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.
Blue Ridge Eco-Gardener Certificate of Merit
Ecological gardening is a way of thinking about gardens and landscapes in which gardens are no longer seen as a collection of plants, but a community with complex interdependencies between plants, animals, soils and the environment. This certificate program explores ecological principles for creating and managing a healthy, self-sustaining garden and landscape in a changing climate. Students enrolling in the Certificate of Merit program will work to complete 120 hours in core classes on topics including principles of ecological gardening, seasonal plants and tasks and sustainable landscape design along with electives on hardscape, edibles, seed saving and other subjects of interest to participants. View current class offerings for credit in the Blue Ridge Eco-Gardener program here.
To begin your program, complete an application and return it to the Education Center along with a one-time, non-refundable $55 application fee.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts is closed, but as it notes on its homepage, it’s “digitally open.”
That includes livestreaming performances and an expanded lineup of digital learning activities and workshops, which are all available for free online.
https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/center-for-puppetry-arts-livestream-performances-for-free/KuBGQBiqLKxYs2l0WORhWO/?fbclid=IwAR17Ds6ftqLlyHEMda-rNXz3a9PHlERNkHuILTYJON58mQ005dZtC-DkUSc
FREE Video Course by Wild Abundance
Discover delicacies growing right outside your door.
Your guide through this course is seasoned Wild Abundance instructor Luke Cannon, who has practiced wild food foraging for over two decades. More than a botanist, Luke is a long-time pursuer and teacher of the magic and medicine of plants. An avid naturalist, Luke draws from a diverse pool of knowledge, combining his natural history studies with his life experience in organic farming, natural building, permaculture, nature-based mentoring, and rural homesteading.
Getting started gardening can be exciting, and it can feel daunting.
Your teachers, Natalie Bogwalker and Chloe Lieberman share experience-based, practical instruction for growing their top ten vegetables to really fill your plate, belly, and larder. We put together this class so that you can begin with the crops that are most likely to be successful and rewarding. Or, if you’ve got some experience gardening but want to expand your repertoire, this course will help you do so in a way that makes sense and yields abundantly.
Ready, set, snap! Connect with fellow nature lovers from around the world in the 2020 City Nature Challenge, a worldwide bioblitz held April 24 – 27 that encourages participants to get outside and celebrate their region’s biodiversity by taking photos of plants and animals found in their communities and uploading them to iNaturalist. This year, the Challenge will not be a regional competition but rather a four-day global citizen-science collaboration that embraces the healing power of nature and supports scientists worldwide. The Arboretum will be serving as the lead institution for the Western North Carolina region and will be offering a variety of online programming for adults and youth in conjunction with the Challenge.
How to Participate
1.) Download iNaturalist, a free mobile application on your iPhone or Android device.
2.) From April 24 – 27, get outside in your backyard or a nearby natural area (while practicing social distancing) and take pictures of wildlife, including plants and animals (no pets, please!).
3.) Upload your photos to iNaturalist and tell your friends to join in on the fun! **Children 12 & under can submit their photos via ecoexplore.net.
Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence at Home
Around the world, people of all ages have joined Mo Willems in his studio for weekday LUNCH DOODLES. The three-week run, all 15 episodes and their downloadable activities, are archived below. Let the doodling continue! Please tag your artwork on social media with #MoLunchDoodles so that we can all see it!
We applaud the many other authors and illustrators who are sharing stories and leading activities online. For a short list of people to visit, click here. [Please note that this list is just a small number of the many wonderful artists who are sharing their talent and insights at this time. So, grab a favorite grown-up and look around the internet to discover authors/illustrators who are new to you!]
You can always visit Kennedy Center @ Home to enjoy free videos of extraordinary live and on-demand performances. Our KC Ed Now site also has fun educational activities to do at home.
Mo Willems and the Kennedy Center thank YOU for sharing your creativity with us! This pandemic is going to require some time to get better. It is also going to require lots of kindness, lots of empathy, and lots and lots of doodles. Doodle on, fellow ART MAKERS!
Online Gardening School
Are you ready to grow some serious food? This six-month online video course will give you the skills and tools you need to be able to grow a garden for yourself, from the ground up. Begins EARTH DAY April 22, 2020!
Learn the best vegetables to direct seed and the best vegetables to transplant.
Many of us will be spending more time in our gardens as we shelter in place during the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Our gardens will continue to grow and we will continue to have gardening questions.
To answer those questions, Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers of Buncombe County will be working from home to keep the Garden Helpline open to the public. We are available to respond to your phone calls and emails. Send an email or leave a voice message at any time and a Master Gardener will respond during the Helpline hours listed below.
