Calendar of Events
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.
FEBRUARY 3, 10, 17, & 24 (make-up, if needed: MARCH 2)—Mondays, 6–8 pm
Registration deadline: January 27
Soft pastel is the purest medium for painting vibrant colors. In this four-part class, explore color, texture, and design to create beautiful finished artworks. Practice blending, layering, and a variety of strokes and techniques, in addition to color theory, design, and individual expression.
Instructor Terrilynn Dubreuil has over 30 years’ experience encouraging people of all ages and abilities to realize they can be creative with helpful techniques and energy. With an undergraduate degree and graduate studies in fine art, she teaches most media through approaches that help newbies to more experienced artists, and everyone in between.
Adult Studio
The Museum’s studio program for adults offers a core curriculum in drawing, painting, printmaking, and three-dimensional media, and also explores the intersections between them. Local and visiting artists help students of all levels and abilities develop skills in media that reflect techniques and themes featured in the Museum’s Collection and special exhibitions. Classes meet for 3–12 weeks, and are designed for anyone interested in exploring specific media in depth; daylong workshops introduce new media or processes. To add your name to our Adult Studio mailing list, email Kristi McMillan, adult programs manager, or call 828.253.3227 x122.
Enjoy Your Life GAME NIGHT at the ARCHETYPE
Come join us for a Game Night! Bring your favorite game (board game, cards, dominoes, etc.) and your favorite snack. There are also restaurants nearby where you can purchase food and bring it over.
The 27th Annual Spring Conference—for farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, and sustainability seekers—is hosted by Organic Growers School (OGS), an Asheville-based non-profit organization. The conference takes place Friday–Sunday, March 6–8, 2020. The weekend event takes place at Mars Hill University in Mars Hill and the pre-conference events are in Buncombe and Henderson Counties.
Cost for the pre-conference workshops are $60 with conference registration (Saturday, Sunday, or both) and $75 without. Cost for the weekend conference if registered by January 31, 2020 is $65 for Saturday and $80 for Sunday with the full weekend for $110. For registration after January 31, the cost of Saturday is $80, Sunday is $70 and the full weekend is $140.
The Spring Conference offers practical, region-specific workshops on farming, gardening, permaculture, urban growing, and rural living and includes a trade show, a seed exchange, special guest speakers, and a Saturday evening social.
More than 150 classes—both 90-minute sessions and half-day workshops—are offered on Saturday and Sunday in 17 learning tracks:
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Community Food
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Cooking
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Earth Skills
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Farmers: Beginning
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Farmers: Experienced
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Gardening: Beginning
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Gardening: Experienced
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Herbs
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Homesteading
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Livestock
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Mushrooms
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Permaculture
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Poultry
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Soils
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Sustainable Forestry
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Sustainable Living
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Thinking Big
This one-of-a-kind event brings people of all walks of life together for a weekend of learning, inspiration, and networking and features a host of local and regional experts. The mission of the Spring Conference is to provide down-to-earth advice on growing and sustainable living while remaining affordable and accessible. The Spring Conference is the largest locally run sustainability conference in the Southeast and is proudly focused on regionally appropriate growing methods.
Three full-day, on-farm, pre-conference workshops with special guest instructors are available on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They are:
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Mushroom Cultivation at the Farm & Home with William Padilla-Brown & Leif Olson at Creekside Farms Education Center in Arden, NC.
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Healing Our Soils through Compost, and Compost Tea: Safe & Natural Fertilizers with Troy Hinke at Living Web Farms in Mills River, NC
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Chickens & You: From Egg to Table with Pat Foreman & Meagan Coneybeer at Franny’s Farm in Leicester, NC.
The conference will also host an evening lecture on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with Leah Penniman entitled, Farming While Black: African Diasporic Wisdom for Farming & Food Justice. The location for this event is the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville, NC 28801.
