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.

The Museum was closed for nearly six full months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing severe losses in revenue. Though we are now open, uncertainty still looms, and it will take a dedicated effort to recover to a position of strength and stability. Thanks to a generous grant from a longtime foundation supporter, the Museum has established the Asheville Art Museum COVID-19 Relief Fund and matching challenge to encourage additional operational support during this difficult year. We invite you to participate in the challenge and help secure the Museum’s future as we work to serve our community through engagement with the arts.
Through December 31, 2020, all Annual Fund donations and upgraded memberships will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000. Give any amount to the Annual Fund, and boost your impact at this critical time with the one-to-one match. You may also join the Masterpiece Society or renew at another upgraded membership level. Any gift in addition to your current renewal will be matched by this fund and will count toward your membership
As we move toward the Holiday season, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has released guidance for fall-related events. The guidance was developed with the goal of safer holiday breaks for college students and private social gatherings.


Asheville Police Department announces rollout of new anonymous crime tip tool
The Asheville Police Department (APD) is putting a new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members. This new tool, TIP2APD, allows the public to share anonymous tips with police officers and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation. (See video tutorial below.)

The tool also allows the community to find information on incidents APD is currently asking for help with, and to receive alerts about crime activity in their city.
The application is available for free download for both iPhone and Android users via the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store by searching “AshevillePD.”
Individuals without a smartphone can share information with police by sending an anonymous text tip via their cell phone by texting keyword TIP2APD and their message/tip to 847411.
The TIP2APD tool is only for non-emergencies and is not a replacement for 9-1-1. In the event of an emergency please dial 9-1-1 immediately.
- People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
- Click here for a Coronavirus Self-Checker
- People who have had close contact (link to help you determine your risk) (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
- People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, links to local or state health departments.

all donations — up to $200,000 — will be matched by donors
Pisgah Legal Services
is receiving 1,000 calls
per week on average
for assistance.
More than ever, people across Western North Carolina need Pisgah Legal Services: Many have lost their jobs and can no longer pay their rent; others need help securing health insurance. Many are facing increased domestic violence and do not how to safely escape. Others are too scared to seek medical treatment because of their immigration status.
Support Pisgah Legal today and help us provide legal remedies that result in long-term solutions for people struggling in our region during the COVID-19 crisis, and beyond. With early legal intervention, we can keep difficult situations from spiraling out of control and trapping families, seniors, children and other vulnerable people in poverty.
Please join us in the fight so that more people can get back on their feet and we can emerge from this crisis a more just and resilient community.

Consider what it means to shop Amazon
Did you know that Amazon’s net sales for Q4 are expected to be $121 Billion and to grow 38% compared with fourth quarter 2019 numbers? Clearly in this pandemic, they are the big winner. Y’all… there has NEVER been a more critical year to SHOP LOCAL! Please show your love and support of our amazing local business community which truly has all you could ever need- a vintage dress, wall tapestry, piece of pottery, growler of beer or endless gift cards to your favorite Asheville restaurants. Get some ideas here: shops , restaurants , breweries , and more.

America’s national parks belong to all of us. They connect us to the natural world and root us to our nation’s rich and fascinating history.
National parks exist because people had the foresight to protect the wonder of these unique places for future generations. The parks are a legacy that has been handed down to us; it is up to us to prove that we are worthy of that legacy by continuing to protect and preserve these iconic locations for the generations that come after us.
That’s the idea behind our annual Preserve Our Parks Fund Drive. In order to provide the resources for the crucial work that’s needed in our parks in 2021, we must raise $1,332,000 before December 31.
As an added incentive, when you donate to the Preserve Our Parks Fund Drive, you are able to send a beautiful eCard featuring our national parks to whomever you want. Let your friends, colleagues, and loved ones know how important our national parks are to you.

