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.

Thursday, May 7, 2020
North Carolina in the Great War Exhibit
May 7 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Smith-McDowell House

The exhibit is on loan from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and has been supplemented with artifacts from the Smith-McDowell House collection. Entrance to the exhibit is included with Smith-McDowell House admission – and is always free for members – and runs through May 16, 2020.

The exhibit seeks to put the local men and women who served in context with the larger events happening in North Carolina, the United States, and the world. In the exhibit, visitors will find displays and interactive elements telling the stories of just a few of our hometown heroes.

Greenville Zoo: Facebook Live: Educational Encounter
May 7 @ 10:30 am – 10:45 am
Facebook

Image may contain: outdoor, possible text that says 'A greenvillezoo SOUTHCAROLINA faceboo live TUES-THURS AT 10:30 AM (EST): LIVE EDUCATIONAL ENCOUNTERS MON-FRI AT 2:30 PM (EST): LIVE KEEPER CHECK IN'

Join us Tuesday-Thursday, at 10:30am, for our an educational encounter. Tuesday: Tell Me About it Tuesdays Wednesday: Wild for Reading Wednesdays Thursday: Learning Safari Thursdays
Free Online Writing Workshop with Tim Hernandez
May 7 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Online

For the love of the word…

Connect Beyond Festival Alumni Tim Hernandez is offering a FREE writing workshop this Thursday (May 7th at 12:00pm ET) as part of the Community Building Art Works workshop series hosted by the brilliant poet/memoirist, Seema Reza.

The Right People for the Right Roles Furman University Online
May 7 @ 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
online

WHO’S ON FIRST? – THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE RIGHT ROLES Featuring Kenneth Fields and Johannes Mutzke with Blue Inc Strategies

The only thing that’s worse than feeling like you are in the wrong place is leading a team of people who feels like they’re in the wrong place!  This session will focus on who is on your team, what roles they’re best suited to play, and how those roles fit within different kinds of organizations.

Adult Creative Writing Group for Children’s Books
May 7 @ 1:00 pm
Leicester Library

The Perfect Turkey

It’s never too late to begin writing the next great American novel – or children’s book. The Leicester Library Creative Writing Work Group is opening its doors to any and all adults who are interested in writing children’s books. Meetings will include writing exercises, idea sharing, and other group discussions. The group will focus on writing picture books, early-reader, and chapter books. Participants are welcome to bring up to 500 words of original writing to share. But you don’t have to, you’re welcome to bring your thoughts to turn into great ideas later.

The classes take place on the first Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. at the Leicester Library. In previous groups, local children’s authors have visited to discuss their writing process. Also, members of the group have already published their own books.

 

Facebook Live: History Mystery w/ Vance Birthplace State Historic Site
May 7 @ 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Facebook Live

Solve a History Mystery with Lauren each Thursday at 2 PM! During these Facebook Live events, Lauren will feature a historic artifact and share clues about its purpose. Can you guess the artifact before Lauren reveals what it is? Tune in weekly to find out!
#LearningWithLauren

Matt’s Class Instructor: Matt Wegleitner
May 7 @ 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Odyssey ClayWorks

Thursdays 3 – 5:30pm
April 2nd – May 7th

Come experience the love of clay! Join instructor Matt Wegleitner and learn the skills needed to create decorative, hand-built, and functional pottery. Demonstrations will include pinch, coil, and slab techniques with a focus on creating interesting surfaces and unique forms. We’ll also cover the basics of glazing and firing your work. All skill levels welcome.

Level: All levels
Tuition: $245 + $45 Lab Fee

Foraging the Wild Weeds
May 7 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
French Broad Coop

Image may contain: flower, plant, text and nature

May 7, 2020 Thursday 6-8pm
Foraging the Wild Weeds

Spring is here and we will take a short city walk to discover the abundance of common plants available almost everywhere. Nettles, plantain, violets, dandelion, burdock, and others are abundant and available to most of us, even in the city. We will discuss good wildcrafting practices, tools to make your gathering easy, and how to work with these wonderful weeds. Take home recipes to begin bringing a little wild back into your kitchen and your life!

Registration: http://frenchbroadfood.coop/apothecary/

Free Virtual Community Beginner Martial Arts Class
May 7 @ 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm
online

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FREE Virtual Community Martial Arts class!!

This event is free and open to the public!

Come and meet Asheville Sun Soo! No prior experience is needed!

Class will be on Zoom. (Meeting ID is 975-4312-2799. Password is 279182.)

Hope to see you all there!

