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.
Included with admission
Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.
Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.
Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!
Cone 6 Glazing: Workshop and Discussion” with John Britt
$350.00
Days: Saturday & Sunday
Time: 9am-5pm (on Saturday) & 10am-5pm (on Sunday)
Dates: April 1 & 2, 2023
Join us for a 2-day Glaze Workshop and Discussion with a true master in the field. John Britt, a dynamic teacher, will have over 2000 fired test tiles with both reduction and oxidation tiles. We will discuss all things glazes, including a general overview of ceramic glazes, focusing on but not limited to cone 6 glazes. He’ll also have glazed pots for viewing. This workshop is designed for beginner to intermediate potters.
We will discuss temperature, kilns, and firing dynamics. John will share information about different firing cycles. This will lead us into some basic classifications of glazes, like ash, celadon, tenmoku, etc. We will discuss how and why each type of glaze works and how you can achieve them. We’ll also discuss how to adjust your glazes and how to discover new ones. We recommend that you purchase John’s latest book: “The Complete Guide to Mid-Range Glazes: Glazing and Firing at cone 4 – 7” prior to the workshop. He will teach from this book throughout the workshop. There will be no mixing or firing in this workshop. It is lecture and discussion only.
**Limited registration available.
Several weeks before the workshop you will receive the details of what to expect, what to bring, materials list, and directions to the studio.
Please contact The Village Potters Clay Center if you have any questions about this workshop.
Click HERE for suggested accommodations located near The Village Potters Clay Center.
Cancellation Policy:
- Cancellation up to 45 days prior to the start of class, students receive a full refund (minus a $75 administrative fee).
- Cancellation within 45-0 days of the start of class, students receive no refund.
John Britt is a studio potter in Bakersville, North Carolina who has been a potter and teacher for over 33 years. He lives in mountains of Western North Carolina, although he grew up in Dayton, Ohio. John travels all over the world teaching this workshop and many others. He is both nationally and internationally recognized as one of the ceramic world’s greatest glaze experts. He is the author of multiple best selling glaze books.

Andrea Rich’s intricately designed, carved, and printed woodcuts draw viewers in for an up-close look.
Some of the artist’s earliest memories are of drawing animals. Childhood encounters with pets, livestock, and wildlife, including birds, deer, and toads, created a lasting connection to the natural world. Through encounters with creatures both tame and wild, Rich developed a fascination and a compassion for animals integral to her art.
“My prints are a visual record of the intriguing creatures that have enriched my life. The woodcut process challenges me to focus on the essence of my subjects. At the same time, I am drawn to the smell of the wood, its texture and grain, and the pleasure I experience while carving. I begin working on a block of wood and realize later that hours have passed without notice.”
Rich uses a centuries-old medium that requires one carved wood panel for each color – varying from one to sixteen – necessary to develop the composition. These panels are painstakingly aligned one atop another sequentially and pulled through a printing press to create the final woodcut.
The subjects of Rich’s woodcuts range from the wilderness of the Australian outback and the lush tropical Amazon forests to the roaring rivers of Yellowstone Park. Rich has traveled worldwide to study wildlife habitats and these varied firsthand experiences are reflected in her work.
Among Rich’s many achievements are international recognition for her woodcut prints, including a 2009 Award of Excellence from the Society of Animal Artists and a 2009 Medal of Excellence from the Artists for Conservation Foundation. She was named Master Artist by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in 2006. In 2010 her work was featured in a solo exhibition at the Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center, Canton, Massachusetts. Rich is a member of the California Society of Printmakers, Artists for Nature Foundation, the Society of Animal Artists, and Society of Wildlife Artists.
In 2000 Rich designated the Woodson Art Museum as the repository for her artistic oeuvre. An Abundance of Riches is drawn from these holdings, which include an example of each of her woodcuts created since the mid-1980s.
World-class orchid growers and breeders along with regional orchid societies will exhibit at this annual show by the Western North Carolina Orchid Society, with hundreds of orchids presented in carefully crafted displays.
Orchids will be for sale by vendors from Ecuador and across the United States. Attendees should expect rare species, cutting-edge hybrids and something for all orchid lovers. All festival exhibits, programs and educational lectures each day are included. Admission to the festival is $5 per person in addition to the Arboretum’s parking fee. Children 12 and under, free.
The beginning of the year is a great time for Ashevillians of all ages to explore, connect, and discover. Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR)’s new winter-spring program guide is filled with registration dates, information, and listings for hundreds of fitness and active living offerings, sports and clubs, arts and culture programs, out-of-school time activities, outdoor recreation, special events, parks and facilities’ hours of operation, and more.
