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.
MARA Meetings (Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous is a support group of people who believe in the value of medication as a means to recovery. We understand that our individual needs may not be the same; our backgrounds may not be the same; our futures may not be the same. However, our desire to live a safe lifestyle joins us together. Non-judgement is our code.
About Hope Coalition
Hope Coalition is a grassroots effort initiated by the Henderson County Partnership for Health in 2013 as a community collaborative to educate, evaluate, and implement evidence-based models on substance misuse and underage drinking in Henderson County by building capacity and creating long-term and sustainable plans that are action-oriented and focus on community level change.

Join us for Animoday! Every Monday all day. Listen to anime music, play anime games, watch anime, and talk anime!

Mon-Fri from 2-5pm. You have access to high speed internet, work space and HALF-OFF pastries when you present your college ID.

Peer Support
Group meetings: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Please contact us for individual services at 828.388.7979, Option #2
Through the “lived-experience” of our peer support specialists, we will assist, encourage, empower and advocate with others on their journey to finding their own path to recovery. Recovery is possible but is not meant to do alone. We do recover together.
About Hope Coalition
Hope Coalition is a grassroots effort initiated by the Henderson County Partnership for Health in 2013 as a community collaborative to educate, evaluate, and implement evidence-based models on substance misuse and underage drinking in Henderson County by building capacity and creating long-term and sustainable plans that are action-oriented and focus on community level change.
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Join us every MONDAY for our 2021 Summer Bike Night Series with special musical guest Contagious rocking our stage. Fresh catered BBQ Plates will be available for sale. Hop on your bike and come on down for bike nights in the Swannanoa Valley!
Just a friendly reminder, the State of NC requires a MEMBERSHIP to enjoy our venue.

On tour, Americana roots songwriter Jonathan Foster performs solo-acoustic at One World Brewing West in Asheville, North Carolina! -www.JonathanFosterMusic.com

The Street Dances have been a tradition for over 100 years in Downtown Hendersonville! They began in 1918, at the end of World War I, when the city welcomed home its soldiers from the War by celebrating in the streets, and became nationally known after they were included in the guidebook Blue Ridge Music Trails, Finding A Place In The Circle, written by Fred S. Fussell. The guidebook was winner of the first PRESERVE AMERICA Presidential Award for Heritage Tourism.
The sounds of fiddles and banjos playing at the Street Dances have been a part of Henderson County’s heritage for more than 100 years, calling people of all ages to journey to downtown Hendersonville to enjoy toe-tapping-good mountain music.
Hendersonville comes alive with people listening to the traditional mountain and bluegrass music performed by a live band, square dancing and special appearances are often made by area clogging teams for a foot stomping evening.
Bring a chair and enjoy an evening of live music from 7 pm-9 pm. The audience seating area opens after 5:30 pm, early admission is prohibited. Admission is free. Alcoholic beverages, backpacks, or coolers are prohibited.
Enjoy free, live music at the Visitor Center every Monday & Friday evening in July and August! Click here to learn more about Monday Night Live! and here to learn more about Music on Main Concerts.
For additional information call the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority at 828-693-9708. The Street Dances are coordinated, produced, and sponsored by Henderson County Tourism Development Authority.
Click to download a copy of the 2021 Summer Music Series brochure.

Guest artist Jordan Bak joins BMC faculty strings in this gem by Mozart, scored for two violins, two violas, and cello.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
MOZART Viola Quintet in C Major
Other works TBA

