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.
We invite you to an evening of music & dance with powerful performances from Free Planet Radio & members of Toubab Krewe, featured music by Nex Millen & Adama Dembele, hip hop dance showcases by Otto Aquaboogy Vazquez & Goldilocks, and special surprises from New Orleans Legends, Dirty Dozen Brass Band! Join us for an exploration of this new bridge from our community to the world!
Tickets $75 (includes drinks & light dinner)
- Bricks-And-Mortar
- Public Education
- Planning, Survey and Designation
Artist Opportunities
The Asheville Area Arts Council is pleased to share the following opportunities for artists that have recently been submitted to us. If you have any questions about an opportunity, please contact the listed organization.
The Asheville Area Arts Council does not endorse or recommend any specific opportunities, but provides this list for information only. We encourage artists to research each opportunity thoroughly before applying.

Call for Artists: NRCC Art Society
The North Ridge Country Club Art Society wishes to promote art and area artists, while also developing increased art appreciation within its membership. The NRCC Art Society continues to expand the permanent art collection in the clubhouse for members …
January 3, 2020 – January 19, 2020

Call for Musicians: Chamber Music Raleigh
ANNOUNCING THE FOLLOWING OPPORTUNITY FOR NC-BASED MUSICIANS Performance Venue: North Carolina Museum of Art, SECU Auditorium Dates: Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 2pm or Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 2pm Artists Fee: up to $2500 Submission Instructions: …
January 2, 2020 – January 24, 2020

Call for Artists: Shenandoah National Park
The Shenandoah National Park Artist-in-Residence program offers professional artists focused time to creatively explore the natural and cultural resources of this astounding landscape. It also allows artists the opportunity to share their work through …
November 25, 2019 – January 31, 2020

Call for Artists: Zapow Juried Show
ZaPow Gallery, the premier Illustration and Narrative Art Gallery in the Southeast, will be hosting its Second Annual Juried Open Show March 2020. If you are an Illustrator or Narrative artist living in the WNC area this is your chance to show your wor …
December 9, 2019 – February 1, 2020

Call for Artists: Magnetic Theater
SPECIAL EVENT – ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL Script Submission Guidelines: – The submission deadline is Saturday, February 1st at 11:59pm. – Plays should be between 10 and 30 minutes long, though there is a bit of wiggle room. – No more than 10 roles (prefe …
January 3, 2020 – February 1, 2020

Call for Artists: Chilkoot Trail Residency
The Yukon Arts Centre, the US National Park Service, Parks Canada and the Skagway Arts Council are calling for submissions for the 2021 Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency Program. Participants will combine their artistic abilities with a love of the outdo …
December 9, 2019 – February 11, 2020

Call for Artists: International Artist Residency
Open Call for 2020-21 International Artist Residencies at Farm Studio in Rajasthan, India The deadline for applications is 20th February, 2020. Residencies will take place October, November, December 2020 and January, February 2021. All residency infor …

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |

Looking for a unique, romantic place to spend the day with your sweetheart? The fantastic views at Chimney Rock offer the perfect setting! For Valentine’s Day Weekend, receive one free adult admission, when you purchase one adult admission ticket.
This offer is only available for online ticket purchases and is only valid February 14-16, 2020. We will be posting these tickets on our website starting Thursday, February 13th. Stay tuned.
In February the Park is open weather permitting. Be sure to check our website for weather alerts before you visit.
As part of the Arboretum’s “Love Birds” month-long celebration, the Arboretum will host a “Sweets with Your Sweetie” hot cocoa bar at the Baker Exhibit Center during Valentine’s Day weekend.
Guests can enjoy a free cup of hot chocolate (while supplies last) followed by a free guided hike starting at 1 p.m. Hikes will focus on the natural history of the Arboretum, including some of the region’s more prominent birds, and will be about one- to two- miles in length. Please note: Guided hikes will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is free; however, standard parking fees apply for non-members
Failte (Welcome)… to The Asheville Celtic Festival, a Winter Indoor Celtic Festival bringing the Celtic Spirit of the Seven Nations to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, will be held inside of the Davis Center at the WNC Agricultural Center giving us comfortable setting in the winter months.
Feel the Vibes of Early Settlers from the Celtic Nations
Participate in Entertaining Battles and Performances
Learn About Celtic History and Traditions
Listen to LIVE Celtic Music
Explore your Family Background
See Characters in 1700 Period Dress
Shop the Celtic Crafts and Buy a Kilt
Eat Traditional Foods
Drink the Stouts & Ales
Rest by the Fire
Attractions
Live Celtic Music
Traditional Food & Drink
Kilts and Accessories
Scottish Althletes
Scottish Crafts and Gifts
Scottish and Irish Dog Clubs
Armored Sword Fighting at The Castle
Family Heritage Research
Blue Spiral 1’s most diverse annual exhibition presents artists who have never previously shown in the gallery. This year’s show features nine artists working in a range of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, and wood.
Artists: Anna Buckner, Mark Flowers, David Knox, Hiromi Moneyhun, Kris Rehring, Ben Strear, Gregor Turk

