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 exquisite, interactive exhibit is designed to inspire and educate visitors about the storied history and evocative power of scent while taking them on a full sensory journey, literally! Blending flora, fashion and science, Making Scents showcases some of Mother Nature’s most fragrant botanicals and unveils the plants and flowers behind some of the world’s most iconic perfumes. Visitors will explore the mysterious power of the sense of smell, learn about the artistry and science behind the fragrance industry and even compose their own basic fragrance.
From traditional harvest and extraction methods to chemical combinations of synthetic fragrances, Making Scents uncovers the technical processes behind fragrance creation through an immersive, multisensory experience. Art, passion and craft come together inside the exhibit’s iconic bottle display, which showcases the unique designs of more than 100 perfume bottles, some dating back to ancient the Greek and Roman eras. By integrating horticulture, history and pop culture, Making Scents is sure to enlighten the senses and engage the minds of visitors about the fragrance industry and the living world in a fun, dynamic way.
This exhibit showcases the work of three leading fiber artists who explore Western North Carolina’s mountains, meadows and marshes using fabrics and fibers. Their quilted wall art offers a link to familiar images of this region, echoing the Arboretum’s role of connecting people with plants. Through their diverse styles, construction methods and subject matter, artists Mary Stori, Judy Simmons and Kate Weston add a contemporary twist to the area’s rich and storied quilt-making tradition. Their exhibit features pieces of varying sizes, from large focal-point wall hangings to medium-sized wall art to small work suitable for tabletop display. All pieces are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The North Carolina Arboretum Society.
About the Artists
Mary Stori
From her home in Clyde, N.C., Mary creates botanical and organic themed art quilts using artisian-made, hand-dyed cotton, linen, silk and rayon fabrics. She also utilizes hand-felted and hand-dyed wool as rich backdrops, offering texture and depth to her work. Bead embellishment is another one of her trademarks. Learn more on her website.
Judy Simmons
Judy creates her own fabric in her Fletcher, N.C. studio using surface design techniques, including fabric marbling, dyeing, color lifting and silk screening. Much of the imagery in her work utilizes her own photography printed on fabric. To learn more about Judy, please click here.
Kate Weston
From her home in Statesville, N.C., Kate focuses on the creation of complex cloth through the application of dye, paint and embellishment, such as fabric overlay or manipulation and the application of non-fiber materials. Coupled with skillful machine quilting, Kate’s works create and stunning interplay of color and texture. Please visit Kate’s website to learn more.
Pioneer Women Painters of the River District, curated by Sara Ledonne, is a group exhibit which will highlight five Warehouse Studio artists from the mid 90s. These adventurous, creative, inspirational women found themselves under one roof, painting energetic, extraordinary, thought provoking abstracts.
In the 80’s, Marie Hudson opened her studio in the RAD. She was one of the first artists to plant roots in what has become one of the most popular locations for artists in Asheville. Hudson’s art resonates in the community. Hundreds of locals have collected her art over the years.
Mary Charles Griffin, an abstract expressionist artist that goes by the name of Charlie, is a 91-year-old dynamo who graduated from Western Carolina University with her master’s in studio painting when she was 77. “I started painting professionally after my children left home in 1980. I can’t hear, see or speak, but otherwise I am in pretty good shape for my age.” -Charlie Griffin
“I moved again to a studio in the Riverlink building in 1991. With the leadership of Karen Cragnolian ( Riverlink) and Gayle McCarthy (Highwater Clay) I helped organize the first, soon to be River Arts District, Open Studios. There were five participating artists at that time.” – Betty Clark
“This building, these studios, these women were my first introduction to the artists of Asheville and the River District. It was not yet called the River ARTS District…there were no coffee shops, breweries, or restaurants like today…It was still pretty sketchy after dark if you ventured further down toward what is now Pink Dog… I moved into Warehouse Studios in the fall of 1998, right after I moved to Asheville from Seattle. At that time, there were only about 20 artists in the RAD, scattered in the old buildings. Marie Hudson, Betty Clark , Charlie Griffin and I had been working studios at Warehouse long before there was anything else down there. We became friends as well as critics for each other’s work.”- Barbara Fisher
This exhibit aims to recreate the experience of discovering this artistic hot bed, and pay homage to those early Asheville pioneer women painters. The opening reception for Pioneer Women Painters of the River District will be August 3, 2018 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. Sara Ledonne will give a curator’s talk at 6:30.
