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.

Thursday, April 30, 2020
Kids in Parks: TRACK Trails Online Family Fun
Apr 30 all-day
online

Have Fun Outdoors and Win Prizes

Kids in Parks is an expanding network of family-friendly outdoor adventures called TRACK Trails. Each TRACK Trail features self-guided brochures and signs that turn your visit into a fun and exciting outdoors experience. Best of all, you can earn PRIZES for tracking your adventures!

New!! e-Adventures:

Hide & Seek

Animal Athletes

Flower Power

Forest Bathing

Promoting Clean Water River Link Initiatives
Apr 30 all-day
River Link Online

Healthy Rivers equal Healthy Communities. RiverLink’s Watershed Resources program works to improve water quality in the French Broad River and its tributaries. These waterways support critical wildlife habitat for many species, such as the hellbender salamander and rainbow trout. Our local economies thrive on water-based recreational tourism. The French Broad River watershed also provides drinking water for many communities. These things are true only if the water is clean. Our Watershed Resources program uses a combination of initiatives, including on the ground projects and community outreach to improve and protect water quality.

 

Stream Restorations

Stormwater Control

WaterRICH, Water Conservation Program

Watershed Planning

Name That Creek

Teaching Resources: Duke Energy
Apr 30 all-day
Duke Energy Online

Engage. Inspire. Enlighten.

Looking for resources that will get your students excited about science? We can help. Duke Energy provides many valuable teaching materials and lesson plans for use inside the classroom – and out. Download helpful fact sheets, lesson plans, experiments and other fun learning tools.

Class activities & lesson plans

https://www.duke-energy.com/energy-education/energy-centers-and-programs/energyexplorium-at-mcguire/teaching-resources

Virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of: May 15-17, 2020
Apr 30 all-day
LEAF Online
V-LEAF Brings Joy! Save the Date!
LEAF is in the process of creating a virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of:

May 15-17, 2020

We didn’t know if we had the capacity to create a virtual festival with our core staff on reduced time, but then we really started missing our LEAF friends and said “Let’s give it a go!”. We’ve embraced that “V-LEAF” will be old school creative, authentic, and fun. The CONNECTION and #LEAFLove is the essential ingredient.

The creation phase is happening and YOU are welcome to be apart of this new journey. Have time? We want to hear from you if you’d like to volunteer website or social media support, lead a workshop, zoom w/ LEAF friends or if you have LEAF stories and ideas. Dance, connect, pull out costumes, decorate, camp in the yard – let’s get LEAFy.

CONTEST ALERT! Looking for ways to share your art with the world? V-LEAF may be your moment! Show us how you express your #LEAFLove. Any age, any experience – we are looking for artwork to add to the digital experience. The artwork must embody the spirit of LEAF and feature the LEAF logo. Any “artists” whose graphic is used will win an awesome Vintage LEAF Style packet!

Reach out & share ASAP with [email protected]

Keeper For A Day at Grandfather Mountain
Apr 30 @ 8:00 am – 11:00 am
Grandfather Mountain

Keeper For A Day

Learn how to interact with the animals, clean up, prepare food and provide enrichments. Observe various training sessions, animal behavior and the inner workings of the animal habitats.

Requirements:

Limited to two persons per day. No pets allowed in habitat area. Keepers for a Day must:

— be 12 years of age or older
— be capable of walking up and down steep, rough terrain
— sign a waiver of liability

Expected Daily Schedule:

Arrive at 8 a.m., meet the keepers, and go to work! Assist as we let out the animals, feed them and clean their habitats. You may be asked to lift and carry animal food, tools or other items. Learn about training and providing enrichments. End your exciting shift at 11 a.m.

What to Wear:

You will get dirty! Please wear appropriate, closed-toe hiking or work boots and no loose jewelry. Coats, jackets, gloves and hats are recommended for cooler weather. Please bring sunscreen.

Weather:

Keeper for a Day will continue on schedule regardless of weather conditions. In the event that weather conditions could affect the opening of the habitats, you will be contacted.

The weather on Grandfather Mountain can change at a moment’s notice. Temperatures are commonly 5 to 10 degrees colder than what they are at the bottom of the mountain in Linville. It is recommended that you dress in layers and be prepared for any weather condition.

