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.

Monday, January 20, 2020
Itch to Stitch Weaverville Library CANCELLED
Jan 20 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Weaverville Library

Itch to Stitch

Bring your current needle project and work while socializing with other like-minded crafters

MLK Jr Day of Service East End Valley Street cleanup
Jan 20 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
MLK Jr. Park

Image

Each year, we honor the history of Asheville and of Martin Luther King Jr. by spending a morning in service and in community together in the historic East End/ Valley Street neighborhood. Prior to the cleanup we will be joined Renee‘White, President of the East End Valley Street Neighborhood Association, who will speak about the history and importance of the neighborhood.

Join in a roadside cleanup in preparation for the MLK Jr March from the Berry Temple United Methodist Church to Downtown. We will be finished with the cleanup in time if volunteers wish to participate in the Peace Rally & March. Please read more about this here: http://mlkasheville.org/activities/peace-march-rally
Biscuits provided by Biscuit Head Biltmore. Coffee provided by Penny Cup (bring a mug if you can!). We will be supplying grabbers, gloves, vests, and bags. Please dress for the weather in clothing that may get a little dirty, and wear closed toed shoes.

MLK Jr Park

Skate, Roll & Stroll disability-friendly time on the Big Ice!
Jan 20 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Skate, Roll, & Stroll is a disability-friendly time on the Big Ice! Come out in your wheelchair or walker, be pulled around the ice on a sled or in a wagon, walk on the ice or try your hand at ice skating!

Skate Roll and Stroll sessions will be held from 10am – 12pm. Ice walkers are free and available first come, first served. Guests are encouraged to bring their own sleds, wagons, and helmets. Volunteers will be available to assist with guests as needed.

This event is free of charge and offers free parking in the VIP lot off of Church Street. Free ADA parking is available in the loading dock parking lot off of Academy Street. Be sure to arrive early at 9:30am to lace up your skates!

Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Awakening Support Group
Jan 21 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism

This group is dedicated to the growing number of people interested in Awakening to their True Nature. We explore the experience of simply Being through:

| Self-Inquiry | Presence | Surrender | Gratitude | Meditation |

• Transcend egoic mind patterns
• See the gift in challenging situations
• Live your Life’s Purpose
• Find lasting Inner Peace

Group meetings consist of Meditation, Video Satsang (watching videos of spiritual teachers) and a Sharing Circle (optional).

Donations of any amount are welcomed. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. (Donate online at https://tinyurl.com/awakeningsupport)

About the Facilitator:

Trey Carland, author of “A Seeker’s Guide to Inner Peace: Notes to Self,” has been hosting Awakening group meetings since 2007. “My passion is sharing the gift of Awakening with the World.”

Comments:

“Trey Carland embodies perfectly the quote, “still waters run deep.” I happened upon Trey several years ago through his spiritual awakening group. From this experience, Trey appeared to me as a wise Sage. Trey is accepting and patient with people. His demeanor is calm and loving. For me, it was evident that the stillness of Trey’s soul, is like a shimmering river that runs endlessly, with much depth. With celebration, I am blessed for having him as a friend. ” ~ John K.

(Read More at http://www.treycarland.com)

UNC Asheville’s Commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.
Jan 21 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Highsmith Student Union Blue Ridge Room

UNC Asheville’s annual commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. will feature a keynote address by the award-winning journalist, author and civil rights pioneer Charlayne Hunter-Gault, free and open to everyone, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in the Highsmith Student Union Blue Ridge Room on campus.

Master classes, workshops on social justice, documentary film, music, dance, and spoken word from blues-based poet Arthur Flowers will also be featured as part of the University commemoration of Dr. King.