Buncombe County Libraries have teamed up with local attractions and museums to offer free admission for library card holders with a ZOOM pass!
How does it work?
- Have your library card handy and log into the Tixkeeper database.
- You can make 1 reservation per library card. Check the pass details to see how many adults and children gain entry with each pass. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance and you may visit each attraction once every 30 days. Reservations are made online only.
- You will get an email confirmation of your reservation and a reminder email the day before your visit.
- Pick up your tickets at any library anytime the week before your visit. Please bring the library card used for reservations with you.
- The pass will be good for YOUR RESERVATION DAY ONLY. The pass will have your name on it and cannot be used by anyone else. ZOOM passes cannot be renewed.
- Take your ZOOM pass to the museum for admission. You are responsible for knowing the schedule of the museum with regards to opening and closing times. Admission guidelines may vary and pass users must follow the rules of the museum

Kimpton Hotel Arras and local artists today unveiled, “Ode to Buskers & Asheville Music,” a locally created, life-size stainless steel sculpture located outdoors on the corner of Lexington and Patton at Kimpton Hotel Arras. Inspired by the city’s vibrant street musicians and their lively drum circles, artists Chukk Bruursema and Ash Knight sought to bring the unique rhythms of Asheville to life through this striking, collaborative piece, which was commissioned by the hotel.
“Asheville Music,” the large steel djembe drum sculpted by Chukk Bruursema, has West African roots, where the djembe is traditionally played as part of an ensemble, invoking feelings of community and togetherness. Adorning the drum is “Asheville Music,” Ash Knight’s five musical buskers depicted playing the spoons, the string washtub, jug, washboard, and the fiddle, with a dog observing from the ground below.
“We are pleased to officially introduce the “Ode to Buskers & Asheville Music” sculpture, a defining art piece that truly represents the spirit of our city, to the Asheville community,” said Kimpton Hotel Arras General Manager David McCartney. “This piece is an exciting addition to the hotel and expands our local artwork program, which works to highlight and supporting the work of local artists and purveyors.”
Following the unveiling, tours of the additional local artwork displayed throughout the hotel were offered with the artists in attendance to speak to their pieces, including John Wayne Jackson and Peter Roux. Kimpton Hotel Arras commissioned more than a dozen pieces of local artwork curated by local art consultant Liz Barr of Art Resouces.
Click HERE to view photos of “Ode to Buskers & Asheville Music” from the unveiling.

Wake, Mel Chin’s giant animatronic sculpture, installed in New York City’s Times Square last summer, will be on view in Asheville through March 15, 2021, at 44 Collier Avenue. Chin, a WNC based conceptual artist, was named a MacArthur Fellow in September 2019.
Wake was commissioned as part of Mel Chin: All Over the Place, a multi-site survey of his works from across many decades that took place in several New York City locations. A collaborative group, led by UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio and The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, formed to plan and raise funds for the sculpture to be seen locally.
Wake – 60 feet long, 34 feet wide and 24 feet high, conceived and designed by the artist – was engineered, sculpted and fabricated by an interdisciplinary team of UNC Asheville students, faculty, staff and community artists led by Chin. The sculpture is interactive and features decks and places to sit and contemplate.
Wake evokes the hull of a shipwreck crossed with the skeletal remains of a marine mammal. The structure is linked with a carved, 21-foot-tall animatronic sculpture, accurately derived from a figurehead of the opera star Jenny Lind that was once mounted on the 19th century clipper ship, USS Nightingale. Jenny Lind moves subtly as she breathes and scans the sky.
Visitors can experience Wake daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 44 Collier Avenue. For more details and a schedule of programming, visit ashevillearts.com.
January is National Mentoring Month, and this year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina is celebrating it by recruiting more adult and high school volunteers, as well as children and youth who need an extra someone on their side.
“One truth I know,” said Lelia Duncan, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North
Carolina, “is that we are all called to take care of one another, to encourage, to uplift, to hold a space for
others to be listened to and valued. There is nothing more important, nothing closer to the divine, than
to be present and to take a moment to nurture those around us, especially children and youth.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC is especially effective in helping young people feel valued and heard.
Surveys of school personnel in the 2018-2019 school year show that, among BBBSWNC Littles in
community- and school/site-based programs
National Mentoring Month is the time of year where engagement from community members interested
in becoming a mentor is highest. This year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina is
encouraging the public to go beyond just digital engagement – and become involved in real life.
Mentoring relationships are at their best when connections are made between a caring adult and a
young person who knows that someone is there to help guide them through real-life decisions.
To learn more about becoming a Big Brother or a Big Sister in Henderson County, contact Program
Coordinator Morgan Harris at (828) 507-6644 or email [email protected]. You can learn more
about serving across the 18 county region by visiting www.bbbswnc.org.