2019 Keeper for a Day Dates

Month Days Time Number
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 8 a.m.-11 a.m. limited to two people per day
May 7, 14, 21, 28 8 a.m.-11 a.m. limited to two people per day
June 4, 11, 18, 25 8 a.m.-11 a.m. limited to two people per day
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 8 a.m.-11 a.m. limited to two people per day
August 6, 13, 20, 27 8 a.m.-11 a.m. limited to two people per day
September 3, 10, 17, 24 8 a.m.-11 a.m. limited to two people per day
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 8 a.m.-11 a.m. limited to two people per day

Reservations:

Keeper for a Day must be booked at least one week in advance by calling (828) 733-8715. Please allow 24 hours for a response.

Price:

The cost is $75 per participant ($60 each for Bridge Club members). Admission to the park is included.

Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy
Apr 30 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

Every week day, Janet’s Planet gives children a daily dose of science and space topics from around the world.

This is for ages 7-16!

Come and join us! See the Event Brite link below to register. Parents must register for their children.

Once I get your confirmation of your invite, I will personally send you the link to the class.
This is a measure to keep you safe. You can also email me at [email protected] for any questions.
Am hopefully going to get you all a calendar soon of all the talks. More astronauts to come!
Storytimes Online with Buncombe Librarians
Apr 30 @ 10:30 am – 11:00 am
Buncombe Librarians Online

Image may contain: 5 people, people sitting, child and indoor

Every day we’ll be featuring a video recording or a live Zoom storytime or song by your favorite Buncombe County librarians!

Information to access the storytime on Zoom will be posted in the discussion section of this page. To get notifications for Zoom codes and to know when new videos are posted, follow this event page!

If you’d like to stream multiple videos in a row, visit the Buncombe County Government YouTube page and find “At Home with the Library.” All of our recorded videos are available at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/bcgovtv/search?query=at+home+with+the+library

We miss you at the libraries! We hope you’re well.

Hurricanes at Home Webinar by the National Hurricane Center
Apr 30 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
online

Attention 4th, 5th, and 6th graders from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia! The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, is hosting a webinar about hurricanes for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in your state who are learning from home. Please join us to learn about hurricanes, the hazards that come with them, and how we tell people about these storms!

Pack Memorial Library: ‎Daily Activities Log for the whole family
Apr 30 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library Online

Image may contain: possible text that says '#YourStoryMatters Remember to Read, Write, or Create Something Every Day Log of AM & PM activities to do daily! Created and tested by *yours truly *Buncombe County librarians, some of ftheir family, and maybe even some of their friends'

If you’re looking for a fun project to do with materials you already have at home, check out what we have planned!

Every day, Monday through Friday, we’ll post an AM and a PM activity to our Facebook page, followed with examples of what we’ve made for the activity. All of the activities are kid, adult, and family friendly.

We know how creative and talented all of you are, we want to see what you made as well, so send images of your creations back to us in the comments. When the libraries are open again, we’ll make a chapter book with all of the images we’ve gathered throughout this pandemic. The book will be on display at each of our Buncombe County Public Libraries. Creativity and community will get us through this and we’ll have a book to prove it!

Be a part of it! Remember to read, write, and create something every day! #yourstorymatters

Hopefully, social distancing and self quarantine just got a little easier. We’re in this together friends. Be safe.

Venardos Circus LIVE Online
Apr 30 @ 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
online

VENARDOS CIRCUS IS LIVE ONLINE! We are so grateful for your past support when we visited Asheville. Our live shows are currently on hiatus due to social distancing recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we miss our audience terribly!

Once we determined we needed to pause the tour, we immediately started planning how we could continue our mission to bring joy, positivity and light, as well as some comfort and distraction, to our circus family during this uncertain time via social media.

FIRST VIDEO IS LIVE! We hope you enjoy and we’d LOVE your feedback on our social channels.

Please SHARE!

New videos will be posted weekly on Thursdays at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern.

Content is meant to entertain the whole family, as do our shows, but a great resource for the kids to enjoy some high quality, trustworthy entertainment. Storyboard images from this week’s story which you can print at home as coloring sheets after watching the video. Content will change each week. These will be available on our Facebook page. Here is the Facebook event you can RSVP to as well for each week. We hope you will enjoy it and subscribe to our page for future content. We’d LOVE your ideas for future content – please share your feedback on email, the video comments or DM us on Facebook or Instagram.

