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.

Johnson family farm Christmas open house

Nov 19 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Johnson Family Farm

Come to the local farm stand and enjoy hot cider, write a letter to Santa, and support local crafters for your perfect holiday gifts! Free ornament with any purchase $10 and more.

Categories: Family Fun Food & Drink Holiday Market

Fairy Hair Sparkles Fun

Nov 19 @ 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Gold Dust Boutique

Get glammed up with Magical Fairy Hair at the Gold Dust Boutique!

You can wash, brush, comb, curl, flat iron, (up to 450°!), color, straighten, perm, blow it dry, get your haircut, etc.
Do whatever you normally do to your hair! Long lasting, super fun, non damaging to your hair, and affordable!

Covid precautions will be used.

Space is limited. Sign up now for your Fairy Hair Sparkles!
Sign up at FairyKimSparkles.com/calendar

Categories: Family Fun Featured Holiday Market

UNC Asheville Holiday Student Art and Ceramics Sale

Nov 19 @ 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Owen Hall, S. Tucker Cooke Gallery

A wide variety of functional and decorative pottery and other artwork crafted by UNC Asheville students will be on sale at the annual holiday UNC Asheville Student Art & Ceramics Sale.

A wide variety of functional and decorative pottery and other artwork crafted by UNC Asheville students will be on sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Department of Art and Art History. Cash or checks only.

Community Expectations

As members of this community, we care about everyone. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors have a shared commitment to take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading COVID-19 while following all recommended health guidelines. Please see UNC Asheville’s Community Expectations. Masks are required of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Accessibility

Find accessibility information for campus buildings at maps.unca.edu. For accessibility questions or to request event accommodations, please contact [email protected] or 828.250.3832.

Categories: Art & Craft Holiday Market

Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum

Nov 19 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights returns to the gardens November 19-January 1

Tickets are now sold PER VEHICLE, not per person.

We are thrilled to announce that the 2021 Winter Lights holiday event will welcome members and guests back into the gardens as it returns to the traditional outdoor walk-through open-air show format. The famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden will be back, outfitted with new designs in lights, while throughout the gardens, popular arrangements will mingle with ones never seen before.

You can find everything you need to know about Asheville’s Brightest Holiday Tradition at the tabs above, and be sure to secure your tickets now.

We hope you will join us this holiday season!

Winter Lights is the Arboretum’s largest annual fundraiser, and supports many parts of its mission driven programming.

Categories: Family Fun Garden Holiday Outdoors

Saturday, November 20, 2021

Elida Homes: Sponsor A Child for the Holidays

Nov 20 all-day

online

Eliada works hard to make the holidays a special time for the children in our care. This year, due to the ongoing pandemic and job insecurity, our children and youth need support more than ever.

Many children who are living at Eliada may be restricted to campus and won’t have the opportunity to go home for the holidays. Families in our child development center face financial hardship. Our older youth transitioning to adulthood have children of their own, and are struggling to find work and safe housing during this time.

With community support, Eliada can help parents and guardians provide a bright and joy-filled Christmas to their kids. For most of Eliada’s children and youth, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only gifts they will get during the holiday season.

How to sponsor a child:

When you sign up to sponsor a child for the holidays, you’ll receive a wish list. Wish lists include information that help you get to know the child such as their favorite sports team, color, and movie. Wish lists also include their top three most need and most wanted items. Needed items include winter clothing, shoes, and hygiene products. Wanted items often include things like music, art supplies, and developmentally appropriate toys and games.

The value of a wish list is around $150. You can divide that cost with friends, or even sponsor several children.

To sign up to sponsor, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at [email protected].

Sponsor multiple children with a program wish list:

We also have wish lists which include items that children will need here at Eliada throughout 2022.

Cottage wish lists are for youth living at Eliada. They include toiletries, bedding and towels, books, games, art supplies, suitcases, and kitchen utensils. Many children will arrive at Eliada in 2021 with a few clothes in a garbage bag. Together we can ensure they feel at home at Eliada.

