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.

Friday, May 15, 2020
Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy
May 15 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

Every week day, Janet’s Planet gives children a daily dose of science and space topics from around the world.

This is for ages 7-16!

Come and join us! See the Event Brite link below to register. Parents must register for their children.

Once I get your confirmation of your invite, I will personally send you the link to the class.
This is a measure to keep you safe. You can also email me at [email protected] for any questions.
Am hopefully going to get you all a calendar soon of all the talks. More astronauts to come!
North Carolina in the Great War Exhibit
May 15 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Smith-McDowell House

The exhibit is on loan from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and has been supplemented with artifacts from the Smith-McDowell House collection. Entrance to the exhibit is included with Smith-McDowell House admission – and is always free for members – and runs through May 16, 2020.

The exhibit seeks to put the local men and women who served in context with the larger events happening in North Carolina, the United States, and the world. In the exhibit, visitors will find displays and interactive elements telling the stories of just a few of our hometown heroes.

Saturday, May 16, 2020
A History of Classical Music by The Kennedy Center
May 16 all-day
The Kennedy Center Online

A History of Classical Music
Brought to you by The Kennedy Center
Follow the development and impact of classical music in the U.S.

Experience WNC History From Home
May 16 all-day
online
Douglas Ellington: Asheville’s Boomtown Architect presents a look at his iconic Asheville creations along with other buildings he completed throughout his career in other cities.
Hillbilly Land explores the power, prevalence, and persistence of the hillbilly stereotype from the days of its beginnings in the late 19th century to the present day.
In 1918 vs 2020, we take an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Free Online Educational Activities US Census Bureau
May 16 all-day
online

Statistics in Schools provides more than 100 activities that you can use in any year—and whenever you have a new class—to enhance and invigorate learning in many subjects. These activities are all free, and they’re easy to access and use.

  • Pick a subject or grade level to see what activities are available, and get details such as learning objectives, relevant topics, and skills taught.
  • Select and download the activities you want.
  • All activities include a list of materials, a student worksheet, and teacher directions.
Helpful Resources: Parents Educating kids at home
May 16 all-day
online
May is National Preservation Month Griffin Awards Asheville and Buncombe County
May 16 all-day
youtube
May is National Preservation Month and as usual we will be taking this time to celebrate some of the many preservation projects in Asheville and Buncombe County. Because we can’t meet in person this year, we will be posting videos of the winning projects throughout the month. We hope you will help us celebrate these wonderful projects and the people who made them happen all month long!
New Online Education Resources: GreenWorks
May 16 all-day
GreenWorks Online
Image

The GreenWorks Education team has been hard at work putting together activities and resources for you and your family while staying at home. Explore the Tree Discovery Guide and Bag Monster videos.

 

We will be adding more to the website so check back often!

Online Hide Tanning Course Return to Ancestral Ways
May 16 all-day
Wild Abundance

A video-based program that guides aspiring hide tanners through every step of tanning a deer hide.

Natalie Bogwalker

Natalie is a hide tanner, craftswoman, builder, teacher, mom, and gardener. She founded Wild Abundance 10 years ago because of her passion for sharing real, practical skills that get people closer to the Earth. Hide tanning was one of the first earthskills that she learned, and it changed her life profoundly. That was over 15 years ago! Since then she’s tanned uncountable hides, but more importantly, she’s taught hide tanning to hundreds of students.

Natalie knows what usually trips people up who are new to hide tanning. In this online course she shares a thorough, step-by-step guide to hide tanning, including numerous tips and tricks that will help you succeed.

 

Redesigning Our Future: National Environmental Summit for High School Students
May 16 all-day
Catawba College
Virtual Visit: North Carolina Museum of History
May 16 all-day
online

Digital Tour of Museum Artifacts
North Carolina Museum of History (A Smithsonian Affiliate)
Choose an exhibit tour to virtually explore the museum at home!

Animal Habitats VIP Tours
May 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Grandfather Mountain

See where the cougars and otters sleep overnight, meet black bears that are not commonly on display, learn the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the animals year-round, observe a training session and find out why the animals call Grandfather Mountain home.

Offered on weekends, April – October.

North Carolina in the Great War Exhibit
May 16 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Smith-McDowell House

The exhibit is on loan from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and has been supplemented with artifacts from the Smith-McDowell House collection. Entrance to the exhibit is included with Smith-McDowell House admission – and is always free for members – and runs through May 16, 2020.

The exhibit seeks to put the local men and women who served in context with the larger events happening in North Carolina, the United States, and the world. In the exhibit, visitors will find displays and interactive elements telling the stories of just a few of our hometown heroes.

