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, November 15, 2024
East Asheville Tailgate Market
Nov 15 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
East Asheville Tailgate Market

🖤 Vendor list drop! Welcome new vendors @blazingstarflowers @djspickles and @monkasbakery and welcome back @wildgoodsforaging!

Buncombe County will continue to offer ASAP’s Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables and Farm Fresh Produce Prescription.

Acoustic Jam Session
Nov 15 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Sideways Farm & Brewery

Plan to collaborate with other musicians at Sideways Farm & Brewery in Etowah. Bring your instruments and voices and enjoy making music and networking with other artists, while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Food truck is on site and beverages available for purchase from Sideways (small
batch craft beers, hard jun, ciders, wine, and non alcoholic drinks). Family, fans, friends, and leashed dogs are all welcome!
During winter months enjoy playing under the covered, sheltered, heated porch! And during the summer months enjoy
collaborating in the fields, on the stage, or under the patio

Winter Lights
Nov 15 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Candlelight: Rings and Dragons
Nov 15 @ 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm
Asheville Masonic Temple

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Asheville. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Rings and Dragons at Asheville Masonic Temple under the gentle glow of candlelight.

General Info
Venue: Asheville Masonic Temple
Dates and times: select your dates/times directly in the ticket selector
Duration: 60 minutes (doors open 45 mins prior to the start time and late entry is not permitted)
Age requirement: 8 years old or older. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Accessibility: this venue is ADA compliant
View the FAQs for this event here
Seating is assigned on a first come first served basis in each zone
If you would like to book a private concert or buy regular tickets for a large group (+30 people), click here
Check out all the Candlelight concerts in Asheville
To treat your friends and family to a Candlelight gift card, click here

Tentative Program

Themes from The Lord of the Rings by Howard Shore:
The Shire
Gollum
The Caverns of Isengard
Flaming Red Hair
The Passing of the Elves
Saruman the White
Rivendell
The Lighting of the Beacons
The Sacrifice of Faramir
The Grace of Undómiel
Themes from Game of Thrones by Ramin Djawadi:
Main Theme
Winter Is Coming
Fire and Blood
Rains of Castamere
Light of the Seven
Bastard

Performers

Opal String Quartet
Seating Map

American Ballet Theatre Studio Company
Nov 15 @ 8:00 pm – 9:15 pm
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

Performing a dynamic blend of favorites, from classical and neoclassical canons to thrilling contemporary works, these vibrant young dancers share all of the talent, artistry and innovation of their parent company counterparts. Since its founding more than 85 years ago, American Ballet Theatre has become a living national treasure and major cultural institution — and the Studio Company, seeking out the nation’s most exceptionally promising dancers serves as the crucial vehicle for transforming students into professional performers.

Connect with the art and artists in pre-show discussions.

Saturday, November 16, 2024
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Free Books for Children ages 0-5
Nov 16 all-day
online w/ Literacy Together

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impacts the pre­-literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County. The program mails a new, free, age-appropriate book to registered children each month until they turn five years old. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. If you have any questions about the program, please send an email to [email protected].

A national panel of educators selects the Imagination Library titles, which include: The Little Engine that Could, Last Stop on Market Street, Violet the Pilot, As an Oak Tree Grows, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Look Out Kindergarten, here I come, and many more (take a look at all the titles).

Register your child now!

Program Launch and Expansions

Literacy Together became a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library affiliate in November 2015 with support from the Buncombe Partnership for Children. Through this program, registered children in Buncombe County receive a free book in the mail each month. Their parents also have the opportunity to attend workshops to learn how to build their children’s early literacy skills. Parents in need of literacy assistance are encouraged to receive tutoring through Literacy Together’s adult programming.

The program served 200 children during the 2015/16 fiscal year. The program expanded to serve 400 children in July 2016, and 600 in August 2017. In July 2018, capacity increased to 1,900 thanks to a special allocation in the North Carolina state budget. We’re now serving 4,600 kids in Buncombe County.  

Hey Asheville: City Comedy Tour • Ages 13+ Only
Nov 16 all-day
LaZoom Room Bar & Gorilla

Come enjoy our most popular Asheville tour!

