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 30, 2020
Foraging Food Tour
Dec 30 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
No Taste Like Home

Join us for three hours “off the eaten path” as we find and gather over a dozen wild edibles. We’ll whip up a little tasting right on the trail. Take home the rest of your finds and/or get ready for some find dining when one of our award-winning restaurant partners prepares your “catch of the day,” with lunch, brunch or dinner, for free. Wild mushroom pizza, daylily tamales, sassafras root beer, wisteria ice cream… it all depends on what we find!


Pricing

  • Adult (Ages 12+): $75
  • Child (Ages 5-11): $35
  • Child (Ages 4 & Under): Free
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Tuckasegee River Excursion with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Dec 31 @ 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!

The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.

Friday, January 1, 2021
Modelface Comedy Presents The Totally Exhausted Women of Atlanta
Jan 1 @ 9:45 pm – 11:45 pm
LaZoom Tours

Lace Larrabee is back with another group of hilarious atlanta ladies for another weekend stand up comedy!!!
Featuring Shelby Tesio, Karen Felix, Heather Tolley-Bauer, and Karen Waygood
Sponsored by

BRÖÖ Haircare
ages+
Tickets $12, VIP $18
VIP tickets come with a bag of BRÖÖ Craft Beer Hair products worth $15!!!
Saturday, January 2, 2021
Foraging Food Tour
Jan 2 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
No Taste Like Home

Join us for three hours “off the eaten path” as we find and gather over a dozen wild edibles. We’ll whip up a little tasting right on the trail. Take home the rest of your finds and/or get ready for some find dining when one of our award-winning restaurant partners prepares your “catch of the day,” with lunch, brunch or dinner, for free. Wild mushroom pizza, daylily tamales, sassafras root beer, wisteria ice cream… it all depends on what we find!


Pricing

  • Adult (Ages 12+): $75
  • Child (Ages 5-11): $35
  • Child (Ages 4 & Under): Free
Modelface Comedy Presents The Totally Exhausted Women of Atlanta
Jan 2 @ 9:45 pm – 11:45 pm
LaZoom Tours

Lace Larrabee is back with another group of hilarious atlanta ladies for another weekend stand up comedy!!!
Featuring Shelby Tesio, Karen Felix, Heather Tolley-Bauer, and Karen Waygood
Sponsored by

BRÖÖ Haircare
ages+
Tickets $12, VIP $18
VIP tickets come with a bag of BRÖÖ Craft Beer Hair products worth $15!!!
Thursday, January 7, 2021
2021 Asheville Fringe Festival
Jan 7 @ 8:00 am – 11:30 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
THU JAN 21
Saturday, January 9, 2021
Tuckasegee River Excursion with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Jan 9 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!

The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.

Foraging Food Tour
Jan 9 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
No Taste Like Home

Join us for three hours “off the eaten path” as we find and gather over a dozen wild edibles. We’ll whip up a little tasting right on the trail. Take home the rest of your finds and/or get ready for some find dining when one of our award-winning restaurant partners prepares your “catch of the day,” with lunch, brunch or dinner, for free. Wild mushroom pizza, daylily tamales, sassafras root beer, wisteria ice cream… it all depends on what we find!


Pricing

  • Adult (Ages 12+): $75
  • Child (Ages 5-11): $35
  • Child (Ages 4 & Under): Free
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Tuckasegee River Excursion with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Jan 16 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!

The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.

Foraging Food Tour
Jan 16 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
No Taste Like Home

Join us for three hours “off the eaten path” as we find and gather over a dozen wild edibles. We’ll whip up a little tasting right on the trail. Take home the rest of your finds and/or get ready for some find dining when one of our award-winning restaurant partners prepares your “catch of the day,” with lunch, brunch or dinner, for free. Wild mushroom pizza, daylily tamales, sassafras root beer, wisteria ice cream… it all depends on what we find!


Pricing

  • Adult (Ages 12+): $75
  • Child (Ages 5-11): $35
  • Child (Ages 4 & Under): Free
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Free Fringe: A Turkey is NOT a Rooster
Jan 20 @ 5:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts Festival

A TURKEY IS NOT A ROOSTER: is a one-act play inspired by the Chinese zodiac & a parodic response to anti-Avian sentiment.