Other wish lists are for our Child Development, Day Treatment, Campus Farm and Equine Therapy programs with needed classroom and playground supplies.

Sponsor a last minute wish:

Some youth living at Eliada won’t arrive until right before the holidays! We won’t receive their wish lists until late November-early December. If you can shop at the last minute, we can use your support.

If you don’t have time to shop, Eliada will use your donation to purchase gifts for children who may arrive at Eliada very close to Christmas or right after Christmas. It shouldn’t matter when you arrive at Eliada–your wishes should be fulfilled! You can make a donation here. In the comment field, write “holiday wishes.”

To sign up to sponsor multiple children or a teen at the last minute, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at [email protected] or by phone at (828) 254-5356, ext. 306.

Categories: Community Donations Holiday

Help Make a Child Smile this Holiday Season!

Nov 20 all-day

Eliada Homes

Eliada works hard to make the holidays a special time for the children in our care. You can help bring a smile to their face by fulfilling their holiday wishes!

Sponsor a Child:

When you sign up to sponsor a child for the holidays, you’ll receive a Wish List that a young person created. Wish Lists include their favorite things, clothing sizes, and most needed and wanted items. The value of a Wish List is around $150. You can divide that cost with friends, or even sponsor several children.

For most of Eliada’s children and youth, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only gifts they will get during the holiday season.

Sponsor Multiple Children:

We also have Wish Lists which include items that children will need here at Eliada depending on what program they are in.

Cottage wish lists for youth living at Eliada, for example, include toiletries, bedding and towels, books, games, art supplies, suitcases and kitchen utensils. Many children come to Eliada with a few clothes in a garbage bag. Together we can provide them things that every home should have!

Other wish lists are for our Child Development programs, Foster Care program, Farm program, Summer Camp program, and Recreation programs. Our Equine Therapy program also has some needs this holiday season! We never know when we’ll get a call for a child in Foster Care who needs a home immediately. Let’s help Foster Parents provide these children everything they deserve!

Sponsor a last minute wish:

Some youth living at Eliada won’t arrive until right before the holidays! We won’t receive their wish lists until mid-late November. Can you sign up to help one of these teens at the last minute?

Categories: Community Donations Holiday

Save $2 on Festival of Lights Tickets

Nov 20 all-day

Lake Julian Park

Entrance to Festival of Lights --
display with a
deer on a
mountain

Save $2 on Festival of Lights Tickets

Magic and memories return to Lake Julian Park during Festival of Lights, nightly December 1-23. Western North Carolina’s original and longest-running drive-thru light show celebrates 21 years.

Save $2 when you enter code MAGIC2021 by December 1, making it just $8 per personal vehicle.

Tickets are valid for a one-time use only any night of the festival; they are not date-specific. 20% of all proceeds benefit Special Olympics programs in Buncombe County.

Categories: Family Fun Holiday

Virtual Angel Giving Tree

Nov 20 all-day

online

Our virtual angel tree is up for this holiday season. This gift tree provides our broader YWCA community a path to join us as we aim to support our program participants and their families with a holiday season full of love and support.

If you are able to, please select a gift from our Amazon wish list by December 10, 2021. Gifts from the list will be mailed directly to our building and will be sorted and distributed by our YWCA elves. All items on the list have been selected by the families and are items they are wishing for or are in need of this holiday season.

If you would like to go further and adopt a family this holiday season please email Katie Zambrano in our Women’s Empowerment Department to get the details of how you can fulfill a family’s holiday wish.

All gifts must be ordered by December 10.

Programs Served by the Angel Tree

MotherLove
YWCA’s MotherLove program supports pregnant and parenting teens throughout Buncombe County. Our goals are to help young parents to stay in school and graduate, access higher education and vocational training, develop the skills and knowledge needed to become strong parents, and delay another teen pregnancy.

Getting Ahead In a Just Getting By World
YWCA’s Getting Ahead program aims to provide financial empowerment for low-income women of all ages and backgrounds to make choices that positively impact themselves, their families, and their community.