Duration

1 hour and 30 minutes

About

Bachelorette/Bachelor Parties are not permitted on this tour. The Fender Bender Bus is bachelorette/bachelor friendly!

Historical and hysterical, The Hey Asheville tour features outrageously entertaining tour guides, outlandish comedy skits complete with special appearances and loads of Asheville information. You’ll get to see the best of downtown Asheville and the rarely seen but stunningly beautiful Montford neighborhood, not to mention the burgeoning River Arts District! You’ve never had a ride like this. It’s like a vaudeville show on wheels!

Find out what makes Asheville so unique on LaZoom’s City Comedy Tour. It’s the perfect mix of history, comedy, and entertainment. Our guides are trained professional actors working with an original script. It’s like a theatre on wheels! The tour highlights downtown Asheville, historic neighborhoods, the South Slope, and the River Arts District.

Age Restrictions

13 and up. No exceptions.

Stops

10 minute beer & bathroom break at Green Man Brewery

What’s Included

Guided tour of Asheville on a Purple Bus
Funny actors, fun bits
Actual History about Asheville
Green Man Brewery Stop

What’s Not Included

Beer/Wine (Must be purchased from LaZoom or the Brewery Stop)
Cash! You’ll want to tip the guides for changing your life for the better.

Mile High Swinging Bridge
Nov 16 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

One of the top highlights and memories of visits to Grandfather Mountain nature park is walking across the famous Mile High Swinging Bridge. Since 1952, visitors have “oohed” and “aahed” at the bridge’s 360-degree panoramic views. America’s highest suspension footbridge gives easy access to the spectacular views atop Grandfather Mountain’s Linville Peak, elevation 5,305 feet.

The 228-foot suspension bridge spans an 80-foot chasm at more than one mile in elevation (hence the name!). To reach the Mile High Swinging Bridge, drive the two-mile, winding scenic road up the mountain to the summit parking area by the Top Shop. Climb 50 stairs adjacent to the parking area or inside the Top Shop to reach the short pathway to the bridge. Also, an elevator in the Top Shop takes you to the third floor for a level walk to the bridge.

Top Shop

Located adjacent to the Bridge, the Top Shop features a gift shop, snacks, restrooms, elevator and second-floor exhibition area. Also get the latest park information and trail maps. Read more.

Accessibility

Inside the Top Shop, an elevator makes the Mile High Swinging Bridge accessible to people with mobility challenges, including those in wheelchairs. From the Top Shop, there is a paved 50-yard path to the bridge. Read more about our accessibility.

Tickets & Hours

Walking across the Mile High Swinging Bridge is included in your Grandfather Mountain admission ticket that includes many other things to do in our nature park. Buy tickets online and book a reservation time to enter the park. You do not need a separate reservation for the bridge. It’s open, weather permitting, every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. See hours.

More to Explore

Before or after visiting the Mile High Swinging Bridge, allow time to enjoy other parts of the mountain: wildlife habitats, Wilson Center for Nature Discovery, restaurant, hiking trails, roadside overlooks, picnic areas and more. See more Things to Do.

Nearby Hiking Trails

Trailheads to many of the Grandfather Mountain hiking trails are located near the Swinging Bridge. In fact, the 0.4 mile Bridge Trail takes you beneath the bridge, starting from the Black Rock parking area just below the summit. For details on our nearby trails, go to our Hiking Guide.

