Calendar of Events
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.
Thirsty Thursday Come enjoy $1 Beers and $1 Cokes every Thursday, thanks to Catawba Brewing Co.!
Join us for another amazing evening with Lenny Pettinelli!
Originally from Los Angeles, CA but now happily relocated to Asheville, NC, Lenny Pettinelli has worked on all sides of the Music Industry from production to performance to promotion. As a pianist and keyboardist, Pettinelli has played on dozens of records since his early 20’s and has since moved into singing, production, harmonic arrangement and education. He is the driving force behind the Asheville-based co-op independent record label Vibration of Versatility (VOV) which has pledged to donate 30% of all net profits from it’s volume series to various music education charities and foundations on the regional, national, and international level. Pettinelli is well versed in Jazz, Rock, Funk, Reggae, Folk, Electronic, and R&B music but is always willing to play pretty much anything. Working with an impressive 100 + artists from different scenes, Pettinelli aims to write, perform, and produce new and original music of all genres.
Food Truck: The Wicked Vegans
White Squirrel 2022 will kick off downtown on Friday evening and run through Saturday afternoon in the heart of downtown with the festivities continuing into Saturday evening with the NC Guitar Celebration at the Brevard Music Center. This event is produced by Mountain Song Productions and hosted by WNC native and renowned guitarist Bryan Sutton who has curated an A-list line-up of guitar players and musicians for a concert celebration of the acoustic guitar. Tickets for the NC Guitar Celebration can be purchased here.
In addition to the live music, the weekend event features a smattering of delicious local food vendors and a beer garden featuring all of Brevard’s local craft breweries and wine. Craft, artisan and nonprofit vendors add to the weekend street offerings.
The weekend wraps up on Sunday with something for everyone. Visitors are invited downtown to enjoy businesses offering curated promotions, brunch specials, music and artists demonstrations. View our Shopping & Dining Guide here.
Cycling enthusiasts are encouraged to register for the 18th annual WNC Flyer Road race hosted at Oskar Blues Brewery.
Old Kentucky Home -The Thomas Wolfe Memorial
American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)
Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th-century American literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe’s colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of “Altamont” Asheville, North Carolina, and “Dixieland” the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse, earned the Victorian period house a place as one of American literature’s most famous landmarks.
House tours are offered daily at half past each hour. Last tour leaves at 4:30 pm.
Group tours by reservation.
Adult – $5.00
Student (ages 7-17) – $2.00
Adult Group (10+) – $2.50 each
Student Group – $2.00 each
6 & under – Free
Hours of Operation
RiverLink is honored to be the beneficiary of the community giving program at High Five Coffee in June and July! Stop by for a beverage and add a $5 donation at the register—100% of your gift goes to RiverLink! In addition, 10% of branded merchandise sales will support our efforts to restore the French Broad. Three locations to serve you: 13 Rankin Ave., 190 Broadway St., or (our favorite) the 2000 Riverside Drive location in Woodfin, offering coffee drinks, pastries and smoothies plus outdoor seating and walking trails on the bank of the river. Now that’s a coffee stop!
Of course, you can always donate directly from this newsletter. Thank you for considering a gift today!
4th annual beer release Honig Gottin to raise funds for Pink Boots Society and women in beer.
Asheville’s newest downtown restaurant offers 1/2 off all drafts for the entire Asheville Beer Week! 10 local taps to choose from, all 1/2 off with purchase. Come cheers with us!
Mon: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Tue: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Wed: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Thu: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Fri: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Sat: 10:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Sun: 10:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Join us at Eliada Home’s campus for a small group guided walking Farm Tour. Tours last approximately 1 hour. Participants will learn about outdoor and greenhouse growing practices, aquaponics, hydroponics, market gardening, corn maze production, and learn about our Animal Therapy program.
We will be meeting at the PARC building and walking to the different greenhouses, garden site, and a visit with our animals. Reservations required, tickets are $10 each visitor (to be collected at the time of the tour).
