Calendar of Events

Moana Workshop

June 24-28, 2024

July 15-19, 2024

August 5-9, 2024

Pirate Palooza Workshop

July 1-5, 2024

The Little Mermaid Workshop

July 22-26, 2024

Our Musical Theatre Workshop camps center around favorite stage musicals, where students will learn musical numbers and perform a shortened production at the end of each week. Campers will not only perform in many dance numbers and scenes but will work on the technical aspects that all productions need, like sets, props, and costumes.

Categories: Education Family Fun Music Theatre

Brevard Music Center’s 2024 Summer Festival Subscriptions

Mar 26 all-day

online

2024 Subscription Packages

One of America’s premier music festivals, Brevard Music Center’s 2024 summer lineup features a diverse offering of symphony, opera, chamber, jazz, bluegrass, and Broadway performances. The season will be highlighted by Legendary Artist Wynton Marsalis, who will appear with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in three extraordinary concerts in late June. Additional festival highlights include classical masterpieces Prokofiev 5, Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, and world premiere concertos by two of today’s top composers; Janiec Opera Company productions of The Threepenny Opera, Flight, La Bohème, and An Evening of Jerome Kern and Friends; a family-friendly film with live orchestra presentation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™ in Concert; and BMC Presents lighter concert fare featuring Bryan Sutton, David Sanborn, Aoife O’Donovan, and Béla Fleck.

Led by Artistic Director Keith Lockhart, Brevard’s hallmark is the powerful sense of community that re-emerges every June as faculty and students work together to present over 100 performances and events to more than 40,000 enthusiastic fans from across the country. Primary BMC performance venues include the 1800-seat, open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and the 400-seat Parker Concert Hall.

Golden Ticket (Thursday)

Description: Receive one ticket to all performances included in the Symphony Series, Opera Lovers Series (Thursday), and the Parker Concert Hall Summer Series. Also includes Opening Night and Season Finale.

Save 25% on single ticket prices.

BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.
Golden Ticket (Saturday)

Description: Receive one ticket to all performances included in the Symphony Series, Opera Lovers Series (Saturday), and the Parker Concert Hall Summer Series. Also includes Opening Night and Season Finale.

Save 25% on single ticket prices.

BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.
Symphony Series

Description: Receive all sixteen (16) symphony events at Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium.

Save 20% on single ticket prices.

BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.
Compose Your Own

Description: Purchase at least eight (8) eligible* events from our summer season.

Save 15% on single ticket prices.

*Opening Night, Season Finale, BMC Presents, and Legendary Artists Series are not eligible for inclusion.
Opera Lovers (Thursday)

Description: Receive one (1) ticket to each of the following Thursday night events: Flight, La Bohème, The Threepenny Opera, and An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends.

Save 10% on single ticket prices.

Please note that seating assignments for An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Opera Lovers (Saturday)

Description: Receive one (1) ticket to each of the following Saturday afternoon events: Flight, La Bohème, The Threepenny Opera. Includes one (1) ticket to the following Thursday evening event: An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends.

Save 10% on single ticket prices.

Please note that seating assignments for An Evening of Jerome Kern & Friends are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Parker Concert Hall Summer Series

Description: Receive all twelve (12) Parker Concert Hall Summer Series events.

Save 15% on single ticket prices.

BMC Presents and Legendary Artists Series are not included.
Flex

Description: Purchase at least three (3) eligible* events, and receive a 5% discount off single ticket prices.

Flex tickets cannot be purchased during the subscription renewal/purchase phase and will be available during the donor presale to qualifying purchasers.

*Opening Night, Season Finale, BMC Presents, Legendary Artist Series are ineligible for this discount package.

This discount will activate automatically once you add the required number of eligible events to your cart.

Categories: Music

Buncombe Extension Master GardenerSM Helpline Opens for 2024 Gardening Season

Mar 26 all-day

NC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener

Have your garden and plant questions answered. There are three ways to contact the Master Gardener Helpline:

Call 828-255-5522

Email questions and photos to [email protected] or stop by the extension office hours:

Mondays – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesdays – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thursdays – 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Categories: Community Education Garden Garden Events

Code Purple: Emergency Weather Program

Mar 26 all-day

Asheville

As cold weather moves into the region, many in our community turn their thoughts to the unhoused population and the additional hardships they face during winter months.

One of the most immediately responsive assets is the Code Purple program.

Driven by community organizations, this effort provides emergency shelter to people experiencing homelessness during freezing weather.

The Code Purple program kicks off this year on October 15, 2023 and runs through April 30, 2024. During that time members of the Homeless Coalition will determine when a Code Purple will go into effect. You can find details about the program in the Code Purple Manual

Exciting news about the expansion of services this year.

