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.

Friday, June 19, 2020
Asheville Art Museum: #MuseumFromHome
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Now more than ever, we’re striving to provide you with inspiration, education, relaxation, and solace through art. Until we reopen to Members and visitors, we invite you to explore our Collectionvirtual programsblog, and art activities through the Museum From Home page on our website. Here’s a sample of our latest virtual offerings:

Work of the Week: Assistant Curator Whitney Richardson examines the history of craft and its ability to let historically silenced people express themselves artistically. When craft allows artists to make their voices actively heard, it can serve an even higher purpose. The pottery of Upstate South Carolina artists known as Pottery by Eugene offers husband-and-wife team Rosa & Winton Eugene a way not only to share their skills and creativity but also to communicate their voices as African Americans. Read more here.
#MakerMonday: In the 1960s, artist Ray Johnson began to create small collages and drawings. He mailed them to friends and other artists. Sometimes he would ask them to add something and mail it back. What began as a simple and creative form of communication developed into what is now known as “mail art.” For instructions and inspiration to create your own mail art click here. Look for a new art activity on our website this Monday.
Big Star Nothing Can Hurt Me-The Orange Peel
Jun 19 all-day
Online

BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME is a feature-length documentary about legendary Memphis band Big Star. While mainstream success eluded them, Big Star’s three albums have become critically lauded touchstones of the rock music canon. A seminal band in the history of alternative music, Big Star has been cited as an influence by artists including REM, The Replacements, Belle & Sebastian, Elliot Smith and Flaming Lips, to name just a few. With never-before-seen footage and photos of the band, in-depth interviews and a rousing musical tribute by the bands they inspired, BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME is a story of artistic and musical salvation.

Brevard Music Center Video of the Week: Morgen! by Richard Strauss
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Video of the Week

Charles Mutter shares a performance of Morgen! (Tomorrow!) by Richard Strauss with Ilona Domnich, soprano, and Anthony Legge, piano. The text is by John Henry Mackay, translated by Richard Stokes.

And tomorrow the sun will shine again
And on the path that I shall take,
It will unite us, happy ones, again,
Amid this same sun-breathing earth…
And to the shore, broad, blue-waved,
We shall quietly and slowly descend,
Speechless we shall gaze into each other’s eyes,
And the speechless silence of bliss shall fall on us.

Digital BMC: MOZART Symphony No. 41, BUSSER Etude No. 1
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Digital BMC

Selected past performances by BMC orchestras, faculty, and guest artists on YouTube, SoundCloud, and Open Air Brevard.

Free Video: India Arie – Worthy Tour LIVE @ LEAF Festival
Jun 19 all-day
Like many movements in history and moments that changed the world, there’s more than one step that pushes us forward. When thinking about how we can qualify the current moment, we have to look at what people are fighting for and see how they determine that progress has taken place. While many inequalities that people of color have faced have been outlawed for some time, it is the equity that has escaped them. The difference being an emphasis on the identity of the person asking for help.

For example, if Equality is synonymous with “leveling the playing field” then Equity should be synonymous with “more for those who need it.” Having a fuller appreciation for the difference is key to progressing our country forward. And we’ll know that we are moving in the right direction when disenfranchised communities feel hope and see change. Hope, that they will see a brighter tomorrow. Hope, their children will grow up without fear or prejudice. Hope, that the world sees them as worthy.

Music creates hope and change. From American to African voices, enjoy two vintage LEAF Concerts.

Jupiter & Okwess – Congolese Freedom Music
@ ​47th LEAF Festival 
Fall 2018

Free Video: Jupiter & Okwess – Congolese Freedom Music @ ​47th LEAF
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Like many movements in history and moments that changed the world, there’s more than one step that pushes us forward. When thinking about how we can qualify the current moment, we have to look at what people are fighting for and see how they determine that progress has taken place. While many inequalities that people of color have faced have been outlawed for some time, it is the equity that has escaped them. The difference being an emphasis on the identity of the person asking for help.

For example, if Equality is synonymous with “leveling the playing field” then Equity should be synonymous with “more for those who need it.” Having a fuller appreciation for the difference is key to progressing our country forward. And we’ll know that we are moving in the right direction when disenfranchised communities feel hope and see change. Hope, that they will see a brighter tomorrow. Hope, their children will grow up without fear or prejudice. Hope, that the world sees them as worthy.