We recommend bringing the following: comfortable shoes for walking on pavement and grass, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. This tour is not handicap accessible and will require participants to climb stairs and walk on uneven ground.
We will begin out tour promptly at the starting time, so please arrive 5-10 min early to allow for parking and check-in. If you are running late or cannot make your tour, please email [email protected] or call #828-348-2287.
All proceeds from ticket sales from your farm tour go directly back to helping the Campus Farm Program grow more food for the children of Eliada!
Click above photo to sign up for a time slot and number of people in your group. Payment for tour will be collected when you arrive. Cards accepted.
This tour is best suited for school age children ages 10+ and adults.
John Kirby and the New Seniors were born from fire under a full moon in the winter of 2019. Bonding over a mutual love of Van Halen and The Replacements, the three instantly connected and vowed their allegiance to rock and roll in both form and spirit. “We get to the chorus quick.. while also sticking it to the man…”.
Fueled by the guitar playing, singing and songwriting of John Kirby and anchored by the rhythm section of old school rockers John Hawkins (drums/vocals) and Chad Nance (bass/vocals), John Kirby and The New Seniors play guitar driven original rock with a little bit of power pop sprinkled on top.
Their music has also been described as “Punk/metal with a bouquet of guitar based pop”, “A cross between Westerberg and Petty” and “Nicely crafted power punk”.
Always looking to forge ahead, the band released their first EP “Don’t Kill the Magic” in September of 2019 and have followed that up with 9 singles and 1 live album release. The band will release their first full length album in early spring. JKandTNS also continues to be involved in the Black Mountain based Holy Crap Records music community.
Post-Game Fireworks Show Presented By Ingles
Dollar Dog Friday
$1 hotdogs served every Friday, thanks to Blossman Gas!
Clarinetist Steve Loew and pianist/Artistic Director Daniel Weiser return to Isis for another exciting “JEWISH JAZZ” program, an exploration into the intersection of Klezmer-style music and the birth of American Jazz. As Jewish immigrants and Klezmer musicians flowed into New York during the first decades of the 20th century, they combined with African-American migrants and Blues performers moving from the South and an exciting new American music was born. This concert includes music by Gershwin, Goodman, and Joplin as well as Blues, Ragtime, Dixieland, and some Jewish Suites that reveal the close relationship between the Jewish and Jazz musical idioms. They will finish the program with a rousing rendition of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Forest Bathing with Fireflies
Immerse yourself in the magic of twilight and experience the wonders of nighttime in the Blue Ridge Mountains. From sunset and starry skies to fireflies, we’ll marvel at Mother Nature’s light shows as we explore the forest, hoping to encounter the elusive Blue Ghost Firefly species!
The evening begins with a gentle, guided stroll together through a peaceful forest, ending in an open meadow where we’ll settle in as the sun sets and sparkling fireflies emerge all around us. Though we cannot guarantee a showing, we will also hope to see the elusive Blue Ghost Fireflies and will surely enjoy the forest at twilight.
Unplug in a peaceful, private setting with a series of nature connection invitations led by a certified forest therapy guide. Quiet your mind and awaken your senses as we sink into the heightened awareness of this special evening experience. Together, we’ll deepen our connection with nature, community and ourselves. The best part: there’s no right or wrong way to forest bathe; just bring an open heart, adventurous spirit and be yourself. All is welcome in the forest.
This special offering takes place on private property with group sizes limited to 15 for a more intimate experience. Prefer an exclusive experience? Private Firefly Tours are available Sun – Thurs May 29-June 12 with advanced notice.
The JackTown Ramblers bring a high level of musicianship and an entertaining stage show that you will not easily forget. Hailing from North Carolina, the Ramblers blend mountain string band, bluegrass, swing and gypsy jazz into a audio experience like no other. Don’t miss a chance to hear for yourself and pat your foot to the grooves while you laugh out loud at the shenanigans of the JackTown Ramblers.
