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.

Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Revisiting the Classics Book Club
Oct 17 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Weaverville Public Library

Join Librarian and Friend Jill Totman this Fall to discuss, “Books I Swore I’d Never Read Again!” Re-read classic titles will fresh perspective & new conversations.

  • Tuesday, October 17th @ 6 PM: The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  • Tuesday, November 21st @ 6 PM: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

This group will meet in person at the Weaverville Library on the third Tuesday evening of the month at 6 PM. Copies of each title will be available at the Weaverville Library while supplies last.  No reservations are necessary & newcomers are always welcome.

 

Thanks to the Friends of the Weaverville Library for sponsoring this series!

Weaverville library book club: “Books I Swore I’d Never Read Again! Revisiting the Classics
Oct 17 @ 6:00 pm
Weaverville Public Library

Join Librarian and Friend Jill Totman this Fall to discuss, “Books I Swore I’d Never Read Again!” Re-read classic titles will fresh perspective & new conversations.

  • Tuesday September 19th @ 6 PM: Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
  • Tuesday, October 17th @ 6 PM: The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  • Tuesday, November 21st @ 6 PM: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

This group will meet in person at the Weaverville Library on the third Tuesday evening of the month at 6 PM. Copies of each title will be available at the Weaverville Library while supplies last.  No reservations are necessary & newcomers are always welcome. 

Thanks to the Friends of the Weaverville Library for sponsoring this series!

Bookmarked: Online Library Book Club discusses Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora
Oct 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
online w/ Fairview Library

A young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration at the age of nine from El Salvador to the United States in this “gripping memoir” (NPR) of bravery, hope, and finding family.

The library’s moderated online book discussion group meets on the third Tuesday of each month, September through May. You can join by emailing [email protected] at least one hour prior to the meeting.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Woodland Wonder Walks: Free Guided Hiking Tours: Charles D. Owen and Warren Wilson Hike
Oct 18 @ 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
Charles D. Owen Park

Have you been wanting try a local hike, but don’t know where to begin? Join Buncombe County Parks & Recreation for scenic morning hikes close to home this fall. This Hike Series is a free four-pack of popular treks lead by Parks and Recreation Staff on weekday mornings. Explorers of all skill levels are invited to experience the fun of one hike, all four or somewhere in between. Space is limited to 15 hikers and advanced registration is necessary.

We will begin our hike at Charles D. Owen park parking lot where we will do a quick icebreaker and get prepped for the hike (we will have water and a few snacks available) PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE TO FILL UP.

This hike runs along the pristine Swannanoa river. In addition to the river, there will be sightings of gorgeous rock formations, a rhododendron forest, flowers and a breathtaking bamboo forest. With ample natural shade from the surrounding hardwoods, guests will stay cool while walking along the mostly flat dirt trail.

Difficulty level: Beginner to intermediate.

Length: 5.3 miles

Elevation gain: 118 feet

Read to Puptart!
Oct 18 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

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.

An Evening of Storytelling with Donald Davis
Oct 18 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Haywood Community College

Haywood County native Donald Davis was born into a world rich in stories and folklore. Although well versed in the more traditional Jack Tales, Davis was most interested in the stories of his own family and friends, as well as places of origin. He used these stories to enhance his sermons during a celebrated 25-year career as a Methodist Minister. Later he began telling stories at regional festivals, and upon retirement, became a notable author and performer.

The author of 18 books and 40 original recordings, Donald Davis is indeed a national treasure. He is the recipient of both The Circle of Excellence and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Storytelling Network.

Thursday, October 19, 2023
Swannanoa Readers Book Club discuss “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen
Oct 19 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Swannanoa Library

A coming-of-age story and a satire of gothic novels, Northanger Abbey was written in 1803 by Jane Austen. A funny and eerie story of what happens when a reader reads too many ghostly tales.

Join us for an afternoon of discussion and light refreshments. Bring your wit.

Books have been reserved and should be available to pick up at Swannanoa Library by October 1st.

Flat Rock Book Club
Oct 19 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
The 2nd Act

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!