Music creates hope and change. From American to African voices, enjoy two vintage LEAF Concerts.

India.Arie – Worthy Tour LIVE
@ 48th LEAF Festival Spring 2019

Grant Opportunities for the Crafts
Jun 19 all-day
online
The Craft Futures Fund will fund up to $30,000 each month from May 2020 – October 2020 to support craft-based education projects. These one-time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 will be disbursed to craft-based education projects that envision and build new futures for craft.
It Happened on Chiles Ave series Preservation Society
Jun 19 all-day
Online
Online Education Programming
Please enjoy the final installment of our It Happened on Chiles Ave series.  Thank you to our speaker James Vaughn for the hard work it took to put this series together.  All videos were research and produced by James and we can’t thank him enough!
Lovely Lemon Balm Learn Benefits
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Thanks to our friends at Living Web Farms for this video!

MANNAfesting Hope: One Ticket. Nine Families Fed. Fundraiser
Jun 19 all-day
Online
MANNAfesting Hope is a simple fundraising campaign to continue providing food and hope to the growing number of people who need our help.
We are asking our Blue Jean Ball enthusiasts, and ALL those who want to help our neighbors in crisis, to donate to MANNA in the amount of what one ticket to Blue Jean Ball would have been: just $95.
Your gift can help MANNAfest Hope for our community by providing enough food for over nine family food boxes.
(You can donate securely online at events.mannafoodbank.org, or send a check to MANNA with MANNAfesting Hope in the notes.)
Muscle Shoals-The Orange Peel
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Magnolia Pictures is thrilled to team up with YOU to support your favorite organization. You can help them out while watching our new releases from the safety of your home. When you buy a ticket here on your organization’s unique webpage, 30% of the net proceeds will go directly to them.

Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music.  Under the spiritual influence of the “Singing River,” as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals has helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time.  At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios.  Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Hall brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations. He is responsible for creating the “Muscle Shoals sound” and The Swampers, the house band at FAME that eventually left to start their own successful studio, known as Muscle Shoals Sound.  Gregg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery and why it remains influential today.

NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation Launches “Brothers And Sisters Like These” Podcasts
Jun 19 all-day
Online
Brothers and Sisters Like These Podcast Artwork Image

Brothers and Sisters Like These

[email protected]

Brothers and Sisters Like These is a veteran’s writing group, featuring members who share stories and poems with each other and the public around our state as a part of their healing. The group is part of the NC Veteran’s Writing Alliance Foundation. Each of these groups has the goal of supporting veterans as they heal from their war experiences.

https://brothersandsisterslikethese.buzzsprout.com/

Official Statement: Asheville Tourists
Jun 19 all-day
Online
Orange Peel: Black Lives Mater! Resources
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Image Map
BLACK LIVES MATTER!
We want to express our support for the tens of thousands of people right here in our community standing up against systemic racism and the mistreatment of people of color.  As a gathering place for the community which hosts diverse crowds on a regular basis, we want all patrons to feel safe, respected, welcome, and valued, both at our venue and when they leave. We are committed to listening, learning, and supporting black voices and black-owned businesses in our community.  Here are some ways you can help, too:

Phase 3 Industry Guidance from NCDHHS
Jun 19 all-day
Online
As we look toward the potential of moving into Phase 3 after June 26th and more businesses work to reopen and resume business in the new normal, it is important for businesses to stay up-to-date on the current recommendations.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has provided industry-specific guidance for safety measures related to COVID-19. Click “more information” below for industry-specific guidance.
Pisgah Legal: Benefits Guide During COVID-19
Jun 19 all-day
Online

This guide points towards help during this difficult time. This is not legal advice. The guide does not cover every
situation you may face. If you need additional help, contact Pisgah Legal Services at
(800) 489-6144 or apply online at pisgahlegal.org.