Reserved Seat Tickets are available with Dinner reservations – You must call the venue at 828-575-2737 to make dinner reservations and secure those tickets.
General Admission Tickets are available for the main stage balcony only. Seating in the balcony is first come, first serve. Dinner service is NOT currently being offered for general admission tickets.; drink service is available at the downstairs bar on the main floor.
Currently, only General Admission tickets are available on line
You must call the venue at 828-575-2737 for Reserve Seat Tickets and to make dinner reservations.
Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at Isis Music Hall. Advanced Reservations are highly recommended.
Loaded guns, space heaters, and big skies. Welcome to the lethal littered landscape of Jim Heath’s imagination. True to his high evangelical calling, Jim is a Revelator, both revealing & reinterpreting the country-blues-rock roots of American music. He’s a time-travelling space-cowboy on a endless interstellar musical tour, and we are all the richer & “psychobillier” for getting to tag along.
Seeing REVEREND HORTON HEAT live is a transformative experience. Flames come off the guitars. Heat singes your skin. There’s nothing like the primal tribal rock & roll transfiguration of a Reverend Horton Heat show. Jim becomes a slicked-back 1950′s rock & roll shaman channeling Screamin’ Jay Hawkins through Buddy Holly, while Jimbo incinerates the Stand-Up Bass. And then there are the “Heatettes”. Those foxy rockabilly chicks dressed in poodle-skirts and cowboy boots slamming the night away. It’s like being magically transported into a Teen Exploitation picture from the 1950′s that’s currently taking place in the future.
Listening to the REVEREND HORTON HEAT is tantamount to injecting pure musical nitrous into the hot-rod engine of your heart. The Reverend’s commandants are simple.
And no band on this, or any other, planet rocks harder, drives faster, or lives truer than the Reverend Horton Heat. These “itinerant preachers” actually practice what they preach. They live their lives by the Gospel of Rock & Roll.
From the High-Octane Spaghetti-Western Wall of Sound in “Big Sky” — to the dark driving frenetic paranoia of “400 Bucks” – to the brain-melting Western Psychedelic Garage purity of “Psychobilly Freakout” — The Rev’s music is the perfect soundtrack to the Drive-In Movie of your life.
Jim Heath & Jimbo Wallace have chewed up more road than the Google Maps drivers. For twenty-five Psychobilly years, they have blazed an indelible, unforgettable, and meteoric trail across the globe with their unique blend of musical virtuosity, legendary showmanship, and mythic imagery.
“Okay it’s time for me to put this loaded gun down, jump in my Five-Oh Ford, and nurture my pig on the outskirts of Houston. I’ll be bringing my love whip. See y’all later.” – Carty Talkington Writer/Director
Rev your engines and catch the sermon on the road as it’s preached by everybody’s favorite Reverend. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the 11th studio album from REVEREND HORTON HEAT, boldly titled Rev, due out January 21st.
The groundwork for what has become the relentlessly-touring sonic assault known as The Koffin Kats was laid near Detroit, Michigan when Vic Victor (Lead Vocalist, Upright Bass) joined forces with long-time friend Tommy Koffin (Guitar). After adding Damian Detroit (Drums) the band kicked off in June 2003, stopping for nothing. Now, with over ten years of touring internationally and over two thousand live shows, the touring trio’s current home is out on the open road.
The Koffin Kats began by putting together songs with such subjects as dealing with the horrors of the real world, as well as Science Fiction. The band started in small local bars playing for beer, hoping for gas money, and eventually made their way out of the Midwest. The next couple of years contained positives including numerous North American tours, and negatives concerning changes at the drumming position. During this time they released their first three albums: Koffin Kats (2003), Inhumane (2005), and Straying From The Pack (2006).
