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.

Sunday, April 5, 2020
Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Apr 5 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching. 

Parking Fees

  • Members: Free
  • Personal Vehicles: $14
  • Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
  • Buses: $100

There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.

An Afternoon with Lonnie Holley
Apr 5 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Join us for a special afternoon with artist Lonnie Holley. Holley is not only an internationally renowned visual artist—whose multimedia works are featured in major museum collections worldwide, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the High Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many more—but also a successful improvisational musician and visionary filmmaker. For this program, Holley will screen his film I Snuck Off a Slave Ship—which premiered at Sundance—discuss his works in the Museum’s Collection, engage with questions from the audience, and perhaps treat us to an impromptu performance.

Space is limited; register online now or call 828.253.3227 x122. Presented in conjunction with Intersections in American Art and the Connect Beyond Festival.

Monday, April 6, 2020
Cultivating Digital Photography Skills: Composition – VIRTUAL
Apr 6 all-day
Online w/ Asheville Art Museum

In this four-part class taught by M. Paige Taylor, explore composition and color using digital photography! Through a series of weekly assignments, hone your observation skills, apply framing and cropping with intention, and use color with purpose.

APRIL 9, 16, 23, & 30—Thursdays, 6–8pm
Registration deadline: April 8

$75 Museum Members, $85 non-members

THIS PROGRAM WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. SPACE IS LIMITED; TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE OR CALL 828.253.3227 X122.

Matthew Pillsbury, Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, Paris, 2008, printed 2013, archival ink on paper, 39 ⅜ × 31 ½ inches, Collection of the Asheville Art Museum. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Nat C. Myers Photography Fund, 2012.44.99. © Matthew Pillsbury

Get Free Books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Apr 6 all-day
Imagination Library Online

Children under 5 years old can receive free, age-appropriate books each month until their 5th birthday! Read more and sign up here.
Video Short:  Woman Arranging Flowers by Myron G. Barlow
Apr 6 all-day
Online
In this short video, UNC-Asheville Lecturer in Art Rob Anderson talks color and takes an up-close look at Collection favorite Woman Arranging Flowers by Myron G. Barlow.
Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Apr 6 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching. 

Parking Fees

  • Members: Free
  • Personal Vehicles: $14
  • Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
  • Buses: $100

There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.

Itch to Stitch Weaverville Library CANCELLED
Apr 6 @ 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

Auditions: Legally Blonde Musical
Apr 6 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

PRODUCTION DATES: June 5-28, 2020; Performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm; Additional Thursday night performances June 18 and June 25 at 7:30 pm; Cast must plan to arrive at least 1 hour prior to show time.

REHEARSALS: April 12 – June 4, 2020; Rehearsals generally held Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 6:30-9:30 pm. All actors will not necessarily be needed for every rehearsal or for the entire rehearsal. Full rehearsal calendar available at auditions – you are able to list any conflicts you have with the rehearsal schedule at this time.

DIRECTOR SEEKS: Large cast; high school age (should be believable as college/graduate students) and up; all roles open to people of all races and ethnicities.

LGBTQ Book Club
Apr 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop’s Bookstore

Join host Alex Ruiz to discuss a wide-ranging selection of fiction and non-fiction focused on the LGBTQ community.  Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at Malaprop’s the first Monday of every month at 7:00 pm.

Event date:
Monday, January 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, February 3, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, March 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, April 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Cultivating Digital Photography Skills: Composition – VIRTUAL
Apr 7 all-day
Online w/ Asheville Art Museum

In this four-part class taught by M. Paige Taylor, explore composition and color using digital photography! Through a series of weekly assignments, hone your observation skills, apply framing and cropping with intention, and use color with purpose.

APRIL 9, 16, 23, & 30—Thursdays, 6–8pm
Registration deadline: April 8

$75 Museum Members, $85 non-members

THIS PROGRAM WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. SPACE IS LIMITED; TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE OR CALL 828.253.3227 X122.