Junior Wild Walk: A Behind the Scenes Tour for Kids! WNC Nature Center
May 16 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
WNC Nature Center

Are you and your child interested in seeing the Nature Center like never before?  Join us on a Junior Wild Walk:  A Behind the Scenes Tour for Kids!

Junior Wild Walk participants will get to have a close up encounter with an animal, check out how meals are made, and even get to help feed an animal!  There’s no other opportunity like this at the Nature Center.  Don’t miss out on this amazing experience with some of your favorite wildlife!  While this tour is geared towards younger children, adults will still enjoy this experience as well.  All children must be accompanied by at least one parent or guardian.

Tour lasts from 12 pm to 1 pm.

Register online, in person at the Friends office, or by calling 828-259-8091.  Spaces are limited, so sign up soon!  Junior Wild Walk tickets also include admission into the Nature Center for the day.

Sunday, May 17, 2020
A History of Classical Music by The Kennedy Center
May 17 all-day
The Kennedy Center Online

A History of Classical Music
Brought to you by The Kennedy Center
Follow the development and impact of classical music in the U.S.

Experience WNC History From Home
May 17 all-day
online
Douglas Ellington: Asheville’s Boomtown Architect presents a look at his iconic Asheville creations along with other buildings he completed throughout his career in other cities.
Hillbilly Land explores the power, prevalence, and persistence of the hillbilly stereotype from the days of its beginnings in the late 19th century to the present day.
In 1918 vs 2020, we take an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Free Online Educational Activities US Census Bureau
May 17 all-day
online

Statistics in Schools provides more than 100 activities that you can use in any year—and whenever you have a new class—to enhance and invigorate learning in many subjects. These activities are all free, and they’re easy to access and use.

  • Pick a subject or grade level to see what activities are available, and get details such as learning objectives, relevant topics, and skills taught.
  • Select and download the activities you want.
  • All activities include a list of materials, a student worksheet, and teacher directions.
Helpful Resources: Parents Educating kids at home
May 17 all-day
online
May is National Preservation Month Griffin Awards Asheville and Buncombe County
May 17 all-day
youtube
May is National Preservation Month and as usual we will be taking this time to celebrate some of the many preservation projects in Asheville and Buncombe County. Because we can’t meet in person this year, we will be posting videos of the winning projects throughout the month. We hope you will help us celebrate these wonderful projects and the people who made them happen all month long!
New Online Education Resources: GreenWorks
May 17 all-day
GreenWorks Online
Image

The GreenWorks Education team has been hard at work putting together activities and resources for you and your family while staying at home. Explore the Tree Discovery Guide and Bag Monster videos.

 

We will be adding more to the website so check back often!

Virtual Visit: North Carolina Museum of History
May 17 all-day
online

Digital Tour of Museum Artifacts
North Carolina Museum of History (A Smithsonian Affiliate)
Choose an exhibit tour to virtually explore the museum at home!

Animal Habitats VIP Tours
May 17 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Grandfather Mountain

See where the cougars and otters sleep overnight, meet black bears that are not commonly on display, learn the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the animals year-round, observe a training session and find out why the animals call Grandfather Mountain home.

Offered on weekends, April – October.

Monday, May 18, 2020
Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy
May 18 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

Every week day, Janet’s Planet gives children a daily dose of science and space topics from around the world.

This is for ages 7-16!

Come and join us! See the Event Brite link below to register. Parents must register for their children.

Once I get your confirmation of your invite, I will personally send you the link to the class.
This is a measure to keep you safe. You can also email me at [email protected] for any questions.
Am hopefully going to get you all a calendar soon of all the talks. More astronauts to come!
Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center Stories of the Snowbird Day School Online
May 18 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
online

In this hour-long webinar, UNCA professor Trey Adcock will explore the history of the Snowbird Day School, a federally run school for Cherokee students in WNC, and discuss efforts to preserve the stories and experiences of the school’s former students.

The Snowbird Day School evolved from Quaker-led initiatives in the late 19th century to educate young Cherokee Indians living in Tuti yi, a Native community in Graham County, Western North Carolina. By the early 20th century, the school was administered by the federal government via the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and as with most federally-run schools for Native students, it sought to assimilate Indian youth into white, Anglophone culture. Over the course of nearly seven decades, an estimated 550 students attended the school before it was closed in 1963 due to federal desegregation efforts.