Bridge Tips & Tidbits

  • Does it really swing? Very little — unlike the original one. Today’s bridge is made of steel and reinforced with cables and springs. It has railings on the sides to ensure safety.
  • We suggest you wear rubber-soled shoes and walk with care when crossing the rocks on the far side of the bridge.
  • If heights give you pause, you can still enjoy Blue Ridge Mountain views from the ground before you reach the bridge and even from the parking area.
  • Due to periodic extreme weather conditions at the bridge, it closes when there is area lightning, high wind or icy conditions.
  • The official U.S. Weather Service Reporting Station atop the Mile High Swinging Bridge has provided daily weather observations since 1955. The temperature is usually 10 to 20 degrees cooler than in the flatlands you see below. It’s also one of the windiest locations in North Carolina, with a 124-mph record set in winter 2019. Learn more about our weather.
  • Pets are allowed on the bridge if well behaved and on a leash.
  • Photographs and videos to remember your visit are encouraged. Be mindful of sharp drop-offs along the Linville Peak ridge. Drones are not allowed. See our photography policies.
  • The Singing Bridge? When the wind blows, the Mile High Swinging Bridge “sings” in the same way as a harmonica.
  • In April through October, join Grandfather’s expert naturalists by the Bridge for Interpretive Talks about the our unique weather, climate, flora and fauna. Read more.
  • Need driving directions? The address for Grandfather Mountain’s entrance gate is 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC 28646 (click link for Google Maps). There are no shuttles, so you must have your own vehicle to explore our nature park. No RVs longer than 28 feet in length or hinged vehicles are allowed through the Entrance Gate. See detailed directions.
  • To see much more info, see our Plan Your Visit section.

Mile High Swinging Bridge History

Former North Carolina Tourism Director Charles J. Parker coined the name “Mile High Swinging Bridge” at the Bridge’s dedication in 1952. The term “mile high” refers to the structure’s elevation above sea level (5,280 feet). The term “swinging” refers to the fact that suspension bridges are free to sway.

The original 1952 bridge was designed by Charles Hartmann Jr. of Greensboro, N.C. It was fabricated in Greensboro and then reassembled on top of the Mountain. Erecting the bridge took three weeks, a process slowed by inclement weather created by a hurricane off the North Carolina coast. Cost was $15,000. It was dedicated on Sept. 2, 1952 by North Carolina Gov. William B. Umstead.

The bridge was rebuilt in 1999 using the original towers. The cables, floor boards and side rails were all replaced using galvanized steel. One of the main advantages of the modern building materials is that they do not have to be painted. Now, Grandfather Mountain employees will not have to hang out over the gorge to paint the span. It was redesigned by Sutton, Kennerly & Associates Engineering of Asheville, N.C., and rebuilt by Taylor & Murphy Construction Company of Asheville. The cost of rebuilding was $300,000.

North Asheville Tailgate Market
Nov 16 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
North Asheville Tailgate Market

Shoppers at the market

Welcome to Western NC’s most premier farmers market!

Since 1980, we have been providing Asheville and the surrounding area with a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants, prepared foods and crafts. Day vendors complement the members’ offerings with additional products and services.

The North Asheville Tailgate Market is a weekly, Saturday morning gathering of the best farmers, craftsmen, and bakers. With over 40 vendors and more than 40,000 annual customers, the market’s energetic and warm environment welcomes all.

Asheville City Market
Nov 16 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Asheville City Market

Visit the Market

WHEN: Saturday mornings, 9 a.m.–12 p.m., April–Dec. Winter market hours: 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Jan.–March. No market the last two weeks of the year.

WHERE: North Market Street between Woodfin and Walnut streets in downtown Asheville. The street is closed to traffic during market times.

GETTING HERE: Free parking for customers is available at the HomeTrust Bank lot and at the Family Justice Center lot across from the YMCA at 35 Woodfin Street. Handicapped parking is available. There is a bus stop on the N1 and N2 routes one block away, on Broadway. Buses stop at both Woodfin and Walnut streets.

Stay up to date on market news via FacebookInstagram, and weekly e-newsletters.

Find Out More About

Vendors

Asheville City Market is a producer-only market, which means that all farm vendors grow or raise the products they are selling themselves. For non-farm vendors (such as prepared food, seafood, coffee), preference is given to products and foods prepared or processed locally or made with locally sourced ingredients.

The list below reflects vendors for the entire season, but not all will attend market each week. Sign up for the Asheville City Market e-newsletter to see the weekly vendor schedule.

Black Mountain Tailgate Market
Nov 16 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Black Mountain Tailgate Market

Black Mountain Tailgate Market

COME CELEBRATE!

OPEN FROM MAY – NOVEMBER :: 9AM – NOON

Our market is a seasonal Saturday morning community event featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and local arts and handcrafted items. A family event every Saturday from May through November.

Visit us on Facebook!

NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Nov 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.

Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.

