performing his original compositions and some choice standards with a band consisting of Tim Doyle (guitar), Cameron Austin (bass), Bill Berg (drums), and Jason DeCristofaro (vibes/piano). 7 – 10 PM, and no cover. Second set is a Jazz jam!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1716892931770517/
Only two rounds left in summer trivia!
Hog Hollow Wood Fired Pizza slingin’ pies beginning at 5PM. Trivia starts at 7!
https://www.facebook.com/events/2503411483009153/
Join us for an evening of amazing stand-up comedy featuring headliner, Derrick Stroup.
Alabama native and stand up Comedian Derrick Stroup is not your average slow talking Southerner. With the cadence of a pissed off auctioneer, he locks people in with his detailed stories and over the top energy. Derrick tours the South regularly and has opened for Frank Caliendo, Brian Posehn and Josh Blue. Derrick loves a Waffle House that’s clean and cares about its customers.
Derrick will be joined by Steve Vanderploeg from Denver, Colorado, Scott Easton from Huntsville Alabama and local comedians, Hillary Begley, and host Cody Daniel Hughes.
Tickets $10 (plus tax)
https://www.facebook.com/events/265906724248871/
WHERE: THE BLOCK off biltmore, 39 S. Market St, 28801
WHEN: Wednesday September 5, 2018
DOORS: 7:30pm | SHOW: 8pm
GENRE: rock / country / americana
AGES: 18+
SEATS: seats / standing
TICKETS: $7
WEB LISTING: http://theblockoffbiltmore.com/index.php/event/willstewart
Will Stewart:
WEBSITE: www.willstewartmusic.com
HEAR SOME MUSIC: https://wstewart.bandcamp.com/
SEE A VIDEO: https://youtu.be/tJ7b2yQsMTY
In March 2016, Will Stewart headed back home to Alabama.
He’d been away for years, living in Nashville while earning his stripes as a songwriter, frontman, and lead guitarist. His fans reached as far away as London, where The Guardian — one of the U.K.’s most widely-reached papers — hailed his work.
Still, something kept drawing him down South. He’d grown up there, surrounded by the twang of classic country music and the stomp of rootsy rock & roll. Alabama was a complicated place, its history filled with dark characters and cultural clashes, but it was oddly compelling, too. It was home. Unable to resist the pull, Stewart returned to Birmingham. There, after a decade away, he rediscovered his muse: the Modern South, whose characters, complexities, open spaces, and strange beauty are all channeled into Stewart’s full-length solo debut, County Seat.
Released in 2017, County Seat is a guitar-fueled Americana record, caught somewhere between the worlds of country and electrified rock. The songs are roomy and lush, the result of an inspired — led by Stewart, who handles singing and guitar-playing duties — whose members recorded all nine tracks in two short days. There are swirls of swooning pedal steel, layers of vocal harmony, and the pastoral punch of a songwriter looking to turn the landscape of his home state into music. Close your eyes while playing songs like “Brush Arbor,” whose title references Dennis Covington’s Salvation on Sand Mountain, and you’ll hear Stewart’s Alabama home.
County Seat is also a record about time. On the album’s title track, Stewart sings about a lonely man in his twilight years, hoping to find some sort of transcendence from an otherwise mundane, day-to-day life. During the nostalgic “Sipsey,” Stewart longs for the wonder and innocence of young adulthood. And with “Heaven Knows Why,” he takes a look at his own vices, realizing the hour has come to leave some of those habits behind. Like Stewart’s own move back to Birmingham, County Seat finds its narrator in constant motion, hoping to weather the mysteries and murkiness of the 21st century South by holding on to a shred of hope.
Co-produced with Les Nuby (who also engineered and mixed the album) and recorded in a series of live takes, County Seat nods to a number of songwriters who sing about the beauty of their homeland without glossing over its imperfections. There are electrified moments influenced by Neil Young, guitar arpeggios suited for R.E.M., turns-of-phrase worthy of Bob Dylan, and the modern-day folksy charm of Hiss Golden Messenger. On an album that evokes some heavy starpower, though, Will Stewart shines the brightest. This is his first full-length release as a solo artist: a rallying cry from a Son of the South who, having returned home after a long trip, looks at his birthplace with renewed eyes.
https://www.facebook.com/events/759623631095806/
September Open Hoot – free admission and open to all ages!