Tuesday, Jan. 21 – Charlayne Hunter-Gault – A veteran journalist who gained fame as longtime national and international correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, Charlayne Hunter-Gault has also reported for CNN, NPR, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. She is the author of four books, and a pioneer of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement who successfully challenged segregation in court, and was the first black woman to attend the University of Georgia. (a more complete bio follows below)

  • Master Class: Up Close and Personal: A Chat with Charlayne Hunter-Gault, moderated by UNC Asheville Assistant Professor of English Mildred Barya – 4 p.m., Highsmith Student Union Room 228.
  • Keynote Address: From Jim Crow America to Apartheid South Africa and Beyond – An Activist Journalist’s Journey – 7 p.m., Highsmith Student Union Blue Ridge Room.
  • Support for Charlayne Hunter-Gault’s visit to UNC Asheville comes from Biltmore Farms Hotels, Blue Ridge Public Radio, and Our State
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Steeped in Time: Tea and Traditions Exhibit
Jan 22 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center

Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center celebrated the opening of its newest traveling exhibit, “Steeped in Time: Tea and Traditions” on Saturday, January 18, 2020. The exhibit will run through the July 4th weekend at MGM, located at 24 Water Street in Old Fort. Admission is free.

 

Documentary Film on the History of Lynching in America
Jan 22 @ 7:00 pm
Highsmith Student Union Grotto.

 

Wednesday, Jan. 22 – Documentary Film on the History of Lynching in America

  • Always in SeasonThis 2019 film, produced and directed by Jacqueline Olive, won the Special Jury Prize for Moral Urgency at the Sundance Film Festival. Reporting on four American communities where descendants of victims and perpetrators are working together to heal, the film explores the lingering impact of more than a century of lynching African Americans and connects this form of historic racial terrorism to racial violence today – 7 p.m., Highsmith Student Union Grotto.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Come Hell or High Water, Remembering the Flood of 1916
Jan 23 @ 5:30 pm
Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center

Join us as we present the documentary film “Come Hell or High Water, Remembering the Flood of 1916” by award-winning filmmaker David Weintraub.  Interviews with survivors and their children bring this film alive with the heartbreak, courage, resilience and benevolence of the mountain people.
David founded the Center for Cultural Preservation and is dedicated to preserving mountain heritage and sharing our cultural treasures through oral history projects, documentary films, public programs, books, education and more.
UNCA workshop: Why We March. How We March: The Culture of Organizing and Community Building
Jan 23 @ 5:30 pm
Highsmith Student Union Mountain Suites.

Thursday, Jan. 23 – Social Justice in Action Workshop

  • Why We March. How We March: The Culture of Organizing and Community Building – This workshop will be led by Cortina Caldwell, founder and creative director for Artists Designing Evolution, LLC (adé PROJECT) – 5:30 p.m., Highsmith Student Union Mountain Suites.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Are You Registered to Vote?
Jan 25 all-day
Not sure if you’re registered to vote in the upcoming primary, local and general election? Take one minute to check by clicking the button below!

 

Kindly provided by MANNA Food Bank!

Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) 12 week course
Jan 25 all-day
City Municipal Building

Police-Hat

Applications are due Feb. 21.

The Asheville Police Department (APD) is now inviting residents to apply for the spring semester of the Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA). Participants in this free course will learn about the daily work and operations of APD, while also giving the department an opportunity to obtain valuable feedback from the community.

 

The course will begin on March 5. Sessions are held each Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. for 12 weeks. The course is held at the Municipal Building, 100 Court Plaza, in downtown Asheville. Dinner is provided.

 

The course consists of basic classroom instruction, presentations and demonstrations of topics such as criminal investigations, constitutional and criminal law, use of force, departmental structure and defensive tactics. Participants will also be given the opportunity to ride along with an officer.

Those wishing to participate must apply and be accepted. You can submit an application online at this link. Applications are due Feb. 21.

 

LEAF Volunteers is now LEAF WeX
Jan 25 all-day
LEAF
We’ve opted to shift the name and give some different benefits.
WHAT is changing? The name, WeX Star Crew benefit, & Festival HQ
– Regular Volunteers are now WeX. Work 10 hours in exchange for Weekend (Fri to Sun) Ticket
– Plus Volunteers are now WeX Plus. Work 15 hours in exchange for a Weekend Plus (Thu to Sun) Ticket
– Star Volunteers are now WeX Star. Work 20 hours in exchange for a Weekend Plus (Thu to Sun) Ticket AND a Culinary Passport -OR- a Star Guest Pass Ticket (Thu to Sun). Guest passes are LIMITED.

We’ll update our Auto-Reply as well as make a note on the website when the guest pass is no longer an available option. Those who have submitted completed applications prior to the cut off will have the guest pass option.

WeX Headquarters (HQ) will now be located under the Ship with a designated lounging area for WeXs. Make sure to come by and say hello!! You’ll pick up official schedule cards and culinary passes here as well.

