Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Backyard Composting Workshop
Nov 12 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
The Jewish Community Center

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Backyard Composting Workshop

Tuesday, November 12th

6:30-7:30pm

The Jewish Community Center

Thursday, November 14, 2019
Ramble Ladies Evening Book Club
Nov 14 @ 7:00 pm
contact organizer

Second Thursday each Month
If you are interested in joining the Ramble Ladies Evening Book Club held the second Thursday of each month at 7pm, please, contact Judy Deutsch at [email protected].
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Extending the Growing Season
Nov 21 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
SAHC Community Farm

Join us as Christina Newhouse from Southwestern NC Resource Conservation & Development Council discusses season extension. In this informative workshop, you will learn how to extend your growing and marketing seasons while making more money.

$20 register at:   https://appalachian.org/event/farm-workshop-season-extension/?utm_source=SAHC+Default+MC+List&utm_campaign=32340c2ac5-February_2018_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4717684d09-32340c2ac5-144635353&ct=t(February_2018_COPY_02)&mc_cid=32340c2ac5&mc_eid=cccced3ffd

Sunday, November 24, 2019
New Morning Holiday Open House
Nov 24 all-day
New Morning Gallery

Join us for our Annual Open House and enjoy cookies, hot cider and live music. New Morning Gallery features handcrafted ornaments and gifts by over 1,000 American artists that are housed in an amazing 2 story, 12,000 square foot gallery. There is free parking in beautiful Historic Biltmore Village. Ten percent of sales during our annual Holiday Open House will be donated to the Asheville MANNA Food Bank.

Holiday Open House Dates and Times:
Saturday, November 23rd 10:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday, November 24th 12:00pm – 5:00pm

Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Social Justice Book Club
Nov 26 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Alternates Leicester Library Firestorm Book Store

Social Justice Book Club

Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 7 – 8pm
Location Leicester Library – 1561 Alexander Rd. – Leicester
Phone (828) 250-6480
Email [email protected]
Event Type Book Club
Age Group Adult
Library Leicester
Details

Build relationships and build your understanding of social justice in this new reading group sponsored by the Leicester Library!

Monthly meetings will alternate between the Leicester Library and Firestorm.

On October 22, we’ll discuss I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown at the Leicester Library.

On November 26, we’ll discuss The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater at Firestorm.

On December 17, we’ll discuss How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal Fleming at the Leicester Library.

You may check out the book from any BCPL branch, or purchase a copy at a discount from Firestorm. Meetings will alternate monthly between the Leicester Library and Firestorm.

Future titles will be selected with guidance from the host librarian and book club participants.

Link www.firestorm.coop…
Friday, December 6, 2019
Bullington Gardens Holiday Sale & Open House
Dec 6 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Join the Elves at Bullington Gardens to shop for Amaryllis, Poinsettias, wreaths, unique holiday crafts, ornaments and so much more!

Saturday, December 7, 2019
Bullington Gardens Holiday Sale & Open House
Dec 7 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Join the Elves at Bullington Gardens to shop for Amaryllis, Poinsettias, wreaths, unique holiday crafts, ornaments and so much more!

Mushroom Log Inoculation Class
Dec 7 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Sow True Seed

Dec 7 2019: Mushroom Log Inoculation Class

Cost: $5 to attend (ticket price will be a donation to The Utopian Seed Project). $20 to take home an inoculated log.

If you decide to take home a log at the end of the class and only paid $5 to attend, then we’ll discount the log to $15.

This popular hands on class will leave you with the skills and knowledge to inoculate your own mushroom logs at home. We’ll start with a short presentation inside to give you the technical knowledge to make good mushroom growing decisions, and then move outside to get some hands on time with drilling and inoculating mushroom logs.

A comprehensive handout will be included. Additional mushroom plugs and spare inoculated logs will be sold separately.

Bring warm clothing for the outside section of the class.