Lineup: Chris Long 8-8:30, Anthony Wayne Vibe 8:30-9:15, Roaring Jelly 9:15-10:00
https://www.facebook.com/events/685906315103046/
Nothing beats a night of kava and poetry! Come out every other Wednesday and let your creativity flow. If you know any local poets, please spread the word. Any style is encouraged and all performers receive drink specials: $6 Guava Kava Sunsets, $6 Kavaritas and $4 8oz traditional kavas!
Let’s keep growing in both the turnout and performers!
We are very excited to help support the growing local poetry scene. Come enjoy some good company, kava, and poetry!
https://www.facebook.com/events/121053861886995/?event_time_id=196706580988389
RRP has got something very special planned for you! We’ve gotten some of the upstate’s best comics and we’re pulling the rug out from under them! They will be given no plan, no set, and no time to prepare! Just a prompt on a screen that they have to create a joke around right before your very eyes! It’s like a magic trick if you got to watch the magician struggle!
Sept 5th at Coffee Underground. $10 Cover.
https://www.facebook.com/events/304007190144959/
TurnUp Truk will be playing Worldly Wednesday at One World Brewing West in Asheville NC. So come out and enjoy some Roots Rock Reggae.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2055630118019954/
U.S. Girls at The Grey Eagle
https://www.facebook.com/events/2030553877258628/
Live Music with $2.50 vodkas!
https://www.facebook.com/events/468215666994546/
Deaf Wish (Australia) w/ Nest Egg, Greg Cartwright
at The Mothlight
September 5th
Doors 8:30
Tickets: $8adv,
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1721949
https://www.facebook.com/events/193570198023802/
Cheap Deals on Jameson, Jameson Caskmates, and Jameson Black Barrel!
Gracie Lane(and band) headlines the show bringing you an excellent blend of Classic Country twang with a modern singer songwriter’s polish.
https://youtu.be/imzSxegv1ec
https://www.gracielanemusic.com/
Jessie Lewis from Johnson City, Tennessee and formerly of the band Motel Radio opens the night doing a solo set of Country originals and Classic covers. He’s the real deal folks, you do not want to miss him!
https://youtu.be/crQoPuuPqpw
https://www.facebook.com/jesselewistnmusic/
Stick around after the bands for DJ David Wayne Gay spinning classic Country hits!
https://www.facebook.com/events/226297184623770/
From the writing team behind last year’s smash sensation The Dixie Swim Club. In this rollicking comedy, four friends have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their Senior Prom: to be in each other’s weddings, and hilarity ensues. If you’ve ever elbowed a stranger to catch a bride’s bouquet or have been forced to wear the world’s ugliest bridesmaid dress, this deliriously funny play by Jones Hope Wooten is definitely for you…and your dearly beloved.
Matinees: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00PM
Evenings: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30PM. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00PM
Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage
2661 Greenville Highway Flat Rock, NC 28731
Students at the Visual Arts Preschool at Roots + Wings School of Art and Design engage with pre-K education fundamentals through a dynamic, arts based curriculum. Literacy, numeracy, social skills, community building, cultural and environmental studies are approached through an art and design thinking lens, as students explore learning concepts experientially across multiple platforms.
The Roots + Wings Visual Arts Preschool ‘Best of 2018’ collection is a cross section of the diverse pre-K education program and includes investigations into art movements, community and culture, storytelling, and creative play.
The Biltmore Estate has been planning the largest exhibition in its historic gardens for almost a decade. And finally, last week, Chihuly at Biltmore opened with a mega installation of glass sculptures from the famous artist Dale Chihuly. Tens of thousands of glass pieces from all around the world reside in 14 locations around the Estate (which is the very first large-scale N.C. Chihuly installation).
The exhibition is up from now until Oct. 7th, free admission with a Biltmore day pass (and free for annual pass holders). Chihuly at Nightis a special, ongoing event where the glass sculptures are lit up, plus live music in the gardens + a wine bar. Tickets are $37.50 for kids + range from $65 – 75 for adults ($10 discount for pass holders).
