Calendar of Events

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Know Before You Go

• Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
• Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
• Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
• Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.
• COVID-19 Safety: In order to hear the guide and fully participate in the trail walk, participants will be in close proximity to one another for extended periods of time. While face coverings are not required, participants should use their best judgement to keep themselves and others safe while enjoying the trails. Individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should not participate.
• At this time, no more than 6 spaces may be filled by a single family/group through pre-registration for any one Guided Trail Walk. If additional spaces are available on the day of the Walk, additional members of the family/group may participate. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming larger groups in the future.

This is a family-friendly weekend that will include live music, urban foraging, yoga, movement, herbalism, mural art, a speaker series, local crafts & merchandise, a vintage clothing shop, boutique food & beverages, and a robust lineup of amazing musicians and educators.

Featuring two distinct sets by Rising Appalachia, and performances by Valerie June, DirtWire, Starling Arrow, The Reminders with Aja Black, Branden J. Lewis of Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sierra Hollister, Hawah Kasat and many more.

Saturday Workshop Schedule:

Workshop Doors: 11:00 AM

Workshops Start: 12:00 PM

Saturday Concert Schedule:

Concert Doors: 5:00 PM

Concert Starts: 6:00 PM

Saturday Music Lineup: Rising Appalachia, Dirtwire, The Reminders, Branden Lewis of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Castanea

Purchase full and partial passes now, all ticket tiers are available. Each day will have a distinct line up!

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Know Before You Go

• Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
• Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
• Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
• Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.
• COVID-19 Safety: In order to hear the guide and fully participate in the trail walk, participants will be in close proximity to one another for extended periods of time. While face coverings are not required, participants should use their best judgement to keep themselves and others safe while enjoying the trails. Individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should not participate.
• At this time, no more than 6 spaces may be filled by a single family/group through pre-registration for any one Guided Trail Walk. If additional spaces are available on the day of the Walk, additional members of the family/group may participate. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming larger groups in the future.

Featured Performers

Taya Ricker, violin

Franklin Keel, cello

Dr. Daniel Weiser , Concert Pianist and Founding Director of AmiciMusic

“TREMENDOUS TRIOS”

GREAT WORKS BY MENDELSSOHN, DEBUSSY, AND HIGDON

Join us for a powerful program of piano trios with Asheville natives Taya Ricker, violin, and Franklin Keel, cello, who will join forces with pianist/Artistic Director Daniel Weiser. Ricker is the daughter of cellist Frances Duff, who has been a cellist with the Asheville Symphony for many years while Keel is currently Associate Principal Cello in the Asheville Symphony. Ricker now lives and free-lances in New York City, but has returned for this thrilling program that includes Felix Mendelssohn’s epic C Minor Piano Trio, a colorful work by contemporary composer Jennifer Higdon, and a little-played Trio by Claude Debussy that he wrote just when he finished his schooling.

Taya Ricker, violin, is an avid chamber, orchestral, and jazz musician who has performed in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. As an orchestral musician Ms. Ricker has been a member of the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra and also served as Associate Concertmaster in the Western Piedmont Symphony. She has also performed in the violin sections of the Asheville, Richmond (Virginia) Symphony, and the Wintergreen Summer Festival Orchestras. She appears on the Grammy nominated recording of ‘Children of Adam’, a work commissioned by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra for their 60th anniversary, by Mason Bates.  Taya enjoys collaborating with musicians in all genres and has performed with many artists including Look Homeward, Falls, Jacob Whitesides, Molly Ringwald, PJ Morton. She can be found on albums by Between the Buried and Me, Anne-Claire and the Wild Mystics, and Buffalo Rose, and has been a regular guest performer with the UNCG Jazz Ensembles I and II.  ​She currently is a tenured member of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, an associate musician in the Columbus Symphony (Ohio), a core member of the Pittsburgh-based contemporary music ensemble Alia Musica, and performs with Cellist and conductor Amit Peled and his Mount Vernon Virtuosi.  During the 2022/2023 season she has appeared as guest concertmaster with the Spartanburg Philharmonic, guest assistant concertmaster with the Asheville Symphony, and principal second violinist with the Mount Vernon Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra.  n 2010, Taya, along with Pianist John Salmon, began a concert series in Greensboro North Carolina in collaboration with the MacKay Foundation for Cancer Research with all proceeds going to Wake Forest University School of Medicine section on Hematology and Oncology. The MacKay Foundation concerts continue to bring together notable jazz and classical musicians who have donated their time, energy, and talent.   ​Taya Ricker is a high school graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She holds her Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music in Violin Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the instruction of Dr. Fabian Lopez. She also holds a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Jazz Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the instruction of Professor Chad Eby. In May of 2019 Taya completed an Advanced Music Studies Certificate at Carnegie Mellon University under the instruction of the great Maestro and Violinist Andrés Cárdenes.  Taya is currently based in New York City where she freelances and maintains a private teaching studio. For more on Taya, please visit https://www.tayaricker.com/

