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.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Sand Hill Community Garden Workday
Oct 2 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
BC Sports Park

Community Garden located at the Buncombe County Sports Park.  
The mission of Sand HIll Community Garden is to share in garden space, knowledge, and labor with all members of the community.  Using organic growing practices we promote community health and wellness by providing fresh produce for garden members and local people in need of food.

Thursday, October 3, 2019
NC State Theatre Garden Club Plant Sale for Flat Rock Playhouse
Oct 3 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
SPARC After Dark
Oct 3 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Boathouse at Smoky Park Supper Club

Let your little light shine for The SPARC Foundation as we sparkle and glow (feel free to wear your boldest and brightest) along the French Broad River! Hosted by Asheville Affiliates, SPARC After Dark will light up the night to raise funds for programs working to keep people out of institutional care. Modern Strangers will fill the autumn air with high-energy music… and the event will overflow with tasty local food and drinks from Urban Orchard, Roots Hummus, Catabaw Brewing, Mellow Mushroom, and more. Expect spectacular raffle packages and local prizes.

The SPARC Foundation empowers marginalized people with individualized support; increasing self-sufficiency, family health and community safety. Our mission is to keep residents of Western North Carolina out of institutional care. SPARC’s programs focus on: – keeping adults out of prisons and mental health facilities – keeping children out of foster care or group homes – re-educating domestic abusers; teaching them new methods of interacting with intimate partners and family members – supervising and facilitating DSS court-ordered family visits and coaching parents as they learn new parenting skills – ensuring access to nutritious, free food for low income residents living in designated “food desserts” – offering Family Centered Treatment; in-home therapy designed to support reuniting families – assisting former inmates with employment, education and housing opportunities to increase their chances of success upon re-entering society and decrease recidivism www.thesparcfoundation.org
Catapult at Tryon Fine Arts Center
Oct 3 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Catapult is, technically, a shadow dance company.  What it really is:  a theatrical art form that is an amazingly imaginative combination of dance, story-telling, and sculpture.   Founded in 2009, by Adam Battlestein (choreographer, Creative Director and Master Teaching Artist for Pilobolus Dance Theatre for 19 years), Catapult catapulted to fame on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent, earning their way to the finals of the NBC-TV hit show.

Catapult is all about the human body and its ability to transform.  The talented Catapult dancers work behind a screen to create seemingly impossible dancing shadow silhouettes of shapes from the world around us. You won’t believe your eyes as you watch these incredible dancers become a mountain, a full size elephant, a helicopter, a house with a window and people inside the window.  You will never figure out how they do it, and you won’t know what they will make next – you will be surprised and delighted again and again. Audiences of all ages love what appear to be effortless transformations and applaud over and over as more and more unbelievable images appear.

Catapult’s “Magic Shadows” show is packed with hundreds of shape transformations, and it is full of humor, emotion, and engaging stories.  There are 8 fully realized stories told through music and shadows and 6 short shadow dance videos which play between the live dances – brief moments of poetry or humor which perfectly cleanse the palate and prepare the audience for their next shadow journey.  Audiences leave this show dazed and happy, and they will never look at their own shadow the same way again!

Nobuntu
Oct 3 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

Nobuntu

Nobuntu — Thursday, October 3, 2019, 8 p.m. The five voices of Nobuntu echo with power and intensity, emanating pure joy while embodying the spirit of the artists’ Zimbabwe home. An all-female a cappella vocal quintet, Nobuntu draws international acclaim for its inventive performances that are accompanied by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments and organic, authentic dance movements

Friday, October 4, 2019
NC State Theatre Garden Club Plant Sale for Flat Rock Playhouse
Oct 4 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
An Evening with Cornflower
Oct 4 @ 7:00 pm – Oct 5 @ 10:00 pm
Violet Owl Wellness

? ASHEVILLE CONCERT THIS FRIDAY!

I am STOKED to bring this transformational music and movement concert experience to the Asheville Community at Violet Owl Wellness in Downtown Asheville!

Asheville was an oasis for me growing up in East Tennessee. I could just drive over the most beautiful mountains to find myself in a fresh new perspective on life. I saw some of the best concerts in Asheville while in high school and it is full circle for me to now bring my music to this beautiful city.

