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.
Are you ready to be part of the 95th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival®? On August 4, 5, 6, 2022, a different show will be presented live on stage each evening allowing you to appreciate the talent and dedication of the hundreds of musicians, dancers, and storytellers who are preserving the traditions of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These traditions involve not only the hand-clapping, toe-tapping rhythms of Bluegrass, the style and stories of century-old ballads, the high energy of clogging, the elegance of Big Circle Mountain Smooth Dance, the fun and entertainment of storytelling, but also include an awareness of the hardships and trials that have brought us to this place and time.
This 95th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival® has been made possible through the generosity of our music community volunteering their time and talent to preserve and promote the Southern Appalachian music, dance and storytelling heritage.
A listing of performers who volunteer their time and talent to make our events possible can be found on Our Performers page. Please visit their websites and support their generosity by purchasing music, merchandise, making a contribution to virtual tip jars where available or just to tell them you enjoyed their performance. Our artists especially need our support during these difficult times.
The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival was founded by Bascom Lamar Lunsford as a means for people to share and understand the beauty and dignity of the Southern Appalachian music and dance traditions that have been handed down through generations in western North Carolina. He saw the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival grow to be the oldest gathering of its kind in the nation and it continues in this way, a platform for the talented of the high country lying between the Great Smoky and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Since 1928, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival has served a crucial role in raising awareness and understanding of the vitality and importance of Southern Appalachian culture throughout the region, nation and world. Bascom Lunsford’s mission was to present the finest of the Appalachian ballad singers, string bands and square dance teams for education and entertainment. The songs and dances shared at this event echo centuries of Scottish, English, Irish, Cherokee and African heritage found in the valleys and coves between the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lunsford’s was the first dubbed a folk festival, and he later consulted with many communities across the country interested in organizing similar festivals.
Join us in our new monthly social swing event on the 1st Saturdays of every month, The
music, open vintage space and wood floors and is guaranteed to have you dancing East Coast and/or Lindy all night long, A free
lesson is offered to kick things off and will include a different combination of moves each time, No partner or rhythm needed and
dress is casual, $10 for lesson and/or social dance.
Join us every Tuesday night for Trivia!
Trivia will run from 7-8:15 pm. We will be capping the teams at 20 and teams will not be able to join after 7 so make sure to arrive early to secure your spot!
No reservations needed, just grab your thinking caps and get ready for a good time and a chance to win a $10, $20, or $30 gift certificate to Down Dog!
No reservations needed, just get ready for a good time and a chance to win some Down Dog prizes!
Are you ready to get down with your StarTribe…and Mikaya playing live on the 22 speaker StarTribe sound system…and at the coolest venue in the southeast?
Hooray for such a rare opportunity to do what we love most…and right here at the premier location in Asheville!
- Be at Pack Square by 6:30PM for the opening ceremony!
- StarTribe dances are drug and alcohol free.
- Free attendance for kids 12 & under.
- Bring water!
- And reserve your space early!
Bio:
Mikaya Swabb, founder of Dance Church Maui, uses a spectrum of musical genres to deepen somatic embodiment through movement, breath and presence. He’s also a well-known sound healer that plays the gong, Tibetan singing bowl, Native American flute, N’goni, hand drum, and other sacred sound healing instruments.
The StarTribe Vision:
For thousands of years, countless cultures all over the world have danced for the purpose of community and self improvement, making dance of this kind an invaluable part of life.
The StarTribe ecstatic dances, with musicians like Mikaya, fulfill a passion for dance within the natural outdoor elements and a tight-knit community. StarTribe believes that dance within this energetic, high-minded container is among the most consciousness enhancing activities we can do for ourselves.
In much of the Western world, however, the scope of dance has become narrow and limited with the theme often being of noisy, unnatural nightclubs and bars which may not exactly be empowering, relative to what’s possible.
But there’s a revival of late towards more meaningful dance – dance that takes place in special outdoor settings and within a real sense of community, much like it was for millennia. This is where to find your tribe – StarTribe.