My Story: Four Memoirs by WNC Authors: Lecture and Book Discussion Series: Glove Shy: A Sister’s Reckoning by Janet Hurley
Oct 19 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
West Asheville Library

My Story: Four Memoirs by WNC Authors:  Lecture and Book Discussion Series at West Asheville Library sponsored by the Wilma Dykeman Foundation. This second talk is by Janet Hurley owner of True Ink and cofounder of Asheville Writers in the Schools & Community (now Arteria Collective), featuring her memoir Glove Shy: A Sister’s Reckoning. This is a hybrid event–in person and Zoom available. Register for Zoom talk at [email protected]

Book discussion to follow on Wednesday, October 25th at 7pm.

Monday, October 23, 2023
Western Carolina University’s Food Drive
Oct 23 all-day
Western Carolina University
Join us in making a difference! Western Carolina University’s Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning is hosting a canned food drive benefiting Homebase and Biltmore Park Food Pantry. We invite our community to participate by donating non-perishable food items. Look for the collection boxes near Suite 102 at WCU’s Biltmore Park Town Square campus from Monday, October 23rd to Friday, October 27th.
Western Carolina University
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Western Carolina University’s Food Drive
Oct 24 all-day
Western Carolina University
Join us in making a difference! Western Carolina University’s Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning is hosting a canned food drive benefiting Homebase and Biltmore Park Food Pantry. We invite our community to participate by donating non-perishable food items. Look for the collection boxes near Suite 102 at WCU’s Biltmore Park Town Square campus from Monday, October 23rd to Friday, October 27th.
Western Carolina University
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Sponsor a child for the holidays
Oct 25 all-day
Eliada Homes
Help Make a Child Smile this Holiday Season!
Eliada works hard to make the holidays a special time for the children in our care. You can help bring a smile to their face by fulfilling their holiday wishes!

 

Sponsor a Child:

When you sign up to sponsor a child for the holidays, you’ll receive a Wish List that a young person created. Wish Lists include their favorite things, clothing sizes, and most needed and wanted items. The value of a Wish List is around $200. You can divide that cost with friends, or even sponsor several children.

 

For most of Eliada’s children and youth, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only gifts they will get during the holiday season.

To sign up to sponsor, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at [email protected].

Sponsor Multiple Children:

We also have Wish Lists which include items that children will need here at Eliada depending on what program they are in.

 

Cottage wish lists for youth living at Eliada, for example, include toiletries, bedding and towels, books, games, art supplies, suitcases and kitchen utensils. Many children come to Eliada with a few clothes in a garbage bag. Together we can provide them things that every home should have!

 

Other wish lists are for our Child Development programs, Foster Care program, Farm program, Summer Camp program, and Recreation programs. Our Equine Therapy program also has some needs this holiday season! We never know when we’ll get a call for a child in Foster Care who needs a home immediately. Let’s help Foster Parents provide these children everything they deserve!

 

Sponsor a last minute wish:

Some youth living at Eliada won’t arrive until right before the holidays! We won’t receive their wish lists until mid-late November. Can you sign up to help one of these teens at the last minute?

If you don’t have time to shop, Eliada will use your donation to purchase gifts for children who may arrive at Eliada very close to Christmas or right after Christmas. It shouldn’t matter when you arrive at Eliada–your wishes should be fulfilled! You can make a donation here. In the comment field, write “holiday wishes.”

 

To sign up to sponsor multiple children or a teen at the last minute, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at rboline@eliada.org or by phone at (828) 254-5356, ext. 306.

Western Carolina University’s Food Drive
Oct 25 all-day
Western Carolina University
Join us in making a difference! Western Carolina University’s Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning is hosting a canned food drive benefiting Homebase and Biltmore Park Food Pantry. We invite our community to participate by donating non-perishable food items. Look for the collection boxes near Suite 102 at WCU’s Biltmore Park Town Square campus from Monday, October 23rd to Friday, October 27th.
Western Carolina University
Puppet Playtime
Oct 25 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
East Asheville Library
Every Wednesday morning, we open up the children’s activity room to give kids time for free play with puppets. Children must be under the supervision or a parent or guardian.
Read to Puptart!
Oct 25 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

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.