Facebook Live: History Mystery w/ Vance Birthplace State Historic Site
Apr 30 @ 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Facebook Live

Solve a History Mystery with Lauren each Thursday at 2 PM! During these Facebook Live events, Lauren will feature a historic artifact and share clues about its purpose. Can you guess the artifact before Lauren reveals what it is? Tune in weekly to find out!
#LearningWithLauren

LEAF Global Arts: Easel Rider LIVE!
Apr 30 @ 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
LEAF Global Arts Facebook

Image may contain: 2 people, people standing, child and outdoor

Join us for an Easel Rider craft on Facebook Live with our Community Engagement Director, Marsha Almodovar. These fun crafts will utilize supplies you can easily find in your own home. Tune in each Thursday at 3pm EST as we go live to provide step by step instruction, and enjoy a moment of creativity and connection in your day!

Friday, May 1, 2020
33 AMAZING Toilet Paper Roll Crafts for Kids
May 1 all-day
Easy Kids Crafts online

33 AMAZING Toilet Paper Roll Crafts for Kids

Toilet Paper Roll Crafts are one of the cheapest ways to keep your kids busy on the weekends because let’s face it, who doesn’t have plenty of toilet paper rolls hanging around the house. You just need to remind everyone you’re collecting them for some awesome craft ideas.

And if you’re a little cautious you could always use kitchen paper rolls instead, or even buy them at the craft shop or on Amazon.

In fact, some of our paper roll craft ideas actually require them because it’s much easier to make a long neck for a Giraffe with just one long paper roll.

Pssst… I’ve also added ‘How To’ video links to each of the craft ideas so you can totally look like an expert

Free livestream performances: Center for Puppetry Arts
May 1 all-day
Center for Puppetry Arts on line

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts is closed, but as it notes on its homepage, it’s “digitally open.”

That includes livestreaming performances and an expanded lineup of digital learning activities and workshops, which are all available for free online.

https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/center-for-puppetry-arts-livestream-performances-for-free/KuBGQBiqLKxYs2l0WORhWO/?fbclid=IwAR17Ds6ftqLlyHEMda-rNXz3a9PHlERNkHuILTYJON58mQ005dZtC-DkUSc

Kids in Parks: TRACK Trails Online Family Fun
May 1 all-day
online

Have Fun Outdoors and Win Prizes

Kids in Parks is an expanding network of family-friendly outdoor adventures called TRACK Trails. Each TRACK Trail features self-guided brochures and signs that turn your visit into a fun and exciting outdoors experience. Best of all, you can earn PRIZES for tracking your adventures!

New!! e-Adventures:

Hide & Seek

Animal Athletes

Flower Power

Forest Bathing

Promoting Clean Water River Link Initiatives
May 1 all-day
River Link Online

Healthy Rivers equal Healthy Communities. RiverLink’s Watershed Resources program works to improve water quality in the French Broad River and its tributaries. These waterways support critical wildlife habitat for many species, such as the hellbender salamander and rainbow trout. Our local economies thrive on water-based recreational tourism. The French Broad River watershed also provides drinking water for many communities. These things are true only if the water is clean. Our Watershed Resources program uses a combination of initiatives, including on the ground projects and community outreach to improve and protect water quality.

 

Stream Restorations

Stormwater Control

WaterRICH, Water Conservation Program

Watershed Planning

Name That Creek

Teaching Resources: Duke Energy
May 1 all-day
Duke Energy Online

Engage. Inspire. Enlighten.

Looking for resources that will get your students excited about science? We can help. Duke Energy provides many valuable teaching materials and lesson plans for use inside the classroom – and out. Download helpful fact sheets, lesson plans, experiments and other fun learning tools.

Class activities & lesson plans

https://www.duke-energy.com/energy-education/energy-centers-and-programs/energyexplorium-at-mcguire/teaching-resources

Virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of: May 15-17, 2020
May 1 all-day
LEAF Online
V-LEAF Brings Joy! Save the Date!
LEAF is in the process of creating a virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of:

May 15-17, 2020

We didn’t know if we had the capacity to create a virtual festival with our core staff on reduced time, but then we really started missing our LEAF friends and said “Let’s give it a go!”. We’ve embraced that “V-LEAF” will be old school creative, authentic, and fun. The CONNECTION and #LEAFLove is the essential ingredient.

The creation phase is happening and YOU are welcome to be apart of this new journey. Have time? We want to hear from you if you’d like to volunteer website or social media support, lead a workshop, zoom w/ LEAF friends or if you have LEAF stories and ideas. Dance, connect, pull out costumes, decorate, camp in the yard – let’s get LEAFy.