Franklin Keel, cello, began studying violin when he was three years old before he discovered the cello at the age of six.  He earned scholarships to the Eastman School of Music, the Brevard Music Center (where he was a finalist in the Jan & Beattie Wood Concerto Competition), and the Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival.  He has appeared as a soloist with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, the Brevard Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Blue Ridge Orchestra.  He has shared the concert stage with Emmanuel Ax, Warren Haynes, Bright Eyes, Ben Sollee, Free Planet Radio, Stephanie’s Id, the Get Right Band, the Jon Stickley Trio, and Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band.  He has recorded with Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Ben Lovette, Jane Kramer,  the Secret B-Sides, and Holiday Childress, as well as full-length albums for Ben Phantom, Free Planet Radio, and Sirius.B.  He is now Associate Principal Cello with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, and he performs in many locally and regionally acclaimed projects such as the Opal String Quartet, Ben Phantom, Upland Drive, and Sirius.B.  As an avid chamber musician, he has collaborated regularly with Pan Harmonia, Amici Music, and the musicians of the Asheville Symphony.  Also a passionate educator, Mr. Keel taught orchestra and chorus for Henderson County Public Schools, served as a conductor for the Hendersonville Symphony Youth Orchestra program as well as interim conductor for the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra.  Alongside his colleagues in the Opal String Quartet, he continues to give clinics and classes to young string players across Western North Carolina.  He currently teaches string orchestra at Asheville Middle and High Schools and is the strings coach for the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Daniel Weiser, piano, has a Doctorate in Piano/Chamber Music from the Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Samuel Sanders and Robert MacDonald and won the Richard Franko Goldman prize for outstanding contribution to musical and education life. He has performed on many great stages, including the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, the National Gallery of Art in D.C., and on the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago.

He has also concertized around the world, including Israel, Thailand, Holland, and France and was the 1996 U.S. Artistic Ambassador Abroad, for which he performed on an eleven-country tour of the Middle East and Asia. He has been on the music faculty of Dartmouth College and the prestigious St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH.

Besides founding AmiciMusic, he co-founded and still serves as Artistic Director for Classicopia, a similar type of chamber music organization based in New Hampshire. He was also a founding member of the Adirondack Ensemble, which won a Chamber Music America award for inventive programming and outreach. He has participated in the New Hampshire Music Festival, Musicorda, and the Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival and has been the Music Director of the Da Corneta Opera Ensemble, the Opera North Young Artist program, and Opera New England.

A phi beta kappa graduate of Columbia University with a degree in American History, he also spent a year at Harvard Law School and was a classmate of President Obama. A native of Buffalo, NY, he currently lives in Baltimore, MD with his wife, Dr. Kisha Weiser and their fifteen-year old twin daughters, Rose and Sophie.

AmiciMusic is a chamber music organization based in Asheville, NC and Baltimore, MD, dedicated to performing the highest quality chamber music in intimate venues and non-traditional spaces. We are committed to breaking down barriers between performers and audiences by setting up a more relaxed and informal atmosphere at concerts and through informative talks about each composer’s life before each piece is played.

The “One Singular Sensation,” A Chorus Line, is coming to Flat Rock Playhouse for the first time and we are thrilled to share this award-winning musical with everyone! A Chorus Line is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers. The show follows 17 would-be dancers in their quest to make the cut for a new Broadway Musical. One by one, the dancers come forward to share the stories of their lives, giving it their all and putting themselves on the line to make the cut. Only eight will remain. Capturing the spirit, tension, and hope of an audition, A Chorus Line is the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all out there to make it come true!

A Chorus Line once held the record as the longest running show on Broadway with over 6000 performances, and heralds nine Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreographer, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Conceived and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian. Original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.

A timeless ghost story based on the Henry James novella of the same title, The Turn of the Screw is regarded by many as the finest of all Benjamin Britten’s works for stage. Its tale of good versus evil, natural versus the supernatural, and possession and exorcism, creates an astonishing dramatic power that has a shattering impact in the theater. A show not to be missed!

PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS
Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center
Brevard Festival Orchestra
Dean Anthony, stage director
Joseph Mechavich, conductor

BENJAMIN BRITTEN The Turn of the Screw

Sung in English with English supertitles

Auditorium seating is reserved.