Three new works were blown just for Biltmore, and 6 new compositions were put together.
Learn about embroidery, quilting, and sewing!
This exhibit showcases the work of three leading fiber artists who explore Western North Carolina’s mountains, meadows and marshes using fabrics and fibers. Their quilted wall art offers a link to familiar images of this region, echoing the Arboretum’s role of connecting people with plants. Through their diverse styles, construction methods and subject matter, artists Mary Stori, Judy Simmons and Kate Weston add a contemporary twist to the area’s rich and storied quilt-making tradition. Their exhibit features pieces of varying sizes, from large focal-point wall hangings to medium-sized wall art to small work suitable for tabletop display. All pieces are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The North Carolina Arboretum Society.
About the Artists
Mary Stori
From her home in Clyde, N.C., Mary creates botanical and organic themed art quilts using artisian-made, hand-dyed cotton, linen, silk and rayon fabrics. She also utilizes hand-felted and hand-dyed wool as rich backdrops, offering texture and depth to her work. Bead embellishment is another one of her trademarks. Learn more on her website.
Judy Simmons
Judy creates her own fabric in her Fletcher, N.C. studio using surface design techniques, including fabric marbling, dyeing, color lifting and silk screening. Much of the imagery in her work utilizes her own photography printed on fabric. To learn more about Judy, please click here.
Kate Weston
From her home in Statesville, N.C., Kate focuses on the creation of complex cloth through the application of dye, paint and embellishment, such as fabric overlay or manipulation and the application of non-fiber materials. Coupled with skillful machine quilting, Kate’s works create and stunning interplay of color and texture. Please visit Kate’s website to learn more.
The Asheville Art Museum is excited to present Red Hot in the Blue Ridge, an exhibition being held in conjunction with Western North Carolina’s community-wide Summer of Glass celebration. On view at the Asheville Art Museum On the Slope at 175 Biltmore Avenue May 19 – September 30, 2018, Red Hot in the Blue Ridge celebrates Western North Carolina’s unique place in the history of American Studio Glass. Many other organizations and galleries across WNC are also hosting glass-focused events, programs and exhibitions during the region’s Summer of Glass celebration, which coincides with a new exhibition at Biltmore of multi-media artist Dale Chihuly’s monumental glass sculptures. Visit www.ashevilleart.org for details.
Join us for an event to initiate the novice and challenge the veteran crafter and embellisher! The AMAZING, creative projects you work on at this THREE-DAY event will teach you incredible techniques and ideas you can use, regardless of what kind of machine you own! Discover techniques for transforming any plain garment or home decor item into an artistically embellished masterpiece that is your OWN creation! Learn the importance of proper stabilization on any type of fabric with Floriani’s incredible products.
You doughnut want to miss this event!
This Thursday, Allegiant is celebrating eight hole years of service in beautiful Asheville, flying more than 1.3 million passengers through the area!
But we’ve only just glazed the surface—
To celebrate, we’re inviting you to join us this Thursday, September 6th from 7 AM to 10 AM at HOLE – Hot Doughnuts and Fresh Coffee for FREE doughnuts and the chance to win round-trip airfare! How sweet is that?!
It’s just our way of saying, “Thank you, Asheville! We adough you!”
We’ll see you there!
https://www.facebook.com/events/298546647395422/
It’s hard not to crack a smile while enjoying amazing views of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge from on top of the Chimney. Capture photos of your family and friends enjoying the Park and enter them into our Smiles of Spring Photo Contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.
GREAT PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS:
First Place – An overnight getaway to Hickory Nut Gorge with a stay at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, two passes to Chimney Rock, brunch for two at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours
Second Place – A Chimney Rock prize package including two passes to Chimney Rock, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours.
People’s Choice – Selected by our Facebook fans, the winning photo will be featured as the cover photo of our Facebook page for two weeks and the cover of our Pinterest board of winning photos. Prize includes two Park admission tickets, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and a $20 gift certificate for Old Time Photo in Chimney Rock Village.
