Skip to content

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.

Saturday, August 29, 2020
Calling all local musicians! Get your tunes on the Dig Local Spotify playlist!
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Wow! Thanks to all those who have submitted tunes for the Dig Local Spotify playlist. If you’d like to be considered as an addition to our music compilation, we are still accepting submissions for our Spotify playlist now (check out the playlist here).

There are only three requirements to be considered:

  • You or your group must be regionally based in the Asheville area
  • Your song submissions must be all original compositions
  • The songs must be “family-friendly” (no profanity or obscenity or violence)

If selected, one or two of your songs will be featured in our Spotify playlist. There may also be opportunities to be featured in our Weekly Scoop email and on our social media platforms!

Submit your music by filling out the following info at the link below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5LCQovN51Y56SLuo7kB_hmeer33DsNhITEvz7TkF8O9ATqA/viewform?mc_cid=8ce4073971&mc_eid=258ba8532a

Calling for Submissions: The Breath Project/Flat Rock Playhouse
Aug 29 all-day
Online
The Breath Project logo

Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to partner with The Breath Project to create an archive of 8 minute and 46 second works of live theater from multidisciplinary theater artists of color who are responding to this moment in history. All submissions that meet the Breath Project guidelines will be featured in the archive, and as partners in the project, CJ Barnwell will be the curator from our theater who will help select pieces from the archive to feature in a virtual festival in Fall 2020. For those who do not have access to video recording equipment, the Playhouse is able to offer the use of the Mainstage and video recording support. If you are interested in recording on the Mainstage, please email [email protected].

To be considered for the Fall 2020 virtual festival, please submit your piece by Sept. 14, 2020. For more information on the submission process, the mission of the Breath Project and other partner theaters, visit www.thebreathproject2020.com.

Census – Please respond
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Census – Please respond

It’s not too late!  This once-a-decade population count of everyone who lives in the United States is mandated by the U.S. Constitution, and everyone is required to participate. Responses from the census help determine how federal funds are allocated for critical public services and programs in communities around the country for the next 10 years. If you haven’t responded yet, respond now—online, by phone, or by mail.  Respond Now

 

If you don’t care about all the other things the Census is used for, like determining how many representatives each state has in Congress, and so much more, you should care that the population count affects the share of available federal money that comes to the French Broad River MPO for local programming.  That money has paid for sidewalks on Hendersonville Rd and Patton Avenue, and will help pay for sidewalks on Johnston Blvd, Deaverview Rd, New Leicester Highway, plans for permanently redesigning Coxe Avenue, and more.  Respond Now – please.

Center For Craft Artist Grants
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Craft Futures Fund

The Craft Futures Fund will support craft communities throughout the United States and their creative responses to COVID-19. These one-time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 will be disbursed to craft-based education projects that seed resilience, foster community, and amplify impact.

Completing the Census is Safe, Easy and Important! Make NC Count!
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Completing the survey is quick and easy to do. You can complete your Census questionnaire online, by phone or on paper. By using your phone, tablet or computer, or simply grabbing a pencil or pen, you can complete the questionnaire, spending less than 10 minutes on what can impact your community in the next 10 years.

The process is safe, easy and important and you can respond in one of three ways:

  • Online by visiting my2020census.gov.
  • By phone by calling 1-800-923-8282. For information on language support, click here for a listing of telephone numbers.
  • Via mail

Help Make NC Count! View and download resource materials by clicking on the button below.

NC Census Outreach & Engagement Toolkit

 

diverse group of people holding hands together in the park

COVID-19 Business Resources
Aug 29 all-day
Online

As our community responds to COVID-19, our staff are monitoring the situation and working to bring you information and resources. Please watch this page for news updates and emerging resources.

COVID-19 Testing in Buncombe County
Aug 29 all-day
Online

COVID-19 Testing in Buncombe County

COVID-19 testing is suggested for people experiencing symptoms, those who have been identified as a close contact to a confirmed case regardless of symptoms, and for those who work in congregate living settings with concerns of a potential outbreak.

