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.
On Saturday, June 3rd, guitars will be abundant in Brevard as iconic guitarist Bryan Sutton hosts the Second Annual North Carolina Guitar Celebration at Brevard Music Center’s Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and is the culmination of Sutton’s Blue Ridge Guitar Camp. The concert will feature Bryan Sutton with special guests Darrell Scott, Sierra Hull & Justin Moses, Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse), Jeff Hanna (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Dom Flemons, Jon Stickley, Ed Helms (The Office and The Hangover movies), T. Michael Coleman and Jack Lawrence along with the instructors, Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers), Courtney Hartman, Marcel Ardans, Matt Munistari, Jake Eddy and Woody Platt. This year’s event is also celebrating Doc Watson’s 100th birthday.
Bryan Sutton is the most accomplished and awarded acoustic guitarist of his generation, an innovator who bridges the bluegrass flatpicking traditions of the 20th century with the dynamic roots music scene of the 21st. His rise from buzzed-about young sideman to first-call Nashville session musician to membership in one of history’s greatest bluegrass bands has been grounded in quiet professionalism and ever-expanding musicianship.
Auditorium seating is reserved. Lawn seating is general admission.

“Everything has to be said.” This is the conviction guiding Indigo De Souza’s sophomore album, Any Shape You Take. This dynamic record successfully creates a container for the full spectrum—pushing through and against every emotion: “I wanted this album to give a feeling of shifting with and embracing change. These songs came from a turbulent time when I was coming to self-love through many existential crises and shifts in perspective.”
Faithful to its name, Any Shape You Take changes form to match the tenor of each story it tells. “The album title is a nod to the many shapes I take musically. I don’t feel that I fully embody any particular genre—all of the music just comes from the universe that is my ever-shifting brain/heart/world,” says Indigo. This sonic range is unified by Indigo’s strikingly confessional and effortless approach to songwriting, a signature first introduced in her debut, self-released LP, I Love My Mom. Written in quick succession, Indigo sees these two records as companion pieces, both distinct but in communion with each other: “Many of the songs on these two records came from the same season in my life and a certain version of myself which I feel much further from now.”
Throughout Any Shape You Take, Indigo reflects on her relationships as she reckons with a deeper need to redefine how to fully inhabit spaces of love and connection. “It feels so important for me to see people through change. To accept people for the many shapes they take, whether those shapes fit into your life or not. This album is a reflection of that. I have undergone so much change in my life and I am so deeply grateful to the people who have seen me through it without judgment and without attachment to skins I’m shifting out of.”
Lead single “Kill Me,” written during the climax of a dysfunctional relationship, opens with the lines “Kill me slowly/ Take me with you.” This powerful plea, that begins within the quiet strum of a single electric guitar, is diffused by Indigo’s ironic apathy—a slacker rock nonchalance that refuses to take itself seriously: “I was really tired and fucked up from this relationship and simultaneously so deeply in love with that person in a special way that felt very vast and more real than anything I’d ever experienced.”
Across the table from that irreverence sits the sincerity of the single “Hold U,” a more energized, neo soul-inspired love song that substitutes apathy for a genuine expression of care. “I wrote ‘Hold U’ after I left that heavy season of my life and was learning how to love more simply and functionally. I wanted to write a love song that was painfully simple.”
Growing up in a conservative small town in the mountains of North Carolina, Indigo started playing guitar when she was nine years old. “Music was a natural occurrence in my life. My dad is a bossa nova guitarist and singer from Brazil and so I think I just had it in my blood from birth.” It wasn’t until moving to Asheville, NC that Indigo began to move into her current sound, developing a writing practice that feeds from the currents that surround her: “Sometimes it feels like I am soaking up the energies of people around me and making art from a space that is more a collective body than just my own.”
“Real Pain,” one of the most experimental tracks on the record, is Indigo’s attempt to make that phenomena more intentionally collaborative. Starting soft before dropping down into a cavernous pit of layered screams and cries, “Real Pain” collages the voices of strangers—audio bites Indigo received after posting online asking for “screams, yells and anything else.” “Hearing these voices join together and move with my own was really powerful. The whole record was a release for me. And I hope it can be that for others.”