A Monthly Concert Series WE’RE BACK!!! NOTE FROM ROBIN: Because of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, all live performances after March of last year had to be cancelled or postponed…including our brand new monthly concert series Carolina Celtic at White Horse Black Mountain. (We did manage to get the first concert, with Al Petteway, in under the wire before the pandemic forced us to cancel all the others – we were off to a great start, too, with a full house and a great show!) Now, with the development of vaccines and the gradual, cautious lifting of restrictions, we’re delighted to be STARTING BACK UP AGAIN as of June 2021. Whatever restrictions are in place in North Carolina at any given time will be in effect at White Horse Black Mountain – as I write this in April 2021, White Horse is open to live audiences at a limited capacity – but all Carolina Celtic concerts will also be livestreamed and archived on www.whitehorseblackmountain.com, as will all future shows at White Horse, so come join us wherever you are! – RB The award-winning Celtic duo of harpist Sue Richards and guitarist Robin Bullock, in partnership with White Horse Black Mountain, are proud to present CAROLINA CELTIC, a monthly concert series in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Carolina Celtic showcases Irish and Scottish musical traditions and explores their commonality with the Appalachian ballads and stories of the Carolina mountains. The concerts take place at White Horse Black Mountain (details and contact info below) the second Monday of every month at 7:30 pm ET. Every month Sue and Robin collaborate with a different guest artist, ensuring that no two Carolina Celtic concerts are the same. The inaugural season’s lineup of world-class musical guests is nothing short of extraordinary.
Buncombe County is set to receive $51M in federal Covid relief funding. While there are some restrictions on how funding can be spent, it must address Covid relief and the subsequent economic fallout.
The County is now accepting proposals from the community on projects or programs. Examples of eligible categories include: small business support, household assistance, mental health programs, addressing public health disparities and more. Proposals are due Thursday, July 15. Read the full RFP and FAQs here.
NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE
2021 THOMAS WOLFE MEMORIAL LITERARY AWARD
The Western North Carolina Historical Association is now accepting nominations for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. Originated by the Louis Lipinsky family and now supported by Michael Sartisky, PhD, the Award is a partnership between WNCHA and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Advisory Committee. It has been presented by WNCHA since 1955. The award comes with a $2,500 cash prize.
The deadline for submission of nominated works is July 31, 2021. Anyone with knowledge of an author who meets the qualification criteria may nominate the author for the award. To be considered, an entry must be a published work of fiction, nonfiction, drama or poetry and meet the following criteria:
- It must be a first edition work; revised editions of published works will not be considered for the Award.
- The publication date must be between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021.
- The author must be a native of western North Carolina or a resident of western North Carolina for at least twelve months prior to the closing date for the Award.
- An author may also qualify if the work submitted has a focus on or setting in western North Carolina.
Western North Carolina includes the Qualla Boundary and the following 25 counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
The Award Panel this year consists of: Catherine Frank, Chair, Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville; Dee James, retired Director of the First-Year Writing Program at UNC Asheville; Tom Muir, Historic Site Manager, Thomas Wolfe Memorial; Gordon McKinney, PhD, former president, Appalachian Studies Association; Terry Roberts, PhD, Director, National Paideia Center; Jim Stokely, President, Wilma Dykeman Legacy.
Nomination letters must specify the following eligibility criteria:
- date of publication
- birthplace or residence of author
- setting of work
Nominators should submit a cover letter along with three copies of the work postmarked no later than July 31, 2021 to:
Wolfe Award Committee
℅ Anne Chesky Smith
WNC Historical Association
283 Victoria Road
Asheville, NC 28801
An awards ceremony and reception, in honor of the finalists and 2021 Award recipient, will be held in early December 2021.
The Association presented the first Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award to Wilma Dykeman in 1955 for The French Broad. The Award has continued to be funded, in part, by Mrs. E. Frank Edwin, a member of the Lipinsky family and for the last three years by WNCHA, and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Advisory Board, both with support from Michael Sartisky, PhD. Other recipients of this prestigious Award include Robert Morgan, Gail Godwin, John Ehle, Robert Brunk, Michael McFee, Lee Smith, Ron Rash, Wayne Caldwell, and Terry Roberts. Sandra Muse Isaacs was the recipient of the 2020 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award for her book: Eastern Cherokee Stories: A Living Oral Tradition and Its Cultural Continuance.


Get ready to go wild at the library for our annual Summer Learning Program. Join us for Tails & Tales – an exploration of wildlife and fantastical folktales. We’ll have an activity sheet with lots of fun adventures for all ages. You can pick up a sheet at any library starting June 1, or download it HERE. Check our calendar to find our most up to date list of programs all summer long.
The 2021 Summer Learning Program is open to young people, preschool through teen, with books and activities for every age. All library programs are free and open to children of all abilities. Come in and see what the library has for you!

Mon-Fri from 2-5pm. You have access to high speed internet, work space and HALF-OFF pastries when you present your college ID.