Testing is widely available at urgent cares, federally qualified health centers, and through some primary care providers for those who need it however, it remains important to focus on the prevention of COVID first and foremost to keep the virus from spreading further into the community and to loved ones.

FIND TESTING NEAR YOU:

If you DO NOT HAVE a healthcare provider who offers testing for COVID-19 and you need to get tested, there are several ways to find testing near you.

  1. Visit the Find My Testing Place website to find a clinic or pop up testing site near you.
  2. People in Buncombe County can access testing by completing the Buncombe County Self-Checker online to set up an appointment at one of the county’s open-air, drive-through sites. People can also call the Ready Team at (828) 419-0095 from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm., Monday – Friday to be pre-screened for testing at these sites.
  3. You can call the Buncombe County nurse line at (828) 250-5300 to find out where you can get tested (Press OPTION #1 to speak with a nurse) from 8 am to 5:30 pm.
Don’t Waste Durham: Reduce Waste Survey
Aug 29 all-day
Online
Customer Survey about Takeout “Extras”
This survey is 17 questions long and should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Responses will be recorded anonymously unless contact information is provided following completion.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? Don’t Waste Durham thanks you VERY much for taking this survey. Your responses are important to understanding whether and how much people are using the takeout “extras” (plastic forks, paper napkins, etc) that restaurants give you with your takeout/delivery. THANK YOU!

Fall Fling Raffle Benefit: Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders
Aug 29 all-day
Online

The raffle winner will choose from three amazing getaway packages, each valued at approximately $2,500:

  • The Lake Lure Relaxing Getaway includes a three-night stay at The Enchanted Cottage on Lake Lure, a $100 gift certificate to Chimney Rock State Park, a $150 gift certificate to La Strada at Lake Lure, and a selection of craft beverages provided by Green Man Brewery.

  • The Biltmore Estate Romantic Getaway includes a $2,500 Biltmore Estate gift card that can be used at all Estate locations, including overnight accommodations at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, dining at the Bistro, Estate tickets and tours, Biltmore Winery tastings, outdoor activities, or retail items.

  • The Asheville Glamping Adventure Getaway includes a $1,600 gift certificate to be used for accommodations at any of Asheville Glamping’s thirteen unique glamp-sites, a $500 gift certification to the Adventure Center of Asheville, a $250 gift certificate to the Mast General Store and a $150 gift certificate to Well-Bred Bakery & Café.

 

Tickets are priced at $40 each or 3 tickets for $100. Visit https://tinyurl.com/y4yvu8kz for full package details.

 

A limited number of raffle tickets will be available for purchase from August 18, 2020 through September 20, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EDT on our specially created event website at https://tinyurl.com/y4yvu8kz. The winner will be selected at random, announced on all CRC for ED social media platforms on September 20th at approximately 7:00 p.m. EDT, and will be notified directly by telephone, mail, and/or email. Please see full Terms & Conditions here.

Farm Beginnings® Farmer-Led Training Program Virtual for 2020-2021
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Many skills are required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more. Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. Using a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, and an extensive farmer network, Farm Beginnings® will help you clarify your goals and strengths, establish a strong enterprise plan, and start building a profitable and sustainable operation. Although students do not need to own land, some farming or production experience is required to get the most out of the program. As we know, farming is more critical than ever. Apply to this program and be prepared when crisis hits!

Program Details: December 2020 – September 2021

2020-2021 Farm Beginnings® Farmer Training is 200+ Hours including:

— Winter Whole-Farm Business Planning Courses – 60 hours (October – March)**
— ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference (February) – 8 hours
— OGS Conferences – 40+ hours
— Mentorship with an experienced Farmer Mentor (March – September) – 15 hours
— Production Training – 45 hours (April – October): WNC CRAFT tours on sustainable farms around WNC & Field Days with regional partners Living Web Farms  and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Incubator Farm
— One year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network membership – Membership and mentoring in a regional farmer network

Flat Rock Playhouse: Dave Hart Scholarship Fund
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Dave’s family is proud and honored to create the Dave Hart Scholarship Fund in honor of his dedication to, and passion for the students and families he served and adored. The funds will be used to support full and partial scholarships for Studio 52 students beginning this fall. You can click below to donate or you can mail your donation to PO Box 310, Flat Rock, NC. 28731. Please include Dave Hart Scholarship in memo-line / letter.