Foodie Book Club
Oct 25 @ 7:00 pm
online

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, October 26, 2023
Sponsor a child for the holidays
Oct 26 all-day
Eliada Homes
Help Make a Child Smile this Holiday Season!
Eliada works hard to make the holidays a special time for the children in our care. You can help bring a smile to their face by fulfilling their holiday wishes!

 

Sponsor a Child:

When you sign up to sponsor a child for the holidays, you’ll receive a Wish List that a young person created. Wish Lists include their favorite things, clothing sizes, and most needed and wanted items. The value of a Wish List is around $200. You can divide that cost with friends, or even sponsor several children.

 

For most of Eliada’s children and youth, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only gifts they will get during the holiday season.

To sign up to sponsor, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at [email protected].

Sponsor Multiple Children:

We also have Wish Lists which include items that children will need here at Eliada depending on what program they are in.

 

Cottage wish lists for youth living at Eliada, for example, include toiletries, bedding and towels, books, games, art supplies, suitcases and kitchen utensils. Many children come to Eliada with a few clothes in a garbage bag. Together we can provide them things that every home should have!

 

Other wish lists are for our Child Development programs, Foster Care program, Farm program, Summer Camp program, and Recreation programs. Our Equine Therapy program also has some needs this holiday season! We never know when we’ll get a call for a child in Foster Care who needs a home immediately. Let’s help Foster Parents provide these children everything they deserve!

 

Sponsor a last minute wish:

Some youth living at Eliada won’t arrive until right before the holidays! We won’t receive their wish lists until mid-late November. Can you sign up to help one of these teens at the last minute?

If you don’t have time to shop, Eliada will use your donation to purchase gifts for children who may arrive at Eliada very close to Christmas or right after Christmas. It shouldn’t matter when you arrive at Eliada–your wishes should be fulfilled! You can make a donation here. In the comment field, write “holiday wishes.”

 

To sign up to sponsor multiple children or a teen at the last minute, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at rboline@eliada.org or by phone at (828) 254-5356, ext. 306.

Western Carolina University’s Food Drive
Oct 26 all-day
Western Carolina University
Join us in making a difference! Western Carolina University’s Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning is hosting a canned food drive benefiting Homebase and Biltmore Park Food Pantry. We invite our community to participate by donating non-perishable food items. Look for the collection boxes near Suite 102 at WCU’s Biltmore Park Town Square campus from Monday, October 23rd to Friday, October 27th.
Western Carolina University
Common Word Community Read: Adam Rothman, Professor of History, Georgetown University
Oct 26 @ 7:00 pm
Reuter Center, Manheimer Room (102)

Adam Rothman, professor of History at Georgetown University, will be speaking on Georgetown’s history of enslavement and his current research on Thursday, October 26 at 7 p.m. at the UNC Asheville Reuter Center, Manheimer Room.

Rothman is the director of the Center for the Study of Slavery and Its Legacies and co-editor of the recent book “Facing Georgetown’s History: A Reader on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation” which details the university’s history of enslavement and its recent efforts to confront its past.

In “I Came As a Shadow,” John Thompson writes about Georgetown’s slaveholding legacy, especially the sale of 272 enslaved people in 1883 that was made to save the financially struggling university. Aside from tracing the descendants of the 272 individuals, Rothman’s research explores how institutions and communities confront their shameful pasts.

This event is part of the Common Word Community Read series, a set of lectures and discussions centered around a shared text with the goal of engaging a collective educational experience. The program is curated by Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author, alumnus of the class of 2000, and UNC Asheville’s Executive Director of Literary Arts. The selection for fall 2023 is “I Came As a Shadow” an autobiography by the late John Thompson, the head basketball coach at Georgetown University from 1972 to 1999, where he won the NCAA championship in 1984.


