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, September 25, 2019
Youth Art Competition Application Deadline October 1, 2019
Sep 25 all-day

Hot Works 4th Asheville Fine Art Show, October 26 & 27, 2019 takes place in Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. This art show is juried by art professionals and brings artists to sell his/her art in all discipline including paintings, sculpture, clay, glass, fiber, jewelry, wood and more. All art is original and personally handmade by the artist who is present at the show. There is something for everyone, in all price ranges. You will see many artists at this show who do not attend other shows in North Carolina or South Carolina.

As part of our commitment to bring art education into the community, a Youth Art Competition for grades K-8 or ages 5-13 is integrated within a 10×20 space at the Asheville Fine Art Show. Sponsored by Institute for the Arts & Education, the associated 501c3 non-profit organization, all students in grades K-8 or ages 5-13 are encouraged to enter his/her original and personally handmade art that will be publicly displayed in the art show the entire weekend. On Sunday, October 27 at 3pm, there is $250 in youth art awards presented. Students are exposed to the rules and entrepreneurship opportunity of doing art shows for a living. The program brings families to the art show and exposes them to great art.

Thursday, September 26, 2019
Youth Art Competition Application Deadline October 1, 2019
Sep 26 all-day

Hot Works 4th Asheville Fine Art Show, October 26 & 27, 2019 takes place in Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. This art show is juried by art professionals and brings artists to sell his/her art in all discipline including paintings, sculpture, clay, glass, fiber, jewelry, wood and more. All art is original and personally handmade by the artist who is present at the show. There is something for everyone, in all price ranges. You will see many artists at this show who do not attend other shows in North Carolina or South Carolina.

As part of our commitment to bring art education into the community, a Youth Art Competition for grades K-8 or ages 5-13 is integrated within a 10×20 space at the Asheville Fine Art Show. Sponsored by Institute for the Arts & Education, the associated 501c3 non-profit organization, all students in grades K-8 or ages 5-13 are encouraged to enter his/her original and personally handmade art that will be publicly displayed in the art show the entire weekend. On Sunday, October 27 at 3pm, there is $250 in youth art awards presented. Students are exposed to the rules and entrepreneurship opportunity of doing art shows for a living. The program brings families to the art show and exposes them to great art.

Friday, September 27, 2019
Youth Art Competition Application Deadline October 1, 2019
Sep 27 all-day

Hot Works 4th Asheville Fine Art Show, October 26 & 27, 2019 takes place in Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. This art show is juried by art professionals and brings artists to sell his/her art in all discipline including paintings, sculpture, clay, glass, fiber, jewelry, wood and more. All art is original and personally handmade by the artist who is present at the show. There is something for everyone, in all price ranges. You will see many artists at this show who do not attend other shows in North Carolina or South Carolina.

As part of our commitment to bring art education into the community, a Youth Art Competition for grades K-8 or ages 5-13 is integrated within a 10×20 space at the Asheville Fine Art Show. Sponsored by Institute for the Arts & Education, the associated 501c3 non-profit organization, all students in grades K-8 or ages 5-13 are encouraged to enter his/her original and personally handmade art that will be publicly displayed in the art show the entire weekend. On Sunday, October 27 at 3pm, there is $250 in youth art awards presented. Students are exposed to the rules and entrepreneurship opportunity of doing art shows for a living. The program brings families to the art show and exposes them to great art.

Asheville Greek Festival
Sep 27 @ 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Readers Theatre Einstein and the Polar Bear
Sep 27 @ 2:30 pm
35below Asheville Community Theatre

 

About the show: A renowned writer has it all, fortune, fame, women and adoration, when one excruciating miscalculation causes him to lose everything. As penance he hides away in a small New England town where he runs a bookstore in a shambling farmhouse. Then comes a knock on his door. Can the lost be found? Can the sinner gain redemption?

 

Heritage Knits Book Release Party
Sep 27 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Echoview Fiber Mill

We’re hosting a book release party to celebrate our very own Christina Danaee’s Modern Hertiage Knits book. Come join us for food, drinks, and music! See all the knits from the book in person, buy a copy of the book, get it signed, and more!

