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, August
13, 2023
In partnership with Riding In Color WNC, who create intersectional affinity spaces for BIPOC of all genders, body sizes, and abilities to build skills and community within cycling in WNC, we’re co-hosting a BIPOC Affinity Summer Cycle experience as well as our traditional event in an effort to create a more inclusive space for people to enjoy riding in their community. Preview the schedule below because there are many moving parts to Summer Cycle ‘23.
Support the Summer Cycle experience by volunteering to support the AoB kiosk, host the bike park, pedal patrol the routes, and/or breakdown or set up.
Riding in Color: BIPOC Affinity Schedule
10:00 AM:
Summer Cycle Check In
10:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Begins
11:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Returns
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
Pop-Up Bike Park |
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Asheville on Bikes: Open Afternoon Schedule
2:00 PM – 7:00 PM:
Pop-Up Bicycle Park
3:00 PM:
Summer Cycle Check In
3:30 PM:
Summer Cycle Begins
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM:
Post Ride Silliness & Pop-Up Bicycle Park |
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| *The morning affinity program is for individuals and families that identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. |
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Monday, August
14, 2023
In partnership with Riding In Color WNC, who create intersectional affinity spaces for BIPOC of all genders, body sizes, and abilities to build skills and community within cycling in WNC, we’re co-hosting a BIPOC Affinity Summer Cycle experience as well as our traditional event in an effort to create a more inclusive space for people to enjoy riding in their community. Preview the schedule below because there are many moving parts to Summer Cycle ‘23.
Support the Summer Cycle experience by volunteering to support the AoB kiosk, host the bike park, pedal patrol the routes, and/or breakdown or set up.
Riding in Color: BIPOC Affinity Schedule
10:00 AM:
Summer Cycle Check In
10:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Begins
11:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Returns
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
Pop-Up Bike Park |
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Asheville on Bikes: Open Afternoon Schedule
2:00 PM – 7:00 PM:
Pop-Up Bicycle Park
3:00 PM:
Summer Cycle Check In
3:30 PM:
Summer Cycle Begins
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM:
Post Ride Silliness & Pop-Up Bicycle Park |
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| *The morning affinity program is for individuals and families that identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. |
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Tuesday, August
15, 2023
In partnership with Riding In Color WNC, who create intersectional affinity spaces for BIPOC of all genders, body sizes, and abilities to build skills and community within cycling in WNC, we’re co-hosting a BIPOC Affinity Summer Cycle experience as well as our traditional event in an effort to create a more inclusive space for people to enjoy riding in their community. Preview the schedule below because there are many moving parts to Summer Cycle ‘23.
Support the Summer Cycle experience by volunteering to support the AoB kiosk, host the bike park, pedal patrol the routes, and/or breakdown or set up.
Riding in Color: BIPOC Affinity Schedule
10:00 AM:
Summer Cycle Check In
10:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Begins
11:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Returns
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
Pop-Up Bike Park |
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Asheville on Bikes: Open Afternoon Schedule
2:00 PM – 7:00 PM:
Pop-Up Bicycle Park
3:00 PM:
Summer Cycle Check In
3:30 PM:
Summer Cycle Begins
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM:
Post Ride Silliness & Pop-Up Bicycle Park |
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| *The morning affinity program is for individuals and families that identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. |
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Join us for workdays in the Sand Hill native tree nursery. Tasks vary and often include repotting, weeding, mulching, and other special projects to improve infrastructure and function.
First – third Tuesdays of the month
10am – 12pm
Need to know
Please come dressed in work clothes with close toed shoes. Bring water and sun protection. All other gear and supplies are provided.
Wednesday, August
16, 2023
In partnership with Riding In Color WNC, who create intersectional affinity spaces for BIPOC of all genders, body sizes, and abilities to build skills and community within cycling in WNC, we’re co-hosting a BIPOC Affinity Summer Cycle experience as well as our traditional event in an effort to create a more inclusive space for people to enjoy riding in their community. Preview the schedule below because there are many moving parts to Summer Cycle ‘23.
