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.

Sunday, July 12, 2020
Black Lives Matter Street Mural Project
Jul 12 all-day
Online

BLM Street Mural

In alignment with the community’s commitment to uplift racial healing and communal reconciliation, Councilwoman Sheneika Smith, along with other community groups and leaders, will be coordinating a public art installation in Asheville’s central business district. The purpose of this installation is to galvanize solidarity and celebrate our collective movement towards addressing systemic issues locally.

Upon final approval from the City of Asheville, the proposal envisions a street mural located at Pack Square Park on N. Pack and S. Pack Square – an area previously planned as part of the city’s public space initiative.

We need financial support to help make this happen! Our goal is to raise $24,000 for supplies, documentation, maintenance, removal, and most importantly to make sure the artists get paid. The Asheville Area Arts Council is the fiscal agent for this project. Please donate what you can and help us spread the word!

One of the main purposes of the Black Lives Matter mural is to elevate the voices of black artists and make sure they are paid for their work. But, it is much more than that. “The artists who will put their hands to this street mural represent many untold stories,” said Councilwoman Smith. “It is my hope that all eyes that connect with this piece will experience and appreciate the bloody truths released from our collective memory onto a hard canvas. Yet, this is more than a painting or bold expression. It’s an altar that observes the most sacred social movement of my lifetime.”

 

BUDGET

$  6,000 Painting supplies and other event day expenses
$  1,900 Documentation (live stream video, photographer)
$  2,000 Maintenance (This temporary installation could be in place for up to a year. Because of wear and tear from vehicular traffic it will require additional maintenance.)
$  6,000 Removal (As part of the approval process, we must provide a maintenance and removal plan. This expense is based on quotes we have collected from other similar projects.)
$  8,100 Artist Honorariums ($1,000 for 1 lead artist per word & $300 per letter for supporting artists)
$24,000 TOTAL*

 

Brother Wolf is Launching a Second Mobile Spay and Neuter Clinic!
Jul 12 all-day
Online

The coronavirus pandemic halted spay and neuter surgeries as communities were forced to suspend non-emergency veterinary services. This has resulted in a huge backlog of unaltered animals. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that the current backlog is over 260,000 animals nationwide. Brother Wolf currently has a waiting list of over 500 animals that are in need of spay and neuter services.

Even prior to this pandemic, we couldn’t meet the existing need with our original clinic. A second clinic will enable us to double our capacity and serve an average of 180 animals each week! Spaying and neutering is so critical because it saves lives by reducing pet overpopulation. Our Second Spay and Neuter Mobile Clinic will travel around Western NC, providing low-cost services to under-resourced communities.

We need your help to make this program a reality. Please donate today, thank you!

 

Celebrate Pride! Top LGBTQIA+ Owned and Operated Restaurants in America
Jul 12 all-day
Online

Illustration depicting two people celebrating Pride
                                                          month with
                                                          food

https://www.opentable.com/lists/pride-2019/usa?ref=9472&cmpid=em_Email2020&utm_campaign=Email%2BAdhoc%2BNA%253A%2BUS_104_20200629_Pride&utm_source=simon&utm_medium=email

Celebrate Pride!
Get in on global Pride by dining in or ordering from these LGBTQIA+ owned and operated restaurants around the U.S.
Eblen Charities Amazon Smiles
Jul 12 all-day
Online

Small Donations will add up on
AmazonSmile!
If you are already using Amazon, we would like to remind you that if you use AmazonSmile at smile.amazon.com and choose Eblen Charities as your charity this is just one more way to help our community at no extra cost to you.
Eblen Cooling Project
Jul 12 all-day
Online

The Temperature is Rising
Something as simple as
a box fan can save a life!
WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are going to be giving away fans to those who are in need very soon. If you would like to help keep someone cool this summer, please donate $15 or more at the link below or mail a donation to Eblen Charities, 50 Westgate Parkway, Asheville NC 28806
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDESS!
Eblen Cooling Project
Eblen Charities will be providing fans for individuals/families in need of cooling this summer. Donation of $15 will provide a fan to someone in need.
Hungry Paws Initiative Seeks to Fill Empty Bowls
Jul 12 all-day
The Blue Ridge Humane Society

“The goal of Hungry Paws is to provide pet food for homes that are having to choose between feeding themselves or their pets. We don’t want people to surrender their animals to shelters because they cannot afford them right now.” says Derek Fox. “The fund is intended to cover the needed window until people can go back to work or who need the support to get by. Until then, it’s up to us to provide for these wonderful animals.”

Derek got to work, contacting area rescues and finding other partners. Pet Source, a local Hendersonville pet supply store, jumped on board, contacting their suppliers to setup a discounted purchasing program that will make the donated funds go even further.