Matthew Pillsbury, Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, Paris, 2008, printed 2013, archival ink on paper, 39 ⅜ × 31 ½ inches, Collection of the Asheville Art Museum. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Nat C. Myers Photography Fund, 2012.44.99. © Matthew Pillsbury

Video Short:  Woman Arranging Flowers by Myron G. Barlow
Apr 7 all-day
Online
In this short video, UNC-Asheville Lecturer in Art Rob Anderson talks color and takes an up-close look at Collection favorite Woman Arranging Flowers by Myron G. Barlow.
VIRTUAL: 8th Annual Face Jug Show
Apr 7 all-day
American Folk Art and Framing ONLINE

2020 8th Annual Face Jug Show

Every April, American Folk Art honors a wild pottery tradition that began regionally in the early 1800’s. No one knows for sure when the first face jug was created, but around the mountain region of North Carolina, face jugs began to be created for the storage of moonshine around 1810. The faces, snakes and other foreboding additions were added to the clay jugs to scare the children, so they would not drink the contents. In the unadorned world of the 1800’s, the face jug was remarkable and the tradition allowed for much creativity and fun amongst potters. Face jugs continue to be created in the same fashion as of old, which includes hand digging and mixing regional soils to make the clay, using regional materials to make the glazes, in many cases using broken plates for the teeth, and wood-firing the jugs to 2300 degrees. They are still in use, holding moonshine, but not necessarily scaring the kids.

Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Apr 7 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching. 

Parking Fees

  • Members: Free
  • Personal Vehicles: $14
  • Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
  • Buses: $100

There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.

Auditions Readers Theatre: The Chalk Garden CANCELLED
Apr 7 @ 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

AUDITIONS: April 7, 2020, 10:30 am-2:30 pm

PRODUCTION DATES: April 24-26, 2020

REHEARSALS: April 9, 14, 16, 21, and 23, 2020 from 10:30-2:30

Auditions: Legally Blonde Musical
Apr 7 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

PRODUCTION DATES: June 5-28, 2020; Performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm; Additional Thursday night performances June 18 and June 25 at 7:30 pm; Cast must plan to arrive at least 1 hour prior to show time.

REHEARSALS: April 12 – June 4, 2020; Rehearsals generally held Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 6:30-9:30 pm. All actors will not necessarily be needed for every rehearsal or for the entire rehearsal. Full rehearsal calendar available at auditions – you are able to list any conflicts you have with the rehearsal schedule at this time.

DIRECTOR SEEKS: Large cast; high school age (should be believable as college/graduate students) and up; all roles open to people of all races and ethnicities.

WILD (Women in Lively Discussion) Book Club
Apr 7 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Battery Park Book Exchange

Join former Malaprop’s General Manager Linda-Marie Barrett for this woman-only book club that seeks to have fun by reading books (fiction & non) by women writers. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at 6:30 P.M. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Battery Park Book Exchange.

Event date:
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 – 6:30pm
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Art in the Time of COVID Pink Dog Creative
Apr 8 all-day
Pink Dog Creative Online

Welcome to Art in the Time of COVID– an online artwork exhibition by Pink Dog Creative artists. The work in this exhibition is either related to the COVID-19 pandemic, made during the time of Stay-At-Home orders, or is uplifting or otherwise helpful during this challenging time. Most of the work is for sale. Our artists are hard at work and appreciate your support during this difficult time. Check out our artist pages and please get in touch with artists directly for information on work, online classes, & commissions! Work will continue to be added during the quarantine, so please check back for updates.

Karen Keil Brown, Where Will Our Path Take Us, Oil on canvas, 14 x 11″

Cultivating Digital Photography Skills: Composition – VIRTUAL
Apr 8 all-day
Online w/ Asheville Art Museum

In this four-part class taught by M. Paige Taylor, explore composition and color using digital photography! Through a series of weekly assignments, hone your observation skills, apply framing and cropping with intention, and use color with purpose.

APRIL 9, 16, 23, & 30—Thursdays, 6–8pm
Registration deadline: April 8

$75 Museum Members, $85 non-members

THIS PROGRAM WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. SPACE IS LIMITED; TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE OR CALL 828.253.3227 X122.