Support the Summer Cycle experience by volunteering to support the AoB kiosk, host the bike park, pedal patrol the routes, and/or breakdown or set up.
Riding in Color: BIPOC Affinity Schedule
10:00 AM:
Summer Cycle Check In
10:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Begins
11:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Returns
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
Pop-Up Bike Park |
|
Asheville on Bikes: Open Afternoon Schedule
2:00 PM – 7:00 PM:
Pop-Up Bicycle Park
3:00 PM:
Summer Cycle Check In
3:30 PM:
Summer Cycle Begins
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM:
Post Ride Silliness & Pop-Up Bicycle Park |
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| *The morning affinity program is for individuals and families that identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. |
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The Enka History Book Club reads historical fiction and non-fiction.
We’ll be discussing, River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard.
Books are available for pick up at the library in large print and regular print.
The group meets in the community room and newcomers are always welcome.
In the case of inclement weather and winter storms, we will post canceled on this page, on our Facebook page, and on our Instagram page. Follow: @enkacandlerlibrary
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Puptart is a tail wagging robot dog who sits and stays, pants when listening, and responds to someone talking to and petting it. It will not jump up or run away, plus it’s fur free, so no sneezes and runny noses coming your way!
Every Wednesday afternoon, Puptart will be available for reading practice in the children’s picture book room. Help establish a joy of reading and develop early literacy skills. Sign up at the front desk, pick a book and practice reading for up to 15 minutes.
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Thursday, August
17, 2023
In partnership with Riding In Color WNC, who create intersectional affinity spaces for BIPOC of all genders, body sizes, and abilities to build skills and community within cycling in WNC, we’re co-hosting a BIPOC Affinity Summer Cycle experience as well as our traditional event in an effort to create a more inclusive space for people to enjoy riding in their community. Preview the schedule below because there are many moving parts to Summer Cycle ‘23.
Support the Summer Cycle experience by volunteering to support the AoB kiosk, host the bike park, pedal patrol the routes, and/or breakdown or set up.
Riding in Color: BIPOC Affinity Schedule
10:00 AM:
Summer Cycle Check In
10:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Begins
11:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Returns
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
Pop-Up Bike Park |
|
Asheville on Bikes: Open Afternoon Schedule
2:00 PM – 7:00 PM:
Pop-Up Bicycle Park
3:00 PM:
Summer Cycle Check In
3:30 PM:
Summer Cycle Begins
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM:
Post Ride Silliness & Pop-Up Bicycle Park |
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| *The morning affinity program is for individuals and families that identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color. |
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Join us for a book discussion hosted by the Friends of the Skyland/South Buncombe Library!
This month we will be reading Daybreak by Belva Plain. The book is available in both physical and digital editions through Buncombe County Public Libraries, and we will also have a few extra copies to borrow at the South Buncombe branch that you can stop by and sign out.
From the publisher:
The doctor’s office is cool, white, sterile. But the doctor’s words are searing: blood tests prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Margaret and Arthur Crawfield’s beloved, dying son is not their child. Now they must face Peter’s death and the shock of having a son they have never met. Grieving, yet compelled, they begin a search that will tear two families apart.
Laura and “Bud” Rice share an elegant home and two children, brilliant, handsome Tom, and cherished, chronically ill eleven-year-old Timmy. But after nineteen years of marriage, Laura’s respectable husband is a stranger—and the reason for Tom’s escalating involvement with a group of campus bigots. Suddenly the Crawfields enter their lives and shatter their fragile world. As the Rices’ quiet Southern town explodes with hate and violence, the two familes must embrace—or be destroyed by—the shattering truth.
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Join us for a discussion of the NY Times bestselling book “Circe” by Madeline Miller.