Pack Library Online Spanish Conversation Group
May 7 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Zoom Online

Image may contain: text

Grupo de conversación en español!
Looking to practice your Spanish speaking skills? Join us in a ZOOM meeting every Thursday at 6 PM.
Note: This group meeting is taking place online.

Join Zoom Meeting-
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/326502512?pwd=eitScmlWMjdGb3M4V0EwZW5RMUxLUT09

Meeting ID: 326 502 512
Password: 902882

Gracias, mantente a salvo todos.

Sierra Club WNC – Wildflowers Webinar
May 7 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Sierra Club WNC
Sierra Club North Carolina Chapter WENOCA Group
Naturalist Scott Dean to entertain us with a visual tour of our mountain wildflowers. Online Thursday, May 7, 7 pm.
Free and open to the public.
Photo of Scott Dean
Because the Sierra Club is taking steps to keep everyone safe during the Covid-19 threat, in-person meetings are suspended. However, we can still come together to celebrate WILDFLOWERS! and flowering trees! and beautiful flora of our breathtaking Appalachians. Let Scott Dean take you on a guided tour with lovely photos and charming stories.

You must register in advance for this webinar. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email about how to join the ZOOM program on May 7.

Register here.

Please go to our website, WENOCA.ORG, for more information on the May program. You can also find a link to the recorded version of our April 2nd online program about the Nantahala/Pisgah Forests planning process along with detailed information, including talking points, for making comments to the U.S. Forest Service.

As we all deal with a global pandemic with COVID-19, we wanted to let you know how the Sierra Club is adapting and responding so we can keep doing the important work of helping our communities, protecting our natural environment and fighting for a just, clean energy future.
Friday, May 8, 2020
A History of Classical Music by The Kennedy Center
May 8 all-day
The Kennedy Center Online

A History of Classical Music
Brought to you by The Kennedy Center
Follow the development and impact of classical music in the U.S.

Experience WNC History From Home
May 8 all-day
online
Douglas Ellington: Asheville’s Boomtown Architect presents a look at his iconic Asheville creations along with other buildings he completed throughout his career in other cities.
Hillbilly Land explores the power, prevalence, and persistence of the hillbilly stereotype from the days of its beginnings in the late 19th century to the present day.
In 1918 vs 2020, we take an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Free Online Educational Activities US Census Bureau
May 8 all-day
online

Statistics in Schools provides more than 100 activities that you can use in any year—and whenever you have a new class—to enhance and invigorate learning in many subjects. These activities are all free, and they’re easy to access and use.

  • Pick a subject or grade level to see what activities are available, and get details such as learning objectives, relevant topics, and skills taught.
  • Select and download the activities you want.
  • All activities include a list of materials, a student worksheet, and teacher directions.
Helpful Resources: Parents Educating kids at home
May 8 all-day
online
New Online Education Resources: GreenWorks
May 8 all-day
GreenWorks Online
Image

The GreenWorks Education team has been hard at work putting together activities and resources for you and your family while staying at home. Explore the Tree Discovery Guide and Bag Monster videos.

 

We will be adding more to the website so check back often!

Virtual Visit: North Carolina Museum of History
May 8 all-day
online

Digital Tour of Museum Artifacts
North Carolina Museum of History (A Smithsonian Affiliate)
Choose an exhibit tour to virtually explore the museum at home!

Literacy Changing Lives Tour
May 8 @ 9:00 am
Literacy Council

 

Would you like to learn more about how literacy changes our students’ lives?

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

UPCOMING TOUR DATES for 2020

Friday, January 10 – 9am | Monday, February 10 – 4pm | Friday, March 13 – 9am
Monday, April 13 – 4pm | Friday, May 8 – 9am | Monday, June 8 – 4pm

 

Ask a Librarian
May 8 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Buncombe County Libraries Online

Need Book Recommendations? Ask a Librarian.

 

While the libraries are closed, you can call Ask A Librarian with any questions you may have about library materials, digital services, or reference assistance. Librarians will be staffing the phones Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. to connect you with all the resources we have available. Just call Ask a Librarian at (828) 250-4700.

Ask a Scientist: Snakes and Solar
May 8 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Online

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Tune in this Friday to chat with naturalist, Steve O’Neil. As director of Earthshine Nature Programs in Mills River, NC, Steve aims to connect people with nature and “misunderstood” animals. Join us to see a virtual tour of his nature center classroom, meet his slithery snake friends, and talk to us about the benefits of reducing our environmental impacts.

https://www.facebook.com/Asheville.Science/live/

Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy
May 8 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

Every week day, Janet’s Planet gives children a daily dose of science and space topics from around the world.