25th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival Feature Film: “Fever Dreams”
Sep 27 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Flood Gallery Fine Art Center

“Fever Dreams”
Director: Rob Underhill (Carrboro, NC)
2nd Prize Feature film winner of the 25th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival
Four creepytales guaranteed to give you Fever Dreams…The Agent: an alcoholic screenplay middleman becomes trapped in acting out a nightmare scripted especially for him. The Entertainer: our host reveals on national television a tragic love story… and the contents of his coffee table. This is followed by a concise vignette on the importance of Timed Romance. The Cameraman: a wannabee movie-maker’s documentary turns into a real life horror story! Filmmakers, Director and Actors will attend the screening and be available for questions.
Doors open at 7:30 / Film begins at 8:00. Open donation.

Flat Rock Playhouse – Cinematastic: The Music of the Movies
Sep 27 @ 8:00 pm
Leiman Mainstage

Cinematastic: The Music of the Movies promises to capture the emotional and cultural impact of films that have defined multiple generations. Movies like The Jazz Singer, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Top Gun, inspired millions with their relevance and innovation, so much so that these films have been preserved in the National Film Registry for cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance. While these films set milestones, their true success came from the ability to create iconic moments that struck a profound chord in the hearts of audiences.

Saturday, September 28, 2019
‘Mountain Top Polka Band’ Oktoberfest Tour Dates
Sep 28 all-day
various locations see details

August 23, Appalachian Ridge Hard Cidery in Hendersonville
August 24, HiWire Brewing Company at the Big Top
Sept. 22, UpCountry Brewing on Haywood Road
Sept. 28, Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville
Oct. 4, Garden Deli in Burnsville
Oct. 6, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School in West Asheville
Oct. 10, Highland Brewing Company and
Oct. 20, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard in Hendersonville

Time Traveling Gala
Sep 28 all-day
Preservation Society of Asheville

Leave your passports at home and visit Europe in Asheville!

The party kicks off at a steel foundry turned luxury hotel and then travels from the heart of Asheville to England, Italy and France, with food and cocktails inspired by each location.

The homes we are visiting are historic and guests should be prepared for stairs and uneven surfaces.

Youth Art Competition Application Deadline October 1, 2019
Sep 28 all-day

Hot Works 4th Asheville Fine Art Show, October 26 & 27, 2019 takes place in Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. This art show is juried by art professionals and brings artists to sell his/her art in all discipline including paintings, sculpture, clay, glass, fiber, jewelry, wood and more. All art is original and personally handmade by the artist who is present at the show. There is something for everyone, in all price ranges. You will see many artists at this show who do not attend other shows in North Carolina or South Carolina.

As part of our commitment to bring art education into the community, a Youth Art Competition for grades K-8 or ages 5-13 is integrated within a 10×20 space at the Asheville Fine Art Show. Sponsored by Institute for the Arts & Education, the associated 501c3 non-profit organization, all students in grades K-8 or ages 5-13 are encouraged to enter his/her original and personally handmade art that will be publicly displayed in the art show the entire weekend. On Sunday, October 27 at 3pm, there is $250 in youth art awards presented. Students are exposed to the rules and entrepreneurship opportunity of doing art shows for a living. The program brings families to the art show and exposes them to great art.

2019 Blue Ridge Pride Festival
Sep 28 @ 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Pack Square Park

Blue Ridge Pride is back and better than ever! The festivities begin on Friday evening with Friday in the Park, an opportunity for youth performers to showcase their talents on the stage at Pack Square Park!

A procession from Scandals Nightclub on Grove St. kicks off Saturday’s event at 10:00 a.m., come out and show your pride all the way from Scandals to Pack Square Park!

Finally, the festival begins at Pack Square Park at 11:00 a.m. The family-friendly environment features exciting vendors of all kinds, food, music at two different stages, dancing, performances, an inflatable bounce house, educational and community resources, and more!

Asheville Greek Festival
Sep 28 @ 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Meet the Creator of Denton the Dragon!
Sep 28 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
New Morning Gallery

Bring the kids and have a fun afternoon with face painting, children’s books and a dragon puppet! Jeff will be signing copies of “The Last Dragon and Other Tales” for purchase.