Bluegrass Brunch
hosted by Aaron Woody Wood & The Sufi Brothers
Pickin’ on the Porch w/ Chicken Coop Willaye 1030AM
Bald Mountain Boys 11AM – 12:30PM
Sufi Brothers 12:45PM – 3PM
Be sure to check out our Bloody Mary Bar, the BEST selection of pickled products and other additions in Asheville. The MOJO Kitchen will be serving a special Brunch menu until 3PM as well.
Food & music start at 10:30am
ADULT beverages at Noon.
Beginning October 7, the three-hour documentary-styled art installation Question Bridge: Black Males will be on view at the Asheville Art Museum. This innovative transmedia project facilitates a dialogue between Black men from diverse and contending backgrounds, and creates a platform for them to represent and redefine Black male identity in America. The work will be on view during regular public hours from October 7, 2020 through March 15, 2021.
Question Bridge: Black Males is a project that explores critically challenging issues within the African American male community by instigating a transmedia conversation among Black men across geographic, economic, generational, educational, and social strata of American society. Question Bridge provides a safe setting for necessary, honest expression and healing dialogue on themes that divide, unite, and puzzle Black males today in the United States.

Best of all, Porch Portraits by Suzanne will donate $15 of every session to our great friends at Flat Rock Playhouse. My goal is to raise $15,000 for the Playhouse by the end of the year so any money over and above the price of $65 will go straight to them.
Perhaps most exciting, an extremely generous Playhouse donor has agreed to a MATCHING GIFT CAMPAIGN up to $36,000.18! This incredibly generous donation draws on the magic of Chai, the Jewish belief that multiples of 18 bring good luck. Meaning that every session booked will result in at least $30 for the wonderful folks at Flat Rock Playhouse.
For decades, Flat Rock Playhouse has been opening their collective hearts and sharing their fabulous talents to bring joy and entertainment to western North Carolina. This is an opportunity to show our gratitude at a time when they really need our support.
Together, let’s make magic happen! Help us kick off this campaign by contributing today.

MANNA FoodBank and their partner agencies have served an average of 101,000 people each month since March. This is a 70% increase over pre-pandemic levels. The need is deep and persistent across Western North Carolina. MANNA is dedicated to our neighbors in need and is working to end hunger across the mountains of North Carolina. When you round up to support MANNA, they are able to do amazing things. No amount is too small because $1 provides 3.5 meals!
- 18 +
- SEATED SHOW
- 11 AM DOORS/ 12 PM
Burlesque Brunch is a monthly burlesque and belly dance show with a classic speakeasy feel. Join us every month and relax and enjoy our dancing dames and dandies in an up close and intimate setting. It’s a Sunday afternoon to delight the senses!

Mask up and join us for socially-distanced Football Sundays on the big screen in our music hall! We’ll have our taqueria and bar open on Sundays from 1:00-8:00pm all season long.

*Order by Sunday, December 20 to ensure Christmas delivery!
PICKUP HOURS EXTENDED
Open: Friday (12/18) – Wednesday (12/23) 1-4 PM
Closed: Thursday (12/24) – Wednesday (12/30)
Open: Thursday (12/31)
Closed: Friday (1/1)
Open: Saturday (1/2) – Sunday (1/3) 1-4 PM
Testing Site Locations in Buncombe County: Appointment required at these sites
A-B Tech, Genevieve Circle, Asheville (Allied Health Parking Lot)
Every Sunday
1:30-5:30 p.m.

Every Sunday Except First of Month.