Light refreshments will be served. |
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Please join us at The 2nd Act in Hendersonville, NC for our first monthly book club meeting that strives to read books that create a closer knit and more inclusive community! We will meet virtually and in person monthly to discuss a book, so read the book and then join in the discussion in person or online every third Thursday. All are welcome! At the end of each meeting we will vote on the next book! The virtual club meeting will be in Zoom format and will meet 2.5 hours after the in-person meeting (8:00pm EST). After the meeting there is live acoustic music so stay and enjoy the vibe with your new friends! Put us down on your calendar for every third Third Thursday!
The first book is going to be called Disability Visibility.
Synopsis from the back cover: One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.
From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love. Preview:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51456746-disability-visibility
Message me for the Zoom link to the online meetup. Thanks!
ATTENTION! We will be meeting on August 17th at 5:30 AT A NEW VENUE! We are meeting at Guidon Brewing, 415 8th Ave. E. Hendersonville, NC 28792. It has free parking that is plentiful and it is quiet on Thursday in the early evening. https://guidonbrewing.com/
We’ll be discussing Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.
Thank you to all who attended July 20 meeting! It was great to meet so many newcomers. Thank you to Mike and Debbie who graciously offered to help me with some admin stuff. They will help add emails to the spreadsheet so that communication will become better via email.
Saturday, August
19, 2023
We’re putting our build crew back together and we’d love to have you join us. Every 2 weeks, we’ll meet at 9 am for hands-on set construction! Whether your talents are building, painting, or you just want to learn, come out and join us every other Saturday for some creative fun. Tools and work gloves are helpful but not required
Local author Misha Lazzara, known for her novel Manmade Constellations, is offering a free writing workshop for teens and adults titled “Write Your Values.” The workshop is scheduled for August 19th at 3pm at Firestorm Books in Asheville, NC.
In this practical workshop, participants will explore their personal values and learn how to incorporate them into their writing. From spiritual beliefs to environmental concerns, attendees will discover how to infuse their stories with deeper meaning. The workshop is designed for writers of all levels who seek to add depth and significance to their work. Attendees will gain practical insights into integrating their beliefs and passions into their writing, enhancing their storytelling abilities.
This workshop is offered as a part of Misha Lazzara’s current book tour surrounding the paperback launch of Manmade Constellations. This debut novel is a modern-day love story that explores childhood trauma, the boundaries between idealism and self-righteousness, and the heartaches we must confront in order to chart our courses forward. Published by Blackstone Publishing, the novel was originally released on August 9, 2022, and will be launched in paperback on August 10, 2023.
Sunday, August
20, 2023
Sunday, July 16, 2023 – 6:00pm
Sunday, August 20, 2023 – 6:00pm
Sunday, September 17, 2023 – 6:00pm
Sunday, October 15, 2023 – 6:00pm
Join the Club de Lectura and read novels written by Central and South American authors. The club meets at a restaurant or cafe with food related to the monthly pick. The main goal is to connect with each other, enjoy a good read, and ask each other questions. Everyone is welcome! Please CLICK HERE to view the Club’s main page for the pick of the month, and be sure to email: [email protected] for the location of the meeting!
Wednesday, August
23, 2023
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Puptart is a tail wagging robot dog who sits and stays, pants when listening, and responds to someone talking to and petting it. It will not jump up or run away, plus it’s fur free, so no sneezes and runny noses coming your way!
Every Wednesday afternoon, Puptart will be available for reading practice in the children’s picture book room. Help establish a joy of reading and develop early literacy skills. Sign up at the front desk, pick a book and practice reading for up to 15 minutes.
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Thursday, August
24, 2023
Join the Green Riverkeeper on Thursday, July 27th for our Green Clean Series! This event continues the 4th Thursday of every month June-September from 5:30-8ish. You do not have to kayak to be a part of the monthly cleans. We absolutely welcome road-side helpers too!
Saturday, August
26, 2023
The BCDP headquarters is in need of a deep clean and a little TLC. August 26th’s event is phase 1 of a multi-phase project to deep clean, organize, update, and rejuvenate headquarters. During phase 1 we will tackle the basement. Tasks will include moving tables & chairs outside, power washing the tables & chairs, cleaning out the basement kitchenette, and deep cleaning the bathroom.
