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.
This video was choreographed and directed by Lauren Hopkins and features a whole crew of performers from YouTheatre days, Studio 52, Former Apprentices, AEA company, and even director/choreographer Amy Jones!
Choreographed/Directed: Lauren Hopkins; Video edited: Ryan Jalernpan; Music edited: Amy Jones; Dancers: Lauren Hopkins, Andrew Livingston, Sher Shepherd, Lauren Imhoff, Allison Nock, Amy Jones, Stephanie Wahl, Charlie Johnson, Maria Buchanan, David Paul Kidder, Millicent Hunnicutt, Cara Dolan, Desiree Ricker, Raja Jalernpan, Casey Hebbel

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With less than half a decade of programming under its belt, Cold Mountain Music Festival has already been recognized as one of the Southeast’s best goldmines for live music, outdoor recreation, and family-oriented activities. Located just outside of Asheville in one of Western North Carolina’s most pristine stretches of land, Cold Mountain utilizes the vibrant Pisgah National Forest as its playground, and encourages exploration throughout the two-day immersive experience. At the heart of the festival site is the glistening Lake Logan, which boasts plenty of swimming, paddle-boarding, and fishing. Paired with performances by some of live music’s leading forces on the scene and plenty of kid-friendly offerings, the upcoming Cold Mountain Music Festival will offer the trifecta of rustic summer experiences.
Weekend passes are on sale now on the Cold Mountain Music website. General admission passes are available for $75, and youth passes for those aged 12-17 can be purchased for $40 apiece. Overnight camping spots and catered breakfast meal tickets are also available for $75 (per site) and $12-$15 (per person), respectively. Group discounts may be applied for parties of 15 or more. Enter the code DioWNC at checkout to purchase each pass (minimum 15) for $60 each. Cold Mountain Music Festival is presented by Ingles Markets, with partners iHeartMedia and Haywood County Tourism Development Authority. For more information, visit www.coldmountainmusic.org. A complete lineup can be found below.
This video was choreographed and directed by Lauren Hopkins and features a whole crew of performers from YouTheatre days, Studio 52, Former Apprentices, AEA company, and even director/choreographer Amy Jones!
Choreographed/Directed: Lauren Hopkins; Video edited: Ryan Jalernpan; Music edited: Amy Jones; Dancers: Lauren Hopkins, Andrew Livingston, Sher Shepherd, Lauren Imhoff, Allison Nock, Amy Jones, Stephanie Wahl, Charlie Johnson, Maria Buchanan, David Paul Kidder, Millicent Hunnicutt, Cara Dolan, Desiree Ricker, Raja Jalernpan, Casey Hebbel

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With less than half a decade of programming under its belt, Cold Mountain Music Festival has already been recognized as one of the Southeast’s best goldmines for live music, outdoor recreation, and family-oriented activities. Located just outside of Asheville in one of Western North Carolina’s most pristine stretches of land, Cold Mountain utilizes the vibrant Pisgah National Forest as its playground, and encourages exploration throughout the two-day immersive experience. At the heart of the festival site is the glistening Lake Logan, which boasts plenty of swimming, paddle-boarding, and fishing. Paired with performances by some of live music’s leading forces on the scene and plenty of kid-friendly offerings, the upcoming Cold Mountain Music Festival will offer the trifecta of rustic summer experiences.
Weekend passes are on sale now on the Cold Mountain Music website. General admission passes are available for $75, and youth passes for those aged 12-17 can be purchased for $40 apiece. Overnight camping spots and catered breakfast meal tickets are also available for $75 (per site) and $12-$15 (per person), respectively. Group discounts may be applied for parties of 15 or more. Enter the code DioWNC at checkout to purchase each pass (minimum 15) for $60 each. Cold Mountain Music Festival is presented by Ingles Markets, with partners iHeartMedia and Haywood County Tourism Development Authority. For more information, visit www.coldmountainmusic.org. A complete lineup can be found below.
Great food, artist displays and fun activities while mingling with their neighbors.”
Perhaps the most family friendly street festival in western North Carolina, the Montford Music & Arts Festival features a special children’s area for face painting, interactive displays, sidewalk chalk art contest and other fun activities.
Located on Montford Ave. between Chestnut and Waneta Streets just down the street from downtown Asheville, the Asheville Visitors Center and Chamber of the Commerce, the all-day event will also feature a music stage with another attractive lineup in 2020. Comprised solely of local musicians, the performing schedule will be announced shortly.
Attendees will also be treated to a wide variety of specialty cuisine, courtesy of food booths and food trucks. In addition, more than 100 booth vendors will be on hand, with various artists, crafts people and nursery plant purveyors selling their merchandise.
Featuring turn-of-the-century “Victorian” homes and several bed-and-breakfast inns, a portion of Montford is proclaimed a National Register Historic District. Many of today’s Montford historic homes were designed by the same architect hired by the Vanderbilt Family to create the Biltmore Estate.
World famous authors Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry are buried in Montford at the nearby Riverside Cemetery, while the community’s rich history also dates back to the once thriving African-American community of Stumptown, which ended in the 1960’s.
The very first Montford festival was presented as strictly an arts event in 2004, held inside of Pyper’s Place, which is now Nine Mile Restaurant, and Sweet Heaven Ice Cream Shop, now a real estate office.
This video was choreographed and directed by Lauren Hopkins and features a whole crew of performers from YouTheatre days, Studio 52, Former Apprentices, AEA company, and even director/choreographer Amy Jones!
Choreographed/Directed: Lauren Hopkins; Video edited: Ryan Jalernpan; Music edited: Amy Jones; Dancers: Lauren Hopkins, Andrew Livingston, Sher Shepherd, Lauren Imhoff, Allison Nock, Amy Jones, Stephanie Wahl, Charlie Johnson, Maria Buchanan, David Paul Kidder, Millicent Hunnicutt, Cara Dolan, Desiree Ricker, Raja Jalernpan, Casey Hebbel