Hendersonville Oktoberfest
Sep 28 @ 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Southern Appalachian Brewery

Celebrate Oktoberfest in Hendersonville with games, food, music, and of course great beer! Things to do for all ages. Small entrance fee at gate. You don’t want to miss this event!

Readers Theatre Einstein and the Polar Bear
Sep 28 @ 2:30 pm
35below Asheville Community Theatre

 

About the show: A renowned writer has it all, fortune, fame, women and adoration, when one excruciating miscalculation causes him to lose everything. As penance he hides away in a small New England town where he runs a bookstore in a shambling farmhouse. Then comes a knock on his door. Can the lost be found? Can the sinner gain redemption?

 

Art opening at Flood Gallery: “Minimalia: The Commonwealth of Sentiments.” Photography & Poetry by Oğuz Erdur
Sep 28 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Flood Gallery Fine Art Center

“Minimalia: The Commonwealth of Sentiments.”
Photography & Poetry by Oğuz Erdur
Also showing:
Sculptural & Functional Ceramics by Joey Sheehan
Opening reception – Sept. 28 • 6-9 pm
Exhibit through Dec. 30

“Minimalia: The Commonwealth of Sentiments.” is a new photographic exhibit of dream-like, surreal experimentations and poetry by Oğuz Erdur, assistant professor of anthropology at UNC Asheville, from Istanbul, Turkey. The collection of micro-photography images were made with a lensbaby lens. Lensbaby is a line of camera lenses for SLR cameras that combine a simple lens with a bellows or ball and socket mechanism for use in special-effect photography, often used in selective focus photography and bokeh effects. Featuring a hybrid collection of poems, photographic close-ups and prose reflections, the exhibition centers on themes of existential angst and the quest for meaning. Erdur will also be reading his poetry at the exhibit opening.

Joey Sheehan began his study in clay over 14 years ago when he received a BFA in ceramics from Virginia Tech. He completed a 2 year residency at the Odyssey Center and another year there as the studio technician, and has been making pots in Western North Carolina ever since. Sheehan is extremely interested in classical shapes and forms but with a contemporary look at surface. He works to build a relationship between the shape, function, and surface of each piece while also telling a story of the firing process. His work has been shown all over the eastern US and he is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and the Piedmont Craftsman.

Sunday, September 29, 2019
Asheville Quilt Show
Sep 29 all-day
WNC Ag Center

The 37th Asheville Quilt Show includes Demonstrations, Gift shop, Silent Auction, Special Exhibits, Kids Sewing, Quilts for Sale, Opportunity Quilt and food on site. Over 300 quilts from across the country will be exhibited.

Youth Art Competition Application Deadline October 1, 2019
Sep 29 all-day

Hot Works 4th Asheville Fine Art Show, October 26 & 27, 2019 takes place in Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. This art show is juried by art professionals and brings artists to sell his/her art in all discipline including paintings, sculpture, clay, glass, fiber, jewelry, wood and more. All art is original and personally handmade by the artist who is present at the show. There is something for everyone, in all price ranges. You will see many artists at this show who do not attend other shows in North Carolina or South Carolina.

As part of our commitment to bring art education into the community, a Youth Art Competition for grades K-8 or ages 5-13 is integrated within a 10×20 space at the Asheville Fine Art Show. Sponsored by Institute for the Arts & Education, the associated 501c3 non-profit organization, all students in grades K-8 or ages 5-13 are encouraged to enter his/her original and personally handmade art that will be publicly displayed in the art show the entire weekend. On Sunday, October 27 at 3pm, there is $250 in youth art awards presented. Students are exposed to the rules and entrepreneurship opportunity of doing art shows for a living. The program brings families to the art show and exposes them to great art.

Asheville Greek Festival
Sep 29 @ 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Readers Theatre Einstein and the Polar Bear
Sep 29 @ 2:30 pm
Reuter Center at UNCA

 

About the show: A renowned writer has it all, fortune, fame, women and adoration, when one excruciating miscalculation causes him to lose everything. As penance he hides away in a small New England town where he runs a bookstore in a shambling farmhouse. Then comes a knock on his door. Can the lost be found? Can the sinner gain redemption?