Free Back to School Resource Packets from Sylvan Learning
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Back to School Packets

BacktoSchoolResourcePacket-min

Reserve your FREE Back to School Packet now!

Are you ready for this school year?
Complete this form to reserve a FREE Back to School Packet containing a STEMTACULAR Activities packet for elementary and key school supplies for middle and high school-age students.  All packets will have some helpful information for preparing for a successful school year.  The center you choose will contact you (email or cell phone/text) to reserve a time for you to pick-up your kit:  https://bit.ly/BTSKit2020

Free WIFI Hotspots Available Outside Buncombe Libraries
Aug 29 all-day
Buncombe County Libraries

Buncombe County Public Libraries have free wifi hotspots available outside any library building. To use the wifi, look for the LibraryGuest network and use the password readmore. The wifi is available all day every day, whether the library is open or not. Please observe all Buncombe County social distancing and gathering requirements while using the wifi. Questions? Call (828) 250-4700 or email [email protected].

Gardening Video: Sun to Shade—Changing Light Patterns in Your Garden
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Presenter: Kay Green, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

The amount of sun or shade in your garden will change as the sun moves across the sky during the day and with the seasons.  By knowing how much sun the garden gets, you can better plan where your plants will thrive.  In this video, Kay shows you how to create a “Sun Map” and a “Sun Chart” to record the sun and shade patterns in your garden.  Using these simple tools will help you make better plant selections and reward you with better results.

Video access:
To access these videos on the Buncombe County Master Gardener website, click on the link below:
Sun to Shade—Changing Light Patterns in Your Garden 

Or go to www.buncombemastergardener.org, click on the ‘Resources’ tab at the top of the page, and select ‘Gardening Videos’ from the drop down menu.

Goodwill is Hiring!
Aug 29 all-day
Buncombe County

Great pay and benefits, medical coverage, PTO, and more. Join the Goodwill team and make a difference in your community.  We are hiring for retail and donation processing positions at locations across northwest North Carolina. To learn more and to view a list of available jobs, visit jobsatgoodwill.org.

Grant Opportunities for the Crafts
Aug 29 all-day
online
The Craft Futures Fund will fund up to $30,000 each month from May 2020 – October 2020 to support craft-based education projects. These one-time, unrestricted grants of $5,000 will be disbursed to craft-based education projects that envision and build new futures for craft.
Grants and Funding of the Haywood County Arts Council
Aug 29 all-day
Online

As an advocate for the arts in our community, Haywood County Arts Council develops partnerships with schools, other nonprofits, county governments, schools, city revitalization boards, economic development councils, chambers of commerce, and tourism bureaus. These partnerships are often the catalyst for sustainable economic and community development using the arts and can lead to programs that connect diverse parts of the county through shared arts experiences.

With the assistance and support of the North Carolina Arts Council, the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) has an important role in sustaining, growing, and advocating for the arts in Haywood County. The HCAC is a Designated County Partner (DCP) for the North Carolina Arts Council, and administers the Grassroots Arts Program subgrant process as well as the Artist Support Grant for Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania Counties.

Grants for Heritage Projects
Aug 29 all-day
Online

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership
(BRNHA) has announced its 2020 Heritage Grants Program, which will provide funding for
projects that preserve, interpret, and promote Western North Carolina’s agricultural, craft,
Cherokee, music, and natural heritage. These five distinctive legacies earned the region a
Congressional designation as a National Heritage Area in 2003.

Nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and units of state and local governments are
eligible to apply. Applicants must provide at least an equal match. The total pool of funding for
the 2020 grant cycle is $180,000.