Participating artists: Betty Clark, Marie Hudson, Mary Charles “Charlie” Griffin, Barbara Fisher, Dawn Rentz
The Asheville Art Museum is excited to present Red Hot in the Blue Ridge, an exhibition being held in conjunction with Western North Carolina’s community-wide Summer of Glass celebration. On view at the Asheville Art Museum On the Slope at 175 Biltmore Avenue May 19 – September 30, 2018, Red Hot in the Blue Ridge celebrates Western North Carolina’s unique place in the history of American Studio Glass. Many other organizations and galleries across WNC are also hosting glass-focused events, programs and exhibitions during the region’s Summer of Glass celebration, which coincides with a new exhibition at Biltmore of multi-media artist Dale Chihuly’s monumental glass sculptures. Visit www.ashevilleart.org for details.
If you’ve recently built a structure from predominantly reused building materials, the Asheville Habitat ReStore wants to know. Projects can include garden sheds, artist studios, benches, chicken coops, playhouses and much more. Share your projects with the Habitat ReStore to help showcase innovative building projects made with reused materials and show off your creativity and talent for your chance to win in the 7th annual ReStore ReUse Contest. The contest runs July 1st through August 31st. For information and submission guidelines, visit ashevillehabitat.org
Every Wednesday in 2018, Chestnut* and Corner Kitchen* will donate a portion of the proceeds from all wines sales to a local non-profit. The selected July & August recipient is Mama Mama Maisha. To learn more about MM please visit them at: http://mamamaisha.org/
2018 Donation Recipients
January & February – Our VOICE
www.ourvoicenc.org
March & April – Verner Center for Early Learning
www.vernerearlylearning.org
May & June – SAHC
https://appalachian.org
July & August – Mama Maisha
http://mamamaisha.org
About MM:
Dr. Reta Graham and Dr. Jeff Graham from Asheville co-founded Mama Maisha, a Safe Motherhood Intervention Project in the Mara region of Tanzania. Mama Maisha connects their Asheville community with their African community, working at the village level in Tanzania to train local women as Maternal Health Advocates and provide essential health education and resources to communities in need.
Mama Maisha empowers women to make wise decisions regarding family planning, healthy pregnancy, and safe delivery for every child. Through women’s groups and individual support, Mama Maisha improves access to prenatal care and skilled delivery. Mama Maisha develops collaborative relationships with local and regional stakeholders to advocate for education, training and retention of health providers at a variety of levels, improving standards and addressing the unmet need for reproductive and maternal health care.
https://www.facebook.com/events/274024760001068/?event_time_id=274024763334401
We are lucky to have incredible Animal Educators to help us spread the word on the important roles they play in the Park. Join one of our Park naturalists for an informal program where your family will love meeting some of our wilder teammates! Kids of all ages are sure to take home some fun facts and special memories. Then, grab a Track Trail brochure at the Animal Discovery Den and round out the day with a hike along our Great Woodland Adventure trail with 12 education stations. Don’t forget your camera!
It’s hard not to crack a smile while enjoying amazing views of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge from on top of the Chimney. Capture photos of your family and friends enjoying the Park and enter them into our Smiles of Spring Photo Contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.
GREAT PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS:
First Place – An overnight getaway to Hickory Nut Gorge with a stay at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, two passes to Chimney Rock, brunch for two at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours
Second Place – A Chimney Rock prize package including two passes to Chimney Rock, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours.
People’s Choice – Selected by our Facebook fans, the winning photo will be featured as the cover photo of our Facebook page for two weeks and the cover of our Pinterest board of winning photos. Prize includes two Park admission tickets, lunch for two at the Old Rock Café and a $20 gift certificate for Old Time Photo in Chimney Rock Village.
CONTEST RULES:
There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken inside Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between June 21, 2018- Sept. 21, 2018. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page and share our photo contest post on your wall. Then post your photo to our wall with the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words) through your personal Facebook account. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
Pinterest: First, re-pin our photo contest pin to one of your boards and follow our 2017 The Different Seasons of Chimney Rock Spring Photo Contest Board so we can easily contact you. Then pin your photo with the hashtags #chimneyrock AND #photocontest with your personal account, and include the photographer’s name and a brief caption (25-75 words).
