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.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Letters to Santa
Dec 16 all-day
Fletcher Town Hall
Low Income Energy Assistance
Dec 16 all-day
Online

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a federally-funded program that provides for a one-time vendor payment to help eligible households pay their heating bills.

Households including a person aged 60 or older or disabled persons receiving services through the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services are eligible to sign up for assistance from Dec. 1 – 31. All other households may apply from Jan. 1 – March 31 or until funds are exhausted.

Households that meet the following criteria may be eligible:

  • Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility criteria.
  • Meet an income test.
  • Have reserves at or below $2,250.
  • Be responsible for its heating costs.
Matching Donations Challenge Asheville Art Museum
Dec 16 all-day
Online

The Museum was closed for nearly six full months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing severe losses in revenue. Though we are now open, uncertainty still looms, and it will take a dedicated effort to recover to a position of strength and stability. Thanks to a generous grant from a longtime foundation supporter, the Museum has established the Asheville Art Museum COVID-19 Relief Fund and matching challenge to encourage additional operational support during this difficult year. We invite you to participate in the challenge and help secure the Museum’s future as we work to serve our community through engagement with the arts.

Through December 31, 2020, all Annual Fund donations and upgraded memberships will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000. Give any amount to the Annual Fund, and boost your impact at this critical time with the one-to-one match. You may also join the Masterpiece Society or renew at another upgraded membership level. Any gift in addition to your current renewal will be matched by this fund and will count toward your membership

NCDHHS Offers Guidance for Fall-Related Events
Dec 16 all-day
Online

As we move toward the Holiday season, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has released guidance for fall-related events. The guidance was developed with the goal of safer holiday breaks for college students and private social gatherings.

New Anonymous Crime Tip Tool
Dec 16 all-day
Online

illustration

Asheville Police Department announces rollout of new anonymous crime tip tool

The Asheville Police Department (APD) is putting a new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members. This new tool, TIP2APD, allows the public to share anonymous tips with police officers and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation. (See video tutorial below.)

 

TIP2APD app screenshots

The tool also allows the community to find information on incidents APD is currently asking for help with, and to receive alerts about crime activity in their city.

 

 

 

The application is available for free download for both iPhone and Android users via the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store by searching “AshevillePD.”

 

Individuals without a smartphone can share information with police by sending an anonymous text tip via their cell phone by texting keyword TIP2APD and their message/tip to 847411.

 

The TIP2APD tool is only for non-emergencies and is not a replacement for 9-1-1. In the event of an emergency please dial 9-1-1 immediately.

Now Accepting Applications For Mentors + Mentees Organic Growers School
Dec 16 all-day
Online w/Organic Growers School
The purpose of the Mentor Services program is to support beginning and intermediate farmers by partnering them with experienced regional farmers who can provide them with one-on-one practical planning skills in the areas of:
  • farm design and production
  • marketing and business development
  • systems management
  • connecting them to the regional farming community
By serving as Mentors, regional farmers will be able to pass on the skills and knowledge that they possess to other farmers and help to build collaboration and community among the farming community.

Apply to be Mentored

We are looking for farmers who have been farming at least 1 year and/or have worked as a farm manager.
Each applicant will be evaluated on an individual basis. Farming partners who apply jointly will receive one mentor.

Apply to be a Mentor

We are seeking experienced farmer mentors. We are specifically seeking experienced African American, Indigenous and Farmers of Color and any who may speak Spanish to serve our diverse beginning farmer population. We offer a $500 honorarium for your service as a mentor.
Farm Beginnings mentors offer participants 15 hours of mentorship from February to September, with a mix of in person and remote support.
Mentor Services is for new and beginning farmers. Mentors offer participants up to 30 hours of mentoring for a full year.
Pardee UNC Health: CDC Guidance on Who Should Get Tested for COVID-19
Dec 16 all-day
Online
Pardee UNC Health Care recently shared CDC guidance on who should get tested for COVID.
Considerations for Who Should Get Tested for COVID-19
  • People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Click here for a Coronavirus Self-Checker
  • People who have had close contact (link to help you determine your risk) (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
  • People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, links to local or state ​health departments.
Not everyone needs to be tested. If you do get tested, you should self-quarantine/isolate at home pending test results and follow the advice of your health care provider or a public health professional.
Pisgah Legal Covid-19 Urgent Response Matching Gift Challenge
Dec 16 all-day
Online

all donations — up to $200,000 — will be matched by donors

Pisgah Legal Services
is receiving 1,000 calls
per week on average
for assistance.