RiverLink’s Art & Poetry Contest Grades PreK-12
Jan 25 all-day
online
Seeking Nominations: Griffin Awards
Jan 25 all-day
Buncombe County
Each year, PSABC presents awards to outstanding projects and individuals that further our goals of historic preservation in Asheville and Buncombe County for our Griffin Awards.  Nominations for the 2020 awards to be held on May 28th are now open to individuals, companies and organizations in the following categories:
  • Restoration
  • Rehabilitation
  • Adaptive Re-use
  • In-fill Construction in Historic and Traditional Neighborhoods
  • Research, Publication and Education
  • Stewardship
  • Preservation
Seeking nominees for Neighborhood Hero Award
Jan 25 all-day
City of Asheville

community volunteers photo

 

Many things make a good neighborhood: sidewalks, shady trees and manageable car traffic come to mind. But most of all, it’s the people who take time to know each other, who care about the health, safety and rights of their neighbors, who help and look out for children, elders and others in need. These are the neighbors who show they care by maintaining their homes, gardens and public spaces, who participate and are connected to organizations that focus on neighborhoods.

 

And these are the extraordinary people the City of Asheville wants to honor as the Neighborhood Advisory Committee seeks submissions to recognize individuals or groups who have made a difference in their neighborhood during 2019. The recipient or recipients will be recognized at an Asheville City Council meeting and be featured in the neighborhood news throughout the year.

So help us find that outstanding person or group and nominate them for Asheville’s Neighborhood Hero Award

 

Share with us the good work going on in your neighborhood! Nominate a deserving recipient. The deadline is Jan. 31, 2020.

 

 

Tax Help at Libraries Runs Feb. 1-April 15
Jan 25 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in cooperation with the I.R.S, N.C. Dept. of Revenue, Buncombe County Library System and Council on Aging, Inc. will again offer free tax Preparations for low and moderate income taxpayers, with special attention to those age 60 and older. Both Federal and N.C. State tax returns will be electronically filed for safe and accurate preparation with faster refunds.

This service will be available from Feb. 1-April 15, at sites listed below. Please note that some locations have different start dates as several libraries will be hosting early voting for the Presidential primaries in February.

Tax help for Weaverville will be held at the Brookstone Baptist Church and tax help for West Asheville will be held at the West Asheville Presbyterian Church. All tax help locations can be found at irs.gov.

Steeped in Time: Tea and Traditions Exhibit
Jan 25 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center

Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center celebrated the opening of its newest traveling exhibit, “Steeped in Time: Tea and Traditions” on Saturday, January 18, 2020. The exhibit will run through the July 4th weekend at MGM, located at 24 Water Street in Old Fort. Admission is free.

 

Wings for Autism®
Jan 25 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Asheville Regional Airport

The fifth annual Wings for Autism© at Asheville Regional Airport is Saturday, January 25, 2020 from 9am to noon. The free event provides an immersive, simulated airport experience for people on the autism spectrum and their families or caregivers. Participants will arrive at the airport, check in for their “flight” at the ticket counter, go through airport security, wait at the gate, enjoy a meal, and board the plane for their pretend trip.
Travel is a wonderful experience for many; however, for our autistic friends, the air travel experience can be unfamiliar, potentially stressful, and feel out of reach. We are pleased to partner with The Arc of Buncombe County, Allegiant, Worldwide Flight Service, the Transportation Security Administration and Bojangles’ of WNC to provide a practice airport experience to help our autistic friends and neighbors become more comfortable with the airport and airplane environments.
Pilates with Puppies Asheville Humane Society
Jan 25 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Asheville Humane Society

Please join us for a fundraiser for the Asheville Humane Society. Pilates with Puppies will be a basic Pilates class, with puppies provided by AHS. Please BYO yoga or Pilates mat and a small towel. Please do not bring your own puppy! $15. Pre-registration required. 