The Spring Conference features a trade show on Saturday and Sunday that showcases a wide array of exhibitors and products from local farms, gardening suppliers, and cottage industries that specialize in organic products and resources. Also featured on Saturday and Sunday is the annual Seed and Plant Exchange booth which offers the opportunity to preserve genetic diversity and protect regionally adapted varieties. Attendees may bring excess seeds and small plants to share, barter, or trade.
For more information, visit the website at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/ and see the entire weekend schedule at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/schedule/.
Get the Early Registration Discount!
Learning with Lynda
Lynda.com is an online educational site that includes over 3,000 courses (and over 130,000 videos) in popular fields like web design, web development, IT, education/instruction, media production, and business. Normally, using lynda.com requires a paid subscription, but Buncombe County Public Library cardholders can access lynda.com content FREE with their library card number by following these instructions.
How to access lynda.com content with your library card:
Use the lynda.com button to go to the Buncombe County Library lynda.com login page (do not go directly to the Lynda.com homepage). If you are using a smartphone or tablet, use your device’s browser, not the lynda.com app.
At the login page, enter your library card number and PIN.
Once you are logged in, the next step is to create a personalized account by entering your name and e-mail address. This account can help manage your course history, playlists, bookmarks, and Certificates of Completion.
Be sure to write down your password. If you forget your password, you’ll have to contact lynda.com directly by phone at 1 (888) 335-9632.
Bring games, friends, eat, drink, hang out, and of course- battle to the death!
…or whatever your objective is.
Plenty of space, plenty of games – get the word out to all of your gaming friends. Games below! Feel free to request any you would like to play
FEBRUARY 3, 10, 17, & 24 (make-up, if needed: MARCH 2)—Mondays, 6–8 pm
Registration deadline: January 27
Soft pastel is the purest medium for painting vibrant colors. In this four-part class, explore color, texture, and design to create beautiful finished artworks. Practice blending, layering, and a variety of strokes and techniques, in addition to color theory, design, and individual expression.
Instructor Terrilynn Dubreuil has over 30 years’ experience encouraging people of all ages and abilities to realize they can be creative with helpful techniques and energy. With an undergraduate degree and graduate studies in fine art, she teaches most media through approaches that help newbies to more experienced artists, and everyone in between.
Adult Studio
The Museum’s studio program for adults offers a core curriculum in drawing, painting, printmaking, and three-dimensional media, and also explores the intersections between them. Local and visiting artists help students of all levels and abilities develop skills in media that reflect techniques and themes featured in the Museum’s Collection and special exhibitions. Classes meet for 3–12 weeks, and are designed for anyone interested in exploring specific media in depth; daylong workshops introduce new media or processes. To add your name to our Adult Studio mailing list, email Kristi McMillan, adult programs manager, or call 828.253.3227 x122.
LEARN
Learn about how our cattle are raised from our farm director Asher Wright. He will discuss rotational grazing model, health benefits of grassfed beef and how various inputs on the production side impact the quality of the meat.
EAT
Enjoy a beautiful spread of our in-house made Charcuterie & a locally crafted adult beverage of your choice.
WATCH
Watch head butcher Brian Bermingham demonstrate how to break down each part of a quarter cow, explaining each step of the process along the way.
You’ll learn from our butcher about the differences between each cut, including how they differ in texture, flavor, and cooking requirements.
TAKE
Each participant will take home a portion of different cuts of beef from the class!
FEBRUARY 3, 10, 17, & 24 (make-up, if needed: MARCH 2)—Mondays, 6–8 pm
Registration deadline: January 27
Soft pastel is the purest medium for painting vibrant colors. In this four-part class, explore color, texture, and design to create beautiful finished artworks. Practice blending, layering, and a variety of strokes and techniques, in addition to color theory, design, and individual expression.
Instructor Terrilynn Dubreuil has over 30 years’ experience encouraging people of all ages and abilities to realize they can be creative with helpful techniques and energy. With an undergraduate degree and graduate studies in fine art, she teaches most media through approaches that help newbies to more experienced artists, and everyone in between.