Matthew Pillsbury, Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, Paris, 2008, printed 2013, archival ink on paper, 39 ⅜ × 31 ½ inches, Collection of the Asheville Art Museum. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Nat C. Myers Photography Fund, 2012.44.99. © Matthew Pillsbury

Get Free Books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Apr 8 all-day
Imagination Library Online

Children under 5 years old can receive free, age-appropriate books each month until their 5th birthday! Read more and sign up here.
Malaprop’s Bookstore Home delivery throughout all Buncombe County
Apr 8 all-day
Malaprop's Bookstore

Thank you so much for your support! To care for you and our staff, Malaprop’s is closed to the public and we have ceased curbside pick up. We have also suspended in-store events and bookclubs until May 15th.  Meanwhile, we are exploring new subscription services, delivery options, and more digital content. Please see the ways we are still serving you below. Stay home and stay safe!

  • As always, you can order online 24/7 at malaprops.com. You can also call us at 828-254-6734 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily to order by phone. Yes, we can make suggestions! All orders will require prepayment. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and Paypal.

  • We are now offering home delivery throughout all of Buncombe County! The only requirement is a two-book minimum purchase. Deliveries will be made on Tuesdays and Fridays, with any order placed before 5 pm the previous day.  Orders will safely be left on your doorstep.

  • FREE shipping via media mail is available for orders over $50.00 (before tax) sent to addresses in the continental United States. Other orders ship via Priority Mail or other services with prices listed at checkout.

We want to thank you again for your continued support at this time. If you’re looking for other ways to support our staff, you can donate to Malaprop’s via the icon to your right, contribute the Cafe Barista’s virtual tip jar, or to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC), which provides grants to booksellers in times of need. To support other local businesses, visit ashevillestrong.com.

Please take care of yourselves!

Video Short:  Woman Arranging Flowers by Myron G. Barlow
Apr 8 all-day
Online
In this short video, UNC-Asheville Lecturer in Art Rob Anderson talks color and takes an up-close look at Collection favorite Woman Arranging Flowers by Myron G. Barlow.
VIRTUAL: 8th Annual Face Jug Show
Apr 8 all-day
American Folk Art and Framing ONLINE

2020 8th Annual Face Jug Show

Every April, American Folk Art honors a wild pottery tradition that began regionally in the early 1800’s. No one knows for sure when the first face jug was created, but around the mountain region of North Carolina, face jugs began to be created for the storage of moonshine around 1810. The faces, snakes and other foreboding additions were added to the clay jugs to scare the children, so they would not drink the contents. In the unadorned world of the 1800’s, the face jug was remarkable and the tradition allowed for much creativity and fun amongst potters. Face jugs continue to be created in the same fashion as of old, which includes hand digging and mixing regional soils to make the clay, using regional materials to make the glazes, in many cases using broken plates for the teeth, and wood-firing the jugs to 2300 degrees. They are still in use, holding moonshine, but not necessarily scaring the kids.

Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Apr 8 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching. 

Parking Fees

  • Members: Free
  • Personal Vehicles: $14
  • Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
  • Buses: $100

There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.

Kristin Harmel Virtual Author Event
Apr 8 @ 6:00 pm
Virtual Event

TICKETS:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-event-with-kristin-harmel-tickets-100459611402?aff=odeieiconstantcontact&ctct_id=ec632d0a-4852-42d3-ad6b-2afc96796287_p2&ctct_c=n7-eWakqJPl5z1Mof6u_VRDyx04SH8ALwb3E1yQDZ7haN7jT0a_DIQ==

Interesting times require creativity, so join us for our 1st-ever virtual author event with international bestselling author Kristin Harmel!
About this Event
Your $30 event ticket will give you access to a live online book talk with bestselling author Kristin Harmel, the ability to view a 48-hour replay in case you miss the live event, AND you’ll get an (unsigned) paperback copy of her latest release, The Winemaker’s Wife, shipped directly to you*. You’ll also have the chance to type in questions to be answered during the event Q&A session.
So, buy a bottle of champagne to have on hand and we’ll all toast to Kristin, The Winemaker’s Wife, social distancing, and to resilience in times of crisis!
*BONUS offer!: The author has offered to mail out signed bookplates to all attendees due to the current circumstances. If you do not want us to share your shipping address with the author, please let us know, and we will exclude you from that mailing. In addition, the author will be surprising one lucky attendee with a FREE signed copy of her first book, The Room on Rue Amélie!
Access to the Event
The talk will be hosted at https://www.crowdcast.io/. You can watch through your browser and are not required to download any software (though mobile apps are also available). Once ticket sales cut off 48 hours before the event, we will send you an email with the link to the specific event URL.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Malaprop’s Bookstore Home delivery throughout all Buncombe County
Apr 9 all-day
Malaprop's Bookstore