RSVP now @ Cornflower at Asheville NC and tag (or invite) your Asheville friends in the comments below!

See you on the Dance Floor!
ALL LOVE, Cornflower

NC Dance Festival
Oct 4 @ 8:00 pm
The BeBe Theatre
Experience the energy and talent of professional dance artists from across NC with the 29th Season of the NC Dance Festival. The Festival aims to support the creation of new choreography and the presentation of high-quality repertory, build and strengthen relationships between dance artists within the state, and provide access to and education about modern and contemporary dance to audiences and students.

Vania Claiborne (Greensboro) presents (Bro)tha/Brother, a duet for two men that celebrates and explores black male joy, friendship, and humanity.

In Studio C Projects (Durham) atmospheric Two, three dancers follow two sets of movement instructions that test the accuracy of memory in response to a shifting environment.

MARO Movement (Southern Pines) explores the sometimes taboo topic of mortality and vulnerability with Impact, inspired by choreographer Matthew Rocks late grandmother.

The multigenerational dancers of Durhams Big Red Dance Project, ranging in age from 38-78 and directed by Gerri Houlihan, reveal the melodic and rhythmic complexities of J.S. Bachs Violin Concerto in A Minor in Dances for the Time Being.

Wilmington’s Alyona Amato presents Its All About Me, an ensemble dance that combines video and movement to capture the sense of competition and self-centeredness that can characterize our modern culture.

Local Asheville company Stewart/Owen presents an excerpt of a new theatrical work that broadly speaks to power, control, vulnerability, and how human beings manifest each of those qualities and surrender to them.

Asheville
Intergenerational Modern Dance
Come join 2019 NCDF Artist Gerri Houlihan as she teaches this intergenerational modern dance class at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Asheville!
$5 at the door
October 5 @ 10-11:30 a.m.
Click to register
Henry Labrun Studio in the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, Asheville, NC
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo Volunteers Needed
Oct 5 all-day
various

Call for Volunteers!! We are grateful that the Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo supports conservation of land and water resources — and we need YOUR help to make it happen. Binge volunteers enjoy fun and camaraderie while helping in a variety of ways, from course marshals to Binge party hosting.

Sand Hill Community Garden Workday
Oct 5 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am
BC Sports Park

Community Garden located at the Buncombe County Sports Park.
The mission of Sand HIll Community Garden is to share in garden space, knowledge, and labor with all members of the community.  Using organic growing practices we promote community health and wellness by providing fresh produce for garden members and local people in need of food.

NC Dance Festival
Oct 5 @ 8:00 pm
The BeBe Theatre
Experience the energy and talent of professional dance artists from across NC with the 29th Season of the NC Dance Festival. The Festival aims to support the creation of new choreography and the presentation of high-quality repertory, build and strengthen relationships between dance artists within the state, and provide access to and education about modern and contemporary dance to audiences and students.

Vania Claiborne (Greensboro) presents (Bro)tha/Brother, a duet for two men that celebrates and explores black male joy, friendship, and humanity.

In Studio C Projects (Durham) atmospheric Two, three dancers follow two sets of movement instructions that test the accuracy of memory in response to a shifting environment.

MARO Movement (Southern Pines) explores the sometimes taboo topic of mortality and vulnerability with Impact, inspired by choreographer Matthew Rocks late grandmother.

The multigenerational dancers of Durhams Big Red Dance Project, ranging in age from 38-78 and directed by Gerri Houlihan, reveal the melodic and rhythmic complexities of J.S. Bachs Violin Concerto in A Minor in Dances for the Time Being.

Wilmington’s Alyona Amato presents Its All About Me, an ensemble dance that combines video and movement to capture the sense of competition and self-centeredness that can characterize our modern culture.

Local Asheville company Stewart/Owen presents an excerpt of a new theatrical work that broadly speaks to power, control, vulnerability, and how human beings manifest each of those qualities and surrender to them.