Jinna Kim was born in Masan, South Korea and immigrated to the United States as a toddler. Currently she is an award winning interdisciplinary artist who also became a filmmaker during quarantine. She was listed as Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2019. Originally trained in classical music, Jinna began her professional career in arts administration, having graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Illinois. Jinna then moved to New York City to work at the Public Theater, also known for Shakespeare in Central Park and Joe’s Pub, then at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). While in NYC, Jinna received fellowships from Korea Society and the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement. After completing her MBA at the University of Virginia, Jinna moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to work at a major bank. Still based in Charlotte, Jinna continues to act, write and produce films and interdisciplinary art projects.

The Asheville FRINGE Arts Festival 2021 ~ “Walking on Spectrum” by Juliana Heng
Jan 20 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Online w/ The Asheville FRINGE Arts Festival

Juliana Heng is the founder of I Laugh KL Comedy Show, one of the founding members of Parti Komedi Rakyat (PKR) – a comedy troupe, and has been doing stand-up comedy since September 2017. They strive to be a comedian who gets real, talking about issues considered taboo in the Asian society. Juliana has performed in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok) & England (London, Nottingham & Manchester). Recently, they emerged as the Finalist of Bangkok International Comedy Competition 2019, KING GONG at The Comedy Store – London (December 2019) & BEAT THE FROG at The Frog & Bucket Comedy Club, Manchester (January 2020).

A one-hour medley show by this Malaysian stand-up comedian, storyteller and poet explores the different ways to tell one’s life story. Even with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), why not live life with spunk?

NOTE: Matured content, mild sexual innuendos, emotionally triggering, graphical depiction of domestic violence & can be too real

Emo Philips with guest Ryan Cox CANCELLED
Jan 20 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

We regret to inform you that due to circumstances out of our control, this show has been cancelled. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. Please allow 2 – 4 weeks for refunds to fully process.

Described by Jay Leno as “the best joke writer in America,” by British comedian Gary Delaney as the best joke writer in the world, and by “Weird Al” Yankovic as one of the funniest people on the planet, Emo Philips has performed over 7000 times throughout the English-speaking world, including a multi-week run at the Playhouse Theater in London’s West End. Since starting out in Chicago in 1976 at the age of twenty, Emo has had award-winning comedy albums, several cable specials (including an hour-long one on HBO), and many appearances on network television, both in America and in the UK. He has appeared in films (most notably, as the table-saw demonstrator in UHF) and has lent his distinctive voice to animated TV shows (such as Slacker Cats, Doctor Katz, Adventure Time, and Home Movies), but his first love, stand-up, remains his true one.

Thursday, January 21, 2021
Free Fringe: A Turkey is NOT a Rooster
Jan 21 @ 5:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts Festival

A TURKEY IS NOT A ROOSTER: is a one-act play inspired by the Chinese zodiac & a parodic response to anti-Avian sentiment.

Jinna Kim was born in Masan, South Korea and immigrated to the United States as a toddler. Currently she is an award winning interdisciplinary artist who also became a filmmaker during quarantine. She was listed as Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2019. Originally trained in classical music, Jinna began her professional career in arts administration, having graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Illinois. Jinna then moved to New York City to work at the Public Theater, also known for Shakespeare in Central Park and Joe’s Pub, then at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). While in NYC, Jinna received fellowships from Korea Society and the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement. After completing her MBA at the University of Virginia, Jinna moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to work at a major bank. Still based in Charlotte, Jinna continues to act, write and produce films and interdisciplinary art projects.

Stoner Morning Show at Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
Jan 21 @ 10:30 pm – 11:30 pm
virtual event

The hosts of this morning talk show have slept in…and they’re totally stoned. Headlines, interviews, human interest stories, and more. Wake and Bake with STONER MORNING SHOW!

Stoner Morning Show w/ The Asheville Fringe Festival
Jan 21 @ 10:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
👁 RAF // Stoner Morning Show
Friday, January 22, 2021
2021 Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
Jan 22 @ 5:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
FRI JAN 22
Free Fringe: An Accidental Camping Trip
Jan 22 @ 5:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
👁 RAF // An Accidental Camping Trip
Saturday, January 23, 2021
2021 Asheville Fringe Festival
Jan 23 @ 8:00 am – 11:30 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
SAT JAN 23
Tuckasegee River Excursion with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Jan 23 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!

