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.

Saturday, June 6, 2020
Guided Hikes: Grandfather Mountain
Jun 6 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

Interpretive Rangers are available to lead guided hikes, bird walks and wildflower walks for families and groups that visit Grandfather Mountain. To see the mountain in this whole new way, you can schedule an appointment by calling the interpretive ranger office at (828) 737-0833 or emailing [email protected].

Please note that walks and hikes are available for all ability levels, but hikes that take you into Grandfather Mountain’s backcountry require careful footwork, proper footwear and the ability to handle heights. All backcountry hikes require participants to traverse ladders and use cables to navigate steep sections of the trail.

Interpretive Rangers are available year-round (weather permitting) to lead guided hikes to:

MacRae Peak ($15 + park admission)
Attic Window ($25 + park admission)
Calloway Peak ($35 + park admission)

Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance, and a minimum of two participants per hike are required. For more information, please call (828) 737-0833.

Saturday, June 13, 2020
Guided Hikes: Grandfather Mountain
Jun 13 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

Interpretive Rangers are available to lead guided hikes, bird walks and wildflower walks for families and groups that visit Grandfather Mountain. To see the mountain in this whole new way, you can schedule an appointment by calling the interpretive ranger office at (828) 737-0833 or emailing [email protected].

Please note that walks and hikes are available for all ability levels, but hikes that take you into Grandfather Mountain’s backcountry require careful footwork, proper footwear and the ability to handle heights. All backcountry hikes require participants to traverse ladders and use cables to navigate steep sections of the trail.

Interpretive Rangers are available year-round (weather permitting) to lead guided hikes to:

MacRae Peak ($15 + park admission)
Attic Window ($25 + park admission)
Calloway Peak ($35 + park admission)

Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance, and a minimum of two participants per hike are required. For more information, please call (828) 737-0833.

Carl Sandburg Home Free Tour Days CANCELLED
Jun 13 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Carl Sandburg Home
  • Sandburg Home Free Tour Days and National Park Fee Free Days (when noted)
    Visitors can enjoy free tours of the Sandburg Home on 10 days in 2020. Five days are also fee free days at all national parks.
  • April 11, 2020 (first Saturday of local school spring break)
  • April 18, 2020 – First Day of National Park Week (national fee free day)
  • June 13, 2020 (Sandburgs’ wedding anniversary)
  • August 25, 2020 – National Park Service Birthday (national fee free day)
  • September 26, 2020 – National Public Lands Day (national fee free day)
  • October 17, 2020 (Park Anniversary)
  • November 11, 2020 – Veterans Day
  • December 26, 2020 (Saturday after Christmas)
Hendersonville Art and Architecture Walking Tours
Jun 13 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Center for Art & Inspiration

The popular FREE Art and Architecture Walking Tours offered by the Arts Council of Henderson County return for 2020. The 90-minute tour of Downtown Hendersonville gathers at 9:00 am in front of the Center for Art & Inspiration at 125 South Main Street. Tours are led by Doug Gelbert who has created over 400 architectural tours in towns across the United States and Canada. All tours are free of charge and no pre-registration is required. Just show up ready to walk. As always, dogs are welcome to accompany their well-behaved owners on the Art and Architectural Walking Tours. Named “One of the 10 Best Things You Can Do in North Carolina at 9:00 on a Saturday morning”

Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Hendersonville Art and Architecture Walking Tours
Jun 17 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Henderson County Library

The popular FREE Art and Architecture Walking Tours offered by the Arts Council of Henderson County return for 2020. The 90-minute tour of the Historic West Side gathers at 6:00 pm in back of the Henderson County Library at 301 Washington Street. Tours are led by Doug Gelbert who has created over 400 architectural tours in towns across the United States and Canada. All tours are free of charge and no pre-registration is required. Just show up ready to walk. As always, dogs are welcome to accompany their well-behaved owners on the Art and Architectural Walking Tours.

Friday, June 19, 2020
The Magnetic Theatre presents The Virtual One-Act Play Festival
Jun 19 @ 7:30 pm
live stream

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In light of the current challenges to this highly collaborative and collective art, The Magnetic Theatre is proud to present their first annual One Act Play Festival as an online theatrical experience.  Bringing together (virtually) seven teams of artists to present seven original short plays, the One Act Play Festival offerings range from comedy to drama, satire to thinkpieces, providing a little something for everyone.

Determined to keep creating while preserving the health and safety of all involved, the playwrights, directors, actors, and technicians have adapted these scripts from their original stage-bound forms into a wide variety of different styles.  The One Act Play Festival has evolved into such diverse formats as audio drama, animation, and short live-action film, as well as more traditional live theatrical performance streamed over digital media.

Audiences can join with other viewers for a live-streamed watch party on Friday, June 19th at 7:30pm, or may choose to watch later through a link sent out to ticket holders.  Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can, but registration is required to receive the link.  Find more information, and sign up to see the show at www.themagnetictheatre.org.

Synopsis:  In the age of social distancing, The Magnetic Theatre One Act Play Festival presents a variety of original short plays adapted to an online platform, as audio drama, animation, short film, and live-streamed performances.  Audiences can join the others for a live-streamed watch party or receive a link to view the finished collection at their leisure.