Twitter: First, follow Chimney Rock Park and retweet our tweet about the photo contest. Then tweet your photo to @ChimneyRockPark with the photographer’s name and the hashtag #photocontest. Next, send us private messages with your brief photo caption.
E-mail: If you don’t have access to any social media sites listed above, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
Snail Mail: Send your print photo with the clearly marked photographer’s name, city & state, a brief typed photo caption and a phone number to: Photo Contest, Chimney Rock Management LLC, PO Box 39, Chimney Rock, NC 28720.
Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption your photo of the Seasons of Chimney Rock, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of a face of Chimney Rock. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Winners will be notified and announced at chimneyrockpark.com and on Chimney Rock’s social media channels.
For more information, call 1-800-277-9611 or email us at [email protected].
The Hendersonville Lightning has released it’s 7th annual issue of our Apple Festival Special Issue. It will be available at the regular Lightning distribution locations as well as the Visitors Centers in Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties. Pick up a copy to learn about all the events and entertainment happening this weekend, as well as other fall events.
A special thanks to the NC Apple Festival and all of our advertising partners for helping to make this issue happen. And, of course, thank you to all of our Lightning readers!
https://www.facebook.com/events/264079284315132/
Garden Helpline Open for Calls
Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are ready to answer your
gardening questions.
Beginning March 1, the Garden Helpline is open Monday through
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., during the gardening season—March through September. Our
Master Gardener volunteers are available for phone calls, walk-ins, and emails.
Call 828-255-5522 or visit the Extension office at the location shown below. If you bring a plant
sample to the office, please be sure it is large enough for plant identification. You can also email
your questions and plant photos to [email protected].
Each year, Extension Master Gardener volunteers answer hundreds of gardening questions.
From October through February when the Helpline is not open, your questions will be
answered by Alison Arnold, Extension Agent, Consumer Horticulture. The Extension office and
our Helpline are closed on N.C. state holidays.
ALL ladies 21+ are welcome.
This is an all day, drop in event – stop by before work, after work, during your lunch break, or just take a day off :)
Just remember to wear closed-toe shoes.
https://www.facebook.com/events/210643529646214/
When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.
In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Chihuly at Biltmore represents the first art exhibition in Biltmore’s historic gardens, and the first garden exhibition of Dale Chihuly’s works in North Carolina. The world-renowned American artist’s work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide, and now, for a limited time only, they can be seen at Biltmore.
We invite you to immerse yourself in this unique visual experience, an absolute must-see presentation of unparalleled artistic expression.
Dazzling in daylight, the exhibition takes on an entirely new dimension when viewed after nightfall; experience the brilliance and beauty of these awe-inspiring marvels of color, form, and light.
Every Wednesday in 2018, Chestnut* and Corner Kitchen* will donate a portion of the proceeds from all wines sales to a local non-profit. The selected July & August recipient is Mama Mama Maisha. To learn more about MM please visit them at: http://mamamaisha.org/
2018 Donation Recipients
January & February – Our VOICE
www.ourvoicenc.org
March & April – Verner Center for Early Learning
www.vernerearlylearning.org
May & June – SAHC
https://appalachian.org
July & August – Mama Maisha
http://mamamaisha.org
About MM:
Dr. Reta Graham and Dr. Jeff Graham from Asheville co-founded Mama Maisha, a Safe Motherhood Intervention Project in the Mara region of Tanzania. Mama Maisha connects their Asheville community with their African community, working at the village level in Tanzania to train local women as Maternal Health Advocates and provide essential health education and resources to communities in need.
Mama Maisha empowers women to make wise decisions regarding family planning, healthy pregnancy, and safe delivery for every child. Through women’s groups and individual support, Mama Maisha improves access to prenatal care and skilled delivery. Mama Maisha develops collaborative relationships with local and regional stakeholders to advocate for education, training and retention of health providers at a variety of levels, improving standards and addressing the unmet need for reproductive and maternal health care.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1508745665897763/?event_time_id=1508745682564428
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 774-3000
Link: http://www.leicestercommunitycenter.com
Welcome Table Free Meal every Wednesday 11:30am-1:30pm
While the need for blood is constant during the summer months, the American Red Cross experiences a drastic decline in new donors. About one-third fewer new donors came out to give last summer than during the rest of the year. Additionally, many schools where blood drives are held – and where new donors give – are not in session, and current donors often delay giving due to summer vacation plans.