Asheville
Intergenerational Modern Dance
Come join 2019 NCDF Artist Gerri Houlihan as she teaches this intergenerational modern dance class at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Asheville!
$5 at the door
October 5 @ 10-11:30 a.m.
Click to register
Henry Labrun Studio in the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, Asheville, NC
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Waltz Night
Oct 6 @ 6:00 pm – 9:45 pm
The Orange Peel

$5 lesson
$10 dance

Lesson | 6:00pm – 6:45pm
Dance | 7:00pm – 9:45pm

Tickets At The Door

RSVP on Facebook

Get updates here: Orange Peel Waltz – Let’s Dance, Asheville

Monday, October 7, 2019
Literacy Council Volunteer Orientation
Oct 7 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Literacy Council

Our Ideal Volunteer Tutor

The ideal volunteer tutor is someone seeking to make a one-year commitment of two hours per week to help someone else make the change of a lifetime. For our volunteer tutors, an education background is helpful, but not necessary. The most important qualities are patience, an open mind, and resourcefulness. Tutors also need to be non-judgmental and sensitive to cultural differences. A GED or high school diploma is required. Ideal tutors enjoy seeing concrete outcomes from their efforts and sharing in the life-changing successes of others. See our full tutor position description here.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019
107th Cherokee Indian Fair
Oct 8 @ 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds

It’s over a century old. It’s a cornucopia of sights and sounds—a treat for all your senses. It’s a carnival and an agriculture show. It’s an art show and a game show. There’s food, music, and rides. It’s pure, unfiltered fair entertainment with that unmistakable Cherokee touch.

General admission is $10 per person at the ticket booth (gate), Tuesday through Saturday. Children ages 6 to 10 are $5 per person. Youth under 6 years old will be admitted for free. Enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and other federally recognized tribes will receive free admission with their enrollment card.

Tuesday: Parade Day (gates open at 5:30 p.m. and close at 11 p.m.)

Wednesday: Children’s Day (gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. and from noon until closing, youth 17 years old and younger are admitted for free and will get a wristband to enjoy complimentary rides)

Thursday: Elder’s Day (gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. and all Elder’s ages 59 and a half are admitted for free)

Friday: Veterans’ Day (gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. and all Veterans’ are admitted for free)

Saturday: Community Day (gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. and will feature a variety of traditional competitions for the communities to compete against one another for a chance to win cash prizes)

Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo Volunteers Needed
Oct 9 all-day
various

Call for Volunteers!! We are grateful that the Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo supports conservation of land and water resources — and we need YOUR help to make it happen. Binge volunteers enjoy fun and camaraderie while helping in a variety of ways, from course marshals to Binge party hosting.

Sand Hill Community Garden Workday
Oct 9 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
BC Sports Park

Community Garden located at the Buncombe County Sports Park.  
The mission of Sand HIll Community Garden is to share in garden space, knowledge, and labor with all members of the community.  Using organic growing practices we promote community health and wellness by providing fresh produce for garden members and local people in need of food.

Thursday, October 10, 2019
Volunteer Orientation Literacy Council
Oct 10 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Literacy Council

Our Ideal Volunteer Tutor

The ideal volunteer tutor is someone seeking to make a one-year commitment of two hours per week to help someone else make the change of a lifetime. For our volunteer tutors, an education background is helpful, but not necessary. The most important qualities are patience, an open mind, and resourcefulness. Tutors also need to be non-judgmental and sensitive to cultural differences. A GED or high school diploma is required. Ideal tutors enjoy seeing concrete outcomes from their efforts and sharing in the life-changing successes of others. See our full tutor position description here.

Singles Soiree
Oct 10 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Haiku I Do

Singles Soiree
An alternative to online dating

Swiped out? Join us and support the momentum of the singles of Asheville taking the dating game off the apps, and go face to face!

Friday, October 11, 2019
BalletX Matinee at Diana Wortham
Oct 11 @ 10:00 am
Diana Wortham Theatre

BalletX, October 11, 2019 at 10AM - Matinee Series

BalletX 
Friday, October 11, 2019 at  10am
Recommended for Grades 5-12

Diana Wortham Theatre
BalletX’s website

Experience a unique mix of original, dynamic choreography from a company whose dancers have been hailed as “among America’s best” by The New York Times. Inspiring for children and adults alike BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet with contemporary works of athleticism, emotion and grace.

Group reservations:
Download the 2019/2020 Matinee Series Order Form + Y.E.S. Fund Application


TICKETS
$10 for Individuals – Call the box office at 828-257-4530.