OUTDOOR SHOW
Join us on Tuesday nights for Magnetic’s signature variety show. There will be an exciting mix of comedy, music, theatre, dance, magic and more! Smoky Park Supper Club is offering us their beautiful outdoor venue, and will be selling food and drinks. The event is BYOC (bring your own chair), and we will, of course, be following strict Covid safety protocols. We can’t wait to see you there!

Join us Tuesday nights, beginning April 13th, as The Magnetic Theatre teams up with the wizards at Smoky Park Supper Club to host a live, outdoor variety show. We’ll be filling Smoky Park’s gorgeous, riverside outdoor space with comedy, theatre, music and so much more.
There will be food and beverages available for purchase.
- This is a BYOC (Bring-Your-Own-Chair) event.
- In accordance with safety guidelines this show will be staged outdoors, with mask and social distancing protocols enforced. There will also be temperature checks and COVID waivers that need to be signed by each attendee at the gate.
- Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the 7pm showtime.
- We do require that masks be worn at all times unless you are actively eating or drinking.
Buncombe County is set to receive $51M in federal Covid relief funding. While there are some restrictions on how funding can be spent, it must address Covid relief and the subsequent economic fallout.
The County is now accepting proposals from the community on projects or programs. Examples of eligible categories include: small business support, household assistance, mental health programs, addressing public health disparities and more. Proposals are due Thursday, July 15. Read the full RFP and FAQs here.

NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE
2021 THOMAS WOLFE MEMORIAL LITERARY AWARD
The Western North Carolina Historical Association is now accepting nominations for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. Originated by the Louis Lipinsky family and now supported by Michael Sartisky, PhD, the Award is a partnership between WNCHA and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Advisory Committee. It has been presented by WNCHA since 1955. The award comes with a $2,500 cash prize.
The deadline for submission of nominated works is July 31, 2021. Anyone with knowledge of an author who meets the qualification criteria may nominate the author for the award. To be considered, an entry must be a published work of fiction, nonfiction, drama or poetry and meet the following criteria:
- It must be a first edition work; revised editions of published works will not be considered for the Award.
- The publication date must be between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021.
- The author must be a native of western North Carolina or a resident of western North Carolina for at least twelve months prior to the closing date for the Award.
- An author may also qualify if the work submitted has a focus on or setting in western North Carolina.
Western North Carolina includes the Qualla Boundary and the following 25 counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
The Award Panel this year consists of: Catherine Frank, Chair, Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville; Dee James, retired Director of the First-Year Writing Program at UNC Asheville; Tom Muir, Historic Site Manager, Thomas Wolfe Memorial; Gordon McKinney, PhD, former president, Appalachian Studies Association; Terry Roberts, PhD, Director, National Paideia Center; Jim Stokely, President, Wilma Dykeman Legacy.
Nomination letters must specify the following eligibility criteria:
- date of publication
- birthplace or residence of author
- setting of work
Nominators should submit a cover letter along with three copies of the work postmarked no later than July 31, 2021 to:
Wolfe Award Committee
℅ Anne Chesky Smith
WNC Historical Association
283 Victoria Road
Asheville, NC 28801
An awards ceremony and reception, in honor of the finalists and 2021 Award recipient, will be held in early December 2021.
The Association presented the first Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award to Wilma Dykeman in 1955 for The French Broad. The Award has continued to be funded, in part, by Mrs. E. Frank Edwin, a member of the Lipinsky family and for the last three years by WNCHA, and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Advisory Board, both with support from Michael Sartisky, PhD. Other recipients of this prestigious Award include Robert Morgan, Gail Godwin, John Ehle, Robert Brunk, Michael McFee, Lee Smith, Ron Rash, Wayne Caldwell, and Terry Roberts. Sandra Muse Isaacs was the recipient of the 2020 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award for her book: Eastern Cherokee Stories: A Living Oral Tradition and Its Cultural Continuance.

Summer is coming and that means fans!We will begin distributing fans to those who are in need very soon. Each fan is purchased at a cost of around $20. If you would like to help cover the cost of a fan to keep someone cool this summer, please visit our website to make a donation or mail a donation to Eblen Charities, 50 Westgate Parkway, Asheville NC 28806

Get ready to go wild at the library for our annual Summer Learning Program. Join us for Tails & Tales – an exploration of wildlife and fantastical folktales. We’ll have an activity sheet with lots of fun adventures for all ages. You can pick up a sheet at any library starting June 1, or download it HERE. Check our calendar to find our most up to date list of programs all summer long.
The 2021 Summer Learning Program is open to young people, preschool through teen, with books and activities for every age. All library programs are free and open to children of all abilities. Come in and see what the library has for you!