We’ve joined with the Asheville-Mountain Area Chapter American Red Cross to host a summer blood drive. This is a great opportunity for your hiking or trail run club, workplace, or friends. Everyone who donates will receive 20% off any item at Diamond Brand Outdoors.
Head to http://www.redcrossblood.org/ and use the code DIAMOND to find our local drive. You can schedule an appointment at a time that works for you!
You don’t need a special reason to give blood. You just need your own reason.
– Some give blood because they were asked by a friend.
– Some know that a family member or a friend might need blood some day.
– Some believe it is the right thing we do.
Whatever your reason, the need is constant and your contribution is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply. And you’ll feel good knowing you’ve helped change a life.
#AdventureIsLocal
https://www.facebook.com/events/1733765360049555/
Visitors to Grovewood Village will have the opportunity to learn the story of Biltmore Industries on a guided history tour, offered Wednesday – Saturday at 1pm during April – November. The tour includes a visit to Biltmore Industries’ production facility (aka Dye House), where guests can peek into the past and view the original looms, carding machines, spinning mule and dye vats used to make the famed Biltmore Handwoven Homespun.
The tours last approximately 45 minutes and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, open to 25 people. There is no charge to take the tour, but donations are appreciated. Tours begin at the Homespun Museum in Grovewood Village, where a docent will give a detailed overview of Biltmore Industries’ historic importance before leading guests into the 100-year-old Dye House (usually closed to the public).
Private group tours are also offered for a fee and should be scheduled at least one week in advance.
Looking for a job, training opportunities, or your GED® / high school equivalency diploma? Green Opportunities (GO) can help you meet your goals! Join GO staff for a Job Training Program Info Session on Wednesday, August 29 from 1-2 p.m. in the Edington Center Training Room to learn more about our Fall 2018 training programs and submit your application.
GO’s Kitchen Ready culinary arts program starts September 4th. GO’s YouthBuild program for out-of-school youth starts September 10th. Both programs are offered at no-cost to Buncombe County residents who are unemployed or under-employed.
GO training programs are designed to teach our students valuable skills they can bring to any job–like teamwork, communication, problem solving, and professionalism.
In addition to technical training, students receive personalized support services, GED® tutoring, life skills workshops, on-site counseling services, resume development, and job search assistance.
RSVP on Facebook or to Susan Andrew at (828) 398-4158 x116 or email [email protected].
https://www.facebook.com/events/2527488980596330/
Beginner Wheel Throwing with Cayce Kolstad
Tuesdays 3-5:30pm
August 28- October 2
With an emphasis on ceramic tableware, this class is a perfect introduction to throwing on the potter’s wheel. We will explore the fundamental forms of functional pottery and work towards altering them to make cups, mugs, bowls and more. We will also cover the basics of glazing in order to create food safe pots you can use at home.
Level: Beginner and Seasoned Beginner
Tuition: $235 + $35 Lab Fee
Join us 8/29 for dinner at Lee’s Hoagie House!
We will have cheerleaders and coaches there to tell you all about our program!
The HVYL Cheerleaders will receive a portion of the sales from the evening, all we ask is you and your family come eat, and to share this post and tell everyone you know!
Lets help this small business while they help us!
http://hominy.siplay.com/site/ClientSite/article/3201037
https://www.facebook.com/events/2076773542652077/
A boutique food truck serving up gourmet comfort food.
www.olivecateringcompany.com
https://www.facebook.com/events/305121183627976/
FREE PATIO SHOW :: Eric Congdon at The Grey Eagle
https://www.facebook.com/events/444293919315359/
Penn’s first time in Brevard, NC.
Free show || 21+ || Food truck
“An old soul in a 21st century body, Penn Johnson is a Barefoot Vandit spreading seeds of mindfulness through storytelling and song. Originally a Massachusetts native, he’s been 150,000 miles since 2015. Penn has performed on festivals and shows with Nahko, Satsang, Iya Terra, Bumpin Uglies, Treehouse!, Wookiefoot, Sessions Americana, and Christina Holmes. His sound is best described as danceable spoken word with poetic vocals and percussive strumming. His newest material sheds light into the dark forests of consciousness and illuminates a more harmonious life.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhFNR5XvpPk
https://www.facebook.com/events/331051297420022/
We need your help to reach voters this fall, and we have the perfect training to get you ready!