$9 for Groups of 11 or more – Download the Matinee Series Reservation Form / Y.E.S. Fund Application

For school groups of 11 or more: 1 free teacher ticket per every 10 students. Deposit of $1 per ticket required for groups.
Need-based scholarships available

Visit the Matinee Series page
Visit the Youth Education Scholarship (Y.E.S.) page

Visit the Matinee Series page
Visit the Youth Education Scholarship (Y.E.S.) page
Literacy Changing Lives Tour
Oct 11 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Literacy Council

Please join us for coffee and a one-hour tour of the Literacy Council.

Space is limited. Please RSVP below and click here to use the driving directions from our website.

Saturday, October 12, 2019
Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo Volunteers Needed
Oct 12 all-day
various

Call for Volunteers!! We are grateful that the Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo supports conservation of land and water resources — and we need YOUR help to make it happen. Binge volunteers enjoy fun and camaraderie while helping in a variety of ways, from course marshals to Binge party hosting.

MAking Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk
Oct 12 all-day
Pack Square Park

UNITE FOR A WORLD WITHOUT BREAST CANCER
Join the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk

Join the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on October 12th, at Pack Square to help ignite the fight against breast cancer. Registration begins at 9:00am and the 5K walk starts at 10:00am. Funds raised at this noncompetitive, family-friendly event enable the American Cancer Society to save lives from breast cancer by investing in groundbreaking research; providing free, comprehensive information and support to those touched by the disease; and helping people take steps to reduce their breast cancer risk or find it early when it’s most treatable. Call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit MakingStridesWalk.org/AshevilleNC to sign up and help save lives.

HELP SAVE LIVES FROM BREAST CANCER
Participate in the annual American Cancer Society Walk or Make an Online Donation

Form a team, join a team, walk as an individual, or make a donation for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K walk on October 12th, at Pack Square. Registration begins at 9:00am, and the walk starts at 10:00am. Call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit MakingStridesWalk.org/AshevilleNC to sign up or donate today.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT BREAST CANCER WALK
We need you to help to save lives from breast cancer. Volunteers are needed for the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K walk on October 12th, at Pack Square. Call the American Cancer Society 1-800-227-2345 or visit MakingStridesWalk.org/AshevilleNC for details.

Carolina Bonsai Expo @ The NC Arboretum
Oct 12 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Arboretum Property

The North Carolina Arboretum’s 24th annual Carolina Bonsai Expo will be held on Saturday, October 12, and Sunday, October 13, 2019, in the Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden, Baker Exhibit Center and Education Center.

This nationally known event features juried displays by bonsai enthusiasts hailing from a multi-state region. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the displays, watch free demonstrations and purchase bonsai plants and supplies. Also featured are an invitational show and sale of the work of bonsai potters and a display of floral art by members of the Asheville Chapter of Ikebana International. As the premier annual bonsai event of the Southeast, the Carolina Bonsai Expo offers programs for both the bonsai community and general public.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, October 12

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Arboretum’s bonsai on display in the Bonsai Exhibition Garden; main bonsai exhibit open in the Education Center, 1st floor; ikebana exhibit open in the Education Center, 2nd floor; vendors market open in the Baker Exhibit Center, 1st and 2nd floors; food service available in the Education Center, 1st floor

11 a.m. – Noon   Free ikebana educational program (More information to come) in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor

1 p.m. – 5 p.m.   2019 Carolina Bonsai Expo Main Event presentation: “The Art of Bonsai Pottery,” featuring bonsai pottery artist Ron Lang, illustrated lecture program in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor (Pre-registration required; fee charged for this program. Registration is not yet open.)

Sunday, October 13

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.   Arboretum’s bonsai on display in the Bonsai Exhibition Garden; main bonsai exhibit open in the Education Center, 1st floor; ikebana exhibit open in the Education Center, 2nd floor; vendors market open in the Baker Exhibit Center, 1st and 2nd floors; food service available in the Education Center, 1st floor

1 a.m – Noon   Free bonsai educational program, (More information to come), in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.   Live auction of bonsai and bonsai-related items, in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor (Register onsite Expo weekend; $1 fee charged for this event.)