The information we provide is consistent with NC State University horticultural research and an integrated pest management approach which includes cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical methods.
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
FRIDAY: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Open March through October.
2 Ways to Reach Them:
- Call 828-250-4878
- Email [email protected] with your questions and photos.
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On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.
Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching.
Parking Fees
- Members: Free
- Personal Vehicles: $14
- Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
- Buses: $100
There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.
Streaming figure and portrait drawing session with multiple views, one low price. Be safe, be creative, and support artists and models. Poses will vary from 1-minute gestures to 15-minute seated or reclining. NOTE: This is a REMOTE session; to participate, you’ll need the free Zoom browser plug-in. Access codes will be delivered via email prior to session start, so sign up early
Level: all, No prior figure drawing experience required, but a large computer screen is suggested.
Join us for an Easel Rider craft on Facebook Live with our Community Engagement Director, Marsha Almodovar. These fun crafts will utilize supplies you can easily find in your own home. Tune in each Thursday at 3pm EST as we go live to provide step by step instruction, and enjoy a moment of creativity and connection in your day!
Welcome to Art in the Time of COVID– an online artwork exhibition by Pink Dog Creative artists. The work in this exhibition is either related to the COVID-19 pandemic, made during the time of Stay-At-Home orders, or is uplifting or otherwise helpful during this challenging time. Most of the work is for sale. Our artists are hard at work and appreciate your support during this difficult time. Check out our artist pages and please get in touch with artists directly for information on work, online classes, & commissions! Work will continue to be added during the quarantine, so please check back for updates.
Karen Keil Brown, Where Will Our Path Take Us, Oil on canvas, 14 x 11″
Connect with Us Online https://www.ncarboretum.org/sprout-blog/
Check out our blog and discover an array of tips and tricks that will help you cultivate your love for nature. Featuring interviews from staff and volunteers, learn how to improve your gardening skills, expand your knowledge of the natural world and receive hands-on techniques that you can implement at your own home.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts is closed, but as it notes on its homepage, it’s “digitally open.”
That includes livestreaming performances and an expanded lineup of digital learning activities and workshops, which are all available for free online.
https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/center-for-puppetry-arts-livestream-performances-for-free/KuBGQBiqLKxYs2l0WORhWO/?fbclid=IwAR17Ds6ftqLlyHEMda-rNXz3a9PHlERNkHuILTYJON58mQ005dZtC-DkUSc
FREE Video Course by Wild Abundance
Discover delicacies growing right outside your door.
Your guide through this course is seasoned Wild Abundance instructor Luke Cannon, who has practiced wild food foraging for over two decades. More than a botanist, Luke is a long-time pursuer and teacher of the magic and medicine of plants. An avid naturalist, Luke draws from a diverse pool of knowledge, combining his natural history studies with his life experience in organic farming, natural building, permaculture, nature-based mentoring, and rural homesteading.
Getting started gardening can be exciting, and it can feel daunting.
Your teachers, Natalie Bogwalker and Chloe Lieberman share experience-based, practical instruction for growing their top ten vegetables to really fill your plate, belly, and larder. We put together this class so that you can begin with the crops that are most likely to be successful and rewarding. Or, if you’ve got some experience gardening but want to expand your repertoire, this course will help you do so in a way that makes sense and yields abundantly.
Ready, set, snap! Connect with fellow nature lovers from around the world in the 2020 City Nature Challenge, a worldwide bioblitz held April 24 – 27 that encourages participants to get outside and celebrate their region’s biodiversity by taking photos of plants and animals found in their communities and uploading them to iNaturalist. This year, the Challenge will not be a regional competition but rather a four-day global citizen-science collaboration that embraces the healing power of nature and supports scientists worldwide. The Arboretum will be serving as the lead institution for the Western North Carolina region and will be offering a variety of online programming for adults and youth in conjunction with the Challenge.
How to Participate
1.) Download iNaturalist, a free mobile application on your iPhone or Android device.
2.) From April 24 – 27, get outside in your backyard or a nearby natural area (while practicing social distancing) and take pictures of wildlife, including plants and animals (no pets, please!).
3.) Upload your photos to iNaturalist and tell your friends to join in on the fun! **Children 12 & under can submit their photos via ecoexplore.net.
Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence at Home
Around the world, people of all ages have joined Mo Willems in his studio for weekday LUNCH DOODLES. The three-week run, all 15 episodes and their downloadable activities, are archived below. Let the doodling continue! Please tag your artwork on social media with #MoLunchDoodles so that we can all see it!