RSVP Required
FREE + Open to All
Max 30 participants
Join participatory artists Leap Then Look to re-imagine the experimental Light, Sound, Movement workshops that took place at Black Mountain College in the late 40s, led by W.P. “Pete” and Elizabeth Jennerjahn. Little is known of the workshops themselves, except that they continued the college’s approach to interdisciplinary art practice begun with Xanti Schawinsky’s Spectrodrama and prefigured the famous Theater Piece No.1 staged by John Cage at BMC in 1952.

“We do not always create ‘works of art,’ but rather experiments; it is not our ambition to fill museums: we are gathering experience.” Josef Albers
This collaborative workshop will take place via Zoom. Participants will be invited and encouraged to work together to create movement, sound, text, and objects, using a variety of prompts. The work will be brought together for a virtual “performance” using a randomly created time structure, allowing all elements to be included, to have equal weight and for no one “view” or experience of the piece to be the same.
From the fragments of the original Light, Sound, Movement workshop that remain in the archives at BMCM+AC, the strong spirit of experimentation emerges. Eighty years on, we will create a space for improvisation, responsiveness, collaboration, and surprise in the virtual realm.
Participants are asked to familiarise themselves with Zoom in advance of the workshops, to think about the spaces in their home in which they can work (we do not only want shots of head and shoulders, but environments filled with light, objects and bodies!) and to collect together a few materials from home which might be useful – for example, torches (flashlights), coloured plastic, cardboard, tape, string, fragments of text, awkward objects, a desk lamp, paper and pens. Please use a computer rather than a tablet or phone to join the workshop.
This work is part of a practical research project, and we will be posting content on Instagram (via Leap Then Look and BMCM+AC) from June 1st. Follow us @leap_then_look.

One of the most recognized classical ballets of all time, Giselle tells a story of love and loss through the exquisite choreography of Marius Petipa performed by phenomenal Guest Artists Katherine Barkman of Washington Ballet and International Ballet‘s own Sebastian Vinet.

One of the most recognized classical ballets of all time, Giselle tells a story of love and loss through the exquisite choreography of Marius Petipa performed by phenomenal Guest Artists Katherine Barkman of Washington Ballet and International Ballet‘s own Sebastian Vinet.

One of the most recognized classical ballets of all time, Giselle tells a story of love and loss through the exquisite choreography of Marius Petipa performed by phenomenal Guest Artists Katherine Barkman of Washington Ballet and International Ballet‘s own Sebastian Vinet.

