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, August 11, 2021
Cider @ TreeRock Social w/ 30’s and 40’s Women Near Asheville
Aug 11 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
TreeRock Social Cider & Mead Bar

Cider @ TreeRock Social

Hi ladies! Let’s meet at Asheville’s first and only mead & cider bar. There is an outdoor patio and garden, which is pet friendly.
And, for those who are not fans of cider or mead, they also have craft beers available.

What we’re about

Let’s go out and experience the adventures that await in Asheville! If you like connecting with other women that are interested in easy/moderate hiking, waterfalls, breweries, restaurants, silent discos, comedy shows, paint nights, museums, and much more adventures, then this group is for you!

Well-Crafted Wednesdays w/ Matt Smith
Aug 11 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Highland Brewing Company
Witty Wednesday Trivia
Aug 11 @ 6:30 pm
Sweeten Creek Brewing
Scoop: Witty Wednesday Trivia
Meet and Greet – Sovereign Kava Bar w/ Into the Mystic – Asheville MeetUp
Aug 11 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sovereign Kava Bar

Calling all Mystics for a relaxing evening at the Sovereign Kava Bar.
This is an open forum for everyone to come and get to know each other.

For anyone not familiar with the Kava Bar its a cool place with a laid back atmosphere. Often has local live music or some kind of open mic. Hopefully we will hanging outside in the fresh if the weather cooperates with us.

What we’re about

If you’re excited about the coming spring or just feel like getting out and having some fun, this is the group for you!

We are all about meeting in Person and exploring life Together.

Lets embrace the beauty of these mountains and all that life has to offer!

We will focus on building friendships while we explore Spirituality, our Connection to Nature and All Living Things. We welcome people of any perspective who have an open mind and are willing to create genuine connections and memories with other kindred souls.

Some activities we will be scheduling include:
-Various Social Events to meet and get to know each other
-Hammocking, Picnics, Playing Games
-Activities to help us connect with nature
-Hiking, Camping and Mountain Biking
-Activities designed to help us learn and explore
-Plant Identification, Astrology, Meditation, and Sharing Knowledge

Robert’s Totally Rad Trivia
Aug 11 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
12 Bones Brewing

Totally Rad Trivia invades 12 Bones South every Wednesday evening for two hours of Pop Culture Trivia. Grab a beer, some BBQ and buckle in for some fun and challenging Trivia.
Latin Night Wednesday
Aug 11 @ 9:00 pm – 11:59 pm
One World Brewing West

Latin Night Wednesday

MTN VIBEZ Presents Latin Night-every Wednesday.  Free Dance Lessons 8:30-9PM-All Skill Levels and All Latin Genres-Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cumbia, Reggaeton.

DJ Ephcto spins cultural bass music from 6:30pm-9pm and is a perfect time to come for some dinner prior to the start of Latin night.

Move On Up: Soul/R+B
Aug 11 @ 9:00 pm – Aug 12 @ 2:00 am
Asheville Beauty Academy

“Move On Up” is a night of your favorite and forgotten Soul/RB cuts right after Comedy Night.

Thursday, August 12, 2021
Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Aug 12 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made. Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and a specialty boxed lunch. During the month of October. 9am and 2pm departures. 9am will feature the option of a delicious Sausage & Bacon Quiche or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole. The 2pm departure will be serving the popular BBQ meal.

Diesel $109.00 ($114.00 October) Not Permitted
Steam $119.00 ($126.00 October) Not Permitted
Locomotive Adult (21+ Only) Under 21

How to Purchase

You can purchase your tickets online or call our reservations department at (800) 872-4681. Or, you can purchase your tickets the day of in the Bryson City Depot. No matter how you purchase tickets, they’ll be waiting at will call.

Smoky Park Supper Club – SMALL GROUP OUTDOORS Meetup
Aug 12 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Smoky Park Supper Club

 

Wendy and Jeannie are hosting an early happy hour outdoors at Smokey Park Supper Club located on Riverside Dr in RAD.

Please bring your own chair so we can social distance and stay safe.

We are following CDC guidelines, wear a mask in public and do not attend if you have any symptoms of respiratory illness.

Thank you for your cooperation.

CHECK YOUR EMAIL in the morning for any weather updates!!

What we’re about

If you are a coffee lover, then you need to know this word: FIKA (fee-ka). It is a Swedish word that doesn’t translate well to English. It is a noun. It is a verb. And it must be experienced. You go to have a fika. And when you meet for fika, you fika. Followers of the 40 days of Fika series on FortyDaysFika.com & Ashevilleblog.com have been requesting to gather for Fika – so we are delivering! If you would like to slow down, meet some new people, and enjoy a cup o’ joe, then come and pull up a chair for some coffee and companionship. Meet us every week at a different location around Asheville and join us for Fika – coffee and friendship. Just look for the Swedish flag on the table! Everyone is welcome!