The three album releases and their supporting tours gained attention for The Koffin Kats and helped get the band noticed in the wide world of punk and psychobilly. In 2007 Vic and Tommy connected with drummer Eric “E-Ball” Walls to record the band’s fourth studio album, Drunk In The Daylight (2008), and catalyzed what the band is now known for: love for their fans and the road, and playing everywhere for everyone willing to watch and listen.
In the years following the release of Drunk In The Daylight, The Koffin Kats have established their name performing in Europe, and have also been included on tours with some of the tops acts in psychobilly, including, but not limited to, Mad Sin, Nekromantix, and The Meteors. In 2009 the trio released their fifth studio album, Forever For Hire, and Tommy departed at the year’s end to pursue a normal life. Shortly thereafter, “EZ” Ian Jarrell took over the guitarist position and joined the band on tour. While on the road they worked on the material that would become featured on their split album with fellow psychobilly act 12 Step Rebels, From Our Hands To Yours (2011).
The Koffin Kats signed with Sailor’s Grave Records in late 2011, and released Our Way & The Highway in January 2012. The trio supported their sixth studio album’s release with non-stop international touring, finally ending in summer of 2013. In autumn of the same year, they released another full-length album with Sailor’s Grave Records, Born Of The Motor. Sales and reviews have proven Born Of The Motor, the band’s seventh studio album, to be their most successful release to date.
Early 2014 brought another change to The Koffin Kats’ member roster; Ian Jarrell left the band to handle personal business at home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Not wanting to bring someone too far removed from The Koffin Kats family into the fold, Vic and Eric enlisted John Kay (Guitar). John was the engineer on numerous recordings.
The founding lineup returned in 2016.
Six years after his departure, Tommy Koffin returned to playing guitar with The Koffin Kats. With Vic Victor on lead vocals and upright bass, and E Ball Walls on drums. In 2017, the trio released their latest album titled “Party Time In The End Times.”
2019 is a year of new music and international touring. KK will be releasing a new song each month while touring throughout North America and Europe.
You can keep up with Koffin Kats on all of the social media outlets. The band likes to keep it “old school” and suggests you check out their website at www.koffinkatsrock.com for all official information on news and tours.
White Squirrel 2022 will kick off downtown on Friday evening and run through Saturday afternoon in the heart of downtown with the festivities continuing into Saturday evening with the NC Guitar Celebration at the Brevard Music Center. This event is produced by Mountain Song Productions and hosted by WNC native and renowned guitarist Bryan Sutton who has curated an A-list line-up of guitar players and musicians for a concert celebration of the acoustic guitar. Tickets for the NC Guitar Celebration can be purchased here.
In addition to the live music, the weekend event features a smattering of delicious local food vendors and a beer garden featuring all of Brevard’s local craft breweries and wine. Craft, artisan and nonprofit vendors add to the weekend street offerings.
The weekend wraps up on Sunday with something for everyone. Visitors are invited downtown to enjoy businesses offering curated promotions, brunch specials, music and artists demonstrations. View our Shopping & Dining Guide here.
Cycling enthusiasts are encouraged to register for the 18th annual WNC Flyer Road race hosted at Oskar Blues Brewery.
The Henderson County Curb Market hosts its June Jubilee along with its
98th Anniversary Celebration, this is sure to be a fun filled event for the whole family, there will be a hot dog plate lunch available
to purchase, live music by Two Fer with David Emmons and Glenn Case, and balloons, treats and activities for the children,
including a “plant a flower” project at the children’s activity table, Visitors will want to take time to shop with vendors for produce,
unique and beautiful items made by our local crafters, fresh baked goods, free range eggs, preserves and more, With each
purchase a raffle ticket will be given for a chance to win a lovely basket filled with Curb Market items, along with a free packet of
seeds,
Old Kentucky Home -The Thomas Wolfe Memorial
American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)
Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th-century American literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe’s colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of “Altamont” Asheville, North Carolina, and “Dixieland” the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse, earned the Victorian period house a place as one of American literature’s most famous landmarks.