HICKORY NUT GAP WILL DONATE A POUND OF OUR PASTURE RAISED MEATS TO FAMILIES IN NEED FOR EVERY SAMPLER BOX PURCHASED BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2020.
Will be serving food at WNC Ministry
Let’s Help Feed Those in Need
To put action steps to the desire to help others. Anyone who is interested in helping those who are food insecure. We will organize a way to offer a meal once weekly to those in need.


Main Hall Seated – Limited Tables Available with a Dinner Reservation :: Please Call Venue for Dinner Reservations at 828-575-2737
TIS THE SEASON TO BE SWINGIN! And Russ Wilson, his orchestra and all the gang will be doing just that on December 20th at the Isis Music Hall.
If you grew up with those Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams & Perry Como Christmas shows like Russ did then you are certainly going to enjoy this! Russ will be getting in the Christmas spirit with an evening of wonderful music. You’ll find yourself humming your favorite holiday tunes while tapping your feet to the swinging beat. But that’s not all! Along with Russ and the band will be Wendy Jones, Hank Bones, Nathan Hefner and Justin Ray to trim the musical Christmas tree.
A wonderful evening of all your holiday favorites that will surely make you smile.
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Governor Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday, December 8th that North Carolina will begin a Modified Stay at Home Order in response to a rapid increase in North Carolina’s key COVID-19 trends. The Order requires people to stay at home between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am, and takes effect Friday, December 11th. The Order is set to remain in place until January 8, 2021.
The Order requires restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, personal care businesses, and more to close at 10 pm. Travel to and from work, to obtain food, medical care, fuel or social services, or to take care of a family member is exempted from the order. FAQs on the order can be found HERE.
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City of Asheville Transit will begin enforcing face covering requirements for riders and will reduce the maximum passenger capacity per bus to 9 people plus the driver.
Free face coverings are provided on all ART buses and at the Transit Center, both on the platform and at the customer service window. Please ask an ART employee for assistance if a face covering is needed.
Riders who refuse to wear a face covering, or who are improperly wearing a face covering, will not be allowed to board the bus and will be denied service. Additionally, riders will be required to exit the bus if the face covering is removed or is being worn improperly. Face coverings are also required to be worn at all times at ART facilities, including the Transit Center and bus stops. Riders who refuse to wear face coverings will be subject to a 15-day ban from riding transit and may be subject to civil penalties and trespassing charges. Recurring violations may result in additional penalties and a longer ban from riding ART.
Additionally, in accordance with Executive Order 180, the maximum passenger capacity per bus will once again be limited to 9 riders plus the driver. Riders are asked to limit their use of ART to essential travel only and to continue to practice the 3 W’s: Wear a cloth face covering over your nose and mouth, Wait 6 feet apart and avoid close contact, and Wash your hands or use sanitizer.
Please check the Service Alerts section on the website for any updates.
https://www.ashevillenc.gov/service/transit-service-alerts

Make your holidays merry, bright and a culinary delight with the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association. Before you go out or order in for your special holiday evenings, make sure that your favorite restaurant is open for business! Check the AIR Holiday Hours – a complete list of AIR restaurant’s special holiday hours from Thanksgiving to ringing in the New Year! These will be updated often, so please check in throughout the season! View Holiday Hours here –

COVID-19 cases are surging, resources are being stretched to their lowest levels, and provisions from the CARES Act — like unemployment insurance, paid leave, and Paycheck Protection Program support — are set to expire at the end of this month. Despite these concerns, Congress still has failed to act and provide relief for families across the country.
The City of Asheville is beginning work on updates to its Greenway, ADA Transition and Pedestrian Plans and they’ve opened two surveys to garner feedback from the community. The planning process, known as the “Close the GAP,” will identify a network of pedestrian, greenway, and accessibility networks as well as programs and policies to support it. The plans were combined because the pedestrian network will be a stronger one if the three aspects — greenways, ADA transitions, and pedestrian networks — are planned at the same time. The surveys can be found at ashevillenc.gov/closethegap. The surveys will be available until Dec. 31. |