ArborEvenings
Aug 12 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens and experience our Wild Art outdoor sculpture showcase in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Thursdays and most Fridays through October 1, 2021, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. ArborEvenings are not scheduled on the following Fridays: July 9, August 6, September 3 and 10.

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Please note: ArborEvenings will not be held in the event of rain. Please check the website or Facebook page by 3 p.m. for any cancellation announcements prior to attending. 

Beverage Service

Beer, Wine, and soft drinks will be for sale onsite at the Green Gardener’s Shed from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. each night of the event. Outside alcohol is strictly prohibited, but guests are welcome to bring in water or a favorite non-alcoholic beverage.

Food Available for Pre-Order, Picnics Welcome

Although the Bent Creek Bistro will not be open during the event, we are pleased to share that they will be offering their delicious dining options at ArborEvenings via pre-order this year! Simply place your online order — including alcoholic beverages — up until 11 a.m. on the date you plan to attend, then pick up your order at the Baker Information Desk between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (In the event of rain cancellation, pre-orders will be fully refunded.)

Guests are welcome to bring in outside food and non-alcoholic beverages. However, outside alcohol is strictly prohibited.

ORDER AHEAD

Musician Schedule

Please note, scheduled performances are subject to change.

Know Before You Go

  • Parking fees will be collected at the gate upon arrival, and members must present valid card for free entry. Pre-registration is not required.
  • Restroom access will be available during ArborEvenings inside the Baker Visitor Center.
  • Guests are invited to explore A Life in the Wild, a breathtaking exhibition of photographs from Thomas D. Mangelsen; however, food and drink are not permitted inside the Exhibit Hall.
  • Leashed dogs are welcome at ArborEvenings, but are not permitted inside of  buildings.
  • To protect our lawn, blankets are not permitted at the event; however, guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs to set up in front of the musicians.
  • Due to existing event bookings, ArborEvenings will not take place on the following Fridays: July 9, August 6 and September 3 and 10.
Chow Chow Culinary Festival: OUT OF THE BOX: COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE
Aug 12 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
WNC Farmers Market

Community Supported Agriculture is a model of food exchange that asks eaters to buy a
share in the risk of farming to support local food systems. The typical structure is a consumer
outlay of cash at the beginning of a farmer’s season in exchange for a weekly box of local
food throughout the year. The model has been lauded, widely adopted, and successful in the
farm to table movement, but it also faces wide criticisms related to access and feasibility as
a true catalyst for good food. To explore this topic with flavor, Chow Chow joins with chefs
and thought-leaders for a CSA challenge that showcases out-of-the-box thinking about
CSAs, using various examples from a typical seasonal weekly CSA share. Participants will
enjoy bites and beverages from the creations that each chef unboxes and transforms into
both fresh and fermented flavors. Meanwhile, different takes on the popular CSA model will
be shared. This event aims to be a true example of a community exchange-of good food,
thought-provoking discussion, and our ultimate common ground.

Gluten-Free Comedy, open mic at Ginger’s Revenge
Aug 12 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Ginger's Revenge
Open mic Come sing, play, and support fellow artists
Aug 12 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain
Salsa Night Thursday
Aug 12 @ 9:30 pm – Aug 13 @ 2:00 am
Asheville Beauty Academy

Spice up your life with Latin sounds by local DJs Nex Millen & Mtn Vibez every Thursday.

Super bonus if you come early and get Dance Lessons from our knowladable instructors and get your body ready with sabor for the night. NO COVER All events 21+

Friday, August 13, 2021
Brunch B’yahad Virtual
Aug 13 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Online w/ Asheville Jewish Community Center

Brunch B’Yahad is now available through Zoom meeting here.   

Join new and old friends for light brunch, socialization and lively discussion.  Featured guest speakers, and relevant cultural and timely topics will fill our minds.

Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Aug 13 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made. Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and a specialty boxed lunch. During the month of October. 9am and 2pm departures. 9am will feature the option of a delicious Sausage & Bacon Quiche or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole. The 2pm departure will be serving the popular BBQ meal.

Diesel $109.00 ($114.00 October) Not Permitted
Steam $119.00 ($126.00 October) Not Permitted
Locomotive Adult (21+ Only) Under 21

How to Purchase

You can purchase your tickets online or call our reservations department at (800) 872-4681. Or, you can purchase your tickets the day of in the Bryson City Depot. No matter how you purchase tickets, they’ll be waiting at will call.