Featuring:

“Hamlet’s Dead” written by Dennis Bohr & directed by Rodney Smith

“Mackerel Sky” written by Andrew Gallant & directed by Julia Christgau

“Pick Up” written by Jonathan Wickremasinghe-Kuhn & directed by Carin Metzger

“Person Meditating upon Madness” written by David Brendan Hopes & directed by Tippin

“Rosa & Leo” written by Adam Szudrich & directed by John Baldwin

“The Opposite of Entropy” written by Terran Wanderer & directed by Jessica Johnson

“Windowless White Vans” written by Bret Murphy & directed by Daniel Moore

Saturday, June 20, 2020
Guided Hikes: Grandfather Mountain
Jun 20 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

Interpretive Rangers are available to lead guided hikes, bird walks and wildflower walks for families and groups that visit Grandfather Mountain. To see the mountain in this whole new way, you can schedule an appointment by calling the interpretive ranger office at (828) 737-0833 or emailing [email protected].

Please note that walks and hikes are available for all ability levels, but hikes that take you into Grandfather Mountain’s backcountry require careful footwork, proper footwear and the ability to handle heights. All backcountry hikes require participants to traverse ladders and use cables to navigate steep sections of the trail.

Interpretive Rangers are available year-round (weather permitting) to lead guided hikes to:

MacRae Peak ($15 + park admission)
Attic Window ($25 + park admission)
Calloway Peak ($35 + park admission)

Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance, and a minimum of two participants per hike are required. For more information, please call (828) 737-0833.

Tuesday, June 23, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jun 23 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jun 24 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jun 24 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Thursday, June 25, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jun 25 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jun 25 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Friday, June 26, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jun 26 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jun 26 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Saturday, June 27, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jun 27 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Guided Hikes: Grandfather Mountain
Jun 27 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

Interpretive Rangers are available to lead guided hikes, bird walks and wildflower walks for families and groups that visit Grandfather Mountain. To see the mountain in this whole new way, you can schedule an appointment by calling the interpretive ranger office at (828) 737-0833 or emailing [email protected].

Please note that walks and hikes are available for all ability levels, but hikes that take you into Grandfather Mountain’s backcountry require careful footwork, proper footwear and the ability to handle heights. All backcountry hikes require participants to traverse ladders and use cables to navigate steep sections of the trail.

Interpretive Rangers are available year-round (weather permitting) to lead guided hikes to:

MacRae Peak ($15 + park admission)
Attic Window ($25 + park admission)
Calloway Peak ($35 + park admission)

Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance, and a minimum of two participants per hike are required. For more information, please call (828) 737-0833.

Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jun 27 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Sunday, June 28, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jun 28 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jun 28 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Jun 28 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit open the 36th season of An Appalachian Summer Festival on Sunday, June 28 at 8pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. The summer stop is part of the highly anticipated national tour behind the group’s newest album, Reunions (to be released May 15). As such, the festival is included in the tour announcement and is opening up sales ahead of the rest of the festival in support of the tour. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is A Schaefer Popular Series Event.

Tickets:
$60 adults, $50 students. *Limit 4 tickets per transaction*

MONDAY, MARCH 2 at 9AM – LOCAL/WALK-UP PRESALE – Maximum 500 tickets available for purchase in person only at the Schaefer Center Box Office, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC. No phone/online sales.

Beginning TUESDAY, MARCH 3 at 9AM – Online, in person, or by phone at www.appsummer.org, 800-841-2787 or 828-262-4046.

Thursday, July 2, 2020
Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jul 2 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Friday, July 3, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jul 3 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jul 3 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

All-Star Orchestra: “The New World and Its Music”
Jul 3 @ 7:00 pm
Online

● Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
● Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Avanti!
Inspired by American dreams and legends, Dvořák created some of his greatest works while living in the United States, above all the “New World” Symphony. This program illuminates the multiple stories and influences – Native American, African-American and Czech – that Dvořák transformed in his most beloved work. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Avanti! offers a contemporary interpretation of the American archetype of “moving on.”

To learn more about All-Star Orchestra: https://allstarorchestra.org/

Available via YouTube, Facebook, appsummer.org

Saturday, July 4, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jul 4 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Guided Hikes: Grandfather Mountain
Jul 4 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

Interpretive Rangers are available to lead guided hikes, bird walks and wildflower walks for families and groups that visit Grandfather Mountain. To see the mountain in this whole new way, you can schedule an appointment by calling the interpretive ranger office at (828) 737-0833 or emailing [email protected].

Please note that walks and hikes are available for all ability levels, but hikes that take you into Grandfather Mountain’s backcountry require careful footwork, proper footwear and the ability to handle heights. All backcountry hikes require participants to traverse ladders and use cables to navigate steep sections of the trail.

Interpretive Rangers are available year-round (weather permitting) to lead guided hikes to:

MacRae Peak ($15 + park admission)
Attic Window ($25 + park admission)
Calloway Peak ($35 + park admission)

Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance, and a minimum of two participants per hike are required. For more information, please call (828) 737-0833.

Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jul 4 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Sunday, July 5, 2020
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 
Jul 5 all-day

2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled 

We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events.  This includes:

  • Blue Ridge Pride Festival
  • Welcoming WNC Procession
  • Mx Pride Pageant
  • Movies & Mixer Series
  • LGBTQ Story Slam
  • We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Smith-McDowell House
Jul 5 all-day
Smith-McDowell House Museum

The residents of Buck House were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.

This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house.

Tesla Quartet
Jul 5 @ 2:00 pm
Online

Praised for their “superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style or technical demand” (The International Review of Music), the Tesla Quartet brings refinement and prowess to both new and established repertoire.
Enjoy this special message and preview scheduled in conjunction with the Tesla Quartet’s planned appearance as part of An Appalachian Summer Festival’s 2021 season.
To learn more about Tesla Quartet: http://www.teslaquartet.com/about-us
Available via YouTube, Facebook, appsummer.org