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.
Save the date for Asheville Museum of Science’s largest fundraiser of the year! The 6th annual “Under the Stars” is a benefit taking place September 26th from 6 PM to 9 PM at Highland Brewing Company with a special musical guest to follow. Come celebrate and support science and STEM education. For $40/person, the fundraiser includes dinner, drinks, live music, a visit inside the museum’s portable planetarium, and premier live and silent auction items to bid on. More details coming soon!
About the show: A renowned writer has it all, fortune, fame, women and adoration, when one excruciating miscalculation causes him to lose everything. As penance he hides away in a small New England town where he runs a bookstore in a shambling farmhouse. Then comes a knock on his door. Can the lost be found? Can the sinner gain redemption?
Cinematastic: The Music of the Movies promises to capture the emotional and cultural impact of films that have defined multiple generations. Movies like The Jazz Singer, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Top Gun, inspired millions with their relevance and innovation, so much so that these films have been preserved in the National Film Registry for cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance. While these films set milestones, their true success came from the ability to create iconic moments that struck a profound chord in the hearts of audiences.
About the show: A renowned writer has it all, fortune, fame, women and adoration, when one excruciating miscalculation causes him to lose everything. As penance he hides away in a small New England town where he runs a bookstore in a shambling farmhouse. Then comes a knock on his door. Can the lost be found? Can the sinner gain redemption?
A celebration of all that is coffee — the taste, smell, look and feel.
Guided by a team of coffee professionals, the curators of the Asheville Coffee Expo embrace all of the aspects of coffee, not just the caffeine buzz.

VIP tickets are $55 and include a slider from each challenger (12 burgers), complimentary beer provided by Upcountry Brewing, hard sparking water from Bold Rock Cider, and a special VIP area.
The Challengers
The following restaurants will be competing for the title:
Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge
Foothills Local Meats
Salvage Station
The Real Smokehouse BBQ
Mountainview BBQ and Deli
Kitchen 743 at Isis
Biltmore Stable Cafe
The Barrelhouse
Asheville Burger and Mugshakes
White Labs Kitchen & Tap
The Grey Eagle Taqueria
Southern Porch
Zack of All Trades
Sandhill Kitchen
The Bands
Boogi Therapi
DownTown Abby and the Echoes
About the show: A renowned writer has it all, fortune, fame, women and adoration, when one excruciating miscalculation causes him to lose everything. As penance he hides away in a small New England town where he runs a bookstore in a shambling farmhouse. Then comes a knock on his door. Can the lost be found? Can the sinner gain redemption?
This September marks Asheville Humane Society’s 35th Anniversary, and they want to thank our animal-loving community for making their lifesaving work possible! Come cheers to 35 years on Sunday, September 29 from 3 – 7 PM at The Meadow, Highland Brewing’s outdoor space. Pack your fold-up chair or blanket and bring the whole family (pets included!) for a fun-filled day, including:
• Live performances by Ben Phan and the Jim Arrendell Dance Band
• Vegetarian & vegan fare from Gypsy Queen Cuisine, Papa John’s & The Hop Ice Cream will be available for purchase
• Contests and games for you and your pet including Most Talented Pet and Pet/Person Look-alike Contest
• Kid-friendly activities
• Raffle items with proceeds benefiting AHS
• Craft beer will be available for purchase from Highland Brewing
All well-behaved, leashed (or safely contained) pets are welcome!
Select a wine on draft and fill a plēb urban winery 500mL or 1L growler for a reduced price (see menu for availability and pricing). Growler purchase is separate. Carry out only.
https://www.facebook.com/events/859748727719594/?event_time_id=859748864386247
Join us for a night of celebration and fun October 2nd for our second annual Catch the Wave event hosted by RiverLink! We’ll have live music provided by The Barsters, awesome raffles, food, refreshments, and informational sessions providing updates on the project.
All proceeds from the event will help build the Greenway & Blueway so grab your friends and get ready for a good time!
For more information and tickets please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/woodfin-greenway-blueway-2nd-annual-catch-the-wave-celebration-tickets-69998580639
Special thanks to our amazing co-hosts: Asheville GreenWorks, MountainTrue, Connect Buncombe, and French Broad River Academy
RiverLink is the proud fundraising partner of the Town of Woodfin and Buncombe County Greenways.