At the forefront of all De Souza’s projects is her magnetism—her unique quality of spirit that is both buoyant and wise. While her backing band has undergone shifts between releases, her sound has stayed tethered to her vision. Any Shape You Take is the first full-length album that Indigo produced herself. Teaming up with executive producer Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, The War on Drugs) and engineers/producers Alex Farrar and Adam McDaniel, Indigo recorded the album at Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s studio in Chapel Hill, NC and finished it with additional production and mixing at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville. Moving past the limitations of a home studio, Indigo could finally embody the full reach of her sound: “It felt really exciting to lean into my pop tendencies more than I have in the past and to trust my intuition to take the songs where I felt they should go. I had the tools to do it and collaborators who were willing to
go there with me.”
“I feel very much like a shape-shifter with my music, I’m always trying to embody a balance between the existential weight and the overflowing sense of love I feel in the world.” It is exactly this balance that Indigo strikes in her Saddle Creek debut, Any Shape You Take. A listening experience that gives back, as you shed and shape-shift along with her.
Nickel Creek is the platinum-selling, internationally renowned roots trio of mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins. The Grammy-winning band has revolutionized folk and roots music since first performing together as children at a pizza parlor in San Diego in 1989, signing to acclaimed roots label Sugar Hill Records after wowing the bluegrass circuit for a decade. Nickel Creek quickly broke through in 2000 with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP, which showcased not just their instrumental virtuosity but their burgeoning songwriting prowess. The trio quickly followed that effort with the Krauss-produced This Side, a landmark release that earned Nickel Creek the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album and brought their progressive take on acoustic music to a broader audience, greatly influencing the sound and trajectory of roots music in the process. 2005’s Grammy-nominated Why Should the Fire Die? found the trio pushing genre boundaries even further, incorporating elements of alt-rock and indie pop into their singular brand of acoustic music. Nickel Creek’s most recent album, 2014’s critically acclaimed and joyously received A Dotted Line, ended a seven-year recording and touring hiatus for the band, during which members explored other musical and creative avenues.
Each member of Nickel Creek has taken part in many outside projects over the years, too. Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the American radio variety show Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion) from 2016 to 2020. Over the course of Nickel Creek’s career, Thile has released collaborative albums alongside world-renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau and Stuart Duncan. His Grammy-winning band Punch Brothers has released six studio albums, the most recent being 2022’s Hell on Church Street, a re-imagining of the beloved 1983 Tony Rice album Church Street Blues. Sean Watkins has kept busy outside of Nickel Creek, too, co-founding Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, releasing three albums with the collective and maintaining the long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles for a decade. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, most recently 2020’s This Is Who We Are with the Bee Eaters. Sara Watkins’ extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour band, as well as co-founding the Grammy-winning roots trio I’m With Her alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. Sara has released four studio albums, most recently 2021’s Under the Pepper Tree. She has contributed fiddle to recordings by artists like Phoebe Bridgers, the Killers and John Mayer.
Nickel Creek will release Celebrants, their first new album in nine years, March 24 via Thirty Tigers.
Nickel Creek will be joined by opening act Gaby Moreno.
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)
Looking for a buzz-worthy event? Look no further than Asheville’s 2nd Annual Honey Festival! Join the Center for Honeybee Research and Shanti Elixirs on Sunday, June 4th, from 12-6pm for a day of celebration, education, and community-building.
At the festival, you’ll enjoy live music, food trucks, and vendors showcasing the unique flavors of honey and other artisanal goods. But that’s not all: you’ll also be supporting a great cause, as proceeds from the festival will go towards saving pollinators and our planet.
The Center for Honeybee Research will be offering local and international honey for guests to sample and purchase, and you can even participate in the People’s Choice award for local honey vendors. Plus, we will be featuring the live finals of the 12th Annual International Black Jar Honey competition. Festival goers can watch as local celebrities determine the world’s best tasting honey.
And don’t forget to come dressed in your best pollinator-themed costume! It’s all part of the fun at Asheville’s 2nd Annual Honey Festival.
Personal water bottles are recommended, and families are encouraged to attend. So mark your calendars for June 4th, and come out to celebrate the wonderful world of beekeeping, honey, and all things pollinators. Together, we can help save the bees!


Come celebrate the Scots-Irish heritage in Western North Carolina in this inaugural event. Music will surround a special exhibit, developed in partnership with the Community Foundation of WNC—the Fund for Mitchell County and the Mitchell County Historical Society, which details the “Great Wagon Trail” of the 1700s. And there’ll be dancing, and perhaps a special treat or two. Gordon Warburton, the Pipe Major of the Grandfather Mountain Highlanders (Grandfather Mountain Games host band), will begin the first day of music at the Orchard at noon marching in step with his bagpipes sounding. He’ll follow up with a short introduction of past generations, particularly the music and the pipes.