Thousands of people have participated in StarTribe, and for the real spirit of dance. There’s something especially moving and powerful about an entire community of people coming together for this experience, and YOU are warmly invited.
StarTribe is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to community transformation. That includes YOU.
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. The Street Dances feature bluegrass music, square dancing and demonstrations of clogging, a traditional southern Appalachian style of dance.
Enjoy the fresh air, bring a chair and delight in the one-of-a-kind experience you’ll get from this fun event!
This week, enjoy the music of Hightop Mountain Harmony, a four-piece band that plays a mix of bluegrass, country and gospel music. This week’s clogging performance will be the Southern Connection Cloggers!
In case of inclement weather, the concert will be postponed until 8pm. If the weather does not improve by 8 pm the performance will be canceled.
This Concert Series is sponsored by Burger King, Kathy Watkins of Preferred Realty, Firehouse Subs, Blue Ridge Hospitality and Mast General. This event is hosted by the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority.
Join us every Tuesday night for Trivia!
Trivia will run from 7-8:15 pm. We will be capping the teams at 20 and teams will not be able to join after 7 so make sure to arrive early to secure your spot!
No reservations needed, just grab your thinking caps and get ready for a good time and a chance to win a $10, $20, or $30 gift certificate to Down Dog!
No reservations needed, just get ready for a good time and a chance to win some Down Dog prizes!
Let’s get together in the Bold Rock taproom for Survey Says, hosted by Mindless Minutia, a Family Feud style trivia game! Grab yourself a drink and possibly some food from the Bold Rock kitchen, and let’s see if we’ll be the night’s winners!
Join us every Tuesday night for Trivia!
Trivia will run from 7-8:15 pm. We will be capping the teams at 20 and teams will not be able to join after 7 so make sure to arrive early to secure your spot!
No reservations needed, just grab your thinking caps and get ready for a good time and a chance to win a $10, $20, or $30 gift certificate to Down Dog!
No reservations needed, just get ready for a good time and a chance to win some Down Dog prizes!
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
Free Line Dance class at 5:30 | Concert from 6:30–8:30pm, From May through
October, enjoy a free biweekly concert at Firehouse Subs complete with dancing and a car show from Carolina Mountain Car
Club, No smoking, coolers or pets, On raining evenings call for cancelation info, Free, Firehouse Subs, Hendersonville, 828-697-
8344
Breedlove’s Family Restaurant will host a night of Trivia fun! World Geography, Movies, Food & Beverage,
Sports, Pop Culture, International Affairs, Music, Science & Nature and Television, complete with prizes and lots of laughs plus a
summertime cook out that includes hamburgers & hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, fruit, dessert and iced tea, $25
per person
Join us every Tuesday night for Trivia!
Trivia will run from 7-8:15 pm. We will be capping the teams at 20 and teams will not be able to join after 7 so make sure to arrive early to secure your spot!
No reservations needed, just grab your thinking caps and get ready for a good time and a chance to win a $10, $20, or $30 gift certificate to Down Dog!
No reservations needed, just get ready for a good time and a chance to win some Down Dog prizes!
For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information
For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information
Celebration and education of Blue Ridge Mountain culture, arts, & nature.
jacksonartsmarket.com for more information
For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information
Join us in our new monthly social swing event on the 1st Saturdays of every month, The
music, open vintage space and wood floors and is guaranteed to have you dancing East Coast and/or Lindy all night long, A free
lesson is offered to kick things off and will include a different combination of moves each time, No partner or rhythm needed and
dress is casual, $10 for lesson and/or social dance.
For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information
For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information
For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information
Join us every Tuesday night for Trivia!
Trivia will run from 7-8:15 pm. We will be capping the teams at 20 and teams will not be able to join after 7 so make sure to arrive early to secure your spot!
No reservations needed, just grab your thinking caps and get ready for a good time and a chance to win a $10, $20, or $30 gift certificate to Down Dog!
No reservations needed, just get ready for a good time and a chance to win some Down Dog prizes!
For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information