3:30 p.m.   Raffle drawing, presentation of “People’s Choice” award, and closing remarks in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor

Sand Hill Community Garden Workday
Oct 12 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am
BC Sports Park

Community Garden located at the Buncombe County Sports Park.
The mission of Sand HIll Community Garden is to share in garden space, knowledge, and labor with all members of the community.  Using organic growing practices we promote community health and wellness by providing fresh produce for garden members and local people in need of food.

Sunday, October 13, 2019
Southeast Wise Woman Herbal Conference
Oct 13 all-day
Kanuga Conference & Retreat Center

conferencelogo

The Southeast Wise Women Herbal Conference was inspired by the thriving herbal conferences for women in the Northeast, Northwest, and California, which were founded in the 1990’s. After many years of running Red Moon Herbs and teaching herbal medicine for women, Corinna Wood—student and apprentice of  Wise Woman Herbalist Susun Weed—recognized that the Southeast, too, would be eager for this kind of gathering. From our first annual event in 2005 with 200 women attending, we quickly discovered that the community was more than ready, that this event is filling a deep hunger for the Wise Woman Ways in this region. The conference now has a heart and soul of its own. For many, it has become an annual event—with over a thousand women, the October gathering is a tradition in education, inspiration, and sisterhood.

3 Full days of workshops, intensives, gatherings and more.

For a complete schedule visit: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HcEve8IzhO29Qt_ZFRQXF3jcXtsffDk31v5HEbUNm_A/edit#gid=2075348263

Carolina Bonsai Expo @ The NC Arboretum
Oct 13 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Arboretum Property

The North Carolina Arboretum’s 24th annual Carolina Bonsai Expo will be held on Saturday, October 12, and Sunday, October 13, 2019, in the Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden, Baker Exhibit Center and Education Center.

This nationally known event features juried displays by bonsai enthusiasts hailing from a multi-state region. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the displays, watch free demonstrations and purchase bonsai plants and supplies. Also featured are an invitational show and sale of the work of bonsai potters and a display of floral art by members of the Asheville Chapter of Ikebana International. As the premier annual bonsai event of the Southeast, the Carolina Bonsai Expo offers programs for both the bonsai community and general public.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, October 12

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Arboretum’s bonsai on display in the Bonsai Exhibition Garden; main bonsai exhibit open in the Education Center, 1st floor; ikebana exhibit open in the Education Center, 2nd floor; vendors market open in the Baker Exhibit Center, 1st and 2nd floors; food service available in the Education Center, 1st floor

11 a.m. – Noon   Free ikebana educational program (More information to come) in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor

1 p.m. – 5 p.m.   2019 Carolina Bonsai Expo Main Event presentation: “The Art of Bonsai Pottery,” featuring bonsai pottery artist Ron Lang, illustrated lecture program in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor (Pre-registration required; fee charged for this program. Registration is not yet open.)

Sunday, October 13

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.   Arboretum’s bonsai on display in the Bonsai Exhibition Garden; main bonsai exhibit open in the Education Center, 1st floor; ikebana exhibit open in the Education Center, 2nd floor; vendors market open in the Baker Exhibit Center, 1st and 2nd floors; food service available in the Education Center, 1st floor

1 a.m – Noon   Free bonsai educational program, (More information to come), in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.   Live auction of bonsai and bonsai-related items, in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor (Register onsite Expo weekend; $1 fee charged for this event.)

3:30 p.m.   Raffle drawing, presentation of “People’s Choice” award, and closing remarks in the classrooms of the Education Center, 1st floor

Fall Tree Giveaway Green Works
Oct 13 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The GreenWorks Nursery

Image

Take home a native tree for your home!

Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo Volunteers Needed
Oct 16 all-day
various

Call for Volunteers!! We are grateful that the Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo supports conservation of land and water resources — and we need YOUR help to make it happen. Binge volunteers enjoy fun and camaraderie while helping in a variety of ways, from course marshals to Binge party hosting.

Friday, October 18, 2019
80s vs 90s Dance Party
Oct 18 @ 9:00 pm
The Orange Peel
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo Volunteers Needed
Oct 19 all-day
various

Call for Volunteers!! We are grateful that the Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo supports conservation of land and water resources — and we need YOUR help to make it happen. Binge volunteers enjoy fun and camaraderie while helping in a variety of ways, from course marshals to Binge party hosting.