CONTEST ALERT! Looking for ways to share your art with the world? V-LEAF may be your moment! Show us how you express your #LEAFLove. Any age, any experience – we are looking for artwork to add to the digital experience. The artwork must embody the spirit of LEAF and feature the LEAF logo. Any “artists” whose graphic is used will win an awesome Vintage LEAF Style packet!

Reach out & share ASAP with [email protected]

Carl Sandburg Home: “Movement” Youth Art Show
May 1 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Carl Sandburg Home



More than 700 students from across the country used canvases for an artistic expression inspired by Carl Sandburg’s poem “Night Movement,” and other poetry pieces in Sandburg’s collection “Smoke and Steel.” 71 canvases were submitted to the exhibit and each canvas reflects how the young artists chose to interpret what “movement” means to them. Visitors can see the installation in a building adjacent to the Sandburg Home when they visit. Young artists are represented from across the country and locally.

Sandburg Home: The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee: (credit card only)
$8.00 for Adults 16 and older
$5.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
Free for Children age 15 and under

  • Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.
  • Passes: The park sells the America the BeautifulNational Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
    *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
  • 30-minute house tours are offered every day. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
  • Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
  • Tours are limited to 12 persons.
  • Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.
Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy
May 1 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

Every week day, Janet’s Planet gives children a daily dose of science and space topics from around the world.

This is for ages 7-16!

Come and join us! See the Event Brite link below to register. Parents must register for their children.

Once I get your confirmation of your invite, I will personally send you the link to the class.
This is a measure to keep you safe. You can also email me at [email protected] for any questions.
Am hopefully going to get you all a calendar soon of all the talks. More astronauts to come!
Storytimes Online with Buncombe Librarians
May 1 @ 10:30 am – 11:00 am
Buncombe Librarians Online

Image may contain: 5 people, people sitting, child and indoor

Every day we’ll be featuring a video recording or a live Zoom storytime or song by your favorite Buncombe County librarians!

Information to access the storytime on Zoom will be posted in the discussion section of this page. To get notifications for Zoom codes and to know when new videos are posted, follow this event page!

If you’d like to stream multiple videos in a row, visit the Buncombe County Government YouTube page and find “At Home with the Library.” All of our recorded videos are available at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/bcgovtv/search?query=at+home+with+the+library

We miss you at the libraries! We hope you’re well.

Pack Memorial Library: ‎Daily Activities Log for the whole family
May 1 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library Online

Image may contain: possible text that says '#YourStoryMatters Remember to Read, Write, or Create Something Every Day Log of AM & PM activities to do daily! Created and tested by *yours truly *Buncombe County librarians, some of ftheir family, and maybe even some of their friends'

If you’re looking for a fun project to do with materials you already have at home, check out what we have planned!

Every day, Monday through Friday, we’ll post an AM and a PM activity to our Facebook page, followed with examples of what we’ve made for the activity. All of the activities are kid, adult, and family friendly.

We know how creative and talented all of you are, we want to see what you made as well, so send images of your creations back to us in the comments. When the libraries are open again, we’ll make a chapter book with all of the images we’ve gathered throughout this pandemic. The book will be on display at each of our Buncombe County Public Libraries. Creativity and community will get us through this and we’ll have a book to prove it!

Be a part of it! Remember to read, write, and create something every day! #yourstorymatters

Hopefully, social distancing and self quarantine just got a little easier. We’re in this together friends. Be safe.

Venardos Circus LIVE Online
May 1 @ 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
online

VENARDOS CIRCUS IS LIVE ONLINE! We are so grateful for your past support when we visited Asheville. Our live shows are currently on hiatus due to social distancing recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we miss our audience terribly!

Once we determined we needed to pause the tour, we immediately started planning how we could continue our mission to bring joy, positivity and light, as well as some comfort and distraction, to our circus family during this uncertain time via social media.

FIRST VIDEO IS LIVE! We hope you enjoy and we’d LOVE your feedback on our social channels.

Please SHARE!

New videos will be posted weekly on Thursdays at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern.

Content is meant to entertain the whole family, as do our shows, but a great resource for the kids to enjoy some high quality, trustworthy entertainment. Storyboard images from this week’s story which you can print at home as coloring sheets after watching the video. Content will change each week. These will be available on our Facebook page. Here is the Facebook event you can RSVP to as well for each week. We hope you will enjoy it and subscribe to our page for future content. We’d LOVE your ideas for future content – please share your feedback on email, the video comments or DM us on Facebook or Instagram.