Monday, September 30, 2019
Youth Art Competition Application Deadline October 1, 2019
Sep 30 all-day

Hot Works 4th Asheville Fine Art Show, October 26 & 27, 2019 takes place in Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. This art show is juried by art professionals and brings artists to sell his/her art in all discipline including paintings, sculpture, clay, glass, fiber, jewelry, wood and more. All art is original and personally handmade by the artist who is present at the show. There is something for everyone, in all price ranges. You will see many artists at this show who do not attend other shows in North Carolina or South Carolina.

As part of our commitment to bring art education into the community, a Youth Art Competition for grades K-8 or ages 5-13 is integrated within a 10×20 space at the Asheville Fine Art Show. Sponsored by Institute for the Arts & Education, the associated 501c3 non-profit organization, all students in grades K-8 or ages 5-13 are encouraged to enter his/her original and personally handmade art that will be publicly displayed in the art show the entire weekend. On Sunday, October 27 at 3pm, there is $250 in youth art awards presented. Students are exposed to the rules and entrepreneurship opportunity of doing art shows for a living. The program brings families to the art show and exposes them to great art.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Stephen St. Claire’s “Wild Places” Opening Reception
Oct 2 all-day
AC Hotel Asheville Downtown

Join AC Hotel Asheville to celebrate the arrival of Stephen St. Claire’s art series, “Wild Places.” Enjoy an exclusive look at his captivating paintings, conversation with the artist, light bites and cocktails. A percentage of all sales will go to support Children’s Welfare League. RSVP to [email protected]

Storytime & Art
Oct 2 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
North Asheville Library

Come join in the fun with stories and songs, then make a hands-on art project just for the little ones! The Education Department staff is visiting public libraries for preschool storytime at locations near your neighborhood.

Storytime & Art takes place at North Asheville Library on First Wednesdays.

Our program for preschool-aged students accompanied by an adult is at a library near you! During the school year, come join in the fun with stories and songs, then make a hands-on art project just for the little ones.

Thursday, October 3, 2019
UNCA’s Carol Belk Theatre “A Company of Wayward Saints”
Oct 3 @ 7:30 pm
UNC Asheville Belk Theatre

A troupe of traveling actors are desperate to find their way home after many days on the road. Stranded and down on their luck, this commedia dell’arte troupe finally encounter a wealthy patron who promises them the money, but only if they improvise a play, to his liking, on the dauntingly large subject: The History of Man. The problem is the troupe is dysfunctional and has lost their ability to improvise. Nonetheless, they soldier on starting with the Garden of Eden through Everyman in birth, adolescence, marriage and death. Along the way they enact other wayward adventures such as the assassination of Julius Caesar and the homecoming of Odysseus. It is during the performance, the troupe rediscovers themselves and their art through a series of comical and sometimes heartwarming scenes.

Show Dates: October 3rd – 5th @ 7:30 pm; October 6th @ 2 pm. 

Underwear Comedy Party AVL
Oct 3 @ 9:00 pm
Fleetwood's

Underwear Comedy Party is a night of nearly nude laughs. All the comedians will be performing in their underwear and we encourage the audience to strip down too!

doors at 8pm, show at 9pm

Tickets $10
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwear-comedy-party-avl-tickets-70332354967

Friday, October 4, 2019
‘Mountain Top Polka Band’ Oktoberfest Tour Dates
Oct 4 all-day
various locations see details

August 23, Appalachian Ridge Hard Cidery in Hendersonville
August 24, HiWire Brewing Company at the Big Top
Sept. 22, UpCountry Brewing on Haywood Road
Sept. 28, Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville
Oct. 4, Garden Deli in Burnsville
Oct. 6, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School in West Asheville
Oct. 10, Highland Brewing Company and
Oct. 20, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard in Hendersonville

Street Creatures & Dancing Beasts Exhibit
Oct 4 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Asheville Area Arts Council

Please join us on October 4, from 5 to 8 pm for the opening party. Performance of “Nona’s Cooking Show” marionette show is at 6:30.