Adult Studio
The Museum’s studio program for adults offers a core curriculum in drawing, painting, printmaking, and three-dimensional media, and also explores the intersections between them. Local and visiting artists help students of all levels and abilities develop skills in media that reflect techniques and themes featured in the Museum’s Collection and special exhibitions. Classes meet for 3–12 weeks, and are designed for anyone interested in exploring specific media in depth; daylong workshops introduce new media or processes. To add your name to our Adult Studio mailing list, email Kristi McMillan, adult programs manager, or call 828.253.3227 x122.
The Opportunity for Special Events to Help Build an Equitable and Inclusive Community
We know special events and festivals have long been employed as powerful tools in supporting business, motivating entrepreneurship, and promoting the arts. Additionally, the City of Asheville is focusing on special events and how they can help build an equitable and inclusive community. But government doesn’t just change on its own. What internal and external efforts are needed to maximize returns? Hear from the City’s Outdoor Special Events office about their collaborations with the City’s Office of Equity & Inclusion. Learn about the confines we’re all working within as community members, and why it takes an inside effort within government to push forward. Where are your opportunities to create and participate in special events that help build an equitable and inclusive community?
Speakers: City of Asheville Outdoor Event Manager Jon Fillman and Business Inclusion Manager Rosanna Mulcahy
The City of Asheville’s Community & Economic Development department is responsible for outdoor special event administration. This office develops and manages partnerships with organizations that produce events, coordinates support services, and oversees regulatory and permitting requirements for temporary uses of parks, streets, and undeveloped city-owned property.
Free for AAAC Members, $5 per talk for Non-Members. Registration is required.
Ready to go WILD? Join us for a trip “off the eaten path.” You’ll learn how to safely gather edible wild plants, mushrooms, and other “extreme cuisine.” Stay for a stunning view of the sunset and enjoy dinner at Vue 1913 featuring a free appetizer with the edibles you met on your tour. Suitable for all ages and abilities. To register or for more info, see here. Three-hour foraging tours also available, year-round, by arrangement.
Wild food is the ultimate natural food: ultra-local, fresher, more flavorful, 10 to 100 times more nutritious than its garden-variety descendants, AND it’s free! With over 300 wild edibles, Western North Carolina is the richest temperate ecosystem on Earth. For a taste of the wild life, forage ahead and experience the life of a modern hunter-gather firsthand. It’s a unique experience in self-catering, a memorable lesson in high-class survival.
Applications are due Feb. 21.
The Asheville Police Department (APD) is now inviting residents to apply for the spring semester of the Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA). Participants in this free course will learn about the daily work and operations of APD, while also giving the department an opportunity to obtain valuable feedback from the community.
The course will begin on March 5. Sessions are held each Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. for 12 weeks. The course is held at the Municipal Building, 100 Court Plaza, in downtown Asheville. Dinner is provided.
The course consists of basic classroom instruction, presentations and demonstrations of topics such as criminal investigations, constitutional and criminal law, use of force, departmental structure and defensive tactics. Participants will also be given the opportunity to ride along with an officer.
Those wishing to participate must apply and be accepted. You can submit an application online at this link. Applications are due Feb. 21.
Environmental Education is crucial to what RiverLink does. We believe that in order for someone to protect their environment, they must first understand it. Our education programs focus on getting students out in the watershed for hands-on experiential learning. We help students foster a love and appreciation for their water resources by allowing them to see, hear and interact with their local waterways. As a result of engaging with our program we hope that students will be inspired to become the next generation of watershed stewards.
Forest Floor is offering sixteen different week-long camp options for ages ranging from K-10. Camps begin with the first week June 15-19 and end with the week of August 10-14. The program is structured to get kids out in the forest, exercising and playing, sharing stories and songs, solving challenges, and learning traditional crafts, wilderness skills, survival skills, and martial arts. Forest Floor programs are unique in the Asheville area because of the focus on Nature Connection Mentoring and helping children reach and exceed their potential.