Then at 1 pm, the audience will be treated to a special performance by the Dollar Brothers who will do their best for bluegrass (that has its own roots in the Scots-Irish saga.
The afternoon ends after a 3 pm concert by Rewind Goodtimz. All will be feeling the good times and the good stuff by the afternoon’s performance closing at 4:30.
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

THE STEVE SUTTON FEST ROCKS THE COASTAL WELLNESS NC OUTDOOR CONCERT STAGE AT SILVERADOS MUSIC PARK WITH HEADLINERS PERPETUAL GROOVE AND SPECIAL GUESTS DARREN NICHOLSON BAND, MARC KELLER BAND, AND WHITEWATER BLUEGRASS CO ON SATURDAY, JUNE 3RD, 2023!
This event is a benefit for the Steve Sutton Memorial Charitable Trust. The Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to continue Steve Sutton’s legacy of sharing joy and helping others through music. Proceeds from this event will benefit local music scholarships as well as the International Bluegrass Music Association Trust Fund.

GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.
- Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
- 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
- $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.
No matter where we come from, we are all part of the same circle. We all want to dance, to get out of our heads, and tap into ourselves. When delivered by the Taj Mahal Quartet, the blues can take us there. For more than 40 years, Grammy-winning legend Taj Mahal, internationally renowned bassist Bill Rich, and revered percussionist Kester Smith have taken blues on a joyride through reggae, funk, jazz, cajun and more, leaving a trail of swinging hips and raised palms in their wake. In 2019, guitarist and lap steel master Babby Ingano joined the group, and the trio became the Taj Mahal Quartet. The four-match musical virtuosity with downhome grit unlike anyone else: a blend of sophistication and humble familiarity that is equally at home on a shotgun-shack porch or a Carnegie Hall stage.
In 2023, Los Lobos celebrates its 50th anniversary as aband, a rare and impressive feat, as the band continues its great legacy. The quintet enjoyed critical success early on, wining the Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance for “Anselma” from its 1983 EP, and tying with Bruce Springsteen for Rolling Stone‘s Artist of the Year in 1984. A major turning point came in 1987 with the release of Ritchie Valens’ biopic, La Bamba. Their cover topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K., and rather than capitalize on that massive commercial success, they chose to record La Pistola y El Corazon, a tribute to Tejano and Mariachi music that won the 1989 Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance. That kind of sharp artistic turn has become Los Lobos’ trademark, serving to both fuel the band’s creativity and keep their fans engaged. Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards (four Grammys® altogether) and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well its musicembodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot – bringing together different genres to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Taj Mahal and Los Lobos will be joined by opening act North Mississippi Allstars.
No matter where we come from, we are all part of the same circle. We all want to dance, to get out of our heads, and tap into ourselves. When delivered by the Taj Mahal Quartet, the blues can take us there. For more than 40 years, Grammy-winning legend Taj Mahal, internationally renowned bassist Bill Rich, and revered percussionist Kester Smith have taken blues on a joyride through reggae, funk, jazz, cajun and more, leaving a trail of swinging hips and raised palms in their wake. In 2019, guitarist and lap steel master Babby Ingano joined the group, and the trio became the Taj Mahal Quartet. The four-match musical virtuosity with downhome grit unlike anyone else: a blend of sophistication and humble familiarity that is equally at home on a shotgun-shack porch or a Carnegie Hall stage.
In 2023, Los Lobos celebrates its 50th anniversary as aband, a rare and impressive feat, as the band continues its great legacy. The quintet enjoyed critical success early on, wining the Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance for “Anselma” from its 1983 EP, and tying with Bruce Springsteen for Rolling Stone‘s Artist of the Year in 1984. A major turning point came in 1987 with the release of Ritchie Valens’ biopic, La Bamba. Their cover topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K., and rather than capitalize on that massive commercial success, they chose to record La Pistola y El Corazon, a tribute to Tejano and Mariachi music that won the 1989 Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance. That kind of sharp artistic turn has become Los Lobos’ trademark, serving to both fuel the band’s creativity and keep their fans engaged. Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards (four Grammys® altogether) and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well its musicembodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot – bringing together different genres to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Taj Mahal and Los Lobos will be joined by opening act North Mississippi Allstars.