The free guide is available at all APR community centers and online as a PDF or enhanced digital flipbook. Community members may also download the APR app for iPhone or search programs on avlREC.com.
Winter-Spring 2023 Guide Highlights
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Exercise at fitness centers with a free membership (through June 30, 2023).
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Walk, roll, or run your way to 50 miles in February and March during the Fit 50 Challenge for a free T-shirt.
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Celebrate Black Legacy Month with food, art, and festivals throughout the city in February.
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Meet neighbors over cards, board games, bingo, trivia contests, and community meals.
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Get an up-close look at big trucks, small trucks, transit buses, construction rigs, rescue vehicles, and public works equipment during Truck City AVL on April 15.
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Experience the fun, fellowship, fitness, arts, and competition of Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts Classic for local adults over 50..
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Flex creativity at art, painting, writing, scrapbooking, and crafting classes.
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Connect with neighbors over sports such as basketball, flag football, volleyball, pickleball, tennis, and archery for kids, teens, and adults.
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Enjoy the honor of dirty hands with community garden workdays and Green Thumbs Garden Club at Grove Street Community Center’s greenhouse.
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Witness the power of gravity at the Montford Pinewood Derby in May.
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Refine square, tap, line, and West African dance skills at multiple locations.
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And so much more!
Explore Biltmore House with an Audio Guide that introduces you to the Vanderbilt family and their magnificent home’s history, architecture, and collections of fine art and furnishings.
PLUS: Immersive, multi-sensory Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition created by Grande Experiences
PLUS: FREE next-day access to Biltmore’s Gardens and Grounds
This visit includes access to:
- Italian Renaissance Alive at Amherst at Deerpark®
- 8,000 Acres of Gardens and Grounds for two consecutive days
- Antler Hill Village & Winery
- Complimentary Wine Tastings at the Winery
- Tastings require a Day-of-Visit Reservation, which can be made by:
- Scanning the QR Code found in your Estate Guide
- Visiting any Guest Services location
- Complimentary parking
Art Exhibition: Italian Renaissance Alive
This fascinating experience takes you on a spellbinding tour of Italy, fully immersing you in the beauty and brilliance of iconic masterworks from the greatest artistic period in history
Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Instructor: Claudia Santos Strauss
No experience necessary, all levels welcome.
Please enter at the Catawba Ave entrance, follow the hall to enter.
Bring a mat.
Hope you can join us for this exciting event!~
An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Luzene Hill advocates for Indigenous sovereignty—linguistically, culturally, and individually. Revelate builds upon Hill’s investigation of pre-contact cultures. This has led Hill to incorporate the idea of Ollin, the Nahuatl word for the natural rhythms of the universe, in Aztec cosmology in her work. Before Europeans arrived in North America, Indigenous societies were predominantly matrilineal. Women were considered sacred, involved in the decision-making process, and thrived within communities holding a worldview based on equilibrium.
Ollin emphasizes that we are in constant state of motion and discovery. Adopted as an educational framework, particularly in social justice and ethnic studies, Ollin guides individuals through a process of reflection, action, reconciliation, and transformation. This exhibition combines Hill’s use of mylar safety blankets alongside recent drawings. Capes constructed of mylar burst with energy and rustle with subtle sound, the shining material a signifier of care, awareness, displacement, and presence. Though Hill works primarily in sculpture, drawing has increasingly become an essential part of her practice as she seeks to communicate themes of feminine and Indigenous power across her entire body of work. The energy within her drawings extends to the bursts of light reflecting from her capes or the accumulation of materials in other installation works.
Luzene Hill was born in Atlanta, GA, in 1946. She received her bachelor of fine art and master of fine art from Western Carolina University. She lives and works on the Qualla Boundary, Cherokee, NC.

Natural Collector is organized by the Asheville Art Museum. IMAGE: Christian Burchard, Untitled (nesting bowls), 1998, madrone burl, various from 6 × 6 × 6 to ⅜ × ⅜ × ⅜ inches. Gift of Fleur S. Bresler, 2021.76.01.