One of the most recognized classical ballets of all time, Giselle tells a story of love and loss through the exquisite choreography of Marius Petipa performed by phenomenal Guest Artists Katherine Barkman of Washington Ballet and International Ballet‘s own Sebastian Vinet.
In light of the current challenges to this highly collaborative and collective art, The Magnetic Theatre is proud to present their first annual One Act Play Festival as an online theatrical experience. Bringing together (virtually) seven teams of artists to present seven original short plays, the One Act Play Festival offerings range from comedy to drama, satire to thinkpieces, providing a little something for everyone.
Determined to keep creating while preserving the health and safety of all involved, the playwrights, directors, actors, and technicians have adapted these scripts from their original stage-bound forms into a wide variety of different styles. The One Act Play Festival has evolved into such diverse formats as audio drama, animation, and short live-action film, as well as more traditional live theatrical performance streamed over digital media.
Audiences can join with other viewers for a live-streamed watch party on Friday, June 19th at 7:30pm, or may choose to watch later through a link sent out to ticket holders. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can, but registration is required to receive the link. Find more information, and sign up to see the show at www.themagnetictheatre.org.
Synopsis: In the age of social distancing, The Magnetic Theatre One Act Play Festival presents a variety of original short plays adapted to an online platform, as audio drama, animation, short film, and live-streamed performances. Audiences can join the others for a live-streamed watch party or receive a link to view the finished collection at their leisure.
Featuring:
“Hamlet’s Dead” written by Dennis Bohr & directed by Rodney Smith
“Mackerel Sky” written by Andrew Gallant & directed by Julia Christgau
“Pick Up” written by Jonathan Wickremasinghe-Kuhn & directed by Carin Metzger
“Person Meditating upon Madness” written by David Brendan Hopes & directed by Tippin
“Rosa & Leo” written by Adam Szudrich & directed by John Baldwin
“The Opposite of Entropy” written by Terran Wanderer & directed by Jessica Johnson
“Windowless White Vans” written by Bret Murphy & directed by Daniel Moore
- 18 +
- SEATED SHOW
- 11 AM DOORS/ 12 PM
Burlesque Brunch is a monthly burlesque and belly dance show with a classic speakeasy feel. Join us every month and relax and enjoy our dancing dames and dandies in an up close and intimate setting. It’s a Sunday afternoon to delight the senses!
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit open the 36th season of An Appalachian Summer Festival on Sunday, June 28 at 8pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. The summer stop is part of the highly anticipated national tour behind the group’s newest album, Reunions (to be released May 15). As such, the festival is included in the tour announcement and is opening up sales ahead of the rest of the festival in support of the tour. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is A Schaefer Popular Series Event.
Tickets:
$60 adults, $50 students. *Limit 4 tickets per transaction*
MONDAY, MARCH 2 at 9AM – LOCAL/WALK-UP PRESALE – Maximum 500 tickets available for purchase in person only at the Schaefer Center Box Office, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC. No phone/online sales.
Beginning TUESDAY, MARCH 3 at 9AM – Online, in person, or by phone at www.appsummer.org, 800-841-2787 or 828-262-4046.
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
● Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
● Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Avanti!
Inspired by American dreams and legends, Dvořák created some of his greatest works while living in the United States, above all the “New World” Symphony. This program illuminates the multiple stories and influences – Native American, African-American and Czech – that Dvořák transformed in his most beloved work. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Avanti! offers a contemporary interpretation of the American archetype of “moving on.”
To learn more about All-Star Orchestra: https://allstarorchestra.org/
Available via YouTube, Facebook, appsummer.org
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
2020 Blue Ridge Pride Festival Cancelled
We are sad to announce the suspension of all previously planned summer and fall events. This includes:
- Blue Ridge Pride Festival
- Welcoming WNC Procession
- Mx Pride Pageant
- Movies & Mixer Series
- LGBTQ Story Slam
- We are looking into alternative events – both virtual and face-to-face.
Praised for their “superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style or technical demand” (The International Review of Music), the Tesla Quartet brings refinement and prowess to both new and established repertoire.
Enjoy this special message and preview scheduled in conjunction with the Tesla Quartet’s planned appearance as part of An Appalachian Summer Festival’s 2021 season.
To learn more about Tesla Quartet: http://www.teslaquartet.com/about-us
Available via YouTube, Facebook, appsummer.org
Hailed as a “masterpiece” by the Chicago Sun-Times, Ballet Hispánico presents choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia – a Picasso-inspired, contemporary take on Bizet’s classic opera. Recorded at Lincoln Center, this riveting, imaginative and theatrical performance will be available online until Tuesday, July 14.
Join us for a memorable evening of jazz-infused ChamberSoul, featuring live interviews with cellist/singer-songwriter Shana Tucker and her band, moderated by Todd Wright, Professor of Jazz Studies in the Hayes School of Music.
With a deep respect for lyrical storytelling, cellist/singer-songwriter Shana Tucker delivers a unique voice through her self-described genre of ChamberSoul™. Shana’s melodies weave strong hints of jazz, classical, soulful folk, acoustic pop and a touch of R&B into a distinctive rhythmic tapestry. Touted by JazzTimes Magazine as a jazz talent “…whose imprint and vitality has already been quite visible…” Shana’s style and sound as been described as a blend of Dianne Reeves, Joni Mitchell, and Tracy Chapman, with an efficient complexity that is reminiscent of Bill Withers.
To learn more about Shana Tucker: http://www.shanatucker.com/bio
Available via YouTube Live, appsummer.org
Hailed as a “masterpiece” by the Chicago Sun-Times, Ballet Hispánico presents choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia – a Picasso-inspired, contemporary take on Bizet’s classic opera. Recorded at Lincoln Center, this riveting, imaginative and theatrical performance will be available online until Tuesday, July 14.
Enjoy this select program featuring archival gems, glimpses of the dancers at home, and sneak peeks of the world premieres that were scheduled for The Joyce this spring.
Known for their remarkable athleticism and stunning ensemble work, Parsons Dance brings exuberance, joy and passion to any stage. Flawlessly fusing the gestures and movements that comprise modern dance with the discipline and precision of a classical dance company, the company is internationally renowned. Stunning works, like the iconic Caught, exemplify this company’s innovation and huge audience appeal.
This special preview is scheduled in conjunction with the planned appearance by Parsons Dance as part of An Appalachian Summer Festival’s 2021 season.
To learn more about Parsons Dance: https://www.parsonsdance.org/
Available exclusively via YouTube, appsummer.org