No matter where we come from, we are all part of the same circle. We all want to dance, to get out of our heads, and tap into ourselves. When delivered by the Taj Mahal Quartet, the blues can take us there. For more than 40 years, Grammy-winning legend Taj Mahal, internationally renowned bassist Bill Rich, and revered percussionist Kester Smith have taken blues on a joyride through reggae, funk, jazz, cajun and more, leaving a trail of swinging hips and raised palms in their wake. In 2019, guitarist and lap steel master Babby Ingano joined the group, and the trio became the Taj Mahal Quartet. The four-match musical virtuosity with downhome grit unlike anyone else: a blend of sophistication and humble familiarity that is equally at home on a shotgun-shack porch or a Carnegie Hall stage.
In 2023, Los Lobos celebrates its 50th anniversary as aband, a rare and impressive feat, as the band continues its great legacy. The quintet enjoyed critical success early on, wining the Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance for “Anselma” from its 1983 EP, and tying with Bruce Springsteen for Rolling Stone‘s Artist of the Year in 1984. A major turning point came in 1987 with the release of Ritchie Valens’ biopic, La Bamba. Their cover topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K., and rather than capitalize on that massive commercial success, they chose to record La Pistola y El Corazon, a tribute to Tejano and Mariachi music that won the 1989 Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance. That kind of sharp artistic turn has become Los Lobos’ trademark, serving to both fuel the band’s creativity and keep their fans engaged. Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards (four Grammys® altogether) and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well its musicembodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot – bringing together different genres to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Taj Mahal and Los Lobos will be joined by opening act North Mississippi Allstars.
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)

GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.
- Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
- 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
- $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.
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)
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Come down the Pack Memorial Library and play with LEGOs! Please leave your personal LEGOs at home, because we’ve got plenty.
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GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.
- Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
- 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
- $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.
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)
Modelface Comedy presents ATLiens comedy showcase at Ginger’s Revenge South Slope Lounge!
ATLiens is a celebration of the best comedians in Atlanta and this show is even more out of this world because all five of these comics are filming their first 20 min comedy specials with Four by Three Comedy!!!
Featuring Arden Campbell, Kenny Stempien, Reid Pegram, Shelley Gruenberg, and Tank Smith
Hosted by Marlene Thompson
ages 18+
doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm
Emmy & Grammy-nominated Kevin Hart was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he launched his career as a comedian during an amateur night at a local comedy club. Since then, he’s gone on to become a Hollywood powerhouse, successful entrepreneur, and New York Times best-selling author.
Hart is currently touring nationally with his eighth hour of stand-up material. The tour, titled “The Reality Check” Tour, was recently named the #1 Comedy Tour of 2022 by Billboard and earned Hart the People’s Choice Award for Comedy Act of 2022.

GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.
- Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
- 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
- $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.
Grail Moviehouse in Asheville’s River Arts District continues its popular event series: Music Movie Mondays. Showcasing the best in new, classic and cult films about music, these special screenings feature an introduction by music journalist Bill Kopp (that’s me), followed by a screening of the film and then a moderated discussion about what we’ve just seen and heard.
The latest in the series is MONTEREY POP, the documentary film by D.A. Pennebaker showcasing the first great pop music festival. The film features legendary perfomrances by Otis Redding, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, The Grateful Dead and more than two dozen other acts. A rousing success, the festival created a template for the festival movement.Details are in the attached press release; more info at http://musoscribe.com/movies
The next installment is Wednesday, June 7, and the special guest will be BOB HINKLE, founder and owner of popular music hall White Horse Black Mountain. He got his start as a musician here in WNC, eventually forming a group; recording an album; going solo and releasing another album; working with influentail rock/Americana pioneers The Band on their popular Rock of Ages album; working for Bob Dylan’s notorious manager Albert Goldman; serving as head of A&R for a record label; becoming an artist manager himself, and managing several high-profile artists including Harry Chapin, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The J. Geils Band and more. And even all that is only part of the story; Bob Hinkle went on to a VP position at a major label, overseeing one of its popular divisions. And then instead of retiring, he launched White Horse Black Mountain.
The man has stories.
In conversation with host/moderator Bill Kopp, Hinkle will share stories and engage with audience questions/discussion about his life and career in the music business.
Every Wednesday
Trivia Night
Trivia Night at Hickory Tavern
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)
“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas! Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century. Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made. Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and our popular Cajun seasoned Pulled Pork BBQ with Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce cooked in our special spices and slow roasted to perfection! During the month of October, 9am departures will feature the option of a delicious Cheesy Shrimp & Grits or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole while 2pm departures will be served the popular BBQ meal.
- Live Music, 6:00 p.m. and $8 specialty martinis all day at Leo’s Italian Social