Accessibility

UNC Asheville is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. If you have any questions about access or to request reasonable accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event, please contact the Event Organizer (see below). Advance notice is necessary to arrange for accessibility needs.

Visitor Parking

Visitors may park in faculty/staff and All Permit lots from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends, holidays, and campus breaks. Visitors are not permitted to park in resident student lots at any time.
Prior to 5pm, any visitor (regardless of their reason for visit) need to adhere to the current practices listed on the parking website. Get your visitor parking permit here

Friday, October 27, 2023
Sponsor a child for the holidays
Oct 27 all-day
Eliada Homes
Help Make a Child Smile this Holiday Season!
Eliada works hard to make the holidays a special time for the children in our care. You can help bring a smile to their face by fulfilling their holiday wishes!

 

Sponsor a Child:

When you sign up to sponsor a child for the holidays, you’ll receive a Wish List that a young person created. Wish Lists include their favorite things, clothing sizes, and most needed and wanted items. The value of a Wish List is around $200. You can divide that cost with friends, or even sponsor several children.

 

For most of Eliada’s children and youth, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only gifts they will get during the holiday season.

To sign up to sponsor, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at [email protected].

Sponsor Multiple Children:

We also have Wish Lists which include items that children will need here at Eliada depending on what program they are in.

 

Cottage wish lists for youth living at Eliada, for example, include toiletries, bedding and towels, books, games, art supplies, suitcases and kitchen utensils. Many children come to Eliada with a few clothes in a garbage bag. Together we can provide them things that every home should have!

 

Other wish lists are for our Child Development programs, Foster Care program, Farm program, Summer Camp program, and Recreation programs. Our Equine Therapy program also has some needs this holiday season! We never know when we’ll get a call for a child in Foster Care who needs a home immediately. Let’s help Foster Parents provide these children everything they deserve!

 

Sponsor a last minute wish:

Some youth living at Eliada won’t arrive until right before the holidays! We won’t receive their wish lists until mid-late November. Can you sign up to help one of these teens at the last minute?

If you don’t have time to shop, Eliada will use your donation to purchase gifts for children who may arrive at Eliada very close to Christmas or right after Christmas. It shouldn’t matter when you arrive at Eliada–your wishes should be fulfilled! You can make a donation here. In the comment field, write “holiday wishes.”

 

To sign up to sponsor multiple children or a teen at the last minute, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at rboline@eliada.org or by phone at (828) 254-5356, ext. 306.

Western Carolina University’s Food Drive
Oct 27 all-day
Western Carolina University
Join us in making a difference! Western Carolina University’s Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning is hosting a canned food drive benefiting Homebase and Biltmore Park Food Pantry. We invite our community to participate by donating non-perishable food items. Look for the collection boxes near Suite 102 at WCU’s Biltmore Park Town Square campus from Monday, October 23rd to Friday, October 27th.
Western Carolina University
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Sponsor a child for the holidays
Oct 28 all-day
Eliada Homes
Help Make a Child Smile this Holiday Season!
Eliada works hard to make the holidays a special time for the children in our care. You can help bring a smile to their face by fulfilling their holiday wishes!

 

Sponsor a Child:

When you sign up to sponsor a child for the holidays, you’ll receive a Wish List that a young person created. Wish Lists include their favorite things, clothing sizes, and most needed and wanted items. The value of a Wish List is around $200. You can divide that cost with friends, or even sponsor several children.

 

For most of Eliada’s children and youth, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only gifts they will get during the holiday season.

To sign up to sponsor, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at [email protected].

Sponsor Multiple Children:

We also have Wish Lists which include items that children will need here at Eliada depending on what program they are in.

 

Cottage wish lists for youth living at Eliada, for example, include toiletries, bedding and towels, books, games, art supplies, suitcases and kitchen utensils. Many children come to Eliada with a few clothes in a garbage bag. Together we can provide them things that every home should have!

 

Other wish lists are for our Child Development programs, Foster Care program, Farm program, Summer Camp program, and Recreation programs. Our Equine Therapy program also has some needs this holiday season! We never know when we’ll get a call for a child in Foster Care who needs a home immediately. Let’s help Foster Parents provide these children everything they deserve!