Trey Adcock, Associate Professor and Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies at UNC Asheville, will be presenting a publicly engaged project he has been working on entitled  ᏚᏗᏱᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗᎢ ᎤᏂᏃᎮᎸᏅᎢ (“Tuti Tsunadelogwasdi Uninohelv”) or Stories of the Snowbird Day School. This project seeks to preserve the historical artifacts, language and stories of the students who attended the school. Tuti yi, “Snowbird,” is one of the communities that make up the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Trey will provide an overview of the project, the materials collected and a historical overview of the school through photographs and oral histories.

About the Webinar: This webinar will take place via Zoom conference. Registrants will receive a link to the event several days beforehand. Use of Zoom is free and does not require an account for participation.

About History Cafe
Ever wonder how Asheville came to get its drinking water from Black Mountain? What slavery looked like in western North Carolina (Yes, there were enslaved people here.)? How wagons, stagecoaches, and trains made it up the steep grade from Old Fort into Ridgecrest? Come to the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center one monday a month at 10:30am for a discussion about local history. Come start off your morning getting to know our region a little better!

Designed for adults and modeled after the popular Science Cafes taking place across the nation, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center’s monthly History Cafe offers lectures and workshops led by local experts and researchers on regional history topics. These hour-long meet-ups engage the many stories that have shaped our southern Appalachian community as a place — from geological changes to native histories, musical innovations, pioneer experiences, and labor struggles — and will end with informal discussion bringing our shared history into context with contemporary issues.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy
May 19 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

Every week day, Janet’s Planet gives children a daily dose of science and space topics from around the world.

This is for ages 7-16!

Come and join us! See the Event Brite link below to register. Parents must register for their children.

Once I get your confirmation of your invite, I will personally send you the link to the class.
This is a measure to keep you safe. You can also email me at [email protected] for any questions.
Am hopefully going to get you all a calendar soon of all the talks. More astronauts to come!
Greenville Zoo: Facebook Live: Educational Encounter
May 19 @ 10:30 am – 10:45 am
Facebook

Image may contain: outdoor, possible text that says 'A greenvillezoo SOUTHCAROLINA faceboo live TUES-THURS AT 10:30 AM (EST): LIVE EDUCATIONAL ENCOUNTERS MON-FRI AT 2:30 PM (EST): LIVE KEEPER CHECK IN'

Join us Tuesday-Thursday, at 10:30am, for our an educational encounter. Tuesday: Tell Me About it Tuesdays Wednesday: Wild for Reading Wednesdays Thursday: Learning Safari Thursdays
Basic Tree Workshops: Tree Protection and Risk Management
May 19 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
GreenWorks via Zoom

Please join Asheville GreenWorks FREE Public Tree Workshops. This series of four educational tree workshops will be taking place on Tuesdays from 6-8 pm. Come learn all about trees from local experts! We will be covering topics such as tree planting, tree pruning, basic tree biology, managing trees during construction, and more!

 

The work is being performed for the residents of the City of Asheville in partnership with the City of Asheville.

May 19: Tree Protection and Risk Management

Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy
May 20 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
online

Every week day, Janet’s Planet gives children a daily dose of science and space topics from around the world.

This is for ages 7-16!

Come and join us! See the Event Brite link below to register. Parents must register for their children.

Once I get your confirmation of your invite, I will personally send you the link to the class.
This is a measure to keep you safe. You can also email me at [email protected] for any questions.
Am hopefully going to get you all a calendar soon of all the talks. More astronauts to come!
Greenville Zoo: Facebook Live: Educational Encounter
May 20 @ 10:30 am – 10:45 am
Facebook

Image may contain: outdoor, possible text that says 'A greenvillezoo SOUTHCAROLINA faceboo live TUES-THURS AT 10:30 AM (EST): LIVE EDUCATIONAL ENCOUNTERS MON-FRI AT 2:30 PM (EST): LIVE KEEPER CHECK IN'

Join us Tuesday-Thursday, at 10:30am, for our an educational encounter. Tuesday: Tell Me About it Tuesdays Wednesday: Wild for Reading Wednesdays Thursday: Learning Safari Thursdays
New Adult Studio Class: Asheville Art Museum  Cultivating Digital Photography Skills: Light
May 20 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Online with Asheville Art Museum 

This four-part class led by Learning & Engagement Assistant Paige Taylor explores natural and artificial lighting approaches using digital photography. Through a series of weekly assignments, hone your observation skills, and capture landscapes, portraits, and more in a variety of lighting situations. Use images from the Museum’s Collection and other sources for inspiration. Class time includes instruction, group shares, and discussions; individual preparation between classes includes responding to weekly photo prompts, short readings, and journaling. This virtual class is designed with beginners, hobbyists, and those with some photography experience in mind.

MAY 6, 13, 20, & 27—Wednesdays, 6–8pm
Registration deadline: May 5