The fund partners with Blue Ridge Humane Society, as both a recipient and as distributer of funds and food to other rescues in the area with food support programs or that have a need in their community.

“The fund will help to set pet owners up for success and bridge the gap until folks are employed again or able to get ahead again.” shares Angela Prodrick, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Humane. “This is even more vital during this time as there is an increased need as people are finding themselves in the new situation of needing help when they haven’t before, and we are here to help.”

There are several ways to donate to the fund. The Hungry Paws Initiative can be found on Facebook with an easy donation process, or on www.refinedpup.com/. Donations can also be made to Blue Ridge Humane with a note designating it for Hungry Paws online at www.blueridgehumane.org or by mail to 14 Towne Place Drive, Suite 130, Hendersonville, NC 28792.

The Blue Ridge Humane Society, Inc., is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization started in 1950 dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and our neighboring communities. BRHS cares for pets awaiting adoption at the Adoption Center; offers low-cost vaccine clinics, animal education programs, pet training classes, and youth education and projects; coordinates community pet food assistance, emergency vet assistance, and the Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Henderson County Animal Services Center.

If you believe in our cause, consider making a donation or learning how to volunteer by visiting the Blue Ridge Humane Society’s website at www.blueridgehumane.org or call (828) 692-2639.

Introducing Bookfix: Custom Reading Recommendations
Jul 12 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries curbside pickup

Photo of typewriter

 

 

Miss browsing the library’s shelves? Let us help with Bookfix. Call or email your local library to have a librarian put together a bundle of books tailored to your specific interests. You can pick up your personal Bookfix bundle at our curbside hold pickup service. Our Ask a Librarian line is available Monday-Saturday at (828) 250-4700 or you can email [email protected].

The Gallery at Flat Rock Offers Porch Portraits
Jul 12 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. 

Bluegrass Brunch
Jul 12 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Image

Bluegrass Brunch
hosted by Aaron Woody Wood & The Sufi Brothers

Pickin’ on the Porch w/ Chicken Coop Willaye 1030AM
Bald Mountain Boys 11AM – 12:30PM
Sufi Brothers 12:45PM – 3PM

Be sure to check out our Bloody Mary Bar, the BEST selection of pickled products and other additions in Asheville. The MOJO Kitchen will be serving a special Brunch menu until 3PM as well.

Food & music start at 10:30am
ADULT beverages at Noon.

Dirty Dawg Acoustic Duo At Mills River – Outdoors
Jul 12 @ 2:00 pm
Mills River Brewing Co.

Acoustic Dead with members of Dirty Dead

Image may contain: 1 person, beard

Shakedown Sundays
Jul 12 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Image

Every Sunday Except First of Month.

Monday, July 13, 2020
Introducing Bookfix: Custom Reading Recommendations
Jul 13 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries curbside pickup

Photo of typewriter

 

 

Miss browsing the library’s shelves? Let us help with Bookfix. Call or email your local library to have a librarian put together a bundle of books tailored to your specific interests. You can pick up your personal Bookfix bundle at our curbside hold pickup service. Our Ask a Librarian line is available Monday-Saturday at (828) 250-4700 or you can email [email protected].

Book Club Webinar: Jane Hicks Gentry: A Singer Among Singers
Jul 13 @ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Online

This book club discussion will take place as a webinar through Zoom. Please RSVP to receive your Zoom link.

From the publisher: “Winner of the North Carolina Society of Historians Award Jane Hicks Gentry lived her entire life in the remote, mountainous northwest corner of North Carolina and was descended from old Appalachian families in which singing and storytelling were part of everyday life. Gentry took this tradition to heart, and her legacy includes ballads, songs, stories, and riddles. Smith provides a full biography of this vibrant woman and the tradition into which she was born, presenting seventy of Gentry’s songs and fifteen of the “Jack” tales she learned from her grandfather. When Englishman Cecil Sharp traveled through the South gathering material for his famous English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, his most generous informant was Jane Hicks Gentry. But despite her importance in Sharp’s collection, Gentry has remained only a name on his pages. Now Betty Smith, herself a folksinger, brings to life this remarkable artist and her songs and tales.”

Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Introducing Bookfix: Custom Reading Recommendations
Jul 14 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries curbside pickup

Photo of typewriter

 

 

Miss browsing the library’s shelves? Let us help with Bookfix. Call or email your local library to have a librarian put together a bundle of books tailored to your specific interests. You can pick up your personal Bookfix bundle at our curbside hold pickup service. Our Ask a Librarian line is available Monday-Saturday at (828) 250-4700 or you can email [email protected].