We will be limiting the class to 40 people so that everyone can have a fulfilling hands on learning experience.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019
A Holistic Approach to Soil Health
Dec 10 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Celo Community Center

This one-day workshop will give you an in-depth look at soil health and provide a hands-on opportunity to work with soil monitoring in the field. Participants will learn about how to manage the four ecosystem processes and some simple soil tests you can use to promote soil health and productivity on your farm. A local farmer with experience in holistic management will share the soil management practices that they use to promote soil health, and produce high quality, profitable crops.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Managing Weeds Holistically
Dec 11 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Celo Community Center

Effectively managing weeds can be the most labor-intensive task for ecological crop and vegetable production. This one-day workshop will cover common weed biology, ecology, and identification. You will also learn preventative as well as mechanical and cultural practices you can implement on your farm to reduce weed pressure, save time, and money.

Preserving the Season’s Harvest – Fermenting Roots
Dec 11 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Sew True Seeds

Dec 11 2019: Preserving the Seasons Harvest, Fermenting Roots

earn the basics of lactofermentation and several recipes to transform root vegetables in season this time of year into fermented food delicacies! Sarah will demonstrate techniques and offer troubleshooting advice on the Dos and Don’ts of home fermentation. Leave with the knowledge and inspiration to create live, probiotic-rich ferments for you and your family!

About the Instructors

Sarah Archer is the Owner and Fermentress behind local business Serotonin Ferments. She has been a fermenting enthusiast for 15 years, and over that time has honed her skills from novice to expert. She is passionate about sharing her love for food, health, and community, and truly believes that Food is our Medicine. Supporting local, organic farmers is a keystone of her process, and her creations are often inspired by what is growing in abundance locally.

 

Thursday, December 12, 2019
Ramble Ladies Evening Book Club
Dec 12 @ 7:00 pm
contact organizer

Second Thursday each Month
If you are interested in joining the Ramble Ladies Evening Book Club held the second Thursday of each month at 7pm, please, contact Judy Deutsch at [email protected].
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Registration OPEN: 27th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference
Dec 17 all-day
Mars Hill University

Get the Early Registration Discount!

Early-registration prices for the 2020 Spring Conference are available through Friday, January 31, 2020.
Social Justice Book Club
Dec 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Alternates Leicester Library Firestorm Book Store

Social Justice Book Club

Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 7 – 8pm
Location Leicester Library – 1561 Alexander Rd. – Leicester
Phone (828) 250-6480
Email [email protected]
Event Type Book Club
Age Group Adult
Library Leicester
Details

Build relationships and build your understanding of social justice in this new reading group sponsored by the Leicester Library!

Monthly meetings will alternate between the Leicester Library and Firestorm.

On October 22, we’ll discuss I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown at the Leicester Library.

On November 26, we’ll discuss The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater at Firestorm.

On December 17, we’ll discuss How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal Fleming at the Leicester Library.

You may check out the book from any BCPL branch, or purchase a copy at a discount from Firestorm. Meetings will alternate monthly between the Leicester Library and Firestorm.

Future titles will be selected with guidance from the host librarian and book club participants.

Link www.firestorm.coop…
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Registration OPEN: 27th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference
Dec 21 all-day
Mars Hill University

Get the Early Registration Discount!

Early-registration prices for the 2020 Spring Conference are available through Friday, January 31, 2020.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Registration OPEN: 27th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference
Dec 28 all-day
Mars Hill University

Get the Early Registration Discount!

Early-registration prices for the 2020 Spring Conference are available through Friday, January 31, 2020.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Science Fiction Book Club
Dec 30 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Allison Beatty to dive into the wreck of the wily and wonderful world of sci-fi, weird fiction, speculative fiction, literary horror, and disturbing fiction with a healthy mix of underappreciated classic and contemporary books. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets the at Malaprop’s on the last Monday of every month at 7:00pm.

 

Event date:
Monday, December 30, 2019 – 7:00pm
Monday, January 27, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, February 24, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, March 30, 2020 – 7:00pm
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Malaprops New Year’s Day Special store hours and Annual Sale!
Jan 1 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Malaprops Bookstore

Happy New Year! We don’t know what 2020 will bring, but we know that life is better with books! Malaprop’s will be open from 12 noon to 5 pm and almost every item in the store will be 25% off!