Pisgah Legal: Resources for supporting local Black-owned businesses
Jun 19 all-day
Online
Resources for supporting local Black-owned businesses:
  • The Hood Huggers International Green Book serves as a starting guide for anyone interested in supporting the resiliency of the African American community in Asheville. The goal is to highlight and connect the businesses and organizations listed, and to provide career inspiration for our youth.
  • The Color Of Asheville directory, compiled by Sasha Mitchell, includes African American owned businesses in Asheville, NC.
  •  AVL TODAY listing of local black-owned businesses submitted by readers.
These are just a few of the community resources available.
Please share any resources that you have to [email protected].
Pisgah Legal: Updated information for renters
Jun 19 all-day
Online

he information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please contact Pisgah Legal Services or a private attorney if you need to speak with an attorney regarding your specific situation. You can apply online for Pisgah Legal at www.pisgahlegal.org/free-legal-assistance or call 1-800-489-6144.

Pisgah Legal: What You Need to Know About Returning to Work
Jun 19 all-day
For Workers: Jessica Leaven, Employee Specialist from Grimes, Teich and Anderson, LLP, and Pisgah Legal volunteer attorney, presented a Facebook Live on “What You Need to Know About Returning to Work.”

 

Raffle: Trip to London or Cash Asheville Community Theatre
Jun 19 – Jun 18 all-day
Asheville Community Theatre

 

Tickets on sale through June 28, 2020

We know how completely odd it seems to be raffling off a trip to London right now. We’re barely leaving our homes for any reason, so jetting off around the world seems flat out bonkers! We’re hopeful that international travel and fun vacations will happen again in the future – and that’s why we extended and amended the raffle prize! If you win, you can choose the trip to London (and you have 18 months to book your travel) OR you can choose to take the cash value of the trip instead ($10,000).

Our raffles have been important fundraisers for ACT over the years, and this one is no different. ACT has lost 85% of our income as an organization, so this raffle is one of the few ways we can continue to bring a little money in the door.

Buying a raffle ticket is a great way to support ACT right now – and it just might be you who gets some really great news from us!

 

Resources to help us find our way to social justice and equity Literacy Council
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Racism, white privilege

and what it all means

Recognizing and understanding racism, and actively unlearning the everyday, built-in mechanisms of systemic racism is an ongoing effort that must be made by every single one of us. It can be difficult to navigate issues, origins, and solutions surrounding systemic racism, especially with so many different angles portrayed by the media.
There are countless truthful resources to help us find our way to social justice and equity. Here are just a few educational resources and ways to help our Black communities:
Educational reading:
The above photo has an excellent list of books!
Community:
Media:
Follow Black activists and voices on social media! Please reach out to us if you’d like suggestions on whom to follow.
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy June Jamboree
Jun 19 all-day
Online

June Jamboree Experiences

This year, our June Jamboree celebration looks quite different than it has in previous years – it’s going to be a week-long celebration of conservation work from the Highlands of Roan to the farming communities in the French Broad River watershed. We invite you to come along with us on virtual adventures or self-guided driving tours. You don’t have to choose — you can enjoy them all! Check out the descriptions below; video, maps and other content will be posted June 15-20.

Support Your Favorite Independent Restaurant! Takeout | Delivery | Dine In Website
Jun 19 all-day
Online

Takeout, dine in or delivery?  Find your favorite flavor at www.foodinasheville.com Enjoy your favorite dishes from Asheville’s independent restaurants either from the comfort of home or easily find restaurants in our area that are open for dine in services! Restaurants are changing their dining options daily, so so make sure to check the website often for what’s new. 

Thank you for supporting local, independent restaurants!

The Gallery at Flat Rock Offers Porch Portraits
Jun 19 all-day
varies

Suzanne has generously donated a portion of the session fee to Flat Rock Playhouse and she has a goal of raising $15,000 before the end of the year! She has currently raised $2,015, so help Suzanne reach her goal and capture some memories along the way. Check out some of her portraits above and click the link below to schedule your session today!

Inspired by the national trend of porch portraits, Suzanne of The Gallery at Flat Rock, will be offering portrait sessions and donating a portion of the session cost to Flat Rock Playhouse. 

 A fifteen-minute porch portrait session is $65 (cash or check) of which $15 will be donated to the Flat Rock Playhouse, a friend and neighbor to the gallery which made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 season. 