Interested in ways we can fight the anti-voter amendments on the ballot this fall? Come join this upcoming training on how to coordinate outreach events – including phonebanking, tabling, pledge cards, and canvassing events. We’ll have a break-out style training so that you can focus on your outreach method of choice.
Trainings are free and open to any group. Lunch will be provided.
WHAT: Amendment Outreach Coordinator Training
WHEN: Wednesday, August 29, 5:30 – 8 PM
WHERE: YWCA of Asheville (185 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville 28801)
RSVP to let us know you’ll be there!
For more information, place contact Darlene Azarmi at (828) 216-3430 or [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/events/255083085102476/
Focus on the Library After 5
FABA and New Fletcher Library Partners will host this very special Focus on the Library event on Wednesday August 29th from 5:30 – 7 at the Fletcher Library.
This event will be centered around the New Fletcher Library Partners’ campaign to build a new library in Fletcher to better service it’s citizens. Doug Agor from the New Fletcher Library Partners will share on the importance of library to the community and the efforts that already underway.
As the library will be an asset to the community, we encourage you to invite friends and influencers who would share in this interest and can help make this dream a reality!
For more information on New Fletcher Library Partners visit their website at http://newfletcherlibrary.org/ and follow their Facebook page @nflpartners.
https://www.facebook.com/events/497987817318239/
An Evening About Fostering and Adoption in Appalachia with Authors Deborah Gold and Wendy Welch
Deborah Gold, author of Counting Down
When Deborah Gold and her husband signed up to foster parent in their rural mountain community, they did not foresee that it would lead to a roller-coaster fifteen years of involvement with a traumatized yet resilient birth family. In Counting Down, Gold tells the story of forging a family within a confounding system. We meet social workers, a birth mother with the courage to give her children the childhood she never had herself, and a father parenting from prison. We also encounter members of a remarkable fellowship of Appalachian foster parents–gay, straight, right, left, evangelical, and atheist–united by love, loss, and quality hand-me-downs.
Wendy Welch is the author of Fall or Fly
In depictions of foster care and adoption, stories tend to cluster at the dark or light ends of the spectrum, rather than telling the day-to-day successes and failures of families working to create themselves. Who raises other people’s children? Why? What’s money got to do with it when the love on offer feels so real? And how does the particular setting of Appalachia–itself so frequently oversimplified or stereotyped–influence the way these questions play out? In Fall or Fly, Welch invites people bound by a code of silence to open up and to share their experiences. Less inspiration than a call to caring awareness, this pioneering work of storytelling journalism explores how love, compassion, money, and fear intermingle in what can only be described as a marketplace for our nation’s greatest asset.
These books are available for purchase in-store, by phone, or online by visiting https://www.malaprops.com.
We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here.
Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.
https://www.facebook.com/events/267531913813478/
Sign up here or just show up on the 29th! https://secure.ngpvan.com/jY1ykj-A-kqbTA3q4K4A0Q2 We need to call over 100,000 voters in the 10th District between now and November! Volunteers will learn how to use the campaign’s new phone-banking system. Bring your fully-charged cell phone, headphone/earbuds (with a microphone), and a laptop. We have a fair number of laptops and headphones for training, but please bring your own if possible. When making calls, your phone number WILL NOT show up on recipients’ screens. Be prepared to log in to your email address because we will send you a phone bank link upon your arrival at the training. After you learn our system, we hope you will plan to stay to make calls with us…and you can continue to do so from home afterwards. Each week, all callers who make at least 2 hours of phone calls will be included in a raffle for a $50 gift card to show our appreciation for your hard work. Of course, we’d love for you to make even more calls! Thank you for joining our people-powered movement to defeat McHenry!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1827773550671659/
Monday, August 29th at 6:00 PM
at the Morganton Public Library
Free Adult Program ~ All Materials Provided
Registration Required ~ Sign up begins on 7/30/18.
Call 828-764-9260 for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/events/206901980004883/
Concerned about clean air, clean water, and the health of our earth? Come talk to Norm about it. He believes we should be taking care of our resources, and that a strong environmental policy creates good jobs and healthy people. Please join us for an evening of conversation on these topics.
https://www.facebook.com/events/647625688949430/
Annual dinner & evening to celebrate & thank the hundreds of volunteers who support Folkmoot through their gifts of time, talent & treasure. Please email [email protected] if you plan to attend.
https://www.facebook.com/events/484751465327006/