Exhibit open 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, at 207 Coxe Ave, downtown Asheville, through October 25.

“Street Creatures and Dancing Beasts” will celebrate Asheville’s vibrant puppetry scene as an Asheville Area Arts Council exhibit. It will display puppets made by local artists showing diverse styles and forms in a range of sizes and materials. A menagerie of animals, both real and imaginary, will  dance around the gallery. Puppetry is often relegated to the world of children’s entertainment, but this art form is ancient, multi faceted and almost limitless in scope. It requires the skills of an artist, tinkerer and performer, writer, musician and dancer.

Curator and artist Jennifer Murphy is one of the founders of Street Creature Puppet Collective, and “den mother” of the Puppet Clubhouse, a bright and lively community art space in North Asheville. Her work brings nature and myth together in ecological pageants. The other artists included use diverse visual styles and approaches.

Represented are long time puppetry master Hobey Ford, winner of puppetry’s highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence; Luce Romaldini, who’s rough charming cardboard figures tell uncomfortable truths; Edwin Salas, international puppeteer and dancer who conjures strange creatures of the dark side; Jim Julien, graphic designer and co-director of the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival; Chris Eizember, creative tinkerer and bamboo sculptor; Geneva Bierce-Wilson, fiber artist, inventor and maker of small dragons and large worms; and Street Creature Puppet Collective, a community of collaborative parade puppet makers.

“A Tribute To The Feminine Spirit” A Solo Art Show by Stuart Engel
Oct 4 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
ZaPow Gallery

Stuart Engel has been painting and drawing for his entire life. In the late 70’s he started his professional art career after moving to Boulder, CO, from the DC area. Since then Stuart has raised three girls, participated in numerous Gallery Shows, and sold his art worldwide to collectors. Since moving to Asheville 19 years ago, he has shown at such notable places as Zapow Gallery, The Woolworth Walk, and The Official Warren Christmas Jam Art Show.
Over the years, Stuart has been primarily known for creating dynamic portraits of musicians with acrylic paint and sand. He says he is inspired by “music, color, and the search to capture the feeling of movement.” Indeed, these paintings express the spirit of music and dance in a way that is undeniably one of a kind.
For the past three years, however, Stuart has shifted his focus away from musicians to a new body of work, consisting of six separate themed shows. “A Tribute To The Feminine Spirit,” the first of these shows to debut publicly, will explore feminine themes and how they inspire the artist.
“A Tribute To The Feminine Spirit” opens October 4th, with a reception from 7-9pm at ZaPow Gallery. The show runs through October 26th.
More information:
Website: Stuart-Engel.artistwebsites.com
Instagram: @stuartengel42
Facebook: StuArtOriginals

16 Years Tried Montford Players
Oct 4 @ 7:30 pm
Hazel Robinson Amphitheater

MPP’s funniest, most-original and most-FREE show has been getting RAVES!

Closing out our Summer Season is the fantastic 16 Years Tried, or Let Time’s News Be Known, by Travis Lowe.
Hot on the heels of MPP’s hit “The Winter’s Tale” comes this original, world-premiere take on that work. Penned by local playwright (and MPP regular) Travis Lowe, “16 Years Tried” presents a comic, existential and often surreal look at what might have happened during the 16 years not shown in “The Winter’s Tale.”Director John Preston Mendenhall says of this novel work, “This isn’t Shakespeare’s Bohemia. During a performance of ‘The Winter’s Tale,’ Time’s timing is off and he enters early. After a brief argument with a Shepherd, Time decides to slow down, beginning a sixteen-year adventure populated by an existentially conflicted Bear, a cross-dressing thief, a discontented prince, kings, queens, courtiers, and feminist falcons.”

The piece stars some of Montford Park Players’ greatest talent, all looking forward to taking on something never before seen. They include Alexander McDonald Villarreal, Melon Wedick, Scott Bean, Devyn Ray Villarreal, Jon Stockdale, and many more.

As Mendenhall says, “Whether or not you know The Winter’s Tale, you will enjoy the non-stop fun of this production.”

We hope you’ll join us!

For more information or to reserve seats, go to montfordparkplayers.org.