3rd Annual Blackhawk Bolt 5k & 1 mi Fun Run
Nov 16 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
North Buncombe High School

Lace up your running shoes and join us at 10:00am for our 3rd annual Blackhawk Bolt 5K & Fun Run on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Run this unique road-to-trail course to benefit North Buncombe High School PTSO and Blackhawks Marching Band

Li’l Boogers: Kids Comedy Tour
Nov 16 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
LaZoom Room Bar & Gorilla

Explore Asheville with the whole family!

Age Restrictions

All Ages Welcome!
(Content is geared towards ages 5-12 years old)
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Children 3 and under do not need a ticket if they are sitting in an adults lap.

Duration

60 Minutes

What’s Included

Crazy funny guide
Off-bus characters
Fun facts about Asheville
Age-appropriate jokes

About

Now’s your chance to bring the whole family on the big purple bus! Educational and entertaining, LaZoom’s Kids’ Comedy tour features a perfect blend of Asheville information and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically towards the 5-12 year old crowd, you’ll learn about our city’s history and see the sights in true LaZoom style – complete with our famously outlandish tour guides, hilarious comedy skits, and all sorts of special appearances! Perfect for birthday parties or school field trips, it’s the best thing to do with your kids in Asheville. It’s a show on wheels!

The tour is 60 minutes long and includes no stops. The tour is hosted by a zany tour guide, and along the way other characters will hop on the bus and perform kid-centric sketches (Candy Pirate, Ninja, and a Levitator) The tour is not only fun – it’s educational! Kids and adults will learn new and interesting facts about Asheville along the way. There must be 1 adult for every 4 children. We do not allow any unaccompanied children. Children 3 and under do not need a ticket if they are sitting in an adults lap.

Waitlist

If your desired time and availability is full, then please give us a call to be added to the waitlist.

Max Adrian: RIPSTOP
Nov 16 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft
The Center for Craft is thrilled to announce the opening of Max Adrian: RIPSTOP. Adrian (he/they), a textile artist who was awarded a Windgate-Lamar Fellowship by the Center in 2015 and a Career Advancement Fellowship in 2022, will bring the playful, experiential, and provocative solo exhibition of textiles and inflatable sculptures to the Bresler Family Gallery beginning July 26, 2024 through March 29, 2025.

Pieces made from nylon fabric ripstop, which keeps tears from spreading, invite viewers into created, fantastical worlds, only to highlight the complex—even impossible—architectures of their construction. Before the pandemic, Adrian primarily focused on personal experiences and interrogations of queerness, identity, and sexuality. Since then, the work has zoomed out in its scope, still centering identity but placed in larger infrastructure and surveillance systems that mediate, manipulate, and control desire.

Adrian counts queer fiber art, BDSM and kink culture, theatre, camp horror, puppetry, and drag among his many influences. Works in RIPSTOP, like the modernist bounce house sculpture A Fallible Complex (2021), evoke spaces for play, beckoning visitors in through their alluring aesthetic and then blocking their entrance or revealing structural instabilities, like missing floors. Others, like The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines (2017-19), use sensual materials, like faux fur, spandex, and pleather, which connect to theatrical performance and counterculture. The materials “play on people’s initial associations and serve as a gateway into greater conversations about identity construction, performance, desire, and technology,” he shares.Pieces also nod to the history of quilting, including the AIDS Memorial Quilt, another influence on Adrian’s work. “Even when pieces aren’t explicitly making quilt references, I want the history of quilting and sewing-based craft to be part of the conversation of the work,” he says. “Craft is so much about the processes and histories behind materials. It’s about connecting with communities of people who practice those techniques. It’s about material and technique being a doorway into a greater relationship with an object.”

Themes of transformation—of structures, identities, and bodies—run throughout the show. “What I love about drag and puppetry is the sense of transformation and play, specifically with bodies,” Adrian says. “Within these art forms, a body can become mutable and capable of performing and becoming in unexpected states.” The sculptures also transform throughout viewers’ experiences, going through stages of inflation and deflation and existing in many different states.