Come enjoy a Saturday afternoon with the Brother West Band featuring Craig St. John.
Plenty of wine, views, and music!
***Day full of fun including annual craft show!
No cover charge

In 2020, Son Volt planned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of seminal album, Trace, with a tour that played the album from top to bottom. The pandemic had other plans. Flash forward to 2023 and they are on the road with a setlist that features Trace from beginning to end, an homage to Doug Sahm (Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornados) and a celebration of 28 years of Son Volt.

Son Volt’s latest record, Day of the Doug, revisits the music of legendary Texas troubadour Doug Sahm. But it’s much more than fond remembrance and colorful tribute. It is a summoning and a celebration of a songwriter and performer whose work forged country, Tex-Mex, rock, rhythm and blues, folk, and psychedelia into an utterly unique American sound.

Day of the Doug steps confidently on the trails Sahm blazed. Like any journey to find a grail, Day of the Doug also seeks out all the things that make young artists fall in love with making music in the first place: adventure, youth novelty, and a chance to snatch a bit of immortality.

“It’s like reconnecting with a hero,” says Son Volt founder Jay Farrar. “And getting back to the same kind of perspective I had when I was starting out as a younger musician. I think it’s just important to step back from what you normally do. Take stock. Take inspiration. And see where it leads from there.”

From the local favorites to new regional acts, all live from the river banks of the Nantahala. Raft, dine, then jam with us with Live Music every Friday and Saturday from 5pm-8pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

– ALL AGES
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

DOC ROBINSON

“Poppy and infectious with a taste of Motown and a splash of indie rock.”  – RIFF

An evening of original songs, creative instrumentation, and zany stories. Come for the truly unique Dr. Keyboardian experience & delightful Larrimore sounds!
All ages welcome. Open donation; special merchandise available.
Dr. Keyboardian was formed out of spite in 2013 when bandmates suggested I stop tinkering with my yard sale Seiko DS 250 keyboard and get back on drums where I belonged. They said I was a bad keyboard player. “I’ll show them,” I accidentally said out loud, “I’ll start a solo project and call it Dr. Keyboardian, and ten years later, I’ll still be bad, but I’ll hustle for gigs and make songs and design merch. So here we are today, ten years later, but not Ten Years After, ladies and gentlemen, it’s Dr. Keyboardian. He showed them.” Then I got back on drums.

Tim Greene, Head Coach, Dr. Keyboardian

Ian Larrimore teaches music to elementary students in McDowell county, writes songs, and studies guitar.

Flood Gallery Fine Art Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, and educates, encourages, challenges and inspires the community through music, film, literary, and contemporary art.

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE

Airpark
Formed in 2017 by brothers Ben Ford and Michael Ford, Jr., Airpark is a Nashville-based duo whose songs explore the wide expanse of forward-thinking pop music.

The 57th season of Shindig on the Green, a free event in the heart of downtown Asheville with a stage show and informal jam sessions, takes place on Saturday evenings July 1 through August 26, 2023.

Locals and visitors alike come together at downtown’s Pack Square Park “along about sundown,” or at 7:00 pm for those who wear a watch, and continues until 10:00 pm. Concessions are available! The remaining Shindig on the Green events will be held on July 1, 8, 15, 22 and August 12, 19, 26, 2023.

The stage show takes place on the Bascom Lamar Lunsford stage, named for the founder of the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. Since the outdoor event’s inception in 1967, hundreds of thousands of individuals from across the region and throughout the world have shared and enjoyed the rich traditional music and dance heritage of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in this outdoor setting.

Shindig on the Green remains a free event due in part to net proceeds from ticket sales to the nation’s longest continually running festival, the granddaddy of all festivals, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.

Danish composer Carl Nielsen described his Fifth Symphony as “the division of dark and light, the battle between evil and good, and the opposition between ‘Dreams and Deeds’. Powerful, genuine, and beautiful, Nielsen’s symphony was largely unrecognized outside of Denmark until Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic recorded a seminal account of the work in 1962. Grieg’s Piano Concerto, on the other hand, quickly became one of his most famous works and was performed by the leading pianists of the day. It was so popular, in fact, that it was the first piano concerto ever recorded. Maestro Rune Bergmann returns to Brevard in this performance with the BMCO.

PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS
Brevard Music Center Orchestra
Rune Bergmann, conductor
Natasha Paremski, piano

EDVARD GRIEG Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
CARL NIELSEN Symphony No. 5

Lead Sponsor: Jan Tore Hall

Auditorium seating is reserved.  Lawn seating is general admission.

Book by Chris D’Arienzo
Arrangements and Orchestrations by Ethan Popp
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals
www.concordtheatricals.com

Director: Victoria Lamberth

This five-time Tony Award-nominated musical tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip. But when the bar where rock reigns supreme is set to be demolished, it’s up to these wannabe rockers and their band of friends to save the day – and the music. Rock of Ages takes you back to the time of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair! This jukebox musical features all of your favorite ‘80s rock anthems and power ballads from bands including Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more.

