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.

Saturday, April 18, 2020
Grandfather Mountain CLOSED to all activity
Apr 18 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), Grandfather Mountain will close until further notice, effective Sunday, March 15. The closure means the park will prohibit public access, including from the main entrance gate and hiking trails.

In addition, all special events and programs scheduled through Memorial Day have been canceled or postponed.

Guided Hikes: Grandfather Mountain
Apr 18 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

Interpretive Rangers are available to lead guided hikes, bird walks and wildflower walks for families and groups that visit Grandfather Mountain. To see the mountain in this whole new way, you can schedule an appointment by calling the interpretive ranger office at (828) 737-0833 or emailing [email protected].

Please note that walks and hikes are available for all ability levels, but hikes that take you into Grandfather Mountain’s backcountry require careful footwork, proper footwear and the ability to handle heights. All backcountry hikes require participants to traverse ladders and use cables to navigate steep sections of the trail.

Interpretive Rangers are available year-round (weather permitting) to lead guided hikes to:

MacRae Peak ($15 + park admission)
Attic Window ($25 + park admission)
Calloway Peak ($35 + park admission)

Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance, and a minimum of two participants per hike are required. For more information, please call (828) 737-0833.

Metropolitan Opera to Offer Up ‘Nightly Met Opera Streams’ April 14-19
Apr 18 all-day
Metropolitan Opera On line

 

Nantahala Outdoor Center Spring Fling
Apr 18 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Date: April 18- 19, 2020

Time: All day

Price: Free

Age: All Ages

Celebrate spring in the Smoky Mountains with a free, family-friendly event in the Nantahala Gorge! Enjoy a release of the Cascades and Upper Nantahala, live music, delicious food and the 3rd Annual Live Like Maria Freestyle Classic on this weekend of celebration.

 

NEW! North Carolina BioBlitz Patch for Adults
Apr 18 all-day
The North Carolina Arboretum

NEW! North Carolina BioBlitz Patch

For adults looking for an extra challenge this spring, the Arboretum has created the North Carolina BioBlitz patch in conjunction with the 2020 City Nature Challenge (April 24 – 27). To earn the patch, participants will need to create a free iNaturalist account; attend the “Intro to iNaturalist” class on April 9 (or watch the recorded version later); make 50 nature observations during the City Nature Challenge; and help identify 50 species during the Challenge’s “identifying” stage (April 28 – May 3). Students in the Arboretum’s Blue Ridge Naturalist and Blue Ridge Eco-Gardener certificate programs can earn three elective credits if they complete the North Carolina BioBlitz program and one credit if they only take the “Into to iNaturalist” class.

Online Hide Tanning Course Return to Ancestral Ways
Apr 18 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
Apr 18 all-day
Catawba College
Stream Shakespeare Plays Recorded At The Globe Theatre, Online
Apr 18 all-day
The Globe Theatre, Online

The South Bank’s Globe Theatre has closed its doors for now, but it also has an online catalogue of filmed performances to feast on.

Globe Player has paid-for recordings of many of the theatre’s Shakespeare adaptations spanning more than 10 years, including Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry in Twelfth Night; Jonathan Pryce as the Merchant of Venice; Emma Rice’s naughty telling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Adetomiwa Edun and Ellie Kendrick in the 2009 production of Romeo and Juliet; and Lucy Bailey’s bloodthirsty Titus Andronicus.

Watching one of these for your sofa is probably more comfortable than being a groundling at the theatre itself, although you’ll pay roughly the same to rent, as you usually would for the cheapest tickets in the house.

If you’re particularly barmy about the Bard, bundles of nine different seasons at the Globe are also available to buy.

Free content on Globe Player is admittedly limited, although there’s some interesting behind-the-scenes content to check out.

Warren Wilson Theatre Presents: SWEAT by Lynn Nottage
Apr 18 all-day
Warren Wilson College

Warren Wilson Theatre presents: Lynn Nottage’s SWEAT, the third and final production of Warren Wilson Theatre’s “Power of Place” 2019-20 season, celebrating the 125th anniversary of Warren Wilson College. SWEAT is directed by Candace Taylor and runs April 11th, 12th, 18th, and 19th at 7:30 p.m. at Kittredge Theatre on the Warren Wilson College campus.
SWEAT takes place in Reading, Pennsylvania in 2000 and 2008. SWEAT tells the story of lifelong friends who spend their days together on the factory floor and many nights partying at a local bar. In a job market stretched thin by NAFTA and competition, layoffs and picket lines begin to erode the trust of the group, and they find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat in a turbulent economy. As the play continues, work tensions tumble into many other tensions– Which causes an explosive conclusion, leaving loved ones betrayed and others impacted for years to come.
All performances are open to the public.
For information: call (828) 771-3040, email [email protected] or follow us on Facebook, Warren Wilson Theatre-Crew.