RIPSTOP’s constant interplay between surface and depth, assumption and reality, are all a part of what Adrian describes as “looking behind the curtain,” which they trace back to the theatre. “When I’m thinking about systems, and the systems desire fits into, I’m thinking of stage construction, the backstage, the things that go on behind the show, and performance of our desires,” they explain.

As a craft artist, Adrian’s philosophy “comes down to having an intentional relationship with material, process, and technique,” he says. “Those aspects of art making are just as – if not more – important than an intellectualized concept being illustrated by an artwork.”

“Broadened definitions of craft that highlight communities of practice are foundational for the Center for Craft’s new strategic direction,” explains Executive Director Stephanie Moore. “Max Adrian’s work in RIPSTOP exemplifies the expansive and meaningful forms craft can take.” The Center for Craft is an institution Adrian credits for their professional growth. “The Center for Craft has felt like such a supporting institution for me specifically and for so many other craft artists I know,” they note. “To be able to bring this amount of work to Asheville is pretty cool.”

See Max Adrian: RIPSTOP at the Center for Craft Beginning July 26. A reception will be held on August 15. RIPSTOP is organized by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and curated by Sarah Darro.

# # #
ABOUT CENTER FOR CRAFT Founded in 1996, the Center for Craft’s mission is to resource, catalyze, and amplify how and why craft matters. As a 501(c)3 national nonprofit that increases access to craft by empowering and resourcing artists, organizations, and communities through grants, fellowships and programs that bring people together. The Center is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential organizations working on behalf of craft in the United States. For more information, visit www.centerforcraft.org.
Artists + Writers Coffee
Nov 16 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

TFAC Pavilion (park/enter at rear of building)
Free drop-in event
North Carolina Winery Tour Adventures
Nov 16 @ 10:30 am – 3:30 pm
North Carolina Wineries

Join us for a North Carolina winery tour and celebrate a date night, bachelorette party, retirement, family, or a weekend away while sampling our favorite local beverages along the way. Our standard tour includes visits to three Asheville area vineyards. With safe and reliable transportation provided, you can sit back, relax and just have fun.

Included:

  • Round trip transportation*
  • Three vineyard visits
  • Tastings at two of your three stops. Let’s just say that the pours at the first couple of locations are generous so we like to leave the third-stop beverage choice up to you.
  • Time commitment = up to 5 hours

Want to include specific vineyards on your Asheville wine tours? If you have “must-see” wineries in mind or want to craft a full day catered to your group’s interests, we’re always happy to create a custom experience. Reach out any time!

American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection
Nov 16 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection features more than 100 works of art by renowned American artists. The exhibition beautifully illustrates distinctive styles and thought-provoking art explored by American artists over the past two centuries. Though many objects from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection have been on view at other museums, ranging from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and Saint Louis Art Museum, this exhibition features the best of the collection brought together in one location. The exhibition begins with Colonial-era portraits by masters, such as Benjamin West, Thomas Sully, and Sarah Miriam Peale, and then moves on to highlight the development of mid-19th-century landscape painting. Viewers will discover works depicting the United States from coast to coast by artists, including Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Jasper Francis Copsey, and even a monumental arctic scene by William Bradford.

Bill Viola’s Moving Stillness: Mount Rainier
Nov 16 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Bill Viola’s Moving Stillness: Mount Rainier, 1979 on loan from Art Bridges is an immersive experience that explores the ideas of death and regeneration in nature. In a darkened room, sounds from nature envelop the viewer, as a placid pool of water reflects a projected image of Mount Rainier onto a screen. The water is periodically disturbed, causing the image to dissolve and slowly recompose as the pool settles. As an active volcano at rest, Mount Rainier embodies both quiet beauty and dramatic violence. Using time as both a tool and a theme in his work, Viola visualizes the dualities of nature’s rhythms of renewal, which include moments of both fragility and strength.

Carly Owens Weiss: The Boys Will Get Hungry if They See Fruit
Nov 16 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tracey Morgan Gallery

Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present “The Boys Will Get Hungry if They See Fruit,” an exhibition of new paintings and soft sculptures by multidisciplinary artist Carly Owens Weiss. This is Weiss’ first solo exhibition with the gallery. A reception for the artist will be held Friday, November 15 from 6-8PM.