Shapeshifters, the newest exhibition in the John Cram Partner Gallery. Shapeshifters brings together the works of two acclaimed regional artists, Cherokee-based Joshua Adams and Atlanta-based Jiha Moon, who use masks and other objects to explore culture, material, and representation, particularly in the contemporary American South.

View all works acquired from the Appalachia Now! exhibition here.
The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to share that seven artists from the opening exhibition Appalachia Now! An Interdisciplinary Survey of Contemporary Art in Southern Appalachia have entered the Museum’s Collection of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Appalachia Now! was the inaugural exhibition of the newly renovated Museum that celebrated contemporary artists living and working in Southern Appalachia.
Considering available funds, the Museum’s curatorial team selected a range of works that reflect the diversity of Appalachia Now! These works were then presented to the Collectors’ Circle who voted to acquire them.
“It’s such an honor to be a part of the Asheville Art Museum’s expansion into new media,” says Lei Han, who is an associate professor and director of new media at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. “My collaborators and I are grateful for this recognition and we look forward to future collaborations with the Museum.”
“The Museum looks forward to following the careers of all the Appalachia Now! artists,” says Asheville Art Museum Executive Director Pamela Myers. “We are also very thankful for the Collectors’ Circle—for their generosity and ongoing support of the Museum, and their dedication to building the Museum’s important Collection for the enjoyment of all of our visitors.”
*Assembly Required is the premiere Southeast destination for designer, bootleg and art toy artists and collectors. With molding, and production techniques, designer toy artists echo the production methods of traditional toy manufacturers. Refining inspiration from a variety of underground and subcultural elements, *Assembly Required honors this pop surrealistic art movement, as the melting pot of artistic expression that it is. 2020 will be *Assembly Required’s second year celebrating this avant-garde culture, at Highland Brewing.
Grovewood Gallery in Asheville will present Life Along the Blue Ridge, featuring landscape oil paintings by Bryan Koontz, on view from February 15 through April 5, 2020. The gallery will host an opening reception with the artist in attendance on Saturday, February 15 from 2-5pm.
- Bricks-And-Mortar
- Public Education
- Planning, Survey and Designation

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |

Looking for a unique, romantic place to spend the day with your sweetheart? The fantastic views at Chimney Rock offer the perfect setting! For Valentine’s Day Weekend, receive one free adult admission, when you purchase one adult admission ticket.
This offer is only available for online ticket purchases and is only valid February 14-16, 2020. We will be posting these tickets on our website starting Thursday, February 13th. Stay tuned.
In February the Park is open weather permitting. Be sure to check our website for weather alerts before you visit.
As part of the Arboretum’s “Love Birds” month-long celebration, the Arboretum will host a “Sweets with Your Sweetie” hot cocoa bar at the Baker Exhibit Center during Valentine’s Day weekend.
Guests can enjoy a free cup of hot chocolate (while supplies last) followed by a free guided hike starting at 1 p.m. Hikes will focus on the natural history of the Arboretum, including some of the region’s more prominent birds, and will be about one- to two- miles in length. Please note: Guided hikes will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is free; however, standard parking fees apply for non-members
Shapeshifters, the newest exhibition in the John Cram Partner Gallery. Shapeshifters brings together the works of two acclaimed regional artists, Cherokee-based Joshua Adams and Atlanta-based Jiha Moon, who use masks and other objects to explore culture, material, and representation, particularly in the contemporary American South.