CONTEST RULES:
There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken inside Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between June 21, 2018- Sept. 21, 2018. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page and share our photo contest post on your wall. Then post your photo to our wall with the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words) through your personal Facebook account. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
Pinterest: First, re-pin our photo contest pin to one of your boards and follow our 2017 The Different Seasons of Chimney Rock Spring Photo Contest Board so we can easily contact you. Then pin your photo with the hashtags #chimneyrock AND #photocontest with your personal account, and include the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words).
Twitter: First, follow Chimney Rock Park and retweet our tweet about the photo contest. Then tweet your photo to @ChimneyRockPark with the photographer’s name and the hashtag #photocontest. Next, send us private messages with your brief photo caption.
E-mail: If you don’t have access to any social media sites listed above, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
Snail Mail: Send your print photo with the clearly marked photographer’s name, city & state, a brief typed photo caption and a phone number to: Photo Contest, Chimney Rock Management LLC, PO Box 39, Chimney Rock, NC 28720.
Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption your photo of the Seasons of Chimney Rock, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of a face of Chimney Rock. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Winners will be notified and announced at chimneyrockpark.com and on Chimney Rock’s social media channels.
For more information, call 1-800-277-9611 or email us at [email protected].
The most important meal of the year!
Rise & Shine is Arts For Life’s annual breakfast benefit gathering, featuring speakers who know Arts For Life best (our staff and families from the hospital) and can tell the story of how the arts have made a real difference in their healthcare experience.
We’ll share a meal together, meet friends old and new, show you some of our patients’ artwork, and provide an opportunity for you to support our program at Mission Children’s Hospital. Breakfast is complimentary.
This event is open to everyone, and we encourage you to bring a friend as we connect as a community and share the joy of arts in the hospital. RSVP and save your seat today!
*NEW TIME* this year!
8:30AM // Check-in Opens & Breakfast is Served
9:15AM // Program Starts
10:00AM // Program Ends & Have a Wonderful Day
Interested in being a table host or a sponsor? More info at www.artsforlifenc.org/riseandshineAVL
https://www.facebook.com/events/230349680885528/
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/democracy-in-our-hands-a-redistricting-tour-asheville-stop-tickets-49178287582?aff=ebapi
The Democracy in Our Hands tour is an opportunity for community members interested in shaping our democracy through redistricting reform to learn and discuss the spectrum of ways that we can integrate our values of political independence, transparency, and racial equity in a NC-specific redistricting reform proposal. We are lucky to be joined by NC and national experts in redistricting and a delegation from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission who will discuss the path and challenges to achieving independence, transparency, and equity in reform.
We look forward to learning and sharing with you.
Childcare and interpretation available upon request.
Event is co-sponsored by Democracy North Carolina, Common Cause NC, League of Women Voters of North Carolina, Friends of the Earth U.S.
AGENDA
9:30-10am Breakfast & registration
10-10:30am Welcome & opening session
10:30-11am Redistricting 101
11am-12pm Political independence: How do we achieve independence from partisan politics in redistricting?
12-12:45pm Lunch (provided on site)
12:45-1:45pm Lifting the curtain: What does transparency in redistricting look like? How can we ensure the community is informed and involved in drawing district lines?
1:45-2:45pm Defining ourselves for equity: How do we ensure equitable outcomes in redistricting reform? What does it look like when we define our communities for ourselves?
2:45-3pm Closing & next steps
https://www.facebook.com/events/2161143597432304/
Amazing Glaze with Gabriel Kline
Fridays 10am-12:30pm
August 31- October 5
Do you hate glazing? I mean, do you really HATE glazing? Have you experienced the frustration of making a beautiful piece, then ruining it with a flawed, or perhaps worse, boring glaze? Would you rather spend your time doing just about ANYTHING else, even cleaning your studio? Then this is the class for you! Join Gabriel each Friday as he demystifies the techniques that will help you learn to love the glazing process, achieve more dynamic results, and get your work noticed. Topics will include under and overglaze decoration, glazing large and delicate work, spraying glazes, and multiple firings. We will also examine the basics of formulating, mixing, or altering a glaze.
Level: Seasoned Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced
Tuition: $255 + $35 Lab Fee