Thank you so much for your support! To care for you and our staff, Malaprop’s is closed to the public and we have ceased curbside pick up. We have also suspended in-store events and bookclubs until May 15th.  Meanwhile, we are exploring new subscription services, delivery options, and more digital content. Please see the ways we are still serving you below. Stay home and stay safe!

  • As always, you can order online 24/7 at malaprops.com. You can also call us at 828-254-6734 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily to order by phone. Yes, we can make suggestions! All orders will require prepayment. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and Paypal.

  • We are now offering home delivery throughout all of Buncombe County! The only requirement is a two-book minimum purchase. Deliveries will be made on Tuesdays and Fridays, with any order placed before 5 pm the previous day.  Orders will safely be left on your doorstep.

  • FREE shipping via media mail is available for orders over $50.00 (before tax) sent to addresses in the continental United States. Other orders ship via Priority Mail or other services with prices listed at checkout.

We want to thank you again for your continued support at this time. If you’re looking for other ways to support our staff, you can donate to Malaprop’s via the icon to your right, contribute the Cafe Barista’s virtual tip jar, or to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC), which provides grants to booksellers in times of need. To support other local businesses, visit ashevillestrong.com.

Please take care of yourselves!

Video Short:  Woman Arranging Flowers by Myron G. Barlow
Apr 9 all-day
Online
In this short video, UNC-Asheville Lecturer in Art Rob Anderson talks color and takes an up-close look at Collection favorite Woman Arranging Flowers by Myron G. Barlow.
VIRTUAL: 8th Annual Face Jug Show
Apr 9 all-day
American Folk Art and Framing ONLINE

2020 8th Annual Face Jug Show

Every April, American Folk Art honors a wild pottery tradition that began regionally in the early 1800’s. No one knows for sure when the first face jug was created, but around the mountain region of North Carolina, face jugs began to be created for the storage of moonshine around 1810. The faces, snakes and other foreboding additions were added to the clay jugs to scare the children, so they would not drink the contents. In the unadorned world of the 1800’s, the face jug was remarkable and the tradition allowed for much creativity and fun amongst potters. Face jugs continue to be created in the same fashion as of old, which includes hand digging and mixing regional soils to make the clay, using regional materials to make the glazes, in many cases using broken plates for the teeth, and wood-firing the jugs to 2300 degrees. They are still in use, holding moonshine, but not necessarily scaring the kids.

Natural Impressions: Prints from the Asheville Printmakers CANCELLED
Apr 9 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching. 

Parking Fees

  • Members: Free
  • Personal Vehicles: $14
  • Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
  • Buses: $100

There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.

LEAF Global Arts: Easel Rider LIVE!
Apr 9 @ 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
LEAF Global Arts Facebook

Image may contain: 2 people, people standing, child and outdoor

Join us for an Easel Rider craft on Facebook Live with our Community Engagement Director, Marsha Almodovar. These fun crafts will utilize supplies you can easily find in your own home. Tune in each Thursday at 3pm EST as we go live to provide step by step instruction, and enjoy a moment of creativity and connection in your day!

Arts After Dark
Apr 9 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Blue Ridge Conference Hall

VIP Tables of 8: $200*
*includes champagne, flowers, chocolates – advanced reservations required
Reservations: 828-692-1413
Featuring Performances By:
  • Carolina Concert Choir
  • Center for Art and Entertainment
  • Flat Rock Playhouse
  • Hendersonville Community Theatre
  • Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra
With Contributions From:
  • Bold Rock
  • Highland Lake Inn
  • McDonald’s
  • Morris Broadband
  • Sam’s Club
  • Sierra Nevada
  • Surf ‘N Brew
Static art displays and demonstrative art will also be featured.