WNC Affordable Housing Fair
Jan 25 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Pack Library

The Buncombe County Public Library System introduces our first ever WNC Affordable Housing Fair. The fair will be held from noon – 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Lord Auditorium on the lower level of Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. Thirteen area agencies will be available to provide information about emergency shelter, rentals, and home ownership for area residents with different types of housing needs, from those experiencing homelessness to renters and individuals who qualify for home ownership assistance programs. Participating agencies include ABCCM, Asheville Housing Authority, BeLoved, Blair H. Clark Respite Center, Council on Aging, Eblen Charities, Givens Gerber Park , Habitat for Humanity, Helpmate Homeward Bound, Justice Resource Center, Mountain Housing Opportunities, and The Real Asheville Initiative.

Asheville Sister Cities Burns Night Supper
Jan 25 @ 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Country Club of Asheville

A Robert Burns 261st Birthday Celebration Dinner will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2020, at the Country Club of Asheville. The event is sponsored by the Dunkeld and Birnam Committee of Asheville Sister Cities, Inc. (a 501c3 non-profit) which will benefit from the net proceeds of the dinner, optional whisky tasting, and charity raffle & auction.
A formal Robert Burns Dinner Ceremony beginning at 5:30 pm will include a three course meal with Haggis, a piper, poets, dancers and other entertainment. Scottish attire is recommended. Cocktails and other refreshments will be available from a credit card bar. An optional Scotch Whisky Blind Tasting of five single malts will be conducted with a $50 entry fee. Guests may also buy raffle tickets for an assortment of Scottish themed gifts and bid on auction items.
Tickets for the dinner ($100 per person) may be purchased on Eventbrite.com, downloading a registration form from ashevillesistercities.org/burns/, or by sending a check payable to the Asheville Sister Cities, Inc. to 994 Clovertop Lane, Arden, NC 28704. You will receive a follow up letter with additional information.

Sunday, January 26, 2020
Are You Registered to Vote?
Jan 26 all-day
Not sure if you’re registered to vote in the upcoming primary, local and general election? Take one minute to check by clicking the button below!

 

Kindly provided by MANNA Food Bank!

LEAF Volunteers is now LEAF WeX
Jan 26 all-day
LEAF
We’ve opted to shift the name and give some different benefits.
WHAT is changing? The name, WeX Star Crew benefit, & Festival HQ
– Regular Volunteers are now WeX. Work 10 hours in exchange for Weekend (Fri to Sun) Ticket
– Plus Volunteers are now WeX Plus. Work 15 hours in exchange for a Weekend Plus (Thu to Sun) Ticket
– Star Volunteers are now WeX Star. Work 20 hours in exchange for a Weekend Plus (Thu to Sun) Ticket AND a Culinary Passport -OR- a Star Guest Pass Ticket (Thu to Sun). Guest passes are LIMITED.

We’ll update our Auto-Reply as well as make a note on the website when the guest pass is no longer an available option. Those who have submitted completed applications prior to the cut off will have the guest pass option.

WeX Headquarters (HQ) will now be located under the Ship with a designated lounging area for WeXs. Make sure to come by and say hello!! You’ll pick up official schedule cards and culinary passes here as well.

RiverLink’s Art & Poetry Contest Grades PreK-12
Jan 26 all-day
online
Equality NC and Southerners on New Ground: 4th Sundays at Firestorm Books
Jan 26 @ 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Firestorm Books & Coffee

Equality North Carolina (ENC) and Southerners on New Ground (SONG) are collaborating on informal meetings on the fourth Sunday of every month at Firestorm Books in Asheville.

This month, we’ll focus on:
-What’s on the ballot
-Voter Mobilization

See you there!

Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Creative Sector Talk
Jan 28 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Center for Craft

The Opportunity for Special Events to Help Build an Equitable and Inclusive Community

We know special events and festivals have long been employed as powerful tools in supporting business, motivating entrepreneurship, and promoting the arts. Additionally, the City of Asheville is focusing on special events and how they can help build an equitable and inclusive community. But government doesn’t just change on its own. What internal and external efforts are needed to maximize returns? Hear from the City’s Outdoor Special Events office about their collaborations with the City’s Office of Equity & Inclusion. Learn about the confines we’re all working within as community members, and why it takes an inside effort within government to push forward. Where are your opportunities to create and participate in special events that help build an equitable and inclusive community?

Speakers: City of Asheville Outdoor Event Manager Jon Fillman and Business Inclusion Manager Rosanna Mulcahy

The City of Asheville’s Community & Economic Development department is responsible for outdoor special event administration. This office develops and manages partnerships with organizations that produce events, coordinates support services, and oversees regulatory and permitting requirements for temporary uses of parks, streets, and undeveloped city-owned property.