Animal Habitats VIP Tours
Apr 18 @ 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.

Cascades and Upper Nantahala Recreational River Release
Apr 18 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Upper Cascades release 4/18

The release for this section should be 250cfs from 10am-4pm.

 

This is part of the 2020 Cascades & Upper Nantahala Recreational River Release Schedule. For additional days and flow rates that are currently planned, please visit our full schedule here.

Earth Day Kids Festival
Apr 18 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Salvage Station

RiverLink is hosting the 6th Annual Earth Day Kid’s Festival! This event will feature an exciting variety of environmentally focused activities for kids in grades K-12. Some of these activities include arts and crafts, musical performances, hands on learning, educational materials, interactive booths, and more! Earth Day Kids Festival encourages collaboration between environmental organizations in order to inspire younger generations to be stewards of our planet. This event is hosted in conjunction with WNC for the Planet, a collective of local environmental organizations that provides access to service, educational, and recreational opportunities in recognition of Earth Month in April. We hope you can join us to inspire younger generations to make positive change in our local and global environment!

Join the Global Tree Inventory Challenge
Apr 18 @ 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

Image may contain: possible text that says 'TREES CH CHALLENGE 2020 April I- April 30'

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day and the 25th Anniversary of the GLOBE program, the Buncombe County Library System and NASA are challenging you to make every tree count by using the GLOBE observer app to contribute to a global tree inventory.

Learn more at observer.globe.gov/trees-2020

To join the library team and become a citizen scientist download the free GLOBE observer app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Create an account, go to settings, click on JOIN a GLOBE Team, and type in the referral code: GLIDCTAZ.

You are now part of our Citizen Scientist team, Friends of Treebeard! Follow the directions and head outside!

Happy Earth Day teammate!

Nature Play Day: WNC Nature Center
Apr 18 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
WNC Nature Center

Join us for Nature Play Day at the WNC Nature Center on Saturday, April 18, 2020!  From 10am-2pm, we will be celebrating playing outdoors by playing with chalk, bubbles, sand, and much more!

Regular admission rates apply.  Friends members get in free.

 virtual Earth Day Kids celebration 
Apr 18 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
On Line with River Link

https://riverlink.org/get-involved/special-events/earthday/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=191b64e9-75b2-483f-909b-c345ee2dc5f9

Earth Day is a great time to cherish our connection to the natural world! Every year RiverLink celebrates the holiday with its annual Earth Day Kid’s Festival. We invite families and people of all ages to come out and enjoy environmental education, arts and crafts, performances and more!

As protectors of the French Broad River, we understand the importance of environmental conservation. We and all of our partnering organizations want to share our knowledge and passion with the stewards of tomorrow. This event features educational activities from some of the best local environmental educators. Topics include recycling, wildlife education, farmstead, rivers, and more!

We also love to showcase the earth as a source of artistic inspiration. Festival-goers can express their creativity through many eco-friendly arts and crafts. We will also display the entries and announce the winners for RiverLink’s Voices of the River: Art and Poetry contest, so come show support for your favorite young artist.

And of course, what would a festival be without fun and entertainment? You can expect games, face painting, and more!

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4vY8ZjQRSNKiqao3sBHj7g

Little Women CANCELLED
Apr 18 @ 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

ACT: Closed Through May 1, 2020

I am sure this email is not unexpected, but that doesn’t make it any easier to write.

Asheville Community Theatre will be closed for the foreseeable future. We are unable to know when we will be able to reopen. It is our intention to reschedule any upcoming event; we also understand that this may not be possible.

Here’s what we do know:

  • All performances, rehearsals, classes, auditions, volunteer training, and any other activity scheduled to take place in the ACT building from now until May 1, 2020 has been cancelled.
  • We will reassess as time moves forward and we have more knowledge about when it will be safe to be in large or small groups together
  • We already cannot wait until that next jubilant gathering!

During this time, our staff will be working remotely. You can reach any of us through email – so don’t be a stranger!

If you have tickets to a performance scheduled between now and May 1, 2020, our Box Office staff will contact you directly – either by email or phone – over the next week to ask your preference regarding your purchase.

We ask for your patience as we navigate this process.

With your purchase, you may choose to:

  • hold your ticket to exchange until future dates are known (Little Women only)
  • donate your ticket purchase to the theatre as a tax-deductible donation OR
  • request a refund for your ticket purchase

If you are financially able, we invite you to donate your ticket purchase. As you can imagine, this will be devastating for arts organizations who rely on ticket sales to stay afloat. Your donation will help ACT to weather this unfathomable storm and be ready to reopen when we’re able to be back together again.