Regular gallery hours are Wed- Sat 11am-5pm

Forces of Nature
Nov 16 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Ceramic artists throughout history have become masters of all four elements—creating clay from a mixture of earth and water to shape their work, drying it in air, and hardening it in fire. Throughout this process, the artist decides which aspects of the work will be tightly controlled, and when the elements can step in to leave nature’s mark. This exhibition traces the historical, stylistic, and conceptual origins of work that either embraces or refuses the element of chance in ceramics, looking at modern and contemporary work made in Western North Carolina.

Ginny Ruffner’s Reforestation of the Imagination
Nov 16 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to present Ginny Ruffner’s Reforestation of the Imagination, organized and toured by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The exhibition imagines an apocalyptic landscape of withered plant forms that come to life when activated with augmented reality. In collaboration with animator and media artist Grant Kirkpatrick, Ruffner illuminates the delicate balance between nature and the artificial human-built world around us, putting forth an optimistic hope for the future: that technology can be a means to understand and help save the earth from environmental devastation. Visitors can download the free app “Reforestation” on their phones or use the iPads in the gallery to bring this second reality to life. When the tree rings of a stump are viewed through a device’s camera lens, a hologram of a fictional plant appears to sprout from the sculpture. These imagined fruits and flowers have evolved from existing flora, developing dramatic appendages and skills necessary to flourish in this radically different environment. In Ruffner’s fantastical reality, tulips develop stem flexibility, pears contain windows to the outside world, and flowers take on the form of birds. The installation includes Ruffner’s tongue-in-cheek descriptions of her surreal flora and their remarkable, sometimes humorous adaptations. Used as inspiration for the AR images, 19 original drawings by the artist will also be on view.

Yala Cultural Tour + Drum Workshop
Nov 16 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts
Visit LEAF Global Arts every Saturday for an in-house cultural exchange with Adama Dembele. Experience the Ivory Coast with our Culture Keeper from the House of Djembe.
Stay for an all-ages Drum Workshop, no experience necessary.
Mozart to Pop Chart: Volume 3 – The History of Rock and Roll
Nov 16 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

Nat Zegree is back! The inimitable entertainer, (Million Dollar Quartet, Amadeus, Queen, Macbeth), returns to The Rock with an all-new musical journey for Mozart to Pop Chart: Volume 3—The History of Rock and Roll! Already known and celebrated for his world-class musicianship, Nat is also a teacher of distinction whose infectious passion not just for music, but for the people and histories behind the music make his celebrated concerts second to none. Join us for this one-week-only event! Don’t be late for class!

Bright Star Touring Theatre Presents: Cherokee Tales
Nov 16 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Black Mountain Library

The Cherokee People have a rich history of myths, legends and folktales explaining everything from the creation of the world to how the plants and animals around us came to look and behave the way they do today. This play introduces young audiences to the Cherokee People through a series of fun and engaging stories. Developed in partnership with the Cherokee Historical Association, this play is a great way to introduce young audiences to the Cherokee people. Commemorate National Native American Heritage month by bringing Cherokee Tales to your young audiences.

Tanger Outlets Asheville to Host Annual Tree Lighting and Santa’s Arrival, Nov. 16
Nov 16 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Tanger Outlets Asheville

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 4, 2024) – Tanger Outlets Asheville delivers cheer this year, ushering in the holiday season with a festive Tree Lighting and Santa Arrival Celebration Sponsored by Paramount Kia of Asheville on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 4 – 6 p.m. The open-air outlet destination will be full of cheerful experiences, including festive music from the Enka High School Marching Band, strolling magic, face painting, giveaways and the much-anticipated arrival of Santa Claus. Children are invited to share their Christmas wishes, and families can capture holiday moments at the selfie station throughout the evening. Santa will light the tree at 6 p.m. in the center circle near Zales Outlet and Kay Jewelers. Immediately following the tree lighting ceremony, Santa will greet guests in the food court, where TapSnap Phototainment will provide a complimentary 4-by-6-inch photo and digital download of a single image, available while supplies last.