When a Code Purple Can be called.

Code Purple emergency shelters and services are typically available at 32 degrees or below. A Code Purple may also be enacted this year when temperatures are 33-40 degrees with precipitation.

Additional Beds

ABCCM has 75 beds available between their Veterans Restoration Quarters and Transformation Village sites.

The Salvation Army will also participate this year, adding 16 new Code Purple beds for people who are unhoused to seek shelter in extreme weather

A recorded message will be available at 828.398.6011 confirming that Code Purple is operational and providing information about shelter locations.

How is the City continuing to support this community-driven initiative?

The City of Asheville, once again, agreed to fund 50-thousand dollars of the Code Purple from this year in their annual budget.
ART buses will continue to over free rides to shelters for those in needs
Community Responders will assist in the transport of individuals on an “as needed” basis
The marquee at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center will post messaging indicating when a Code Purple will be or is in effect.

Stay Connected

To join the Homeless Coalition’s distribution list to receive notifications about when Code Purple is called, email [email protected].

Categories: Community

Community Recreation Grants

Mar 26 all-day

online

Buncombe County Parks & Recreation will open its Community Recreation Grants application on February 5, 2024. The application window will remain open until March 29, 2024. The project application and supporting guidelines will be posted on the Buncombe County Grants webpage, located at www.buncombecounty.org/grants.

Eligible projects must:

Belong to a nonprofit organization.
Improve the quality of life within our community through the promotion of recreational initiatives that emphasize health and wellness, outdoor recreation, environmental education, athletics, and/or cultural experiences.
Operate in Buncombe County serving primarily Buncombe residents.

Preferred applications will:

Foster an atmosphere of inclusivity by extending recreation opportunities to underserved or underrepresented populations such as BIPOC and rural communities.
Promote goals highlighted within the Buncombe County Strategic Plan.
Promote recreational opportunities that emphasize health and wellness, outdoor recreation, environmental education, athletics, and/or cultural experiences.

For any questions, email [email protected].

Categories: Grants Parks & Recreation

Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant

Mar 26 all-day

online

Farm to School Funding

Growing Minds Farm to School Funding Opportunities

We want to help fund your farm to school project in Western North Carolina! Mini-grants are available for schools to engage children in the following farm to school experiences:

Local food taste tests & cooking demonstrations
Incorporating local food into meals or snacks
Farm field trips or farmer visits to preschools and classrooms
Growing edible gardens

Funding can be used to start new projects, or to expand upon existing activities.

Pre-k through 12 schools and homeschool groups are eligible to apply. Schools must be located throughout our 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina.

Smoky Mountains, NC: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain
Southern Mountains, NC: Henderson, Polk, Transylvania
Central Mountains, NC: Buncombe, Madison, Yancey
Foothills, NC: Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford
High Country, NC: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes

Growing Minds 2023-24 Farm to School / Preschool Funding

Applications are due by: March 31, 2024 and recipients will be selected by April 15, 2024.

ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Receive up to $500! The amount awarded will be based on availability of funding, number of applicants, and the scope of your project. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding.

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year.

Categories: Grants

Hey Asheville: City Comedy Tour • Ages 13+ Only

Mar 26 all-day

LaZoom Room Bar & Gorilla

Come enjoy our most popular Asheville tour!

Duration

1 hour and 30 minutes

About

Bachelorette/Bachelor Parties are not permitted on this tour. The Fender Bender Bus is bachelorette/bachelor friendly!

Historical and hysterical, The Hey Asheville tour features outrageously entertaining tour guides, outlandish comedy skits complete with special appearances and loads of Asheville information. You’ll get to see the best of downtown Asheville and the rarely seen but stunningly beautiful Montford neighborhood, not to mention the burgeoning River Arts District! You’ve never had a ride like this. It’s like a vaudeville show on wheels!

Find out what makes Asheville so unique on LaZoom’s City Comedy Tour. It’s the perfect mix of history, comedy, and entertainment. Our guides are trained professional actors working with an original script. It’s like a theatre on wheels! The tour highlights downtown Asheville, historic neighborhoods, the South Slope, and the River Arts District.

Age Restrictions

13 and up. No exceptions.

Stops

10 minute beer & bathroom break at Green Man Brewery

What’s Included

Guided tour of Asheville on a Purple Bus
Funny actors, fun bits
Actual History about Asheville
Green Man Brewery Stop

What’s Not Included

Beer/Wine (Must be purchased from LaZoom or the Brewery Stop)
Cash! You’ll want to tip the guides for changing your life for the better.

Categories: Comedy Food & Drink Tours

Hop-on/Hop-off SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Mar 26 all-day

Asheville Area

There is no better way to DISCOVER and EXPLORE Asheville! Hop-on board one of Gray Line’s nostalgic trolleys for a fully narrated day tour, highlighting the history, homes, hang-outs and hot spots of this “city of surprises.”