Parents can drop their children off at Haw Creek Commons in Asheville between 8:30 – 9:00 AM daily, and then pick them up there between 3:00 – 3:30 PM. Camp staff will transport the children via passenger van to the forest location and back each day. An “After Camp” option with games and nature activities is available for parents who choose to pickup as late as 5:30 PM. After Camp can be reserved for specific days or the entire camp week.
The standard pricing for the camps is $295 per week including transportation. The Blacksmithing and Knife-making camps for Grades 6-10 only are priced at $384 per week. After Camp adds $15-30 per afternoon depending on the specific reservations. A payment plan and sibling discount are offered as well. A limited number of partial scholarships are also available. Registrations are taken online in advance at the company website www.OnTheForestFloor.org.
About Forest Floor Wilderness Programs – Forest Floor Wilderness Programs (FFWP) is a unique Asheville provider of Nature-Connection Mentoring programs. FFWP was founded in 2011 by Executive Director Clint Corley to bring a nationally-proven youth mentoring model to the Asheville area. The group offers summer camps, and a wide variety of other programs including weekly programs for homeschool families, bi-weekly programs for teens & public school children, Saturday programs, family campouts, and workshops for adults.
On Sat., Feb. 1, 10 to 11:30 am, John Bowen and Barb Harrison, Buncombe Master Gardener Volunteers, will hold workshops on Starting Seeds Indoors and How to Sharpen Pruning Tools.
John will discuss how to start your seeds indoors and their requirements. He will talk about supplies, when to start, soil, light, water, scarification, stratification, and more. We will provide you with free materials to get you started ~ seed starter soil, containers, and seeds to take home (limited quantities). Please bring your small pruning tools as Barb will demonstrate how to sharpen them. After the demo, we will have tables set-up for you to sharpen your tools to get them ready for your chores.
Workshops are held at the Black Mountain Library’s Education Room at 105 N. Dougherty Street. Our presentations are in partnership with Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library and Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers.
Winter Chautauqua kicks off the 2020 theme of “Reinventing America,” with Teddy Roosevelt. What better way to “Reinvent America” then with the Rough Rider, Nobel Prize winning President who stepped down at the height of his popularity to four years later bolt the Republican Party and challenge his hand picked successor? In ninety days, Roosevelt’s “Bull Moose” Party humbled a sitting president and decisively beat a party that had dominated national politics for forty years. American politics was never then same again.
Get ready to flat out be amazed as you meet – Teddy Roosevelt. You’ll laugh – you’ll be challenged – you’ll have lots of questions. And as always at Chautauqua, the audience is part of the show. Bring your stories. Share your experiences. Get inspired. Because it’s not just history – it’s personal.
Winter Chautauqua kicks off the 2020 theme of “Reinventing America,” with Teddy Roosevelt. What better way to “Reinvent America” then with the Rough Rider, Nobel Prize winning President who stepped down at the height of his popularity to four years later bolt the Republican Party and challenge his hand picked successor? In ninety days, Roosevelt’s “Bull Moose” Party humbled a sitting president and decisively beat a party that had dominated national politics for forty years. American politics was never then same again.
Get ready to flat out be amazed as you meet – Teddy Roosevelt. You’ll laugh – you’ll be challenged – you’ll have lots of questions. And as always at Chautauqua, the audience is part of the show. Bring your stories. Share your experiences. Get inspired. Because it’s not just history – it’s personal.
FEBRUARY 3, 10, 17, & 24 (make-up, if needed: MARCH 2)—Mondays, 6–8 pm
Registration deadline: January 27
Soft pastel is the purest medium for painting vibrant colors. In this four-part class, explore color, texture, and design to create beautiful finished artworks. Practice blending, layering, and a variety of strokes and techniques, in addition to color theory, design, and individual expression.
Instructor Terrilynn Dubreuil has over 30 years’ experience encouraging people of all ages and abilities to realize they can be creative with helpful techniques and energy. With an undergraduate degree and graduate studies in fine art, she teaches most media through approaches that help newbies to more experienced artists, and everyone in between.