Festivities will coincide with the holiday shopping season at Tanger Asheville, where guests can expect to find the best deals on the latest gifting trends and top items for everyone on their list including athleisure wear and accessories from Nike, American Eagle, Coach, Pandora, Polo Ralph Lauren and Under Armour. TangerStyle’s holiday offering kicks off Nov. 1 and continues through Nov. 24, granting TangerClub members an extra 15% – 25% off at participating brands. New members upgrading to TangerClub Gold in November or December will receive a $10 gift card to a selection of brands.

WHO/WHAT: ​ Tanger Asheville Tree Lighting & Santa’s Arrival

WHEN: ​ Saturday, Nov. 16 ​
​4 – 6 p.m. ​

WHERE: ​ Tanger Asheville
​800 Brevard Rd
​Asheville, North Carolina 28806

HOW: ​ FREE and open to the public.

For more information on this event and others throughout the holiday season, visit tangeroutlets.com/asheville or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Candlelight: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons & More
Nov 16 @ 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm
Asheville Masonic Temple

⭐ Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Asheville

Winter Lights
Nov 16 @ 6:00 pm
North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

NIKKI GLASER: Alive and Unwell Tour
Nov 16 @ 7:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

For nearly two decades at clubs across the country, and as the host of three hit podcasts, Nikki Glaser has honed her shockingly honest, no-holds barred style of comedy, solidifying herself as one of the funniest voices in comedy today.

Glaser is currently on the road with her global THE GOOD GIRL stand-up tour, which kicked off in January 2023 and will continue through September 2024. Upcoming, Glaser returns to screens on May 11 with her highly anticipated second HBO comedy special, SOMEDAY YOU’LL DIE and the new CW series LOVERS AND LIARS, which she hosts and executive produces. Her first HBO comedy special, GOOD CLEAN FILTH, which was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Comedy Special.

Nikki took her love of reality TV to the next level by starring in, and executive producing, the E! half-hour reality sitcom WELCOME HOME NIKKI GLASER? Uprooted from her fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle, Nikki returns to her hometown of St. Louis where she embarks on a hilarious and often uncomfortable journey of self-discovery. Unfiltered, relatable, and unapologetically herself, Nikki navigates friends, family, and romance as a homegrown local celebrity.
Nikki was a standout at the Comedy Central Roasts of Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis, and Rob Lowe, which led to her guest-hosting JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! and hosting the inaugural edition of the 2021 MTV MOVIE & TV AWARDS: UNSCRIPTED, which earned her stellar reviews.  She also had memorable film and television roles in Judd Apatow’s TRAINWRECK, NBC’s AP BIO and INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, amongst others. In November 2022 Nikki was a triumph coming in third place on the ninth season of the hit FOX series THE MASKED SINGER.

Nikki has multiple stand-up specials and late-night tv appearances in which she jokes about her most humiliating moments as a woman in the modern world. Nikki’s past and current struggles with anorexia, depression, and anxiety are fair game in both her stand-up, and in-depth interviews with THE HOWARD STERN SHOW, WTF with MARC MARON, CONAN O ́BRIEN NEEDS A FRIEND and THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE. She has become a complete open book on mic for the laughs and as the empowering voice for women that she yearned for as a confused adolescent.

BonaFide featuring Paula Harris
Nov 16 @ 7:30 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

To close out our 2024 Hometown Sound Music Series, Hendersonville Theatre presents a special concert, BonaFide, featuring Paula Harris. BonaFide lives up to its name, delivering an authentic and soulful blend of Funk, Blues, and Soul that’s as genuine as it gets. As Rootstime Magazine in Belgium puts it, BonaFide “combines the passion and conviction of blues with the sophistication and complexity of jazz.” Their music is a groove-driven, funky, and delicious mix of original material and creatively reimagined classic soul and funk covers.

The powerhouse group is led by award-winning vocalist Paula Harris and acclaimed bassist Mike Frost, both of whom bring their diverse musical backgrounds to the forefront. What makes BonaFide truly special is that every member is a band leader in their own right: Paula Harris (Vocals) from Northern California, Mike Frost (Bass) from New York, Iliana Rose (Keys & Vocals) from Los Angeles, and Mike Gibilisco (Sax & Vocals) from Tampa. Together, they create a world-class sound that’s fresh, vibrant, and undeniably original.