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, February 22, 2020
Early Bird Registration Open for Senior Games and Silver Arts 2020
Feb 22 all-day
Buncombe County NC

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.

Table: News Item Documents
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
LEAF 50th Festival Line Up and Tickets
Feb 22 all-day
Lake Eden Arts Festival
RiverLink’s Art & Poetry Contest Grades PreK-12
Feb 22 all-day
online
Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Feb 22 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

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.

Into the Blue: Artist Invitational 2020 at Blue Spiral
Feb 22 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Blue Spiral

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

Into the Blue_ Artist Invitational 2020

Shapeshifters: Center for Craft
Feb 22 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

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.

Asheville Art Museum Acquires 15 Works from Appalachia Now! Artists
Feb 22 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

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.”

MakerSpace: Watercolors! Asheville Art Museum
Feb 22 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Thornton Dial, Lady Holds the Bird While the Bird Spreads His Wings, 1991, watercolor and charcoal on paper, 22¼ × 30 inches. Museum purchase with funds provided by 2008 Collectors’ Circle with additional funds provided by David Moltke-Hansen & Patricia Poteat and Nat & Anne Burkhardt, 2008.36.01.20.

Visit a chosen artwork in the galleries for inspiration, then head to the studio to create. This week’s theme: Watercolors!

All ages and abilities are welcome (children must be accompanied by an adult); no reservations are required. For more information, email Kelly Baisley, school & family programs manager, or call 828.253.3227 x133.

Asheville, Tourism, and the Arts & Crafts Movement
Feb 22 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Asheville is brimming with tourists, but it is not a new phenomenon. In 1880, just before the arrival of the Southern Railroad, Asheville’s population was 2600; in 1900, it had increased to 14,600; and by 1930, it had exploded to over 50,000. Many of these newcomers had first been tourists drawn to the area by the temperate climate, scenery, and wealth of tourist amenities. Where were these folks staying and dining? What souvenirs and postcards did they take home? And what did they buy for their new homes in this booming town? Join panelists Lynne Poirier-Wilson, Whitney Richardson, and Terry Taylor for a discussion of Asheville during the Arts & Crafts Movement and beyond.

Join us early to explore the new Asheville Art Museum! Our newly reopened and expanded landmark building on Pack Square features the best of American art of the 20th and 21st centuries, with a special look at art of Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia.

Space is limited; register by February 17. To register now, click

Mystical Night Market
Feb 22 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Violet Owl

Mystical Night Market presented by The Guild of Sacred Arts. Join us for a celebration of the mind, body, and spirit. Local readers, healers, and makers will be offering: astrological readings, intuitive/psychic/medium readings, Akashic Records and animal communication readings, Reiki/energy healings, transformational coaching, local art, Reiki-infused jewelry, fairy hair, natural soaps, apothecary items, and more.

No entry fees! Raffle prizes! Come join us for a night of fun!

Sunday, February 23, 2020
Apply for a Preservation Grant Today!
Feb 23 all-day
Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
We are accepting grant applications until March 6th.  Grants from $500 – $5000 will be offered to the public in three categories:
  1. Bricks-And-Mortar
Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older
  1. Public Education
Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history
  1. Planning, Survey and Designation
Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resource surveys and local or national designations
Early Bird Registration Open for Senior Games and Silver Arts 2020
Feb 23 all-day
Buncombe County NC

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.

Table: News Item Documents
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
Music of the Grateful Dead for Kids
Feb 23 all-day
Grey Eagle

The Rock and Roll Playhouse is excited to bring the Music of the Grateful Dead for Kids to the Grey Eagle on 2/23/2020.

The Rock and Roll Playhouse is a children’s concert series that allows kids to “move, play and sing while listening to works from the classic-rock canon” (NY Times). The Playhouse offers its core audience of children aged 10 and under games, movement, stories, and an opportunity to rock out in a sensory-friendly environment while playing songs from musical icons such as Grateful Dead, David Bowie, The Beatles, and more. Founded in 2013 in New York City, the Playhouse has now expanded to over thirty venues and cities across the United States.

Doors at 12:00 PM // Show from 12:30 – 1:30PM

RiverLink’s Art & Poetry Contest Grades PreK-12
Feb 23 all-day
online
Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Feb 23 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

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.

Shapeshifters: Center for Craft
Feb 23 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

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.

Asheville Art Museum Acquires 15 Works from Appalachia Now! Artists
Feb 23 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

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.”

Into the Blue: Artist Invitational 2020 at Blue Spiral
Feb 23 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Blue Spiral

Into the Blue_ Artist Invitational 2020

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

Crafty Hour: Dried Wreaths Workshop
Feb 23 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Grab a glass and get hands-on at the Arboretum’s new “Crafty Hour” social series. Led by Melissa Thomas of Flora living boutique, each workshop features a new project design that enables participants to craft their own personalized botanical masterpiece while enjoying an afternoon at the Arboretum with friends.

Dried Wreaths Workshop

Make a beautiful dried wreath to keep your spirits up while we wait for those spring blooms! Event includes a complimentary beverage, light food, personalized instructions and supplies, and full day parking access to the Arboretum.

Location: Education Center

Monday, February 24, 2020
Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Feb 24 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

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.

Into the Blue: Artist Invitational 2020 at Blue Spiral
Feb 24 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Blue Spiral

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

Into the Blue_ Artist Invitational 2020

Shapeshifters: Center for Craft
Feb 24 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

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.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement classes CANCELLED
Feb 25 all-day
Asheville nc

Ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement, provides a well-matched creative expression for modern Asheville as it combines nature, reflection, and art. The Asheville Chapter of Ikebana International presents a program on ikebana flower design and/or Japanese culture on the fourth Tuesday of every month, February through October. 

Contact Ikebana for specific times and locations.

Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Feb 25 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

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.

Ikebana International Japanese Flower Arrangement
Feb 25 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Folk Art Center

Ikebana International of Asheville is opening 2020 with its first cultural program on February 25 at 10:00 a.m.  Ikebana, translated from Japanese as “living flowers,” is flower arrangement known worldwide for its grace and beauty.

What is sumi-e? “Sumi” in Japanese means ink that is made of soot, originally from pine branches, and “e” means paintings. So sumi-e is Japanese black ink painting on rice paper. Although it is steeped in tradition, it remains a spontaneous and expressive art form. Each stroke is made carefully because it cannot be painted over, changed or erased. It strives to capture the momentary essence of the subject.

Sumie&ikebana.jpg

 

Into the Blue: Artist Invitational 2020 at Blue Spiral
Feb 25 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Blue Spiral

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

Into the Blue_ Artist Invitational 2020

Shapeshifters: Center for Craft
Feb 25 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

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.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Feb 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

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.

Into the Blue: Artist Invitational 2020 at Blue Spiral
Feb 26 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Blue Spiral

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

Into the Blue_ Artist Invitational 2020

Shapeshifters: Center for Craft
Feb 26 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

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.