Approximate Run Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Rating: PG-13 due to adult content, alcohol use, and language.

The “One Singular Sensation,” A Chorus Line, is coming to Flat Rock Playhouse for the first time and we are thrilled to share this award-winning musical with everyone! A Chorus Line is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers. The show follows 17 would-be dancers in their quest to make the cut for a new Broadway Musical. One by one, the dancers come forward to share the stories of their lives, giving it their all and putting themselves on the line to make the cut. Only eight will remain. Capturing the spirit, tension, and hope of an audition, A Chorus Line is the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all out there to make it come true!

A Chorus Line once held the record as the longest running show on Broadway with over 6000 performances, and heralds nine Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreographer, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Conceived and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian. Original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.

Gailfean, a word that means “rough weather” in Irish (Gaelic), is an Irish Traditional music group featuring All-Ireland champions Brian Conway, John Whelan, and Máirtín de Cógáin, and renowned musician and festival organizer Don Penzien. We came together in October 2012 at the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat in Texas. Toward the end of the festival weekend, Hurricane Sandy landed in the northeast and prevented the four of us from traveling home. It was a remarkable, portentous moment because circumstance put the lot of us together on stage for the first time and we made good on the opportunity, finding tons of shared ground in each other’s music. The audience was delighted and when our set came to an end, we knew we had something special as a group and that a recording project was the logical next step.

The four of us are all well known in the traditional music community. Brian is a cornerstone of the vaunted New York/Silgo fiddling tradition and John grew up a young prodigy in England, who moved to the US and crossed over to the wild side of accordion playing in the 80s and 90s. Although Brian and John gel like brothers in their playing, they’ve never recorded together, so this project is an exciting first. Don, who for nearly three decades programmed CelticFest in Jackson, Mississippi, is the rare sort of guitar talent who plays firmly underneath the melody and never puts a chord in out of turn. He has extensive performance experience with Máirtín, the man from Cork. Máirtín is a renowned singer, musician, and storyteller – a true seanachaí – who channels his youthful energy and guile to evoke the aromatic images and sensory sounds of old Ireland. There’s a lot to love here, and we think we make a compelling combination!

Join us for the magic happening in Asheville, NC at Salvage Station on July 15th and 16th!

Featuring two distinct sets by Rising Appalachia, and performances by Valerie June, DirtWire, Starling Arrow, The Reminders with Aja Black, Branden J. Lewis of Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sierra Hollister, Hawah Kasat and many more.

Sunday Workshop Schedule:

Workshop Doors: 11:00 AM

Workshops Start: 12:00 PM

Sunday Concert Schedule:

Concert Doors: 5:00 PM

Concert Starts: 5:45 PM

Sunday Music Lineup: Rising Appalachia, Valerie June, Starling Arrow, and DJ Malinalli

Purchase full and partial passes now, all ticket tiers are available. Each day will have a distinct line up!

The Carolina Mountain Club will celebrate its 100th year with a free, family-friendly party on Sunday, July 16, at the North Carolina Arboretum from 1 to 5 p.m. The celebration will include guided hikes, live music, food and ice cream trucks, kid activities and 20-plus booths featuring local non-profit vendors.

Music & Fun & Wines & views
***Day full of fun including annual craft show!
No Cover Charge

Performers:

Franklin Keel

Daniel Weiser

Taya Ricker

The “One Singular Sensation,” A Chorus Line, is coming to Flat Rock Playhouse for the first time and we are thrilled to share this award-winning musical with everyone! A Chorus Line is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers. The show follows 17 would-be dancers in their quest to make the cut for a new Broadway Musical. One by one, the dancers come forward to share the stories of their lives, giving it their all and putting themselves on the line to make the cut. Only eight will remain. Capturing the spirit, tension, and hope of an audition, A Chorus Line is the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all out there to make it come true!

A Chorus Line once held the record as the longest running show on Broadway with over 6000 performances, and heralds nine Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreographer, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Conceived and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian. Original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.

At the urging of his close friend George Butterworth, the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams turned his sketches for a symphonic poem about London into his masterful “London Symphony.” In it we hear the sounds of London – the Strand at night, Bloomsbury Square, Hampstead Heath, and of course the Westminster Chimes. Ken Lam opens the program with Zhou Tian’s Gift, an exploration of the composer’s identity after living abroad for 18 years, and a reminder to all musicians of the joy of music making.

PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS
Brevard Concert Orchestra
Ken Lam, conductor

ZHOU TIAN Gift
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS “A London Symphony”

Auditorium seating is reserved.  Lawn seating is general admission.