More than ever, people across Western North Carolina need Pisgah Legal Services: Many have lost their jobs and can no longer pay their rent; others need help securing health insurance. Many are facing increased domestic violence and do not how to safely escape. Others are too scared to seek medical treatment because of their immigration status.

Support Pisgah Legal today and help us provide legal remedies that result in long-term solutions for people struggling in our region during the COVID-19 crisis, and beyond. With early legal intervention, we can keep difficult situations from spiraling out of control and trapping families, seniors, children and other vulnerable people in poverty.

Please join us in the fight so that more people can get back on their feet and we can emerge from this crisis a more just and resilient community.

The Big Crafty Online
Dec 16 all-day
Online

Our weekend.

For the first time in more than a decade, we won’t be sharing hugs with you all, and we’re really missing it.
But we’ll still be admiring the year’s creative harvest and we hope you will, too!
Our artists have responded to the extraordinary circumstances of this year with creative zeal, and we hope you’ll enjoy checking in with them via our list of artists.
We will also be sharing some of our favorite work and gift ideas via Instagram and Facebook this weekend and throughout the holidays.
Treat yourself. Treat your fam. Know that your support is needed and appreciated.
Also…know that next year we will be hugging you extra tight.
Til then, stay well, keep your fires burning, and take extra good care of one another ❉❊❤❊❉

UNC Asheville Courses for Community Residents Great Smokies Writing Program
Dec 16 all-day
Online

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.

Elizabeth Lutyens teaches a group of students.

Winter Reading Challenge
Dec 16 all-day
Online with Buncombe County Libraries

Photo of typewriter

Looking for ways to optimize coziness this winter? Check out the Library’s Winter Reading Challenge! Starting Dec. 1, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library during public service hours or download a PDF below. The activity sheet includes multiple ways kids and their families can enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. This free activity sheet is designed with kids in mind, but all are invited to participate. The focal challenge is to Build A Blizzard, in which kids are invited to make paper snowflakes to help decorate their local branch. Libraries will be offering the craft supplies needed to Build a Blizzard while supplies last, so plan to stop by your library soon!

AHNA Annual Holiday Pet Food and Supply Drive
Dec 16 @ 7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Animal Hospital of North Asheville

“Warm Hearts * Full Bellies” Holiday Pet Food and Supply Drive
Join us this Holiday Season to help pets in need in our community. During “Warm Hearts * Full Bellies,” AHNA will be collecting donations of wet or dry pet food, much-needed supplies, and monetary donations for the Asheville Humane Society (AHS) and Meals on Wheels of Buncombe County.
Starting Friday, November 27th, and lasting through Saturday, January 2nd, we will be offering several different ways to donate to help these amazing organizations. Due to how the threat of COVID-19 has affected our community, we have made some changes to our annual holiday food drive. We have kept safety in mind.
Donations Accepted:
We will be collecting wet or dry cat or dog food, small animal/rabbit food, cockatiel/parakeet bird food, cleaning supplies, pet supplies (toys, blankets, and more), along with monetary donations at AHNA.
DROP OFF:
We will have a donation bin on our patio at AHNA for donated items. Items can be dropped off during regular business hours (M-F 7:30am-6:00pm, and Sat 8am-5pm).
ONLINE:
Starting in December, we will be offering online donation collections through Amazon wishlist and direct donations to the organizations. Supplies can be ordered online and delivered to AHNA. We will distribute the donations after the first of the year to the Asheville Humane Society and Meals on Wheels.
Direct Donations:
Asheville Humane Society: https://www.ashevillehumane.org/donation-drive
To show our appreciation, Animal Hospital of North Asheville has partnered with Science Diet Pet Food to donate an extra pound of food for every pound (up to 2,000 pounds) of pet food donated during our Holiday Pet Food Drive.
Please, if you want to donate by check, it must be written to the organization of your choice (not to Animal Hospital of North Asheville).
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for fun weekly events, information about these wonderful organizations, and photos of animals your donations will be helping.
Winter Wonderland at Grove Arcade
Dec 16 @ 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Grove Arcade

Grove Arcade is thrilled to announce the return of its annual Winter Wonderland holiday celebration.

The Arcade has transformed into a wreath-bedecked showcase for Asheville’s finest local craftspeople and retailers. Smells of pine and holly will greet visitors as they tour—at a proper social distance!—Asheville’s stunning art deco gem to discover one-of-a-kind, handcrafted local gifts, enjoy holiday-themed beverages and dining specials, and winter-y feels within the warm Grove Arcade halls. Specially curated Christmas standards and the most extravagant holiday decorations in town will transport visitors to a truly unforgettable winter paradise.