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AWESOME RAFFLE PRIZES
Grand Prize Items:
Homeslice Whitewater Kayak from Liquidlogic Kayaks
Raft, Zipline, Yurt Package from Wildwater Ltd.
Bike from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop
Jackson Cruise FlexDrive Fishing Kayak from Southern Raft Supply
Alloy Rim Wheelset and stem by Industry Nine
There will also be a dozen additional runner-up prizes
There will be a separate drawings for each. Raffle participants will put their ticket(s) toward whichever item(s) they wish.
**** YOU NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN**** For those unable to attend the event, tickets for the raffle may be purchased online, and we’ll enter them for you. Winners will be notified by email.
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*Children 12 and under may attend at no charge.
Learn more about the project at https://riverlink.org/

Enjoy a delicious riverside meal focused on farm-fresh ingredients to celebrate an autumnal bounty. Over Easy Cafe will share their creativity and talents with the table by designing a 5 course meal. 50/Fifty: art of dessert will transform the last course into a sweet work of art. Cordial and Craft will refresh your palate with uplifting farm cocktails and mocktails. This combination of Asheville culinary elite with the back drop of the French Broad River at Olivette’s pristine riverside park will create an unforgettable experience.

Baa’d To The Bone Shakedown Dinner 2019 -to benefit those living with blood cancers. Come enjoy the greatest tunes of several generations with The Rewind Band, enjoy some of the tastiest beverages from the famous taps of Highland Brewing Company, and fill up with the “baa’d”est of burritos from Baa’d Sheep Burritos Food Truck on October 3, 2019 at the Meadow at Highland Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina AND help those living with blood cancers! This fun, family-friendly event will be the first of many.

Jose Antonio Vargas is the founder of and CEO of Define American, a nonprofit media and culture organization that uses the power of story to transcend politics and shift the conversation about immigrants, identity, and citizenship in a changing America. He will be telling his story and speaking about the current situation on these topics.
In 2011, The New York Times published Mr. Vargas’s groundbreaking essay revealing and chronicling his life in America as an undocumented immigrant. He then produced and directed Documented, a feature film about his personal experiences. The film received a 2015 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Documentary. Vargas published a memoir in 2018 called Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen.
Join us for a reception before the Justice Forum, with hors d’oeuvres, beer, and wine.
Ladies, please join us the first Thursday of every month** for great wine, great friends, and lots of fun!
**July’s event will not be held because of the 4th.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2190909954570744/?event_time_id=2190909987904074

Watch and learn as our Head Butcher breaks down an entire front quarter of dry-aged Apple Brandy beef. In this class – Watch our head butcher completes a live demonstration of breaking down the front quarter of a steer. Learn about different beef cuts, including Denver, Chuck-Eye, Rib-Eye, Skirt Steak, and more! Discover the differences between often-confused names of popular cuts and learn about cuts you’ve probably never heard of-Learn the cooking techniques for different cuts of beef (and as you’ll discover, we’ll teach you how to maximize the meals you can cook from this section of a beef.) Enjoy local and house made charcuterie and cheeses. Sip beer from a local brewery, or enjoy a glass (or two) or our favorite wines. Take home a nice cut of beef just in time for the weekend! Take home PDF notes and recipes from the class. Early Bird Tickets – $100. Class Tickets: $110 VIP Tickets: $140 (Take home a pound of Chop Shop Bacon and your choice of a Chop Shop t-shirt or hat.)
This last one was so popular, they’re having another wine dinner outdoors! As usual, they will not disclose the menu or the wines beforehand- that’s half the fun! But they will tell you this: this time the theme will be South American. Cost is $75 per person, plus tax and service. To reserve your place, send an email to [email protected]. Put “RendezVous Wine Dinner” in the subject line, and include the number in your party with a contact phone number in your message. Reservations are limited, so please reserve right away
A troupe of traveling actors are desperate to find their way home after many days on the road. Stranded and down on their luck, this commedia dell’arte troupe finally encounter a wealthy patron who promises them the money, but only if they improvise a play, to his liking, on the dauntingly large subject: The History of Man. The problem is the troupe is dysfunctional and has lost their ability to improvise. Nonetheless, they soldier on starting with the Garden of Eden through Everyman in birth, adolescence, marriage and death. Along the way they enact other wayward adventures such as the assassination of Julius Caesar and the homecoming of Odysseus. It is during the performance, the troupe rediscovers themselves and their art through a series of comical and sometimes heartwarming scenes.