Free for AAAC Members, $5 per talk for Non-Members. Registration is required.

Creative Sector Talk: The Opportunity for Special Events to Help Build an Equitable and Inclusive Community
Jan 28 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Center for Craft

We know special events and festivals have long been employed as powerful tools in supporting business, motivating entrepreneurship, and promoting the arts. Additionally, the City of Asheville is focusing on special events and how they can help build an equitable and inclusive community. But government doesn’t just change on its own. What internal and external efforts are needed to maximize returns? Hear from the City’s Outdoor Special Events office about their collaborations with the City’s Office of Equity & Inclusion. Learn about the confines we’re all working within as community members, and why it takes an inside effort within government to push forward. Where are your opportunities to create and participate in special events that help build an equitable and inclusive community?

Speakers: City of Asheville Outdoor Event Manager Jon Fillman and Business Inclusion Manager Rosanna Mulcahy

The City of Asheville’s Community & Economic Development department is responsible for outdoor special event administration. This office develops and manages partnerships with organizations that produce events, coordinates support services, and oversees regulatory and permitting requirements for temporary uses of parks, streets, and undeveloped city-owned property.

 

Creative Sector Talk: The Opportunity for Special Events to Help Build an Equitable and Inclusive Community
Jan 28 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Center for Craft

We know special events and festivals have long been employed as powerful tools in supporting business, motivating entrepreneurship, and promoting the arts. Additionally, the City of Asheville is focusing on special events and how they can help build an equitable and inclusive community. But government doesn’t just change on its own. What internal and external efforts are needed to maximize returns? Hear from the City’s Outdoor Special Events office about their collaborations with the City’s Office of Equity & Inclusion. Learn about the confines we’re all working within as community members, and why it takes an inside effort within government to push forward. Where are your opportunities to create and participate in special events that help build an equitable and inclusive community?

Speakers: City of Asheville Outdoor Event Manager Jon Fillman and Business Inclusion Manager Rosanna Mulcahy

Awakening Support Group
Jan 28 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism

This group is dedicated to the growing number of people interested in Awakening to their True Nature. We explore the experience of simply Being through:

| Self-Inquiry | Presence | Surrender | Gratitude | Meditation |

• Transcend egoic mind patterns
• See the gift in challenging situations
• Live your Life’s Purpose
• Find lasting Inner Peace

Group meetings consist of Meditation, Video Satsang (watching videos of spiritual teachers) and a Sharing Circle (optional).

Donations of any amount are welcomed. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. (Donate online at https://tinyurl.com/awakeningsupport)

About the Facilitator:

Trey Carland, author of “A Seeker’s Guide to Inner Peace: Notes to Self,” has been hosting Awakening group meetings since 2007. “My passion is sharing the gift of Awakening with the World.”

Comments:

“Trey Carland embodies perfectly the quote, “still waters run deep.” I happened upon Trey several years ago through his spiritual awakening group. From this experience, Trey appeared to me as a wise Sage. Trey is accepting and patient with people. His demeanor is calm and loving. For me, it was evident that the stillness of Trey’s soul, is like a shimmering river that runs endlessly, with much depth. With celebration, I am blessed for having him as a friend. ” ~ John K.

(Read More at http://www.treycarland.com)

Arthur Flowers Literary Blues and the Hoodoo Way – In the Footsteps of MLK
Jan 28 @ 7:00 pm
Highsmith Student Union Blue Ridge Room.

UNC Asheville’s annual commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr:

Arthur Flowers at a sound board

Tuesday, Jan. 28 – Arthur Flowers – Memphis-born blues-based poet, novelist, essayist, and practitioner of literary hoodoo, Arthur Flowers is an associate professor of English at Syracuse University and is former director of the Harlem Writers Guild. His books include Another Good Loving Blues, Mojo Rising: Confessions of a 21st Century Conjureman, and Brer Rabbit Retold.

  • Literary Blues and the Hoodoo Way – In the Footsteps of MLK – This performance and lecture by Arthur Flowers will also feature opening music by UNC Asheville’s Afro Music and Dance Ensemble – 7 p.m., Highsmith Student Union Blue Ridge Room.