 

Storm Still
Apr 18 @ 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Storm Still

By Gab Reisman; Produced and directed by Devyn Ray Villareal

Part eulogy, part game of pretend, Storm Still follows the three Lear sisters as they gather together to clean out their recently deceased father’s house, acting out a ridiculous and cathartic version of Shakespeare’s King Lear in their childhood backyard.

Lyrid Meteor Shower Stargazing
Apr 18 @ 9:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
night sky meteor shower

Join us to celebrate the biggest meteor shower of the spring. As we watch the cosmic fireworks we’ll also learn to find our way around the spring sky and some of the myths and legends of the stars and constellations visible at this time as well.

Sunday, April 19, 2020
12 Plays That Were Turned Into Movies, Stage Musicals, and Movie Musicals Photos Online
Apr 19 all-day
Playbill Online
Play_Movie_Musical_Movie_Musical_Graphic_HR

Many shows that come to Broadway are inspired by other works, sometimes a book, a movie, a play, or something else entirely. These 12 shows all started as plays before they were adapted into films, which in turn became musicals and movie musicals.

https://www.playbill.com/article/12-plays-that-were-turned-into-movies-stage-musicals-and-movie-musicals

A Little Dose of Inspiration: Learn to Love the River series! Tell Us Your River Story
Apr 19 all-day
River Link On Line
A Little Dose of Inspiration

This poem comes to us from a 6th grade student at The Learning Community School. We are always impressed with the creativity and talent of these kids, and we love to hear what the river means to them! Our annual Voices of the River Contest is a showcase of these incredible works. We’re excited to announce this years winners during our virtual Earth Day Kids celebration on April 22nd at 11 AM.

The looking glass

The rippling water

Like the iron in a forge

The beauty

Like the delicate wings of a dragonfly

The Calmness and the stillness

Mixing with the rushing

Forming true peacefulness

The sun rises over the mountain

Kissing the water

Forming small rainbows

The looking glass

The rippling iron water

The beauty

The calmness

With thriving fish

Is the definition

Of tranquility

– Leo B.B.

There are countless stories in our community about the impact the river has had on people. Everyone’s experience with the river is a little different and we’d love to hear about yours! If you would like to share how the river has played a role in your life click below to tell us your story. Our favorites will be featured in future issues of the Learn to Love the River series!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfr1b6tJqIkiUXIAAj0ILyELg2V48w4iKHSISTOOhaR4L41Qg/viewform?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=191b64e9-75b2-483f-909b-c345ee2dc5f9

RiverLink staff is motivated by the stories of our volunteers and the beauty of the French Broad River (FBR) community. We miss you! We want to hear from you. During these uncertain times and this period of social isolation, we could all use some inspiration. Share your story with us, so we can spread enthusiasm to others. Submit a written or oral story following one of our suggested prompts, or create your own! Please keep topics relevant to the local natural environment, RiverLink volunteer experience, or FBR community. We ask you to limit stories to a maximum of 500 words or 5 minutes spoken. Either upload a file to the first tab or type in your story in the second tab.

Suggested Prompts:
-A river memory or experience
-An awe inspiring or life changing experience in local nature
-An exciting or positive volunteer experience with RiverLink
-A story about the resilience of the FBR community
-A reason you love the river or FBR community
-A poem honoring the French Broad River and its inhabitants
-An Earth Day memory or experience

Guidelines:
-500 words maximum (or a video/audio recording- 5 minutes or less)
-Appropriate content for all ages
-Pictures not required, but would be a great addition!

Blue Ridge Naturalist Certificate of Merit
Apr 19 all-day
The North Carolina Arboretum

Join over one hundred students on a quest to deepen understanding of the natural sciences through the Blue Ridge Naturalist Certificate of Merit. The program offers adult learners a comprehensive curriculum of study about the natural world of Western North Carolina. Classes meet year round and students work to complete 240 hours in core courses on ecology, botany, geology and plant identification as well as electives on animals, lichens, insects and more. View current class offerings for credit in the Blue Ridge Naturalist program here. All students must complete and present a final project prior to graduation.

To begin your program complete an application and return it to the Education Center along with a a one-time, non-refundable $55 application fee.

Flat Rock Playhouse CLOSED April 2-27 Altered 2020 season
Apr 19 all-day
Flat Rock Playhouse

We will reopen with Million Dollar Quartet in mid-July. The remainder of the season will proceed as planned beginning with Jumping Jack Flash – The Music of the Rolling Stones on August 20th.  Steel Magnolias and our summer musicals, A Chorus Line, and West Side Story, will be moved to the 2021 season.