Show Dates: October 3rd – 5th @ 7:30 pm; October 6th @ 2 pm.
Underwear Comedy Party is a night of nearly nude laughs. All the comedians will be performing in their underwear and we encourage the audience to strip down too!
doors at 8pm, show at 9pm
Tickets $10
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwear-comedy-party-avl-tickets-70332354967
Burial Beer’s much anticipated Forestry Camp is officially open! This culmination of like-minded makers is a celebration of the best bakers, coffee roasters, distillers, wine makers, artists, musicians, brewers, chefs and so much more. Located at 10 Shady Oak Dr., near Biltmore Village, Forestry Camp showcases these makers and elevates the products into their bar and restaurant. Chef Brian Canipelli (owner of Cucina 24, James Beard nominee) brings his skill and creativity to the kitchen with a seasonal, Appalachian-raised menu inspired by the traditions and spirit of the Basque Country. Check out more here – including the amazing tale of their historical location.
Please join us on October 4, from 5 to 8 pm for the opening party. Performance of “Nona’s Cooking Show” marionette show is at 6:30.
Exhibit open 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, at 207 Coxe Ave, downtown Asheville, through October 25.
“Street Creatures and Dancing Beasts” will celebrate Asheville’s vibrant puppetry scene as an Asheville Area Arts Council exhibit. It will display puppets made by local artists showing diverse styles and forms in a range of sizes and materials. A menagerie of animals, both real and imaginary, will dance around the gallery. Puppetry is often relegated to the world of children’s entertainment, but this art form is ancient, multi faceted and almost limitless in scope. It requires the skills of an artist, tinkerer and performer, writer, musician and dancer.
Curator and artist Jennifer Murphy is one of the founders of Street Creature Puppet Collective, and “den mother” of the Puppet Clubhouse, a bright and lively community art space in North Asheville. Her work brings nature and myth together in ecological pageants. The other artists included use diverse visual styles and approaches.
Represented are long time puppetry master Hobey Ford, winner of puppetry’s highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence; Luce Romaldini, who’s rough charming cardboard figures tell uncomfortable truths; Edwin Salas, international puppeteer and dancer who conjures strange creatures of the dark side; Jim Julien, graphic designer and co-director of the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival; Chris Eizember, creative tinkerer and bamboo sculptor; Geneva Bierce-Wilson, fiber artist, inventor and maker of small dragons and large worms; and Street Creature Puppet Collective, a community of collaborative parade puppet makers.
Burnsville Can’t Miss! Traditional polka music and dance on the covered deck. Dinner served 5pm-8pm inside at Garden Deli. Snap Dragon will have regular hours. Enjoy great food and super fun entertainment!

Live music, family fun and delicious food!
Join us on October 4th for the Trusty Hucksters, an Asheville duo and brain child of Mark Toolan of Halo And The Harlots. This past December Toolan self released “Highways and Area Codes” an album of acoustic driven folksy blues rock.
About our Food:
During the show we serve a complete spread of delicious farm-to-fork dinner options using our own pasture raised meats and locally sourced produce. Meals are prepared fresh by our in-house culinary team and are available for an additional cost along with alcoholic (beer/wine) and non-alcoholic beverage options. The menu typically consists of 3 meats and 4 sides. The full menu will be advertised on the event Facebook page a few days in advance of the concert. Be sure to follow us online for the latest updates!
MPP’s funniest, most-original and most-FREE show has been getting RAVES!
The piece stars some of Montford Park Players’ greatest talent, all looking forward to taking on something never before seen. They include Alexander McDonald Villarreal, Melon Wedick, Scott Bean, Devyn Ray Villarreal, Jon Stockdale, and many more.
As Mendenhall says, “Whether or not you know The Winter’s Tale, you will enjoy the non-stop fun of this production.”