ArborEvenings
Aug 13 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens and experience our Wild Art outdoor sculpture showcase in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Thursdays and most Fridays through October 1, 2021, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. ArborEvenings are not scheduled on the following Fridays: July 9, August 6, September 3 and 10.

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Please note: ArborEvenings will not be held in the event of rain. Please check the website or Facebook page by 3 p.m. for any cancellation announcements prior to attending. 

Beverage Service

Beer, Wine, and soft drinks will be for sale onsite at the Green Gardener’s Shed from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. each night of the event. Outside alcohol is strictly prohibited, but guests are welcome to bring in water or a favorite non-alcoholic beverage.

Food Available for Pre-Order, Picnics Welcome

Although the Bent Creek Bistro will not be open during the event, we are pleased to share that they will be offering their delicious dining options at ArborEvenings via pre-order this year! Simply place your online order — including alcoholic beverages — up until 11 a.m. on the date you plan to attend, then pick up your order at the Baker Information Desk between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (In the event of rain cancellation, pre-orders will be fully refunded.)

Guests are welcome to bring in outside food and non-alcoholic beverages. However, outside alcohol is strictly prohibited.

ORDER AHEAD

Musician Schedule

Please note, scheduled performances are subject to change.

Know Before You Go

  • Parking fees will be collected at the gate upon arrival, and members must present valid card for free entry. Pre-registration is not required.
  • Restroom access will be available during ArborEvenings inside the Baker Visitor Center.
  • Guests are invited to explore A Life in the Wild, a breathtaking exhibition of photographs from Thomas D. Mangelsen; however, food and drink are not permitted inside the Exhibit Hall.
  • Leashed dogs are welcome at ArborEvenings, but are not permitted inside of  buildings.
  • To protect our lawn, blankets are not permitted at the event; however, guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs to set up in front of the musicians.
  • Due to existing event bookings, ArborEvenings will not take place on the following Fridays: July 9, August 6 and September 3 and 10.
Brews and Bears w/ The WNC Nature Center
Aug 13 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
The WNC Nature Center

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  • Watch Black Bears Uno and Ursa enjoy popsicle enrichment
  • Learn how to help bears in the wild with BearWise
  • Walk the park with your favorite drink in hand
  • Support the wild animals you love with this fundraiser!

Highland Brewing beer
Pleb Urban Winery wine
Urban Orchard cider
Gypsy Queen Cuisine food truck
Blunt Pretzels cart
Ice cream treats
Music provided by 105.9 The Mountain
Bear education provided by BearWise

LEAF Sip + Paint
Aug 13 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
LEAF Global Experience

Join us for a relaxing evening of wine (or sparkling juice), painting, and nibbles! Aprons and painting materials are provided and included in your ticket price.

 

UCW Rap And Wrestling 6: Back to Business
Aug 13 @ 9:00 pm – 12:00 am
Asheville Music Hall
Everybody Free Dance Party
Aug 13 @ 10:00 pm – Aug 14 @ 2:00 am
Asheville Beauty Academy

DJ Dance Party with Meseret & Zati 🎧 Every Friday Nigh it’s you, it’s dark house and the dance floor. NO COVER 21+

Saturday, August 14, 2021
Want to farm? 12-Month, Farmer-Led Training Program
Aug 14 all-day
In person and hybrid

Organic Growers School

The Farm Beginnings® class is a 12-month training session that uses holistic management to help beginning farmers clarify their goals and strengths, establish a strong enterprise plan and start building their operation.
Farm Beginnings will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking.
Farm Beginnings is designed for new and prospective farmers who want to plan a profitable farm business. Classes will be hybrid this year, starting in October 24th 2021.
Farm Beginnings will be hybrid for 2021/2022.
———-
Applications open now, due by September 18th

Farm Beginnings® Farmer Training is approved by the US Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) as an Education Vendor. As a Farm Beginnings® Graduate, your training counts as a year of farm management experience when you apply for a farmland loan through the Farm Service Agency.

———-

Grab Brunch at River’s End
Aug 14 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
River’s End Restaurant

River's End Restaurant exterior

River’s End Restaurant is an iconic spot for locals and visitors to Bryson City. Enjoy spectacular views of the gorge, with paddlers passing through as they complete their Nantahala River Rafting trip. Stop in for year-round lunch and dinner, with weekend brunch during the summer season, and choose from a wide range of appetizing entrees, burgers, salads, pizza, and sandwiches. Hang out for a while and enjoy a large selection of signature cocktails, wine, and beer, including local favorites.

In River’s End Restaurant, every seat has a view of the river! Enjoy music by the river and views of paddlers passing through as they complete their Nantahala River Rafting trip. Join our waitlist online to reserve a table or order online and grab your meal to go, for a sunny lunch right by the river!