This is for ages 7-16!

Come and join us! See the Event Brite link below to register. Parents must register for their children.

Once I get your confirmation of your invite, I will personally send you the link to the class.
This is a measure to keep you safe. You can also email me at [email protected] for any questions.
Am hopefully going to get you all a calendar soon of all the talks. More astronauts to come!
North Carolina in the Great War Exhibit
May 8 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Smith-McDowell House

The exhibit is on loan from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and has been supplemented with artifacts from the Smith-McDowell House collection. Entrance to the exhibit is included with Smith-McDowell House admission – and is always free for members – and runs through May 16, 2020.

The exhibit seeks to put the local men and women who served in context with the larger events happening in North Carolina, the United States, and the world. In the exhibit, visitors will find displays and interactive elements telling the stories of just a few of our hometown heroes.

Golf Tournament Fundraiser
May 8 @ 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Mount Mitchell Golf Club

Join Irene Wortham Center’s 20th annual golf tournament fundraiser! As a non-profit, this annual event helps us continue serving the Buncombe County community. For 57 years and counting, we have been helping children and adults with developmental and/or socioeconomic challenges live more independent, happy, healthy, and full lives. Funds raised at this event will kick-start the building project for a new Early Learning Center. The current center, which is one of two organizations in Buncombe County helping pre-K children with developmental disabilities, enrolls 100 children and has a wait list of more than 400! We need YOUR support to expand our program and offer services to more children and families in need.
Please consider registering as a player, a sponsor, or making a donation toward the cause. The day will be full of golf, great food, cold beer, and lots of prizes and giveaways! Visit the event website to learn more and register!

Brews and Bears: WNC Nature Center CANCELLED
May 8 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
WNC Nature Center

It’s happy hour at the WNC Nature Center! Join us for the always popular Brews & Bears after hours event featuring beer, cider, food, music, and an up close view of an awesome bear enrichment activity with our black bears Uno and Ursa!  Event will run from 5:30pm-8:00pm with food and drink available for purchase.

Tickets sell out quickly!

Children ages 2 and under get in free, all others will need a ticket to attend this event.

*Please bring valid photo ID to purchase alcoholic beverages.

This is a rain or shine event. If the weather is so bad that we are forced to cancel/reschedule, we will post that information on our Facebook event page and email everyone who has purchased tickets.

Saturday, May 9, 2020
A History of Classical Music by The Kennedy Center
May 9 all-day
The Kennedy Center Online

A History of Classical Music
Brought to you by The Kennedy Center
Follow the development and impact of classical music in the U.S.

Experience WNC History From Home
May 9 all-day
online
Douglas Ellington: Asheville’s Boomtown Architect presents a look at his iconic Asheville creations along with other buildings he completed throughout his career in other cities.
Hillbilly Land explores the power, prevalence, and persistence of the hillbilly stereotype from the days of its beginnings in the late 19th century to the present day.
In 1918 vs 2020, we take an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Free Online Educational Activities US Census Bureau
May 9 all-day
online

Statistics in Schools provides more than 100 activities that you can use in any year—and whenever you have a new class—to enhance and invigorate learning in many subjects. These activities are all free, and they’re easy to access and use.

  • Pick a subject or grade level to see what activities are available, and get details such as learning objectives, relevant topics, and skills taught.
  • Select and download the activities you want.
  • All activities include a list of materials, a student worksheet, and teacher directions.
Helpful Resources: Parents Educating kids at home
May 9 all-day
online
New Online Education Resources: GreenWorks
May 9 all-day
GreenWorks Online
Image

The GreenWorks Education team has been hard at work putting together activities and resources for you and your family while staying at home. Explore the Tree Discovery Guide and Bag Monster videos.

 

We will be adding more to the website so check back often!

Online Hide Tanning Course Return to Ancestral Ways
May 9 all-day
Wild Abundance

A video-based program that guides aspiring hide tanners through every step of tanning a deer hide.

Natalie Bogwalker

Natalie is a hide tanner, craftswoman, builder, teacher, mom, and gardener. She founded Wild Abundance 10 years ago because of her passion for sharing real, practical skills that get people closer to the Earth. Hide tanning was one of the first earthskills that she learned, and it changed her life profoundly. That was over 15 years ago! Since then she’s tanned uncountable hides, but more importantly, she’s taught hide tanning to hundreds of students.

Natalie knows what usually trips people up who are new to hide tanning. In this online course she shares a thorough, step-by-step guide to hide tanning, including numerous tips and tricks that will help you succeed.