Asheville’s economic and building boom of the 1920s created a rarified atmosphere unique within Western North Carolina. Douglas Ellington is known as the architect who changed Asheville into an Art Deco showplace. With his ability to combine architectural styles he produced a series of one of a kind buildings—buildings which changed the face of Asheville—the City Building, Asheville High School, First Baptist Church and S&W Cafeteria. Douglas Ellington: Asheville’s Boomtown Architect presents a look at his iconic Asheville creations along with other buildings he completed throughout his career in other cities.

WINNER of a 2014 Griffin Award for Excellence in Education from the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County

MARA Meetings (Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous is a support group of people who believe in the value of medication as a means to recovery. We understand that our individual needs may not be the same; our backgrounds may not be the same; our futures may not be the same. However, our desire to live a safe lifestyle joins us together. Non-judgement is our code.
About Hope Coalition
Hope Coalition is a grassroots effort initiated by the Henderson County Partnership for Health in 2013 as a community collaborative to educate, evaluate, and implement evidence-based models on substance misuse and underage drinking in Henderson County by building capacity and creating long-term and sustainable plans that are action-oriented and focus on community level change.

Mon-Fri from 2-5pm. You have access to high speed internet, work space and HALF-OFF pastries when you present your college ID.

Peer Support
Group meetings: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Please contact us for individual services at 828.388.7979, Option #2
Through the “lived-experience” of our peer support specialists, we will assist, encourage, empower and advocate with others on their journey to finding their own path to recovery. Recovery is possible but is not meant to do alone. We do recover together.
About Hope Coalition
Hope Coalition is a grassroots effort initiated by the Henderson County Partnership for Health in 2013 as a community collaborative to educate, evaluate, and implement evidence-based models on substance misuse and underage drinking in Henderson County by building capacity and creating long-term and sustainable plans that are action-oriented and focus on community level change.
Live music from Albi & the Lifters, plus a performance featuring Elliott Hove!
Lawn games, food, beverages and a raffle for your relaxing evening with friends and family!
$10 for ASCI members, $15 for non-members.
You can pre-purchase entry tickets or purchase day of (while supplies last). Each ticket includes a free glass of wine (red, white or rose)
Bring a picnic blanket and chairs and enjoy the evening with Asheville Sister Cities!
Food will be available for purchase ahead of time through July 10th. It will also be available at the event (while supplies last).
A directional sign located in Saumur. Donate here to help build a similar version in Asheville. | Photo courtesy of Asheville Sister Cities

Looking to get involved, stay active, and meet some new friends? Sand Hill Community Garden workdays take place on Wednesdays (6-8 p.m.) and Saturdays (10 a.m.-noon) from Feb. 27-Oct. 30, 2021, at Buncombe County Sports Park. The garden is located on 16 Apac Dr. in West Asheville/Enka-Candler.
Join friends and neighbors as they come together on common ground to raise fresh, organic vegetables and fruits for the Enka community.
Expect to wear a mask and maintain social distance throughout. Tools and hand sanitizer are available, but any gloves, loppers, pruners, or gardening tools you can bring will decrease the amount of contact between volunteers. Please wear work clothes to get dirty and closed-toe shoes. Sunscreen, water, and a hat are also handy items to have on hand.
Sand Hill Community Garden has been growing fresh produce since 2011 and raised over 1,200 lbs. of organic produce last year.
NOTE: Community workdays are weather dependent. Please join the community garden email list (send your info to [email protected]) to stay up on workday tasks and other garden news.
To receive the I Heart Parks monthly newsletter, sign up online. Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.

BMC’s esteemed faculty perform one of Shostakovich’s best-known chamber works, written for piano and string quartet.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Quintet
Other works TBA
Buncombe County is set to receive $51M in federal Covid relief funding. While there are some restrictions on how funding can be spent, it must address Covid relief and the subsequent economic fallout.
The County is now accepting proposals from the community on projects or programs. Examples of eligible categories include: small business support, household assistance, mental health programs, addressing public health disparities and more. Proposals are due Thursday, July 15. Read the full RFP and FAQs here.