Due the size of the basement, we will limit the volunteer count to 20 people. If you have a truck, and are willing to take items to either the dump or Habitat for Humanity, please bring it!
Cleaning supplies and products will be provided, but please bring your own cleaning gloves. Please also bring spare towels for drying the tables & chairs. Be prepared to take these towels with you after the workday. We will provide light snacks (think granola bars) and water.
Who should attend: We are seeking at MAXIMUM 20 hardworking volunteers who want to help clean headquarters basement.
Join Asheville GreenWorks, the West Asheville Business Association, Wrong Way Campground, and OnHaywood for a cleanup of the Haywood Road corridor in West Asheville. Breakfast and post cleanup rewards will be provided to volunteers.
What is a Haywood Road Clean Up Day? A day where volunteers work to pick up trash and recycling along the Haywood Road corridor.
How do you participate? 1-RSVP by “joining” this project 2-Meet and sign in at Archetype Brewing, 10am 3-Grab some breakfast, receive instructions and gear, and head out as a group to pick up of trash along Haywood Road and side streets 4-Return gear to Archetype and enjoy volunteer rewards!
Is this a family-friendly event? Yes, although please consider that Haywood Road is a busy street and it is important that you and your children stay alert and safe throughout the clean up.
Should you bring anything? Asheville GreenWorks will supply gloves, safety vests, trash grabbers, and trash bags for everyone. Please bring water and any personal items that you need.
Need to know
Dress in comfortable walking shoes and clothes. Meet at Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Rd, at 10am. After signing in, volunteers will receive a free breakfast and their cleanup gear. We’ll go over safety and instructions before heading out to cover the Haywood Road corridor. Return your gear to Archetype and enjoy volunteer rewards!
We rely on financial support from our community in order to inspire, equip and mobilize volunteers who make an impact. Please consider making a gift in support of this event.
Tuesday, August
29, 2023
Join us for monthly workdays in the Hardesty Lane native tree nursery. Tasks vary and often include weeding, mulching, mowing, weed eating, fertilizing, labeling, watering, etc.
Minimum Age: 13+
The Romance Book Club is a space to celebrate love in literature. Whether it’s set in early 1800s London, a distant planet years into the future, a fantasy world of magic, or our own contemporary universe, we are here for the stories that end with a happily-ever-after (or at least a happily-for-now). Meetings will take place the last Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Please email Samantha at
[email protected] for the link to join.
The club will meet virtually for now.
Meetings will take place at 7:00 PM ET on the last Tuesday of each month via Zoom. Please visit the Romance Bookclub page for the monthly selection, and email Samantha at [email protected] for the link to join.
Wednesday, August
30, 2023
We are currently celebrating Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library gifting 200 million books globally since 1995. In honor of this milestone, seven magical Dolly bookmarks will be hidden in Imagination Library books for enrolled children and families during September’s International Literacy Month.
Lucky recipients who discover the bookmarks will have the chance to receive a video chat, a personalized letter, autographed photo from Dolly, and four Dollywood Theme Park tickets. Additionally, the Dollywood Foundation will donate $2000 on behalf of each chosen child to their local Imagination Library partner, recognizing them as the true heroes of the program.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impacts the pre-literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County. The program mails a new, free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month until they turn five years old. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. If you have any questions about the program, please send an email to [email protected].
A national panel of educators selects the Imagination Library titles, which include: The Little Engine that Could, Last Stop on Market Street, Violet the Pilot, As an Oak Tree Grows, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Look Out Kindergarten, here I come, and many more (take a look at all the titles).
Program Launch and Expansions
Literacy Together became a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliate in November 2015 with support from the Buncombe Partnership for Children. Through this program, registered children in Buncombe County receive a free book in the mail each month. Their parents also have the opportunity to attend workshops to learn how to build their children’s early literacy skills. Parents in need of literacy assistance are encouraged to receive tutoring through Literacy Together’s adult programming.