Hop-On and hear the story of a city rich in architecture, history and the arts . . .

Hop-Off and experience its eclectic shops and galleries; its world class culinary and craft brew scenes.

Tour Duration: The complete tour (one loop) lasts approximately 90 to 100 minutes. There is an additional 15 minute stop at the Asheville Visitor Center. The Hop-On/Hop-Off Tour ticket is valid for TWO consecutive days.

Departure Points: Join the Hop-On/Hop-Off Tour at any of the 10 stops. If you’re driving in to join the tour, Stop 1, the Asheville Visitor Center may be your best option. The Visitor Center, located at 36 Montford Ave. just off I-240 at Exit 4C, offers free parking (on a first come-first served basis) and restrooms. The Asheville Visitor Center is the ONLY place to join the Overview Tour.

Categories: Tours

Parkway Playhouse 2024 Season Tickets

Mar 26 all-day

online

2024 Flex Pass

The 2024 Flex Pass gets you 4 tickets to use as you’d like for the 2024 Mainstage Season.

2024 Flex Pass Plus

The 2024 Flex Pass gets you 5 tickets to use as you’d like for the 2024 Mainstage Season.

2024 Mainstage Season

Minister of Sorrow
Written by Pam Kingsley
Directed by Noah Stout
Showing May 17-19, 2024

It is 1937. Emma is a pack-saddle librarian who came to her calling by way of a painful route. We learn of her life as she shares some of her favorite people in stories. Our 2023 Appalachian Playwriting Festival Winner.

Little Women
Written by Kate Hamill
Adapted From the Novel by Louisa May Alcott
Directed by Erika Tyner
Showing June 7-16, 2024

Based on the literary classic, this play explores what it means to be a woman, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. We follow the story of Jo March and her reckoning with society, growing older, and finding her way as a writer with her sisters by her side. Each one exploring similar but different struggles and wins. Set to a backdrop of the Civil War, this play is a reflection of the waves of change that bookmarked author Louisa May Alcott’s life.

Almost, Maine
Written by John Cariani
Directed by Michael Lilly
Showing June 28-July 7, 2024

One night, a place that’s not a place, and six actors collide for this heartwarming play. A collection of vignettes, Almost, Maine shows us a story of falling in and out of love, bearing through life, and the magic of the unknown. Northern lights shine on these nine short plays and show us the beauty of Almost.

Ordinary Days
Written by Adam Gwon
Directed by Jeff Catanese
Music Direction by Lynda Shuler
Showing August 9-18, 2024

Connections are all around us in this impactful play. Lost items, missed taxis, tragedy, they’re all red strings that tie us to one another. Comedic at times, poignant at others, this musical features four characters whose stories are just a handful in the 8.3 million others that create the vibrance of the New York City landscape.

Vanities
Written by Jack Heifner
Directed by Marci Bernstein
Showing September 6-15, 2024

Chronicling the lives of three best friends from Texas, this show follows our cast from girlhood to adulthood and explores their differentiating opinions on life, experiences, and the future. Beginning in 1963 Texas and landing in New York in 1974 this play is an honest and real reflection of the impact of a changing world through a bittersweet comedic lens.

SINGLE SHOW TICKETS

Non-Musicals

Adults: $24
Seniors (60+), Students (18+ with ID), Military (active or retired): $22
Children (under 17): $12

Musicals

Adults: $26
Seniors (60+), Students (18+ with ID), Military (active or retired): $24
Children (under 17): $15

Junior Productions

Adults: $15
Children (under 17): $10

Categories: Theatre

Raft + Rail A Fully Guided Experience

Mar 26 all-day

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

The original Raft & Rail© since 1988: enjoy the two best adventures in the region in one day, great for families. Southern Living Magazine calls this “an ideal adventure for families, first-timers, young or old.” This full-day guided adventure starts with a Wildwater staff member greeting you at the train depot, followed by a scenic train trip, deli lunch with all the fixings, and a Nantahala River whitewater trip with a guide in every boat. Hot showers and a photo show follow immediately after your 8-mile Nantahala River trip. All transportation is included to and from the Bryson City Train Depot. Available April–October with the morning departure of the Nantahala Gorge Excursion departing Bryson City, NC. Train seating in Open Air Gondola. 2024 bookings starting soon!