The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.

Foraging Food Tour
Jan 23 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
No Taste Like Home

Join us for three hours “off the eaten path” as we find and gather over a dozen wild edibles. We’ll whip up a little tasting right on the trail. Take home the rest of your finds and/or get ready for some find dining when one of our award-winning restaurant partners prepares your “catch of the day,” with lunch, brunch or dinner, for free. Wild mushroom pizza, daylily tamales, sassafras root beer, wisteria ice cream… it all depends on what we find!


Pricing

  • Adult (Ages 12+): $75
  • Child (Ages 5-11): $35
  • Child (Ages 4 & Under): Free
The Asheville FRINGE Arts Festival 2021 ~ “Walking on Spectrum” by Juliana Heng
Jan 23 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts festival

Juliana Heng is the founder of I Laugh KL Comedy Show, one of the founding members of Parti Komedi Rakyat (PKR) – a comedy troupe, and has been doing stand-up comedy since September 2017. They strive to be a comedian who gets real, talking about issues considered taboo in the Asian society. Juliana has performed in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok) & England (London, Nottingham & Manchester). Recently, they emerged as the Finalist of Bangkok International Comedy Competition 2019, KING GONG at The Comedy Store – London (December 2019) & BEAT THE FROG at The Frog & Bucket Comedy Club, Manchester (January 2020).

A one-hour medley show by this Malaysian stand-up comedian, storyteller and poet explores the different ways to tell one’s life story. Even with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), why not live life with spunk?

NOTE: Matured content, mild sexual innuendos, emotionally triggering, graphical depiction of domestic violence & can be too real

Another Comedy Showcase
Jan 23 @ 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Girl And Goblin

Another Comedy Showcase

This is a badass comedy showcase featuring the best local and surrounding area comics at a badass tattoo shop venue! This is a FREE show! And it’s also BYOB! It’s a perfect Saturday night good time!

What we’re about

A great place to find live Asheville’s live comedy performances and other local comedy fans!

We’ll be posting all the Asheville-area stand-up comedy shows in the area (assuming I know about them). We’ve met several of you already, and we’d love to meet more of you!

Asheville has a lot of great comedy. There’s touring comics performing in larger venues. Asheville is also home to a thriving local scene with great local comics performing in smaller venues and opening for touring comics. There is also a great selection of open mics, so if you ever have the itch to try something out, you’ll have plenty of opportunities.

Sunday, January 24, 2021
2021 Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
Jan 24 @ 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Online w/ Asheville Fringe Arts Festival
SUN JAN 24
Saturday, January 30, 2021
Tuckasegee River Excursion with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Jan 30 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!

The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.

Foraging Food Tour
Jan 30 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
No Taste Like Home

Join us for three hours “off the eaten path” as we find and gather over a dozen wild edibles. We’ll whip up a little tasting right on the trail. Take home the rest of your finds and/or get ready for some find dining when one of our award-winning restaurant partners prepares your “catch of the day,” with lunch, brunch or dinner, for free. Wild mushroom pizza, daylily tamales, sassafras root beer, wisteria ice cream… it all depends on what we find!


Pricing

  • Adult (Ages 12+): $75
  • Child (Ages 5-11): $35
  • Child (Ages 4 & Under): Free
Saturday, February 6, 2021
Tuckasegee River Excursion with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Feb 6 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!

The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.

Foraging Food Tour
Feb 6 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
No Taste Like Home

Join us for three hours “off the eaten path” as we find and gather over a dozen wild edibles. We’ll whip up a little tasting right on the trail. Take home the rest of your finds and/or get ready for some find dining when one of our award-winning restaurant partners prepares your “catch of the day,” with lunch, brunch or dinner, for free. Wild mushroom pizza, daylily tamales, sassafras root beer, wisteria ice cream… it all depends on what we find!