House tours are offered daily at half past each hour. Last tour leaves at 4:30 pm.
Group tours by reservation.
Adult – $5.00
Student (ages 7-17) – $2.00
Adult Group (10+) – $2.50 each
Student Group – $2.00 each
6 & under – Free
Hours of Operation
RiverLink is honored to be the beneficiary of the community giving program at High Five Coffee in June and July! Stop by for a beverage and add a $5 donation at the register—100% of your gift goes to RiverLink! In addition, 10% of branded merchandise sales will support our efforts to restore the French Broad. Three locations to serve you: 13 Rankin Ave., 190 Broadway St., or (our favorite) the 2000 Riverside Drive location in Woodfin, offering coffee drinks, pastries and smoothies plus outdoor seating and walking trails on the bank of the river. Now that’s a coffee stop!
Of course, you can always donate directly from this newsletter. Thank you for considering a gift today!
JOIN US FOR UNCORKED! THIS UNIQUE RAIL LINE AND WINE EXPERIENCE WILL FUSE THE ADVENTURE OF RAILROADING WITH THE LOVE OF GOOD WINE AND GOOD COMPANY.
About This Trip
Passengers will enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride in our First Class cars with a private attendant and plush, well-appointed dining seating. A narrator will accompany the ride to present each pour to guests and share knowledge and history of the wines selected. Passengers on this specialty car will enjoy an exclusive sampling of cheeses and a surf and turf meal prepared fresh.
We have carefully selected our wine samples to accompany the meal. All passengers will receive a GSMR souvenir stemless wine glass, four samples of selected wine, and a dessert that’s perfect
for the season!
Uncorked is offered on the Nantahala Gorge Excursion departing on April 23, May 7, June 4, July 30, Aug 6 & Sept 3.
Tickets for this specialty experience is $139 per person (Adults 21+ only). Due to the exclusivity of this specialty car, tickets will be selling fast so make sure to reserve your seat today!
On Your Plate
- Starters –
- Enjoy a sampling of cheeses.
- Soup –
- Fresh Soup or Salad (Seasonal) served with a Warm Dinner Roll.
- Main Course
- Fresh fish seasonally prepared at Chefs’ discretion. Accompanied by Tender Beef slices topped with a Port Wine Reduction and Carrot Soufflé.
- Dessert
- Chef choice
4th annual beer release Honig Gottin to raise funds for Pink Boots Society and women in beer.
Asheville’s newest downtown restaurant offers 1/2 off all drafts for the entire Asheville Beer Week! 10 local taps to choose from, all 1/2 off with purchase. Come cheers with us!
Mon: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Tue: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Wed: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Thu: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Fri: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Sat: 10:30 AM – 12:00 AM
Sun: 10:30 AM – 10:00 PM
The Village Ice Cream Social returns after two years of COVID cancellations, This annual
event is a celebration of Flat Rock, with free ice cream, a band and an opportunity to meet and possibly name a baby goat from
the Sandburg barn, The K-9 Unit of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office will once again give a demonstration, No pets allowed,
bring a chair, parking is limited so carpooling is recommended, Free,
See the WNC Nature Center like never before, behind the scenes! The tour includes learning about how we feed and care for the animals (including the predators, such as the mountain lion), an animal enrichment session, and exclusive interactions with the keepers that care for our animals. Tickets include admission for the day and takes place mainly outdoors.
The tour is for ages 14 and up. Masks are encouraged indoors, and required when are near the animals.
*Cancellation policy: Cancellations must be made 1 week prior to the event for a full refund. If the event is cancelled due to weather or COVID related concerns, full refunds will be issue
Pisgah Brewing welcomes Just Brew It on June 4th from 2-6 pm with VIP admittance at 1 pm!
You must be a 2022 member of Just Economics to attend. Become a member here.