Online Discussion: The Art Forger: A Novel by B.A. Shapiro
Jul 14 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Online

Almost 25 years after the infamous art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—still the largest unsolved art theft in history—one of the stolen Degas paintings is delivered to the Boston studio of a young artist. Claire Roth enters into a Faustian bargain with a powerful gallery owner by agreeing to forge the Degas in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But as she begins her work, she starts to suspect that this long-missing masterpiece—the very one that had been hanging at the Gardner for 100 years—may itself be a forgery. The Art Forger is a thrilling novel about seeing—and not seeing—the secrets that lie beneath the canvas.

Moderated by Hilary Schroeder, assistant curator and Kristi McMillan, director of learning & engagement with special guest B.A. Shapiro, author.

Books are available via Malaprop’s for a 10% discount.

This free program will take place virtually via Zoom. Space is limited.

Additional Library Curbside Service
Jul 14 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Fairview, Leicester, and Oakley/South Asheville branches

 

Buncombe County Public Libraries will be opening three additional locations for curbside pickup service, the Fairview, Leicester, and Oakley/South Asheville branches. These locations will operate from 1-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in addition to our current curbside pickup service locations at the Black Mountain, North Asheville, South Buncombe, and West Asheville locations. For more information about library curbside pickup service or to place an item on hold for pickup, please call your local library or the Ask-A-Librarian line (828-250-4700) or visit buncombecounty.org/library. We hope to see you soon!

Reader Meet Writer: Peggy Noe Stevens + Susan Reigler
Jul 14 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Online

Image may contain: 2 people, people sitting, text and indoor

Reader Meet Writer: Peggy Noe Stevens & Susan Reigler present Which Fork Do I Use With My Bourbon?

We’re pleased to be part of the Reader Meet Writer series of online events hosted by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.

The event is free but registration is required. Please visit https://forms.gle/8qNc3UE2zKnyvabJ7
to register for this special event!

If you elect to attend, we will email you on the day of the event with the link and password required to attend on Zoom.

Which Fork Do I Use With My Bourbon?

Bourbon and entertainment specialists Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler have written the definitive guide to hosting one of the most intoxicatingly delicious parties ever conceived-the bourbon tasting. During their travels all over bourbon country and beyond to conduct bourbon tastings and seminars, they were constantly asked, “How do I do this in my home?” This book is the answer-a “how to” and “what do I do” when it comes to bourbon entertaining. Alongside their favorite snack, entrâee, dessert, and cocktail recipes, Stevens and Reigler offer valuable tips and tricks to hosting the bourbon perfect party such as setting up your bourbon bar, how to do a tasting, and what food to pair with particular bourbons. Once readers are ready, Stevens and Reigler move on to advanced pairings for the bourbon foodie as well as offer two mock tasting parties-a classic bourbon cocktail soiree and, of course, the traditional Kentucky Derby Party

Peggy Noe Stevens is president of Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates, founder of the Bourbon Women Association, and the first female master bourbon taster in the world. A lifestyle expert, she is also a professional speaker. As an inductee to both the Bourbon and Whiskey Halls of Fame, she has planned hundreds of experiences and events globally over the last thirty years, often working with distilleries and master distillers.

Susan Reigler is a former restaurant critic for the Louisville Courier-Journal and a current correspondent for Bourbon+ and American Whiskey magazines. She has also authored or coauthored six books on bourbon, and in 2019, she was inducted into the Order of the Writ.

Like most of our events, this event is free. If you decide to attend and to purchase the author’s book(s), we ask that you purchase from Malalprop’s. When you do this you are supporting our work and keeping more dollars in our community. Thank you!

Tuesday Early Jam
Jul 14 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall
Tuesday Night Funk Jam
Jul 14 @ 10:00 pm – Jul 15 @ 6:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Image

EVERY Tuesday at Asheville Music Hall! Tuesday Night Funk Jam has been a huge part of Asheville’s vibrant music scene since 2008 and is #Asheville’s hottest weekly concert. Tuesday Night Funk Jam is programmed and orchestrated by an evolved Legendary House Band with trombonist Derrick Lee Johnson at the helm. At 10PM sharp, the Legendary House Band kicks off the night

Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Introducing Bookfix: Custom Reading Recommendations
Jul 15 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries curbside pickup

Photo of typewriter

 

 

Miss browsing the library’s shelves? Let us help with Bookfix. Call or email your local library to have a librarian put together a bundle of books tailored to your specific interests. You can pick up your personal Bookfix bundle at our curbside hold pickup service. Our Ask a Librarian line is available Monday-Saturday at (828) 250-4700 or you can email [email protected].

Library Computer Appointments Available
Jul 15 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Buncombe County Libraries
The Perfect Turkey

Buncombe County Public Libraries will begin offering appointments for computer use on July 1. Forty-five minute appointments are available 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays at all library locations except the Oakley/South Asheville branch.