Discount applies to in-stock merchandise only. Excludes cafe items, gift cards, and previously discounted items. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Thursday, January 2, 2020
Michael Diettrich-Chastain presents Changes
Jan 2 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe

Changes: The Busy Professional's Guide to Reducing Stress, Accomplishing Goals and Mastering Adaptability Cover Image

Why do people struggle with creating the changes they say they want? With over a decade of work with thousands of clients in the fields of organizational consulting, executive coaching and psychotherapy, author Michael Diettrich-Chastain reveals the seven life dimensions that impact our ability to make professional and personal changes…as well as why we succeed at making certain changes and fail at others. Ever wonder why things aren’t going the way you planned? Why things are happening TO you instead of YOU making them happen? Have you set out to create change in your life and then been drawn back into old patterns that you tried so hard to avoid?
Do you know what questions to ask to get you moving and excited about your personal and professional life again? CHANGES will help you ask the right questions, integrate the various parts of your life experience, and translate understanding into behavior.

Michael Diettrich-Chastain is a leader in the field of personal and professional change. His expertise is in the integration of self.  Since 2005, he has helped thousands of individuals make a wide range of personal and professional changes. Michael truly understands what is necessary to create sustainable positive change. He holds a BA in Psychology and Spanish, a MA in Counseling and is certified in multiple assessment tools used to help leaders and teams improve performance in the workplace. Michael is a speaker, executive coach, trainer and founder of Arc Integrated, an independent organizational consulting and professional coaching practice that helps executives and ambitious individuals around the world focus specifically on developing their emotional intelligence, leadership and communication. Michael’s purpose is to help clients connect the various parts of their lived experience in order to create sustainable growth in work and life. He lives in Asheville, NC.

This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.

Crime and Politics Book Club
Jan 2 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop’s Bookstore

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across true crime and public affairs. The club meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Click here to learn more about the club, view important news, and find the pick for this month.

 

Event date:
Thursday, January 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, February 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, March 5, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, April 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Friday, January 3, 2020
Mark Powell presents Firebird
Jan 3 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Firebird Cover Image

In this stunning new literary thriller, a U.S. arms deal gone south takes you into the underground world of political operatives, Ivy League criminals, and a hedge fund billionaire with eyes on the presidency.

Mark Powell has been called the ” best Appalachian novelist of his generation” by Ron Rash, and a writer “on the verge of greatness” by Pat Conroy. He is the author of six novels, including Small Treasons (Simon & Schuster) and The Sheltering (Story River). Powell has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Breadloaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences, and in 2014 was a Fulbright Fellow to Slovakia. In 2009 he received the Chaffin Award for contributions to Appalachian literature. He holds degrees from Yale Divinity School, the University of South Carolina, and the Citadel. He lives in the mountains of North Carolina where he teaches at Appalachian State University.

This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.

Saturday, January 4, 2020
Registration OPEN: 27th Annual Organic Growers School Spring Conference
Jan 4 all-day
Mars Hill University

Get the Early Registration Discount!

Early-registration prices for the 2020 Spring Conference are available through Friday, January 31, 2020.
Monday, January 6, 2020
LGBTQ Book Club
Jan 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop’s Bookstore

Join host Alex Ruiz to discuss a wide-ranging selection of fiction and non-fiction focused on the LGBTQ community.  Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at Malaprop’s the first Monday of every month at 7:00 pm.

Event date:
Monday, January 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, February 3, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, March 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, April 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Mark de Castrique launches Murder in Rat Alley
Jan 7 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Murder in Rat Alley Cover Image

Iraq War veteran Sam Blackman with his prosthetic leg and his no-nonsense private eye partner Nakayla Robertson love their investigations which always carry a thread from the past–and they love each other. An interracial couple in the new South, the Asheville, NC, pair has surrounded themselves with a terrific support team including an unorthodox lawyer and a veteran cop. They deploy humor both to bind them together and to deflect insults. Plus, it helps deal with the tragedies their work uncovers.