Grants awarded in previous cycles have supported exhibits, demonstration gardens, oral history collections, video documentaries, interpretive programs, teaching materials, artist training, visitor brochures, music venue improvements, and the marketing of heritage destinations. The grant projects have provided engaging and authentic cultural experiences to hundreds of thousands of visitors and residents.
The deadline for grant applications is October 1, 2020. Complete information on the 2020 Heritage Grants Program can be found at www.blueridgeheritage.com/partners/grants.

Grounding and Centering Morning Meditation
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Enjoy a relaxing 20 minute guided meditation with didgeridoo from Robin and Corey, recorded live from their home in Asheville.

Grove Arcade Makers Market Accepting Vendor Applications
Aug 29 all-day
Online

The Battery Park end of the Grove Arcade is home to the Makers Market, an outdoor bazaar with a dozen stalls filled by artisans selling their craft directly to the public. The market is now accepting vendor applications for local artist to sell their wares, and the application fee is currently waived due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about the process and vendor regulations, as well as how to apply, here.

Guided Hikes: Grandfather Mountain
Aug 29 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

Interpretive Rangers are available to lead guided hikes, bird walks and wildflower walks for families and groups that visit Grandfather Mountain. To see the mountain in this whole new way, you can schedule an appointment by calling the interpretive ranger office at (828) 737-0833 or emailing [email protected].

Please note that walks and hikes are available for all ability levels, but hikes that take you into Grandfather Mountain’s backcountry require careful footwork, proper footwear and the ability to handle heights. All backcountry hikes require participants to traverse ladders and use cables to navigate steep sections of the trail.

Interpretive Rangers are available year-round (weather permitting) to lead guided hikes to:

MacRae Peak ($15 + park admission)
Attic Window ($25 + park admission)
Calloway Peak ($35 + park admission)

Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance, and a minimum of two participants per hike are required. For more information, please call (828) 737-0833.

Henderson County Public Schools: Hotspots to Families Without Internet Service
Aug 29 all-day
Online
As families are looking to start the 2020/2021 school year with remote learning, Henderson County Public Schools is addressing the need of families without access to internet in their homes. Families without internet access can request hotspots from HCPS. Spanish form available.
Hickory Nut Gap Farm Grassfed Beef Sale
Aug 29 all-day
Hickory Nut Gap Farm

100% grassfed ground beef. Balanced at a perfect 80% lean, 20% fat blend, every bite of this ground beef is delicious and flavorful. Whether you’re spending the day out at the grill, or perfecting your signature spaghetti sauce recipe, Hickory Nut Gap Farm’s ground beef provides an exceptional and nutritious staple to your cooking adventures.

Always 100% grassfed, always 100% hormone and antibiotic free.

Ground Beef is cryovac packed and frozen. If kept frozen, maintains a 12 month shelf life from pack date.

Hotline that can help connect families with child care options
Aug 29 all-day
Online
Child Care Hotline Available to Help Families with School-Age Children Find Care
Families have experienced an interruption in child care plans due to the COVID19 pandemic and North Carolina has responded with a hotline that can help connect families with child care options.
Families and caregivers in need of child care for children up to age 12 can call the child care hotline at 1-888-600-1685 to be connected directly to care options in their community that meet their families’ needs. As of Aug. 10, there are about 30,000 slots available for school-age children in licensed child care programs across the state.
How local businesses are adjusting to the COVID-19 crisis: The Hop Interview
Aug 29 all-day
Online
Greg Garrison, UNCA alumni and co-owner of The Hop Ice Cream Cafe, shares some insights into how he and his wife Ashley are operating their family business in the midst of uncertainties. Check out the interview to see how they’ve switched gears and filled pints. 
While we’ve all had to adjust to the “new normal” (whatever that is), our local business owners and managers each have their own story to tell about how they’ve been affected and what they are doing during these unprecedented times. Dig Local is proud to partner with our friend, Ann Smith, at Leap Frog Tours to interview some of the folks who make Asheville, Asheville.
How to Make Kombucha Video
Aug 29 all-day
Online

The first in our series of videos empowering you to make your own endless kombucha from scratch- follow along as we use a bottle of live, active Buchi kombucha to grow our own SCOBY for fermenting kombucha! Questions? Check out our FAQ: http://www.drinkbuchi.com/blog/make-y… Follow us on insta! http://instagram.com/drinkbuchi