Thursday, July 16, 2020
Introducing Bookfix: Custom Reading Recommendations
Jul 16 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries curbside pickup

Photo of typewriter

 

 

Miss browsing the library’s shelves? Let us help with Bookfix. Call or email your local library to have a librarian put together a bundle of books tailored to your specific interests. You can pick up your personal Bookfix bundle at our curbside hold pickup service. Our Ask a Librarian line is available Monday-Saturday at (828) 250-4700 or you can email [email protected].

The Gallery at Flat Rock Offers Porch Portraits
Jul 16 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. 

Additional Library Curbside Service
Jul 16 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Fairview, Leicester, and Oakley/South Asheville branches

 

Buncombe County Public Libraries will be opening three additional locations for curbside pickup service, the Fairview, Leicester, and Oakley/South Asheville branches. These locations will operate from 1-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in addition to our current curbside pickup service locations at the Black Mountain, North Asheville, South Buncombe, and West Asheville locations. For more information about library curbside pickup service or to place an item on hold for pickup, please call your local library or the Ask-A-Librarian line (828-250-4700) or visit buncombecounty.org/library. We hope to see you soon!

Tin Can Pizzeria Food Truck
Jul 16 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Weirbridge Village Apartments

Image may contain: table and outdoor

Our favorite pizza food truck is coming back to Weirbridge! you do not want to miss out on this!

NC Arboretum’s “Arbor Evenings”
Jul 16 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Relax and unwind at the Arboretum’s “ArborEvenings” after hours series. Held every Thursday, June – October, from 6 to 9 p.m., visitors will sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s beautiful gardens while enjoying live music amongst flowers and friends. Local beverages, including beer and wine, are available for purchase along with light food options.

Admission to ArborEvenings is free; however, standard parking fees apply to non-members.

Mitch’s Totally Rad Trivia
Jul 16 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Scoop: Mitch's Totally Rad TRIVIA

Mitch Fortune brings you an irreverent and nostalgia filled night of pop culture trivia every Thursday night 7-9 pm at the One Stop in Downtown Asheville. A potpourri of movies, music, TV show trivia just for you!

Online Third Thursday BYO Craft Night
Jul 16 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Online

We believe there’s nothing better than gathering with friends to work on a craft project while enjoying a nice glass of wine and good conversation. If you agree, then our next Third Thursday program is for you! Plēb Urban Winery kicks off the event with a virtual wine tasting, which you can pair with a delicious mezze platter from Perspective Café by Food Experience. Following that, work on your own craft project while Assistant Curator Whitney Richardson and our friends at Blue Spiral 1 talk with artist Carol Milne about her intricate knitted glass sculptures. Purl’s Yarn Emporium closes the program with a discussion of craftivism and yarn-bombing public spaces.

This free program will take place virtually via Zoom. Space is limited.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER
Friday, July 17, 2020
Anti-Racisim: Resources Literacy Council
Jul 17 all-day
Online

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.
Black Lives Matter Street Mural Project
Jul 17 all-day
Online

BLM Street Mural

In alignment with the community’s commitment to uplift racial healing and communal reconciliation, Councilwoman Sheneika Smith, along with other community groups and leaders, will be coordinating a public art installation in Asheville’s central business district. The purpose of this installation is to galvanize solidarity and celebrate our collective movement towards addressing systemic issues locally.

Upon final approval from the City of Asheville, the proposal envisions a street mural located at Pack Square Park on N. Pack and S. Pack Square – an area previously planned as part of the city’s public space initiative.

We need financial support to help make this happen! Our goal is to raise $24,000 for supplies, documentation, maintenance, removal, and most importantly to make sure the artists get paid. The Asheville Area Arts Council is the fiscal agent for this project. Please donate what you can and help us spread the word!

One of the main purposes of the Black Lives Matter mural is to elevate the voices of black artists and make sure they are paid for their work. But, it is much more than that. “The artists who will put their hands to this street mural represent many untold stories,” said Councilwoman Smith. “It is my hope that all eyes that connect with this piece will experience and appreciate the bloody truths released from our collective memory onto a hard canvas. Yet, this is more than a painting or bold expression. It’s an altar that observes the most sacred social movement of my lifetime.”

 

BUDGET

$  6,000 Painting supplies and other event day expenses
$  1,900 Documentation (live stream video, photographer)
$  2,000 Maintenance (This temporary installation could be in place for up to a year. Because of wear and tear from vehicular traffic it will require additional maintenance.)
$  6,000 Removal (As part of the approval process, we must provide a maintenance and removal plan. This expense is based on quotes we have collected from other similar projects.)
$  8,100 Artist Honorariums ($1,000 for 1 lead artist per word & $300 per letter for supporting artists)
$24,000 TOTAL*