Such a tragedy interrupts a meeting between the PIs and the neighboring law office when a body is unearthed from the grounds of the nearby Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute. During the Cold War it monitored developing space programs. Today it plays a vital role gathering weather and climate data. The body has been in the ground a long time. Why would its discovery spark off a new murder in Asheville’s mountain music scene, the victim found amid the garbage of dark, dank Rat Alley?

She was the fiancée of the man murdered long ago. But surely this case is more than a domestic drama playing out over time….

The Blackman Agency Investigations excel at merging past and present, bringing little-known history to light, and are perfect for fans of James Lee Burke, Stephen Mack Jones, Margaret Maron, and Robert B. Parker.

Mark de Castrique grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina where many of his novels are set. He’s a veteran of the television and film production industry, has served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte teaching The American Mystery, and he’s a frequent speaker and workshop leader. He and his wife, Linda, live in Charlotte, North Carolina. www.markdecastrique.com

This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.

WILD (Women in Lively Discussion) Book Club
Jan 7 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Battery Park Book Exchange

Join former Malaprop’s General Manager Linda-Marie Barrett for this woman-only book club that seeks to have fun by reading books (fiction & non) by women writers. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at 6:30 P.M. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Battery Park Book Exchange.

Event date:
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 – 6:30pm
Adult Book Discussion “How to Walk Away” by Katherine Center
Jan 7 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library
An Evening with the Author: Robin Russell Gaiser presents ‘Open for Lunch’
Jan 7 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Fairview Library

An Evening with the Author: Robin Russell Gaiser presents 'Open for Lunch'

The Friends of Fairview Library welcome Robin Russell Gaiser, author of ‘Open for Lunch’, on Tuesday, January 7th at 7pm.

In her book, Gaiser writes of her encounters with a dozen strangers in casual lunch spots from upstate New York to Asheville, North Carolina. She began these encounters almost by chance when she invited someone in line with her at a Subway restaurant to share her table. But as she pursued such encounters over the years, she gradually became “the reporter reporting on myself. Soon the stunning stories of my lunch mates took me deeply into my own narrative.”

Please join us for this lively discussion. Books can be signed and purchased at the event.

Refreshments to be served after by the Friends of Fairview Library.

Book Discussion Weaverville Library
Jan 7 @ 7:00 pm
Weaverville Library
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Malaprop’s Book Club
Jan 8 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe

The Malaprop’s Book Club, hosted by Jay Jacoby, explores a diverse selection of fiction and nonfiction books determined by member suggestion. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club will meet at 7:00 PM in the cafe. This is a special date. The club usually meets the first Wednesday of every Month.

 

Thursday, January 9, 2020
Dr. Kathleen Smith presents Everything Isn’t Terrible
Jan 9 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Everything Isn't Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities, Interrupt Your Anxiety, and Finally Calm Down Cover Image

In the spirit of You Are a Badass and The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, a helpful and humorous guide to shedding our anxious habits and building a more solid sense of self in our increasingly anxiety-inducing world.
Licensed therapist and mental health writer Dr. Kathleen Smith offers a smart, practical antidote to our anxiety-ridden times. Everything Isn’t Terrible is an informative and practical guide — featuring a healthy dose of humor — for people who want to become beacons of calmness in their families, at work, and in our anxious world. Everything Isn’t Terrible will inspire you to confront your anxious self, take charge of your anxiety, and increase your own capacity to choose how you respond to it. Comprised of short chapters containing anecdotal examples from Smith’s work with her clients, in addition to engaging, actionable exercises for readers, Everything Isn’t Terrible will give anyone suffering from anxiety all the tools they need to finally…calm…down.
Ultimately, living a calmer, less anxious life — one that isn’t terrible — is possible, and with this book, you’ll learn how to do it.

Kathleen Smith is a licensed therapist and mental health writer who lives in Washington, DC. She has written for popular publications such as Slate, Salon, New York Magazine, Lifehacker, Bustle, and Counseling Today, among many others. She is an associate faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family and hosts the show Family Matters, a production of the University of the District of Columbia. She will be in conversation with Joanne O’Sullivan, author of Between Two Skies.

This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.