We hope you’ll join us!
For more information or to reserve seats, go to montfordparkplayers.org.
It’s not too early to make your plans to travel down the yellow brick road to the merry old land of Oz! We’re deep into the rehearsal process, are building the sets and the costumes, and are hearing LOTS of super cool ideas from the artistic team!
- Opening Weekend and Thursday night tickets are cheaper than other performances ($26 for adults vs $30)
- Tickets for children 17 and under are $15 for any Wizard of Oz performance!
- Keep up with what’s happening in rehearsals with the “We’re Off to See the Wizard” blog series written by our Cowardly Lion, John O’Neil!
A troupe of traveling actors are desperate to find their way home after many days on the road. Stranded and down on their luck, this commedia dell’arte troupe finally encounter a wealthy patron who promises them the money, but only if they improvise a play, to his liking, on the dauntingly large subject: The History of Man. The problem is the troupe is dysfunctional and has lost their ability to improvise. Nonetheless, they soldier on starting with the Garden of Eden through Everyman in birth, adolescence, marriage and death. Along the way they enact other wayward adventures such as the assassination of Julius Caesar and the homecoming of Odysseus. It is during the performance, the troupe rediscovers themselves and their art through a series of comical and sometimes heartwarming scenes.
Show Dates: October 3rd – 5th @ 7:30 pm; October 6th @ 2 pm.
The parents are out of town and the kids (local comedians) are running the show!
Come out to LaZoom for a night of comedy from Asheville’s best comics.
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/moms-out-tonight-local-comedy-showcase-tickets-71017628639
A troupe of traveling actors are desperate to find their way home after many days on the road. Stranded and down on their luck, this commedia dell’arte troupe finally encounter a wealthy patron who promises them the money, but only if they improvise a play, to his liking, on the dauntingly large subject: The History of Man. The problem is the troupe is dysfunctional and has lost their ability to improvise. Nonetheless, they soldier on starting with the Garden of Eden through Everyman in birth, adolescence, marriage and death. Along the way they enact other wayward adventures such as the assassination of Julius Caesar and the homecoming of Odysseus. It is during the performance, the troupe rediscovers themselves and their art through a series of comical and sometimes heartwarming scenes.
Show Dates: October 3rd – 5th @ 7:30 pm
Burial Beer’s much anticipated Forestry Camp is officially open! This culmination of like-minded makers is a celebration of the best bakers, coffee roasters, distillers, wine makers, artists, musicians, brewers, chefs and so much more. Located at 10 Shady Oak Dr., near Biltmore Village, Forestry Camp showcases these makers and elevates the products into their bar and restaurant. Chef Brian Canipelli (owner of Cucina 24, James Beard nominee) brings his skill and creativity to the kitchen with a seasonal, Appalachian-raised menu inspired by the traditions and spirit of the Basque Country. Check out more here – including the amazing tale of their historical location.
There is a short list of nationally recognizable names in the art of butchery and both Camas Davis and Adam Danforth make the grade. On Saturday, October 5th, Hickory Nut Gap and Chop Shop Butchery join together to bring this dynamic due into Western North Carolina for an intimate dining and butchery event. A strong supporter of ethical and sustainable meat production and consumption, the Appalachian Meat Collective has joined the festivities to also help further promote Hickory Nut Gap’s mission to ‘build community through agriculture’.
“By joining everyone together, we are able to move agriculture forward in a big way. We all strongly value humane animal treatment, have a deep respect for the livestock that we consume, and can unite together to educate people while enjoying a wonderful meal together,” Jamie Ager, Owner and Farmer, Hickory Nut Gap.
MPP’s funniest, most-original and most-FREE show has been getting RAVES!
The piece stars some of Montford Park Players’ greatest talent, all looking forward to taking on something never before seen. They include Alexander McDonald Villarreal, Melon Wedick, Scott Bean, Devyn Ray Villarreal, Jon Stockdale, and many more.
As Mendenhall says, “Whether or not you know The Winter’s Tale, you will enjoy the non-stop fun of this production.”
We hope you’ll join us!
For more information or to reserve seats, go to montfordparkplayers.org.