Asheville Museum of Science: Ask a Scientist: Conversations with a Keeper
May 1 @ 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
online

Image may contain: possible text that says 'AM OS ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE'

Our featured scientist this week is the Western North Carolina Nature Center’s very own, Tori Duval. Tori will share with us the basics of animal conservation and answer all your nature center questions. Tune in to our Facebook page, Asheville Museum of Science, for the livestream event and don’t forget to send us your questions!

Read with J.R. the Therapy Dog!
May 1 @ 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Skyland/South Buncombe Library

Read with J.R. the Therapy Dog!

The Skyland Library will host J.R. the Therapy Dog on the 1st Friday of each month. Kids are invited to stop by between 2:30-3:30 pm to practice their reading skills with a gentle, patient and adorable canine friend. J.R. is a certified therapy dog and he can’t wait to meet you! 

Pack Memorial Library Hosts: Kid’s Art Lessons At Home With Margaret
May 1 @ 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Pack Library On Line

Image may contain: 1 person, possible text that says 'BCPL PRESENTS ART LESSONS AT HOME WITH MARGARET'

Margaret works at Pack Memorial Library. Currently, she is at home with the rest of us trying to flatten the curve by social distancing. The wonderful thing about Margaret is she is multi-talented!

We decided we should feature her art skills throughout the week with evening art programs! Video lessons will be featured every three days and in between, we’ll post the supplies needed. If you have any questions, about a certain class or material needed, let us know, send a comment or DM. We’re also interested in what you’ve been making, so please share if you want to!

Live Zoom classes for adults will be coming up as well, so if you have immediate questions, you can ask her directly by attending a class! (Dates will be posted soon.)

For most of these lessons, we advise there be a parent supervising young children. Most of the projects are kid friendly with adult supervision.

Saturday, May 2, 2020
33 AMAZING Toilet Paper Roll Crafts for Kids
May 2 all-day
Easy Kids Crafts online

33 AMAZING Toilet Paper Roll Crafts for Kids

Toilet Paper Roll Crafts are one of the cheapest ways to keep your kids busy on the weekends because let’s face it, who doesn’t have plenty of toilet paper rolls hanging around the house. You just need to remind everyone you’re collecting them for some awesome craft ideas.

And if you’re a little cautious you could always use kitchen paper rolls instead, or even buy them at the craft shop or on Amazon.

In fact, some of our paper roll craft ideas actually require them because it’s much easier to make a long neck for a Giraffe with just one long paper roll.

Pssst… I’ve also added ‘How To’ video links to each of the craft ideas so you can totally look like an expert

Free livestream performances: Center for Puppetry Arts
May 2 all-day
Center for Puppetry Arts on line

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts is closed, but as it notes on its homepage, it’s “digitally open.”

That includes livestreaming performances and an expanded lineup of digital learning activities and workshops, which are all available for free online.

https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/center-for-puppetry-arts-livestream-performances-for-free/KuBGQBiqLKxYs2l0WORhWO/?fbclid=IwAR17Ds6ftqLlyHEMda-rNXz3a9PHlERNkHuILTYJON58mQ005dZtC-DkUSc

Kids in Parks: TRACK Trails Online Family Fun
May 2 all-day
online

Have Fun Outdoors and Win Prizes

Kids in Parks is an expanding network of family-friendly outdoor adventures called TRACK Trails. Each TRACK Trail features self-guided brochures and signs that turn your visit into a fun and exciting outdoors experience. Best of all, you can earn PRIZES for tracking your adventures!

New!! e-Adventures:

Hide & Seek

Animal Athletes

Flower Power

Forest Bathing

Promoting Clean Water River Link Initiatives
May 2 all-day
River Link Online

Healthy Rivers equal Healthy Communities. RiverLink’s Watershed Resources program works to improve water quality in the French Broad River and its tributaries. These waterways support critical wildlife habitat for many species, such as the hellbender salamander and rainbow trout. Our local economies thrive on water-based recreational tourism. The French Broad River watershed also provides drinking water for many communities. These things are true only if the water is clean. Our Watershed Resources program uses a combination of initiatives, including on the ground projects and community outreach to improve and protect water quality.

 

Stream Restorations

Stormwater Control

WaterRICH, Water Conservation Program

Watershed Planning

Name That Creek