We applaud the many other authors and illustrators who are sharing stories and leading activities online. For a short list of people to visit, click here. [Please note that this list is just a small number of the many wonderful artists who are sharing their talent and insights at this time. So, grab a favorite grown-up and look around the internet to discover authors/illustrators who are new to you!]
You can always visit Kennedy Center @ Home to enjoy free videos of extraordinary live and on-demand performances. Our KC Ed Now site also has fun educational activities to do at home.
Mo Willems and the Kennedy Center thank YOU for sharing your creativity with us! This pandemic is going to require some time to get better. It is also going to require lots of kindness, lots of empathy, and lots and lots of doodles. Doodle on, fellow ART MAKERS!
Online Gardening School
Are you ready to grow some serious food? This six-month online video course will give you the skills and tools you need to be able to grow a garden for yourself, from the ground up. Begins EARTH DAY April 22, 2020!
Learn the best vegetables to direct seed and the best vegetables to transplant.
Visit Us Virtually
Spring has sprung and we are excited to share with you all the wonderful blooms and plants that are awakening right now. Take a virtual tour of our gardens and see what’s beautiful today at The North Carolina Arboretum.
Many of us will be spending more time in our gardens as we shelter in place during the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Our gardens will continue to grow and we will continue to have gardening questions.
To answer those questions, Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers of Buncombe County will be working from home to keep the Garden Helpline open to the public. We are available to respond to your phone calls and emails. Send an email or leave a voice message at any time and a Master Gardener will respond during the Helpline hours listed below.
The information we provide is consistent with NC State University horticultural research and an integrated pest management approach which includes cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical methods.
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
FRIDAY: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Open March through October.
2 Ways to Reach Them:
- Call 828-250-4878
- Email [email protected] with your questions and photos.
VESSELS OF HOPE: A CALL FOR HELP FROM THE VILLAGE POTTERS CLAY CENTER
Sarah Wells Rolland is making 500 vessels in fundraiser for TVPCC.
Sustaining TVPCC through this season of closure has become my primary job. I have applied for multiple loans, EIDL, PPP, from my personal bank, and now we wait. I am filled with hope! I believe that what we began here in 2011 is just now becoming fully grown.
So, I asked myself, What can I do? Vessels of Hope came to me immediately and I knew I had to do it. I am personally embarking on a challenging labor of love, making 500 vessels, each unique just like you. I am asking you to become a vessel of hope with me and our wonderful community for The Village Potters Clay Center.”
Sarah will be at the wheel making these Vessels of Hope for the next 12 weeks, and glazing them using a broad palette. Every vessel will vary in shape, surface and color, each one unique. They will be fired regularly as there are enough for a kiln load, expecting at least 4 firings among the large gas kiln, the new Rolland kiln, and the Kazegama wood ash kiln at TVPCC to complete this project.
As this is written, Sarah has made 121 vessels, and 120 are already purchased. During this process, pictures and videos of Sarah making the vessels will be posted to social media and shared with benefactors, so we all feel connected and continue to nurture hope in this time. When the vessels are all completed, The Village Potters team and volunteers will gather and pack them, but there will be no specific allocation of pots to people. Locals will be welcome to come by and pick up their vessel, and whether for shipping or pick up, pots will be distributed from the packed boxes, so nobody will know which pot they receive until the box is opened .
Sarah’s goal is for 500 benefactors, people who believe in the mission at The Village Potters Clay Center, and who are in a position to help. A minimum donation of $100 is asked for each Vessel of Hope, which includes shipping. For those who are able and would like to purchase more than one as gifts, individual pick up or shipping may be arranged. *10% of the proceeds generated through this project will be donated to artists in the River Arts District who are also struggling to stay open.
More from Sarah Wells Rolland: “These “Vessels of Hope” are a joyous creative pursuit for me personally, and you can be a part. I thank you for your love and support!”
The Village Potters Clay Center Team: Sarah Wells Rolland, George Rolland, Lori Theriault, Judi Harwood, Julia Mann, Christine Henry, Tori Motyl, and Lindsey Mudge,
Every April, American Folk Art honors a wild pottery tradition that began regionally in the early 1800’s. No one knows for sure when the first face jug was created, but around the mountain region of North Carolina, face jugs began to be created for the storage of moonshine around 1810. The faces, snakes and other foreboding additions were added to the clay jugs to scare the children, so they would not drink the contents. In the unadorned world of the 1800’s, the face jug was remarkable and the tradition allowed for much creativity and fun amongst potters. Face jugs continue to be created in the same fashion as of old, which includes hand digging and mixing regional soils to make the clay, using regional materials to make the glazes, in many cases using broken plates for the teeth, and wood-firing the jugs to 2300 degrees. They are still in use, holding moonshine, but not necessarily scaring the kids.