Bold Souls Morning Yoga
Aug 14 @ 9:45 am – 10:45 am
Bold Rock Hard Cider (Mills River, NC)

Bring your yoga mats to Bold Rock for a mindful way to begin your Saturday! Get your “ohm” on with a local trainer and yoga instructor as they lead a fun and playful yoga session. This class is open to all levels of yoga experience for a $5 suggested donation!
After yoga, feel free to have a cider or some delicious lunch from the food truck.
Sowing Circle Presents: Seed Saving with Bevin Cohen
Aug 14 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Black Mountain Library

Join author and seed farmer Bevin Cohen for this fun and informative free virtual workshop! Cohen will explain the importance of saving our garden seeds, sharing their stories, and giving the gift of seed to others. Learn the basics of this traditional skill and start saving seeds from your own gardens! Bring your seed saving questions and have them answered during the Q&A session after Bevin’s presentation!

Bevin Cohen is an author, herbalist, gardener, seed saver, and educator. He’s the owner of Small House Farm and the founder of Michigan Seed Library, a community seed-sharing initiative that has worked to establish more than 90 seed library programs! He offers workshops and lectures nationwide on the benefits of living closer to the land through seeds, herbs and locally-grown food. Bevin is a freelance writer and videographer whose work has appeared in numerous publications including Mother Earth News, Hobby Farms, Grit Magazine, and the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company catalog. He is the author of Saving Our Seeds and The Artisan Herbalist. You can learn more about Bevin’s work at http://www.smallhousefarm.com.

Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library which is one of the many projects sponsored by the Friends of the Black Mountain Library.

Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Aug 14 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made. Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and a specialty boxed lunch. During the month of October. 9am and 2pm departures. 9am will feature the option of a delicious Sausage & Bacon Quiche or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole. The 2pm departure will be serving the popular BBQ meal.

Diesel $109.00 ($114.00 October) Not Permitted
Steam $119.00 ($126.00 October) Not Permitted
Locomotive Adult (21+ Only) Under 21

How to Purchase

You can purchase your tickets online or call our reservations department at (800) 872-4681. Or, you can purchase your tickets the day of in the Bryson City Depot. No matter how you purchase tickets, they’ll be waiting at will call.

$5 Mimosas
Aug 14 @ 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Down Dog

$5 Mimosas

$5 Mimosas every Saturday & Sunday

Chow Chow Culinary Festival: IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Aug 14 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
MAKING WHOLE

Community is central to the human experience, giving us a sense of belonging to something
greater than ourselves. Connecting with others through shared experiences directly impacts
our physical, emotional and mental health. Join Chow Chow for a delicious meal and
discussion celebrating how community is created and nourished in our region, specifically
around the essential element of food. As you dine, you’ll hear from neighbors Sunil Patel,
who created the village-scale Patchwork Urban Farms in West Asheville; April Jones, founder
of Pinehurst Farmers Market, which addresses food sovereignty in Columbia, SC; and
Jeremy French and his team at Making Whole, a fine furniture studio and addiction recovery
program built into the framework of a traditional apprenticeship program, where every day
includes preparing and enjoying a shared meal around a communal dining table.

Chow Chow Culinary Festival: TRIAL TO TABLE
Aug 14 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
FRANNY'S FARM

Join Chow Chow for a journey of agricultural rediscovery and culinary adventure! Based
in Asheville, NC, the Utopian Seed Project is a hands-in-the-earth nonprofit committed
to trialing crops and varieties in the Southeast to support diversity in food and farming.
Chris Smith, Executive Director for Utopian Seed Project will share the organization’s
vision to create an engaged network of growers, gardeners, farmers, foodies, cooks and
chefs to help celebrate this diversity. Over a shared meal showcasing crops and varieties
being grown by the project at Franny’s Farm, we will discuss an overarching vision to
create food security in the face of climate change through diverse and regenerative
agriculture

Screaming Js~ Don’t Fear No BooGie
Aug 14 @ 5:00 pm
One World Brewing West
Join us for Js Boogie at One World Brewing West On 8/14.
Don’t fear the BooGie, cuz really we’re all just stardust and light ✨
Their very own lovalutionary kind of ‘Boogie’ woogie piano music will surely brighten your spirits & move you, as Screaming Js hold
nothing back with their wild and zany performances.
The Screaming Js hail out of the mountains of Western Carolina, where their influences range from New Orleans honky-tonk to prohibition jazz & not-so-traditionals, to rock’n blues & ragtime. Found somewhere in-between a trance-dance animal-house barn party and an Americana trio on a transpersonal revelational psychedelic “trip”, you won’t be disappointed with the infectious energy that is a Screaming Js performance!