The program served 200 children during the 2015/16 fiscal year. The program expanded to serve 400 children in July 2016, and 600 in August 2017. In July 2018, capacity increased to 1,900 thanks to a special allocation in the North Carolina state budget. We’re now serving 4,600 kids in Buncombe County.
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- The ESOL Program has a waiting list of 100 people who have been waiting for months for tutors. We offer online and in-person volunteer opportunities and welcome volunteers from all over the world willing to tutor remotely. Tutors don’t need to speak the student’s language. Learn more here.
- The Youth Literacy Program needs more volunteer tutors for the upcoming school year. The training will occur in person from Tuesday, September 12 to Thursday, September 14, from 1:00-4:00. We will begin supporting students in after-school program settings the week of September 18. We provide 1:1 tutoring support in multiple after-school programs in the Asheville community. Learn more here.
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Small group meeting. We will be discussing The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris. Limited to 8 participants. Please email [email protected] if you want to attend the small group discussion. |
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Puptart is a tail wagging robot dog who sits and stays, pants when listening, and responds to someone talking to and petting it. It will not jump up or run away, plus it’s fur free, so no sneezes and runny noses coming your way!
Every Wednesday afternoon, Puptart will be available for reading practice in the children’s picture book room. Help establish a joy of reading and develop early literacy skills. Sign up at the front desk, pick a book and practice reading for up to 15 minutes.
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Foodie Book Club
A book club for home cooks, foodies, industry folks, and anyone in-between. We will be focusing on all sorts of food writing. Somethemes will be (but not limited to): food critics, chef memoirs, wine, food history, and food politics.
The Foodie group meets virtually on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. (EST), beginning in June 2022. Please email [email protected] for the Zoom meeting info.
Thursday, August
31, 2023
We are currently celebrating Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library gifting 200 million books globally since 1995. In honor of this milestone, seven magical Dolly bookmarks will be hidden in Imagination Library books for enrolled children and families during September’s International Literacy Month.
Lucky recipients who discover the bookmarks will have the chance to receive a video chat, a personalized letter, autographed photo from Dolly, and four Dollywood Theme Park tickets. Additionally, the Dollywood Foundation will donate $2000 on behalf of each chosen child to their local Imagination Library partner, recognizing them as the true heroes of the program.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impacts the pre-literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County. The program mails a new, free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month until they turn five years old. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. If you have any questions about the program, please send an email to [email protected].
A national panel of educators selects the Imagination Library titles, which include: The Little Engine that Could, Last Stop on Market Street, Violet the Pilot, As an Oak Tree Grows, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Look Out Kindergarten, here I come, and many more (take a look at all the titles).
Program Launch and Expansions
Literacy Together became a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliate in November 2015 with support from the Buncombe Partnership for Children. Through this program, registered children in Buncombe County receive a free book in the mail each month. Their parents also have the opportunity to attend workshops to learn how to build their children’s early literacy skills. Parents in need of literacy assistance are encouraged to receive tutoring through Literacy Together’s adult programming.
The program served 200 children during the 2015/16 fiscal year. The program expanded to serve 400 children in July 2016, and 600 in August 2017. In July 2018, capacity increased to 1,900 thanks to a special allocation in the North Carolina state budget. We’re now serving 4,600 kids in Buncombe County.
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- The ESOL Program has a waiting list of 100 people who have been waiting for months for tutors. We offer online and in-person volunteer opportunities and welcome volunteers from all over the world willing to tutor remotely. Tutors don’t need to speak the student’s language. Learn more here.
- The Youth Literacy Program needs more volunteer tutors for the upcoming school year. The training will occur in person from Tuesday, September 12 to Thursday, September 14, from 1:00-4:00. We will begin supporting students in after-school program settings the week of September 18. We provide 1:1 tutoring support in multiple after-school programs in the Asheville community. Learn more here.
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We will be discussing The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris. All are welcome! |