View all works acquired from the Appalachia Now! exhibition here.
The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to share that seven artists from the opening exhibition Appalachia Now! An Interdisciplinary Survey of Contemporary Art in Southern Appalachia have entered the Museum’s Collection of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Appalachia Now! was the inaugural exhibition of the newly renovated Museum that celebrated contemporary artists living and working in Southern Appalachia.
Considering available funds, the Museum’s curatorial team selected a range of works that reflect the diversity of Appalachia Now! These works were then presented to the Collectors’ Circle who voted to acquire them.
“It’s such an honor to be a part of the Asheville Art Museum’s expansion into new media,” says Lei Han, who is an associate professor and director of new media at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. “My collaborators and I are grateful for this recognition and we look forward to future collaborations with the Museum.”
“The Museum looks forward to following the careers of all the Appalachia Now! artists,” says Asheville Art Museum Executive Director Pamela Myers. “We are also very thankful for the Collectors’ Circle—for their generosity and ongoing support of the Museum, and their dedication to building the Museum’s important Collection for the enjoyment of all of our visitors.”
*Assembly Required is the premiere Southeast destination for designer, bootleg and art toy artists and collectors. With molding, and production techniques, designer toy artists echo the production methods of traditional toy manufacturers. Refining inspiration from a variety of underground and subcultural elements, *Assembly Required honors this pop surrealistic art movement, as the melting pot of artistic expression that it is. 2020 will be *Assembly Required’s second year celebrating this avant-garde culture, at Highland Brewing.
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/Assembly-Required-Asheville-Designer-Toy-Expo-2164491960480939
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/_assemblyrequired_
WEBSITE: https://assembly-required.net
PURCHASE TIX: https://assembly-required.net/purchase-tickets

Blue Spiral 1’s most diverse annual exhibition presents artists who have never previously shown in the gallery. This year’s show features nine artists working in a range of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, and wood.
Artists: Anna Buckner, Mark Flowers, David Knox, Hiromi Moneyhun, Kris Rehring, Ben Strear, Gregor Turk
Blue Spiral 1’s most diverse annual exhibition presents artists who have never previously shown in the gallery. This year’s show features nine artists working in a range of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, and wood.
Artists: Anna Buckner, Mark Flowers, David Knox, Hiromi Moneyhun, Kris Rehring, Ben Strear, Gregor Turk


Bring your current needle project and work while socializing with other like-minded crafters
Shapeshifters, the newest exhibition in the John Cram Partner Gallery. Shapeshifters brings together the works of two acclaimed regional artists, Cherokee-based Joshua Adams and Atlanta-based Jiha Moon, who use masks and other objects to explore culture, material, and representation, particularly in the contemporary American South.
On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.
Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching.
Parking Fees
- Members: Free
- Personal Vehicles: $14
- Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
- Buses: $100
There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.
Blue Spiral 1’s most diverse annual exhibition presents artists who have never previously shown in the gallery. This year’s show features nine artists working in a range of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, photography, and wood.
Artists: Anna Buckner, Mark Flowers, David Knox, Hiromi Moneyhun, Kris Rehring, Ben Strear, Gregor Turk

Shapeshifters, the newest exhibition in the John Cram Partner Gallery. Shapeshifters brings together the works of two acclaimed regional artists, Cherokee-based Joshua Adams and Atlanta-based Jiha Moon, who use masks and other objects to explore culture, material, and representation, particularly in the contemporary American South.
This lecture is part of the new Creative Sector Talks series.
Nate McGaha, Executive Director of Arts North Carolina, discusses arts education advocacy and the role it plays in public policy and funding for comprehensive arts education. This presentation will include updates on state and federal policy and funding as it relates to the arts and arts education and provide tools and strategies to engage with elected officials to have a positive impact on the creative education of our students. In addition to training about what individuals can do in their own community, this talk will cover basic organization of advocacy campaigns and how to effectively unite behind a singular message of strengthening the arts in our school. Attendees will also learn more about Arts North Carolina, the only arts and arts education advocacy organization in the state, and how they have been instrumental in advancing government policy and investment in the arts for decades.
Arts North Carolina is the statewide advocacy organization for the arts; a 501(c)(3) organization governed by a statewide Board of Directors. ARTS North Carolina calls for equity and access to the arts for all North Carolinians, unifies and connects North Carolina’s arts communities, and fosters arts leadership.