Early Learning Program
YWCA’s Early Learning Program provides 5-star childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Our experienced and compassionate teachers not only provide exceptional care for little ones, but also prepare young children to succeed cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. We prioritize families using childcare vouchers or caring for children in the foster care system.

Empowerment Childcare
The YWCA provides up to 12 hours of free childcare per week for parents who are in transition, continuing their education, accessing social services, or looking for employment. ECC works closely with the Family Justice Center, Buncombe County Health and Human Services, A-B Tech, Green Opportunities, and Mary Benson House.

Categories: Donations Holiday

Food Lion Feeds For the Holidays

Nov 20 @ 7:00 am – 11:00 pm

various Food Lions in the area

From November 10th to December 14th, Food Lion is hosting their Food Lion Feeds For the Holidays campaign.

Customers have the opportunity to participate in the in-store food drive at Food Lion stores by purchasing and donating a Food Lion Feeds For the Holidays box of food, which will then be donated to MANNA.

When you are next at Food Lion be on the lookout for their Food Lion Feeds For the Holidays food boxes.

Categories: Donations Food & Drink Holiday

North Asheville Tailgate Market

Nov 20 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

North Asheville Tailgate Market

Even though it’s getting colder, you can still find fresh, local food at area farmers tailgate markets. Several markets in Buncombe County will offer holiday markets or extended seasons in November and December. In addition to seasonal produce, meats, cheeses, and bread, these markets feature local artists and handmade goods, such as wreaths, pottery, jewelry, and more.

Categories: Farmers Market Holiday

TOYS FOR TOTS TOY DRIVE

Nov 20 @ 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Asheville Outlets

TOYS FOR TOTS TOY DRIVE

Help make sure kids in need have a source of joy this Christmas.

The holidays are upon us and while many get ready for celebrations, gift-giving, and receiving, there are too many in our communities who do not have that luxury. Join 99.9 Kiss County’s Eddie Foxx and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at Asheville Outlets Thursday, November 18 through Saturday, November 20 for the annual Toys for Tots Toy Drive Marathon. Foxx will be broadcasting live near Sportsman’s Warehouse and accepting new, unwrapped toys or cash donations! Drivers can pull up, stay inside their vehicles and hand off donations safely to volunteers. For information on how to contribute or participate, go to asheville-nc.toysfortots.org

Hours:

Thursday, November 18 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Friday, November 19 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 20 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Categories: Donations Family Fun Holiday

‘Tis the Season Holiday Fair

Nov 20 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

WNC Ag Center Expo Building

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in the beautiful Western NC Mountains.

A festive shopping event featuring fabulous art, crafts, gifts, adornments for the home as well as delectable holiday food and NC wines.

Tis The Season Holiday Fair

Easy to find…

Just off I-26 at exit 40 (across from the Asheville Airport)
WNC AG Center, Davis Event Building Gate # 5

‘Tis the Season Holiday Fair is just minutes from the Biltmore Estate which is adorned with Christmas during the holiday season. The Grove Park Inn who hosts the well known Gingerbread House Competition and all the downtown festivities in the area that go on throughout the holiday season.

Categories: Holiday Market

Toys for Tots Drive

Nov 20 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Asheville Outlets

Help bring joy to children in need by participating in the WNC Marine Corps and iHeart Media Toys for Tots Drive from Thursday, November 18 through Saturday, November 20 in front of Sportsman’s Warehouse. Donations of new, unwrapped toys can be made at the annual Toys for Tots Drive Marathon at the center.

Categories: Community Donations Family Fun Holiday

UNC Asheville Holiday Student Art and Ceramics Sale

Nov 20 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Owen Hall, S. Tucker Cooke Gallery

A wide variety of functional and decorative pottery and other artwork crafted by UNC Asheville students will be on sale at the annual holiday UNC Asheville Student Art & Ceramics Sale.

Community Expectations