Adult Studio
The Museum’s studio program for adults offers a core curriculum in drawing, painting, printmaking, and three-dimensional media, and also explores the intersections between them. Local and visiting artists help students of all levels and abilities develop skills in media that reflect techniques and themes featured in the Museum’s Collection and special exhibitions. Classes meet for 3–12 weeks, and are designed for anyone interested in exploring specific media in depth; daylong workshops introduce new media or processes. To add your name to our Adult Studio mailing list, email Kristi McMillan, adult programs manager, or call 828.253.3227 x122.
The Rhythmic Arts Project of Asheville will be hosting monthly classes at Pack Memorial Library for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. TRAP is dedicated to empowering and educating individuals with developmental disabilities through the power of percussion and music. Caretakers, parents, and family members are welcome to participate! This event is free, but you do need to register. Please visit the library web page and use the link on the calendar for this program or call 250-4718 to register for the class. Registration is required so we know how many participants to expect, there is no charge for this class.
Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. at
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Farmer Incubator Program – Apply Now!Farming = a long-term game. Traditionally, farming was a lifelong+ learning process, with families passing along experience, knowledge, and land accrued by multiple generations. Today, your experience in farming may be different. This program is part of a collaborative support system to help “incubate” farm businesses as they grow. Farming is a business… What’s your business plan?Do you have a farm business idea? Make it a reality! You are invited to join Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Farmer Incubator Program, a “business incubator” for farm operations.
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Located just 20 minutes from downtown Asheville, NC, the SAHC Community Farm is an educational site and working farm that provides a continually evolving home for conservation projects, agricultural production, and community celebrations. The 140-acre Community Farm is a nationally recognized model for environmentally-friendly land management and productive agriculture. Join us for this informative and engaging presentation to learn more about it’s history, ongoing activities and why it serves as an important resource for our community. Feel free to bring your own lunch for this “Lunch and Learn” presentation about the SAHC Community Farm. There will be future opportunities to visit and tour the farm. FREE and open to the public. Space is limited. Please RSVP to [email protected] or 828,253.0095 ext. 216 |
It’s never too late to begin writing the next great American novel – or children’s book. The Leicester Library Creative Writing Work Group is opening its doors to any and all adults who are interested in writing children’s books. Meetings will include writing exercises, idea sharing, and other group discussions. The group will focus on writing picture books, early-reader, and chapter books. Participants are welcome to bring up to 500 words of original writing to share. But you don’t have to, you’re welcome to bring your thoughts to turn into great ideas later.
The classes take place on the first Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. at the Leicester Library. In previous groups, local children’s authors have visited to discuss their writing process. Also, members of the group have already published their own books.
Farming on a small scale requires a variety of production, management and business skills. After the initial start-up years, it can be challenging to understand what your financial numbers and production records mean for your business and enterprise development, and then how to make decisions to move your business forward.This 4-hour training will dig deep into enterprise development and adaptive management for beginning and experienced small farmers.
Explore & Utilize:
- Strategic business planning tools & techniques
- Established farmers recordkeeping and decision-making processes
- Adaptive decision-making with your own farm records
The Skyland Library will host J.R. the Therapy Dog on the 1st Friday of each month. Kids are invited to stop by between 2:30-3:30 pm to practice their reading skills with a gentle, patient and adorable canine friend. J.R. is a certified therapy dog and he can’t wait to meet you!
Applications are due Feb. 21.
The Asheville Police Department (APD) is now inviting residents to apply for the spring semester of the Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA). Participants in this free course will learn about the daily work and operations of APD, while also giving the department an opportunity to obtain valuable feedback from the community.
The course will begin on March 5. Sessions are held each Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. for 12 weeks. The course is held at the Municipal Building, 100 Court Plaza, in downtown Asheville. Dinner is provided.
The course consists of basic classroom instruction, presentations and demonstrations of topics such as criminal investigations, constitutional and criminal law, use of force, departmental structure and defensive tactics. Participants will also be given the opportunity to ride along with an officer.
Those wishing to participate must apply and be accepted. You can submit an application online at this link. Applications are due Feb. 21.