Natural Collector | Gifts of Fleur S. Bresler features around 15 artworks from the collection of Fleur S. Bresler, which include important examples of modern and contemporary American craft including wood and fiber art, as well as glass and ceramics. These works that were generously donated by contemporary craft collector Bresler to the Asheville Art Museum over the years reflect her strong interest in wood-based art and themes of nature. According to Associate Curator Whitney Richardson, “This exhibition highlights artworks that consider the natural element from which they were created or replicate known flora and fauna in unexpected materials. The selection of objects displayed illustrates how Bresler’s eye for collecting craft not only draws attention to nature and artists’ interest in it, but also accentuates her role as a natural collector with an intuitive ability to identify themes and ideas that speak to one another.”
This exhibition presents work from the Collection representing the first generation of American wood turners like Rude Osolnik and Ed Moulthrop, as well as those that came after and learned from them, such as Philip Moulthrop, John Jordan, and local Western North Carolina (WNC) artist Stoney Lamar. Other WNC-based artists in Natural Collector include Anne Lemanski, whose paper sculpture of a snake captures the viewer’s imagination, and Michael Sherrill’s multimedia work that tricks the eye with its similarity to true-to-life berries. Also represented are beadwork and sculpture by Joyce J. Scott and Jack and Linda Fifield.
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Paul Wong, Carbon, silver and gold, 2016, pigmented linen and cotton pulp, publisher: Dieu Donné, New York, edition 3/25, 18 × 11 inches. Gift of Dieu Donné, New York, 2022.27.06. © Paul Wong. |
On View March 8 through July 24, 2023
The Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery • Level 1
Paper is an essential part of the art-making process for many artists, serving as the base for drawing, painting, printmaking, and other forms of art. As a substrate, paper can vary in weight, absorbency, color, size, and other aspects. Since industrialization, paper has primarily been produced through mechanical means that allow for consistency and affordability.
What happens, then, when an artist chooses to return to the foundations of paper, wherein it is made by hand using pulps, fibers, and dyes that reflect the human element through variations, inconsistencies, flaws, and surprises? Certain artists have sought out these qualities and embraced them, making paper not just a support on which to work, but fully a medium in and of itself.
Pulp Potential: Works in Handmade Paper is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and curated by Hilary Schroeder, former assistant curator, with assistance from Alexis Meldrum, curatorial assistant. Special thanks to Dieu Donné, New York, NY.
Grovewood Gallery will celebrate spring with two days of demos, discounts, and wine on April 1 and 2 from 11am – 4pm. Local artist demonstrations will take place on both days, and gallery merchandise – including furniture, ceramics and jewelry – will be discounted 10 percent. Metro Wines will also be in attendance to serve complimentary drinks to shoppers (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). This event is free and open to the public.
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Included with admission
Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:
- An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
- A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
- Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels
Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.
In the past 50 years in the United States and beyond, artists have sought to break down social and political hierarchies that include issues of identity, gender, power, race, authority, and authenticity. Unsurprisingly, these decades generated a reconsideration of the idea of pattern and decoration as a third option to figuration and abstraction in art. From 1972 to 1985, artists in the Pattern and Decoration movement worked to expand the visual vocabulary of contemporary art to include ethnically and culturally diverse options that eradicated the barriers between fine art and craft and questioned the dominant minimalist aesthetic. These artists did so by incorporating opulence and bold intricacies garnered from such wide-ranging inspirations as United States quilt-making and Islamic architecture.
Too Much Is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration features more than 70 artworks in an array of media from both the original time frame of the Pattern and Decoration movement, as well as contemporary artworks created between 1985 and the present. The artworks in this exhibition demonstrate the vibrant and varied approaches to pattern and decoration in art. Artworks from the 21st century elucidate contemporary perspectives on the employment of pattern to inform visual vocabularies and investigations of diverse themes in the present day.
Artworks drawn from the Asheville Art Museum’s Collection join select major loans and feature Pattern and Decoration artists Valerie Jaudon, Joyce Kozloff, Robert Kushner, and Miriam Schapiro, as well as Anni Albers, Elizabeth Alexander, Sanford Biggers, Tawny Chatmon, Margaret Curtis, Mary Engel, Cathy Fussell, Samantha Hennekke, John Himmelfarb, Anne Lemanski, Rashaad Newsome, Peter Olson, Don Reitz, Sarah Sense, Billie Ruth Sudduth, Mickalene Thomas, Shoku Teruyama, Anna Valdez, Kehinde Wiley, and more.
This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Marilyn Laufer & Tom Butler.
Food Scraps Drop Off
The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in
two locations for all Buncombe County residents. This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Register for Food Scraps Drop Off
Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin? Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.
Locations
Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot
30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville
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- Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.
Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot
749 Fairview Road, Asheville
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- Dawn – Dusk
West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building
942 Haywood Road, Asheville
Library open hours
Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander
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- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm
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Many mushroom species love to grow on trees naturally. The easiest way to simulate this natural relationship is to inoculate cut logs with mushroom spawn.
This is a low-tech, no waste, regenerative way to grow mushrooms and easy enough to do at home.
In this afternoon workshop you will receive:
>> Access to Chris Parker’s 30 years of experience growing and working with mushrooms
>> Initial understanding of how mushrooms grow
>> Overview of how mycelium creates fruiting bodies
>> Learn how to select optimal logs
>> Learn which woods suit which mushroom species
>> Hands-on demonstration of how to plug logs
>> Hand-on practice plugging a log
>> Take home a log you have plugged ($25- 30 retail value)
Join us Sunday, April 2 at the Burntshirt Vineyards Tasting Room and Winery for live music at the vineyard with Ben Phantom! Ben Phantom is a songwriter, videographer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, traveler, and long-distance hiker. His path, carved by music, has taken him from the North American wilderness to Vietnam, Cambodia, Israel, Central America, and finally to his mountain home in Asheville, North Carolina.
Ben Phantom is a prolific poet, songwriter, and instrumentalist with the soul of an improviser. Ben believes that the best live music happens when everyone playing is co-creating. As a Vietnamese Jewish American, Phantom uses his music to bridge cultural barriers, honor the past, and create a better future. He carries a strong message of hope and resilience. His mission is to tell stories that heal and create sustainable community. Phantom is a passionate and captivating performer. He writes from the heart, speaks to the soul, and never forgets to find the humor in life. He believes that we heal each other through building community, developing deep relationships, and being of service. Come see Ben at Burntshirt Vineyards Hendersonville Sunday from 2-5 PM. We can’t wait to see you here!
The Perspective Café is kicking off 2023 with a classic bang! Grab your friends and join us each Sunday from 2pm to 5pm in the Perspective Café to play an assortment of board and card games. You can even bring your own favorite games from home to share with new friends.
The Perspective Café will be offering special snacks and cocktails to savor while you play and make a memorable afternoon! Enjoy the galleries and then head up to the rooftop.
By Christopher Durang
Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play.
Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike. Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha.
Discretionary Content: Adult themes and Language
Enjoy Eric Condon at the vineyard from 2:30-5:30pm on Sunday! Charcuterie board options available! You are more then welcome to bring outside food and snacks.
Live Music with Laura and Tim from 2:30-5:30 pm! See you at the Ridge!
Enjoy live music with Tony from 2:30-5:30! delicious wine, cider and beer available! Come spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Ridge!
Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Sundays
1 till who knows when?
Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.
Jack of the Wood
95 Patton ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 252.5445
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By: Karen Ruetz
Director: Lois Hade
Written by emerging playwright Karen Ruetz from Georgia, Trillium is a tale of magic, love, jealousy and revenge set in the Appalachian Mountains. Granny always warned Maeve not to interfere with love, but when Sarah, an old friend, comes to her for a love potion, Maeve reluctantly agrees to help her. Hoping to heal past wounds of a broken friendship, Maeve unknowingly opens Pandora’s box, releasing unfortunate events that will change her life.
Approximate Run Time: 90 minutes
Rating: PG due to adult situations and mild language.
This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Arts Council of Henderson County and the City of Hendersonville.
Warren Wilson Theatre presents Nicky Silver’s Pterodactyls at Kittredge Theatre on the
Warren Wilson College campus on March 31st, April 1st, and April 2nd at 7:30 PM, with a 3:30 PM matinee on the 2nd. . The show centers on the blissfully ignorant Duncan family, but their son’s homecoming bursts this bubble and releases the issues they’ve been suppressing, pouring out of them in a comedic display of familial relationships and the consequences of long-held
denial.
Four years ago, the Upstate Music Awards were founded to honor local musicians and bands making original music — along with the producers, studio engineers, photographers, videographers, and visual artists that work beside them.
Now for the fourth annual ceremony, the UMAs are back at the Peace Center for an evening that shines a spotlight on the creative talent found all around the 864.
Join us at 5:30pm on Sunday, April 2nd, as we reveal the winners for Artist of the Year, Best Live Act, Best Single, Best Music Video, and ten other amazing categories.
Stay tuned as we announce this year’s host, live performers, and more details coming soon. Go ahead and reserve your free tickets today through the Peace Center’s official website — and remember to dress to impress!
The awards ceremony is free to attend and will feature curated performances from past and present nominees and finalists.