We will be hosting a local MANNA Food Bank Drive! Drop-off barrels will be placed around several areas of the Arcade to be collected and distributed by MANNA to help during these uncertain times.

For the enjoyment and safety of everyone, Grove Arcade will be taking appropriate COVID-19 precautions during Winter Wonderland. All visitors and employees will be required to follow the CDC’s health recommendations, including social distancing and mask wearing.

Enjoy a safe and jolly visit to Grove Arcade’s Winter Wonderland! And from all of us at Grove Arcade, Happy Holidays!

Give the Gift of Literacy
Dec 16 @ 8:30 am – 8:15 pm
Online

Your support makes it happen!

Give the Gift of Literacy to create lasting change this holiday season and beyond.

A Brevard Music Center Gift Certificate!
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Online w/ A Brevard Music Center

Give your loved ones a gift that will last all summer long –
A Brevard Music Center Gift Certificate!

Gift certificates can be purchased for a minimum of $25 and applied toward subscriptions or tickets to any event, any season. It’s a hassle-free, printable gift solution that will introduce your friends and family to one of the country’s premier summer music festivals, and a very special way to support the next generation of classical musicians.

Brevard Music Center’s 2021 Summer Music Festival will be held from June 25 through August 8. Details will be announced after the first of the year, and we plan for another captivating season of symphony, opera, chamber, pops, bluegrass, and jazz performances.

Purchase your gift certificate online at
brevardmusic.org/giftcertificates
or call (828) 862-2131 to order yours today!

Important Note: At this time, all gift certificates are delivered digitally as PDFs
and are attached to your confirmation emails. Gift certificates are not
actual concert tickets and must be redeemed for individual performances
through the box office once single tickets go on sale. All guest artists,
programs, and dates are subject to change. Give the gift of music today!

Black Lives Matter mural t-shirts
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
This project was in partnership with the Asheville Art Museum and supported by the Asheville Area Arts Council, which joined with the Asheville Symphony in the shared belief that art captures moments in history and is a way for people to create awareness, change, and ultimately, healing.

Black Lives Matter mural t-shirts are now for sale at the Asheville Arts Museum store. The proceeds go towards mural maintenance.

Black Lives Matter T-Shirt

Christmas at Biltmore Daytime Celebration
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Biltmore

Buy tickets online to save up to $8 per admission. Check website for hours of operation.
Treat yourself to the beloved estate tradition known as Christmas at Biltmore, when America’s Largest Home®, Antler Hill Village, and the entire estate are at their most enchanting.
A daytime visit to Biltmore is a feast for the senses, featuring wreaths, garlands, and the sparkle of thousands of ornaments, from Biltmore House to Antler Hill Village!
Christmas at Connemara Thanksgiving to January 6
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Carl Sandburg House

The house will be decorated in the simple style of the Sandburg’s with poinsettias and a traditionally decorated Christmas tree throughout December until January 6th, 2021.

Contract Tracing Guidelines in Non-Healthcare Workplaces
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Online
The CDC continues to modify and adapt information for businesses on how to address COVID exposure in the workplace. This information has been compiled into one site for ease of access (link below).
The CDC has also released an infographic for quick access to key information regarding steps to follow within the workplace. The infographic can be found HERE.
Donate at The Blood Connection
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
The Blood Connection

We’re proud to call Western North Carolina home. Our dedicated staff work and live in the area, just like you. Whether you’re here for the breath-taking mountain views or the cooler weather, we’re glad you’re here to help us save the lives of your neighbors.

Our centers are the perfect places to give back and kick back. Open every day, yes weekends too, makes it easy to fit donating into your schedule.

You could probably use a little peace, and every Blood Connection center offers that. Clean, spacious, and comfortable, a center getaway may be exactly what you need…it’s exactly what 3 blood recipients need too.

Every donation has the power to save up to 3 lives. Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of a life-saving blood transfusion. You’re 1 person who can make a difference!

Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar!
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

2021 year calendar with photo of the Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage covered in snow.

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.

 

Mel Chin’s Wake Sculpture
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Downtown Asheville

Wake, Mel Chin’s giant animatronic sculpture, installed in New York City’s Times Square last summer, will be on view in Asheville through March 15, 2021, at 44 Collier Avenue. Chin, a WNC based conceptual artist, was named a MacArthur Fellow in September 2019.

Wake was commissioned as part of Mel Chin: All Over the Place, a multi-site survey of his works from across many decades that took place in several New York City locations. A collaborative group, led by UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio and The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, formed to plan and raise funds for the sculpture to be seen locally.