The Wrecking Crew
Jun 19 all-day
Online

What the Funk Brothers did for Motown…The Wrecking Crew did, only bigger, for the West Coast Sound. Six years in a row in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the Grammy for “Record of the Year” went to Wrecking Crew recordings. And now, THE WRECKING CREW tells the story in pictures and that oh, so glorious sound. The favorite songs of a generation are all here, presented by the people who made them for you. THE WRECKING CREW is a documentary film produced and directed by Denny Tedesco, son of legendary late Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco. The film tells the story of the unsung musicians that provided the backbeat, the bottom and the swinging melody that drove many of the number one hits of the 1960’s. It didn’t matter if it was Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, The Byrds or The Beach Boys, these dedicated musicians brought the flair and musicianship that made the American “west coast sound” a dominant cultural force around the world. The film is a fun and moving tribute from Denny to his father and to the music, the times and to the secret star-making machine known only as “The Wrecking Crew”.

Three Powerful Documentaries Events happening in America today
Jun 19 all-day
Online

The Peace Center has partnered with Magnolia Pictures to offer three curated documentaries for in-home streaming designed to give a deeper understanding of the events happening in America today.

Now through June 30, these engaging and thought-provoking films are available to own separately for $6.99 each or as a bundle for $15.

Voting in the June 23 Second Primary Election: What You Need to Know
Jun 19 all-day
Buncombe County

The upcoming Second Primary Election is on Tuesday, June 23. Buncombe County Election Services wants to make sure you have all the information you need. Below is information about Early Voting, absentee ballots, finding out if you’re registered, sample ballots, and more. If you have additional questions, contact Election Services at (828) 250-4200.

Grandfather Mountain
Jun 19 @ 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Grandfather Mountain


To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), Grandfather Mountain is only selling tickets online.

Only a select number of tickets will be sold per day for certain time-slots to limit the number of guests in the park at one time, in accordance with the state of North Carolina’s phased “reopening” plan and social gathering guidelines.

Please check back closer to your visit for ticket availability. As of now, reservations are only available through June 21.

Each guest entering the park must have a ticket, which includes a time-slot. Prices are as follows:

Adult: $22
Senior (age 60+): $20
Child (ages 4-12): $9
AAA Adult: $20 (must present valid AAA card)
AAA Child: $8 (must present valid AAA card)

Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks
Jun 19 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Please note: Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks has been postponed until July; however, the exhibit will have an extended schedule and will be open until November 1. We look forward to seeing you!

The Arboretum is excited to welcome back the widely popular traveling exhibit, Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks by Sean Kenney. Featuring 14 larger-than-life-size sculptures place created with nearly 500,000 LEGO Bricks, this family-friendly exhibit draws inspiration from the living world and combines art, play and science to create an inspiring intersection of education, entertainment and the environment. New sculptures include a 5-foot tall colorful peacock, giant dragonfly, bonsai tree and more!

 

Paddle Grapple
Jun 19 @ 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Tsali Recreation Area

Registration Opens June 2020

 

Age: All Ages

Join us Saturday, August 1st at the Tsali Recreational Area for the 2020 Paddle Grapple, a 3 or 6 mile flatwater kayak, canoe and SUP race on beautiful Fontana Lake, which is nestled at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, just a few miles from the Nantahala Outdoor Center. This popular event will take participants on a beautiful loop on Fontana Lake that will give you incredible views of the highest peaks in the National Park. Come enjoy the cool water, and hot competition at the 2020 Paddle Grapple.

Event Information

Distance: 3 or 6 miles
Course Map: Click HERE
For more information please visit Nantahala Racing Club’s Website.

Pre-Registration: Online Registration will open June 15, 2020 and close at 11:59AM on Wednesday, July 29th. Cost is $40 for each class.
Onsite Registration: A $10 Late Fee applies. You may register from 8-9:30AM at the NRC Event Tent next to the boat ramp.

2020 Schedule of Events | Tsali Recreation Area Boat Ramp

Saturday, August 1st Time
Onsite Registration 8-9:30AM
Vendor Demos 9AM
Competitor’s Meeting 9:30AM
Race START 10AM
Awards Ceremony 1PM