Ticket fares subject to 7% Historic Preservation Fee and 7% North Carolina sales tax. Schedules, fares, motive power, equipment, seat selection, and meals are subject to change without notice. We guarantee the class of service you select. You will be notified if a change in schedule or motive power affects your reservation. Payment in full at booking by major credit card is required to finalize a reservation. You may cancel your reservation in full or in part and receive a refund less a $14.00 fee per adult ticket and $7.00 fee per child ticket as late as 5 days before departure, except The Polar Express Train Ride; The Polar Express Train Ride is as late as 60 days before departure. Within 5 days of the departure, or 60 days in the case of the Polar Express Train Ride, the reservation becomes nonrefundable. You may reschedule any time prior to your originally scheduled departure with a $7.00 fee per ticket for another date within the same calendar year. You may not reschedule a reservation after the scheduled departure.

Categories: Family Fun Outdoors

Registration for Tanglewood Youth Theatre Classes

Mar 26 all-day

online w/ Asheville Community Theatre

Tanglewood Summer has long been a successful and inspirational part of children’s creative education in Western North Carolina. Our theatre camp has been extremely popular and is well-suited for any young person interested in exploring the exciting world of theatre. Our faculty represents some of the finest talent in the area, and we are thrilled to have them at Tanglewood Summer.

We have something for every kid this summer – whether it’s your first or one-hundred-and-first time trying theatre, Tanglewood Summer is the place for YOU!

Categories: Family Fun Theatre

Spring Homeschool Classes + Summer Camps

Mar 26 all-day

Forest Floor

What is Forest Floor?

Forest Floor is a place where kids:

Are free to be kids; to play, laugh, shout, and run wild the way we did when we were kids.
Can find others who love nature as much as they do and find support and friendship in peers.
Can spend time with adults who really care about their developmental journey and want to hear their stories.
Can explore who they really are and be celebrated for being themselves.

Forest Floor provides high quality Nature-Connection Mentoring programs with lasting benefits for health, concentration, and emotional well-being.

We get your kids outdoors to think, connect, learn, make, and move.

And most importantly, to have fun!

We use a proven mentoring system and have small classes with mentor-camper ratios of just 1 to 7. Your kids will get more than just outdoor activity, they will be subtly coached and encouraged to reach their greatest potential.

New to Forest Floor? Check out our must-see videos below to get a sense of what we’re all about: A Day at Forest Floor, and Why Nature Connection?

Upcoming Asheville Camps & Homeschool Programs

Summer Camps

Summer Camp registration will proceed under a limited lottery system thru February 5. On February 6, open enrollment without limits will commence.

Summer Camps are back for another big season in the field, forest, and smithy. Camps fill quickly and we suggest you pre-register and take part in the lottery system. We have a new shuttle van registration system as well.

Register Now

Summer campers playing archery games posing with bows on top of big boulder near Asheville

Spring Homeschool Programs

Spring Homeschool programs are now open for registration.

We’re back with a full slate of varied weekday programs for Ages 6-16 running Monday-Friday, beginning February 26. And we have added a 2nd program location, in the Leicester/Sandy Mush area.

Register Now

Jedi training at forest-based homeschool program children holding poses on rock formations

Spring Blacksmithing Saturdays

Blacksmithing Saturdays Spring sessions are now open for registration, and Parent/Child Blacksmithing is back! The Winter session is now in progress and registration is closed.

Our Spring 2024 season includes a five week session in March/April for teens, and a Parent & Child session meeting four times in April/May.

Register Now

Blacksmithing project under way with glowing curled metal on anvil

Categories: Education Family Fun Outdoors

Stormwater: TAKE ACTION

Mar 26 all-day

WNC

Introducing RiverLink’s year-long campaign to recruit absolutely everyone to help restore the health of the French Broad River.

Untreated rainwater (also known as stormwater) flows off hard surfaces such as parking lots and roofs, and carries sediment, pollutants and bacteria with it, negatively impacting water quality. The sheer volume and velocity of rain runoff is the biggest threat today to the French Broad River.

Our campaign includes educational resources and action steps everyone can take to protect our rivers and streams here in Western North Carolina. You’ll also find real-life stories of local people taking action to reduce rain runoff at their homes and businesses. We want YOU to join us!

As a resident or business owner in WNC, you can be part of the solution. Here are four ways to take action to reduce rain runoff and protect our rivers and streams:

Disconnecting Your Downspout
Installing Rain Barrels
Implementing Rain Gardens
Other Green Infrastructure

Rain Garden Guide

Interested in creating an eco-friendly oasis? Read more about the benefits and steps to set up your rain garden.

Downspout Disconnect Guide

Learn how to disconnect your downspout and its benefits for sustainable stormwater management.

Rain Barrel Guide

Discover an affordable and easy-to-install solution for collecting rooftop runoff.

WaterRICH Guide

The FREE WaterRICH Guide will teach you how to harvest rainwater, create garden features which promote water seeping into the soil (stormwater features), and reduce outside water needs.