Wake – 60 feet long, 34 feet wide and 24 feet high, conceived and designed by the artist – was engineered, sculpted and fabricated by an interdisciplinary team of UNC Asheville students, faculty, staff and community artists led by Chin. The sculpture is interactive and features decks and places to sit and contemplate.

Wake evokes the hull of a shipwreck crossed with the skeletal remains of a marine mammal. The structure is linked with a carved, 21-foot-tall animatronic sculpture, accurately derived from a figurehead of the opera star Jenny Lind that was once mounted on the 19th century clipper ship, USS Nightingale. Jenny Lind moves subtly as she breathes and scans the sky.

Visitors can experience Wake daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 44 Collier Avenue. For more details and a schedule of programming, visit ashevillearts.com.

UNC Asheville’s Gift Guide
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Online w/UNCA

The holiday season is upon us, so we wanted to share a few suggestions for gift giving this year, with ways to stay cozy, look forward to summer and cheer on the Bulldogs, wherever you are.
Yule logs: an annual Hop tradition
Dec 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Hop Ice Creamery

a close up of a piece of chocolate cake on a table: Ice cream Yule logs from The Hop Ice Cream Cafe.Vegan Ice Cream Yule Logs

Pickup is Tuesday 2-8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Saturday 12-6 p.m.

Gardener’s Cottage 12 Days Of Christmas | 5% Of Sales Donated to Eblen Charities
Dec 16 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Gardener's Cottage

Shop Local To Give Local
Shop with us on December 15th and 5% of total sales will go to Eblen Charities.
About Our Annual 12 Days Of Christmas Event
It’s time for our annual 12 Days of Christmas Give Back event! Help us support our community from December 13-24th. Each day we will contribute 5% of our sales to a designated charity.
This year more than ever, we’re grateful for the support of our community and eager to show our support as well.
Jus’ Running Holiday Gift Guide + Sale
Dec 16 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Jus' Running

Everyone needs a little help this year — Gift Guide to let us help you!
Miss Malaprop’s Storytime LIVE STREAM
Dec 16 @ 10:00 am
Online w/ Malaprop's

Due to Covid-19, we are live streaming Storytime in lieu of an in-store event. Join us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/malapropsbookstore/ to tune into Miss Malaprop’s Storytime from your home.

Join us with your wee ones every week on Wednesdays at 10 am for classic and contemporary stories sure to enchant and entertain. Together, we’ll introduce children to the wonderful world of books! Recommended for ages 3-9.

Monte Vista Hotel: Deck The Trees
Dec 16 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Monte Vista Hotel

Deck The Trees is a fun and festive December Holiday Happening in Black Mountain. This event is a fundraiser for the Fuel Fund of the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministries. Trees decorated in the theme And A Star Appeared will be displayed in the Monte Vista Hotel and many businesses throughout Black Mountain. Trees may be voted on by placing cash/check in the box corresponding to your favorite tree. All money collected goes directly to the Fuel Fund. For more information about Deck The Trees and to support your favorite tree(s) contact svcmblackmountain.org.

WCCA’s new Bargain Hunt Thrift Store
Dec 16 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bargain Hunt Thrift Store

When WCCA’s Bargain Hunt Thrift Shop opens for business on Tuesday,
December 1st, it will also mark the start of a new holiday tradition – Countdown to Christmas. In
addition to providing a source for inexpensive clothing and household goods, Bargain Hunt will
help fund WCCA’s programs including: Children’s Services, Housing, Transportation, and Older
Adult Services throughout four Western NC Counties.
Standing out in Hendersonville’s active resale marketplace requires thinking outside the box. Or,
in this case, thinking outside 24 boxes. Store manager Belinda Sawyer exclaimed, “That little
surprise each morning just adds to the fun and anticipation of the holidays. So the new tradition
at Bargain Hunt is to celebrate the season with a Countdown Calendar of Discounts.” Each day
in December, Bargain Hunt will reveal a new discount for customers to enjoy.

10AM to 2PM on Saturday

Smith-McDowell House Museum Open for Reserved Tours
Dec 16 @ 10:30 am – 3:30 pm
Smith-McDowell House Museum
VISIT US! To ensure the safety of our visitors, staff, and volunteers, we will reopen for timed, private, self-guided, pre-booked tours of the historic Smith-McDowell House and Western North Carolina exhibit rooms.

Tours are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis:

Wednesday – Saturday
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
1:30 PM
3:30 PM

Tour reservations last for 1 hour to allow time for cleaning between groups.

All visitors, staff, and volunteers are required to wear masks while inside the building.