I-26 Connector Report Survey Open until September 12
Aug 29 all-day
Online

The City of Asheville is looking for input from the community on a report prepared by the I-26 Aesthetics Committee.  Read more and weigh in on the report at https://t.e2ma.net/click/nkulzj/jl0fq2/j5zs7ee

It’s Time to Clean Up the French Broad River
Aug 29 all-day
Online

Call on Asheville City Council to do its part to clean up the French Broad River, starting with the establishment of a Stormwater Task Force to address the City’s water pollution problems. Not only does the City have a legal obligation to protect water quality, Council’s commitment to racial equity demands action to protect residents of the Southside neighborhood from the highest pollution levels in the city.

Our river is a public resource, and tens of thousands of people recreate on the French Broad every year. However, none of the testing sites within the City of Asheville pass the EPA’s safe limit on average, and the worst site that we test is Nasty Branch, which drains over half of downtown Asheville and flows through the historically African American Southside neighborhood, before discharging into the French Broad River in the River Arts District.

High levels of E. coli also indicate the presence of other, more harmful microbes, such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Shigella, and norovirus. Heavy rains and storms often result in spikes in E. coli contamination, increasing the risk to human health. Contact with or consumption of contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illness and skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections. The most commonly reported symptoms are stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever.

Asheville City Council has a moral and legal responsibility under the Clean Water Act to protect our river and water quality for all city residents. Henderson County has already established a Stormwater Task Force, Asheville should too.

Job Retention Grant Applications Due Sept 1
Aug 29 all-day
Online
Job Retention Grant Applications Accepted through September 1st
Businesses and nonprofit organizations in North Carolina that have experienced interruption due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic could qualify for up to $250,000 from a new state grant program, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The Department of Commerce is now accepting applications for the Job Retention Grant Program (JRG) through the agency’s website.
To qualify for a grant award, applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements, which include:
  • The applicant cannot have participated in the federal Paycheck Protection Program, the federal Main Street Loan Program, or the state Rapid Recovery Loan Program.
  • The applicant must have maintained at least 90 percent of the number of full-time employees in North Carolina at the end of June 2020 as it did as the end of February 2020.
  • The applicant must have had a reduction in sales (in the case of a for-profit business) or receipts (for nonprofits) of more than 10 percent when comparing March-May 2020 to March-May 2019 levels.
Applicants are eligible for a grant up to 125 percent of two months of its 2019 average monthly payroll costs, up to a maximum of $250,000. All applicants that apply and are eligible may expect to receive some level of assistance, but the actual amount of the grant will depend on the total number of eligible requests received by the program. If requests exceed the $15 million that’s available, then individual grant amounts will be lowered on a prorated basis.
Applications must be submitted by Midnight on Tuesday, September 1st.
Labor Day Weekend at Coming Nantahala Outdoor Center
Aug 29 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Classic Family Adventure in Western North Carolina

North Carolina’s shimmering Nantahala River, located just outside Bryson City, NC, at 13077 Highway 19 West, Bryson City, NC 28713. This location offers river rafting through family-friendly rapids that are mild but exciting. The Nantahala features eight miles of practice on easy Class II rapids before splashing through the exciting Class III whitewater of Nantahala Falls.

The Nantahala is also headquarters of the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Founded in 1972, NOC is located at the intersection of the Appalachian Trail and the Nantahala River in the Nantahala National Forest. Originally a roadside inn, the company has evolved into one of the largest outdoor recreation companies in the nation, hosting well over one million guests each year.

NOC’s 500-acre adventure center offers whitewater rafting, four aerial and zipline activities, mountain biking on nine miles of private trails, and stand-up paddleboarding on Lake Fontana. In between activities, you can shop at one of NOC’s four retail stores including NOC’s flagship Outfitter’s Store, eat at NOC’s two riverfront restaurants, and even stay in a cabin adjoining the Appalachian Trail.