 

Sponsor a last minute wish:

Some youth living at Eliada won’t arrive until right before the holidays! We won’t receive their wish lists until mid-late November. Can you sign up to help one of these teens at the last minute?

If you don’t have time to shop, Eliada will use your donation to purchase gifts for children who may arrive at Eliada very close to Christmas or right after Christmas. It shouldn’t matter when you arrive at Eliada–your wishes should be fulfilled! You can make a donation here. In the comment field, write “holiday wishes.”

 

To sign up to sponsor multiple children or a teen at the last minute, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at rboline@eliada.org or by phone at (828) 254-5356, ext. 306.

Haints in the Holler – Haunted Hike!
Oct 28 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Shope Creek Trailhead

Join a spooky storyteller as they guide you into the Appalachian woods with chants of folklore.

Sunday, October 29, 2023
Haints in the Holler – Haunted Hike!
Oct 29 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Shope Creek Trailhead

Join a spooky storyteller as they guide you into the Appalachian woods with chants of folklore.

Ross Gay poet and author
Oct 29 @ 7:00 pm
Citizen Vinyl

Ross Gay poet and author: Gay will give a reading and sign books at 7 p.m., Citizen Vinyl, 14 O. Henry Ave., Asheville. Free but registration is required. 

Monday, October 30, 2023
Woodland Wonder Walks: Free Guided Hiking Tours: Craggy Gardens Loop
Oct 30 @ 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
Craggy Gardens Visitor Center

Have you been wanting try a local hike, but don’t know where to begin? Join Buncombe County Parks & Recreation for scenic morning hikes close to home this fall. This Hike Series is a free four-pack of popular treks lead by Parks and Recreation Staff on weekday mornings. Explorers of all skill levels are invited to experience the fun of one hike, all four or somewhere in between. Space is limited to 15 hikers and advanced registration is necessary.

We will begin our hike at Craggy Gardens Visitor Center parking lot where we will do a quick icebreaker and get prepped for the hike (we will have water and a few snacks available) PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE TO FILL UP.

Featuring scenic overlooks of the enchanting Blue Ridge Mountains, clouds, wildflowers, and a meadow, this hiking loop promises a dreamy experience that will fill your imagination with wonder.

Difficulty level: Experienced beginner to intermediate.

Length: 2.20 miles

Elevation gain:  525 feet

Haints in the Holler – Haunted Hike!
Oct 30 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Shope Creek Trailhead

Join a spooky storyteller as they guide you into the Appalachian woods with chants of folklore.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Halloween Blood Drive at Pack Library
Oct 31 @ 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Don’t be a scaredy cat! Our Buncombe County Employee Blood Drive is happening at Pack Memorial Library on Oct. 31, from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. This year our drive is has all the bite and sweetness of a Halloween party, but whether dressed as a vampire or a superhero, you will have a chance to help save lives.

Every person who comes to donate will receive a Halloween Blood Donor t-shirt (in black!) courtesy of the Red Cross (while supplies last). We will have Mellow Mushroom pizza, Halloween candy and a chance to win tickets to the Haunted History Murder Mystery Trolley Tour, provided by Asheville Haunted Tours! We also have an Oculus Headset, books from Malaprops and other great prizes…This drive is sponsored by Buncombe County Government, and is open to all.

Please sign up ahead of time at redcrossblood.org and be sure to eat well the night before and drink plenty of fluids so the donation will be quick and easy. If you have any questions, you can find answers at redcrossblood.org or contact the local office at (828) 258-3888. Thank you for your donation. You can truly be a hero.

Online Zoom: West Asheville Library Book Discussion. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery  
Oct 31 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
West Asheville Library
  West Asheville Library Book Discussion group will discuss Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. This is an online Zoom event. Please join us! Email [email protected] for the Zoom information.
Romance Book Club
Oct 31 @ 7:00 pm
online w/ Malaprop's Bookstore
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.