Membership starts at $30 and includes free entry to Just Brew It at 2 pm with unlimited sampling of the homebrew.
VIP membership is $50 and includes entry to the festival an hour early at 1 pm, a souvenir glass, and a T-shirt. Get your membership before May 15th to get the new 2022 T-shirt design.
About Just Brew It:
Just Brew It is a homebrew competition and tasting in Asheville benefiting the work of Just Economics. The festival features close to 100 different beers and more than 40 amazing homebrewers. The competing homebrewers are some of the finest specialty homebrewers in the region with classic brews like your traditional IPAs, lagers, sours, and stouts to unique beers brewed with specialty items like coffee, chocolate, spices, and fruit.
To attend, you must be a current member of Just Economics. Just Economics members sample the homebrew and vote for their favorites alongside other homebrew judges as brewers compete for awards and prizes.
This is a local festival you won’t want to miss and your membership supports the work of Just Economics to advance living wages, affordable housing, and better transit!
Thomas Kozak is a singer-songwriter based in Asheville, NC. His songs string together themes of despair, denial, faith, and hope amidst the broken darkness of the South. With a focus on lyricism and structure that stretches convention, he looks to bend an ear beyond the conventions of folk. Kozak’s most recent album, “The Rubicon,” was produced by Americana staple Jim White and engineered by John Keane (Indigo Girls, REM). More can be found at www.kozakandthepoets.com.
Nashville-based artist/songwriter with americana and rock vibes.
A Michigan-born Nashvillian, Sarah Faith is a singer-songwriter that has built her musical catalog and sound as a testament to her life’s struggles, including the loss of a family member to addiction, abusive situations she has overcome, and her own journey toward positive mental health. As an independent Americana artist, Sarah has been strongly influenced by a diverse musical background. The result is a healthy mix of blues and roots rock, folk, alt-country, and indie rock. Her warm, soulful voice brings her close-to-the-heart stories to her fans with a distinct vulnerability and realness that keeps them coming back for more.
For over two decades The Walker Family Band has delighted audiences throughout the Southeast with a distinctive take on traditional styles, performing Irish dance music and American old time music with a forward reaching attitude. We especially enjoy sharing original tunes, which grow naturally from these basic roots and from our thorough training and experience in classical music and jazz. The Walker Family Band creates a confluence of sound with an end game plan; a fresh connection with each audience! Now living in the Asheville area, we are looking forward to performing for our new, and old friends here in these beautiful mountains! True to Irish and American tradition, we share our experience and knowledge by conducting multi-instrumental workshops and by hosting an annual summer camp. The Walker Family Band Music Camp is attended by families and students from coast to coast.
Visit here to learn more: https://thewalkerfamilyband.com/
Masks for this event are optional but encouraged.
Forest Bathing with Fireflies
Immerse yourself in the magic of twilight and experience the wonders of nighttime in the Blue Ridge Mountains. From sunset and starry skies to fireflies, we’ll marvel at Mother Nature’s light shows as we explore the forest, hoping to encounter the elusive Blue Ghost Firefly species!
The evening begins with a gentle, guided stroll together through a peaceful forest, ending in an open meadow where we’ll settle in as the sun sets and sparkling fireflies emerge all around us. Though we cannot guarantee a showing, we will also hope to see the elusive Blue Ghost Fireflies and will surely enjoy the forest at twilight.
Unplug in a peaceful, private setting with a series of nature connection invitations led by a certified forest therapy guide. Quiet your mind and awaken your senses as we sink into the heightened awareness of this special evening experience. Together, we’ll deepen our connection with nature, community and ourselves. The best part: there’s no right or wrong way to forest bathe; just bring an open heart, adventurous spirit and be yourself. All is welcome in the forest.
This special offering takes place on private property with group sizes limited to 15 for a more intimate experience.
Prefer a more exclusive experience? Private Firefly Tours are available Sun-Thurs May 29-June 12 with advanced notice.