In response to Government guidelines, and for the safety of our staff and customers, the box office will close Friday, April 3rd and plans to re-open Monday, April 27th. Patrons with questions can refer to the Playhouse website www.FlatRockPlayhouse.org for answers to frequently asked questions and/or to find ways to help support FRP at this critical time.  Folks can also email us at [email protected].

We plan to stay in touch with you over these coming weeks. And don’t miss videos from some of
your favorite Playhouse stars on our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and
Youtube. Also watch for them in Playhouse emails.

Grandfather Mountain CLOSED to all activity
Apr 19 all-day
Grandfather Mountain

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), Grandfather Mountain will close until further notice, effective Sunday, March 15. The closure means the park will prohibit public access, including from the main entrance gate and hiking trails.

In addition, all special events and programs scheduled through Memorial Day have been canceled or postponed.

Metropolitan Opera to Offer Up ‘Nightly Met Opera Streams’ April 14-19
Apr 19 all-day
Metropolitan Opera On line

 

Nantahala Outdoor Center Spring Fling
Apr 19 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Date: April 18- 19, 2020

Time: All day

Price: Free

Age: All Ages

Celebrate spring in the Smoky Mountains with a free, family-friendly event in the Nantahala Gorge! Enjoy a release of the Cascades and Upper Nantahala, live music, delicious food and the 3rd Annual Live Like Maria Freestyle Classic on this weekend of celebration.

 

NEW! North Carolina BioBlitz Patch for Adults
Apr 19 all-day
The North Carolina Arboretum

NEW! North Carolina BioBlitz Patch

For adults looking for an extra challenge this spring, the Arboretum has created the North Carolina BioBlitz patch in conjunction with the 2020 City Nature Challenge (April 24 – 27). To earn the patch, participants will need to create a free iNaturalist account; attend the “Intro to iNaturalist” class on April 9 (or watch the recorded version later); make 50 nature observations during the City Nature Challenge; and help identify 50 species during the Challenge’s “identifying” stage (April 28 – May 3). Students in the Arboretum’s Blue Ridge Naturalist and Blue Ridge Eco-Gardener certificate programs can earn three elective credits if they complete the North Carolina BioBlitz program and one credit if they only take the “Into to iNaturalist” class.

Online Hide Tanning Course Return to Ancestral Ways
Apr 19 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.

 

Stream Shakespeare Plays Recorded At The Globe Theatre, Online
Apr 19 all-day
The Globe Theatre, Online

The South Bank’s Globe Theatre has closed its doors for now, but it also has an online catalogue of filmed performances to feast on.

Globe Player has paid-for recordings of many of the theatre’s Shakespeare adaptations spanning more than 10 years, including Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry in Twelfth Night; Jonathan Pryce as the Merchant of Venice; Emma Rice’s naughty telling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Adetomiwa Edun and Ellie Kendrick in the 2009 production of Romeo and Juliet; and Lucy Bailey’s bloodthirsty Titus Andronicus.

Watching one of these for your sofa is probably more comfortable than being a groundling at the theatre itself, although you’ll pay roughly the same to rent, as you usually would for the cheapest tickets in the house.

If you’re particularly barmy about the Bard, bundles of nine different seasons at the Globe are also available to buy.

Free content on Globe Player is admittedly limited, although there’s some interesting behind-the-scenes content to check out.

Warren Wilson Theatre Presents: SWEAT by Lynn Nottage
Apr 19 all-day
Warren Wilson College

Warren Wilson Theatre presents: Lynn Nottage’s SWEAT, the third and final production of Warren Wilson Theatre’s “Power of Place” 2019-20 season, celebrating the 125th anniversary of Warren Wilson College. SWEAT is directed by Candace Taylor and runs April 11th, 12th, 18th, and 19th at 7:30 p.m. at Kittredge Theatre on the Warren Wilson College campus.
SWEAT takes place in Reading, Pennsylvania in 2000 and 2008. SWEAT tells the story of lifelong friends who spend their days together on the factory floor and many nights partying at a local bar. In a job market stretched thin by NAFTA and competition, layoffs and picket lines begin to erode the trust of the group, and they find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat in a turbulent economy. As the play continues, work tensions tumble into many other tensions– Which causes an explosive conclusion, leaving loved ones betrayed and others impacted for years to come.
All performances are open to the public.
For information: call (828) 771-3040, email [email protected] or follow us on Facebook, Warren Wilson Theatre-Crew.

Animal Habitats VIP Tours
Apr 19 @ 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.