Pricing

  • Adult (Ages 12+): $75
  • Child (Ages 5-11): $35
  • Child (Ages 4 & Under): Free
Friday, February 12, 2021
2021 Summer Cuba Agroecology Tour
Feb 12 all-day
Cuba w/ Organic Growers School

 Organic Growers School is partnering with Food First and Altruvistas to offer their fourth Cuba Agroecology Tour and their first such trip in the summer from June 22 through July 1, 2021, with a focus on the country’s intensive sustainable agriculture practices. The tour, to be comprised of growers, community leaders, educators, and activists who are passionate about sustainable agriculture, will begin in Havana and travel to destinations such as Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, and Matanzas. The trip offers participants on-the-ground exposure to Cuban agriculture and the food sovereignty movement and will highlight their engagement with the global food system. The intention is for participants to acquire the knowledge and strategies to create just, sustainable, local, and healthy food systems in their own communities.

Cuba has had a focus on organic agriculture production methods since the 1970s. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 ended Cuba’s access to agricultural inputs overnight, propelling them into what is now known as the “Special Period”—a crisis of reduced resources and increased hunger. The country embarked on a massive and rapid conversion to agroecology in an attempt to boost food production. The tour will focus on small farmers, sustainable food systems, and national security. There are multiple opportunities in Cuba’s diverse agricultural landscape to learn many lessons and insights for the development of a secure and sustainable food system elsewhere.

“The purpose of this tour is not to romanticize or glorify Cuban agriculture,” says Sera Deva, Director of Programs with Organic Growers School and the trip organizer. “It is instead an opportunity to learn about what a country-wide commitment to sustainable, local agriculture can look like. It will broaden and deepen our region’s wisdom regarding alternative food systems. Our goals are to show our participants the importance of cooperative farming models and sustainable farming techniques, as well as encouraging them to think critically about practical and governmental structures that could support a thriving community of organic growers and consumers.”

Local partners will provide an overview of Cuban history, culture, politics, agriculture, and ecology. Additionally, the group will meet with specialists who will provide background on the country’s transition into agroecological farming practices and the national policies that prioritize organic farming and the remediation of hunger. With a firm commitment to sustainability and justice, this tour will connect participants to farmers, consumers, activists, NGOs, policymakers and experts working to transform the global food system.

Tour highlights will include the following:

  • Discuss agroecology with Fernando Funes, co-author of Food First’s book Sustainable Agriculture & Resistance in Cuba.
  • Visit community permaculture and agricultural education, and food conservation projects.
  • Discuss changes in US-Cuba relations and how they might affect the future of tourism and agriculture in Cuba.
  • Meet with the National Association for Small Farmers (ANAP) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
  • Meet with a variety of small farmers and farmers’ cooperatives.

For the purposes of this trip, OGS is partnering with Food First, a “people’s think tank” dedicated to ending the injustices that cause hunger and helping communities to take back control of their food systems. Food First has been offering tours to Cuba for more than 20 years with the organizing assistance of Altruvistas, a socially responsible and philanthropic travel company that has facilitated 20,000 travelers to Cuba.

The cost of the trip is $2,950 and will serve, in part, as a fundraiser for Organic Growers School (OGS), a 501c3 non-profit organization. Thanks to a grant from the Christopher Reynolds Foundation, there are a limited number of partial scholarships for farmers and food activists to attend. This tour and all registrants will not be affected by recent political actions to restrict American travel to Cuba. Cuba is considered one of the safest destinations for travel, partially due to their diligent and holistic approaches to healthcare. Due to COVID-19, the traveling climate of the US (as well as tourist restrictions in Cuba) is changing daily. Cuba has implemented many of the same precautionary measures implemented around the world to minimize the spread of COVID-19 including social distancing, limiting travel to the island completely through the summer, and closing schools. In early November 2020, Cuba reopened its borders to travelers.

Potential tour participants can visit the OGS FAQ page which answers questions such as, “Why Cuba?,” “What are the legal considerations when traveling to Cuba?,” “Why ravel with Organic Growers School?,” “What does the tuition cover?,” and “What can I expect to experience?” Traveler testimonials from previous trips, the full itinerary, as well as a photo gallery can also be found on the website.

 

Smith-McDowell House Museum Open for private, pre-booked tours
Feb 12 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Smith-McDowell House Museum

We are OPEN Fridays and Saturdays
for private, pre-booked tours at:
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
1:30 PM
3:00 PM