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 1, 2020
Virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of: May 15-17, 2020
May 1 all-day
LEAF Online
V-LEAF Brings Joy! Save the Date!
LEAF is in the process of creating a virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of:

May 15-17, 2020

We didn’t know if we had the capacity to create a virtual festival with our core staff on reduced time, but then we really started missing our LEAF friends and said “Let’s give it a go!”. We’ve embraced that “V-LEAF” will be old school creative, authentic, and fun. The CONNECTION and #LEAFLove is the essential ingredient.

The creation phase is happening and YOU are welcome to be apart of this new journey. Have time? We want to hear from you if you’d like to volunteer website or social media support, lead a workshop, zoom w/ LEAF friends or if you have LEAF stories and ideas. Dance, connect, pull out costumes, decorate, camp in the yard – let’s get LEAFy.

CONTEST ALERT! Looking for ways to share your art with the world? V-LEAF may be your moment! Show us how you express your #LEAFLove. Any age, any experience – we are looking for artwork to add to the digital experience. The artwork must embody the spirit of LEAF and feature the LEAF logo. Any “artists” whose graphic is used will win an awesome Vintage LEAF Style packet!

Reach out & share ASAP with [email protected]

Live Morning Didgeridoo Meditation
May 1 @ 7:30 am – 8:00 am
online

Tune in with me on Facebook Live each morning at 7:30am for a 20 minute live meditation with didgeridoo. I’ll be guiding you through simple and effective ways that will help you to:

  • Calm your nervous system
  • Become more resilient to stress
  • Get you ready for the day and evening

The intention is for you to learn this simple skillset quickly and use it right now to stay centered, balanced and show up for yourself, your family, and your community.

The more of us that can do that, the better! I hope to see you soon.  

Warmly, 

Corey Costanzo

ps If you miss the live meditation, check our website later in the day. We will be uploading all recordings. 

Free Dead Fridays
May 1 @ 5:30 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Join us at The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall every Friday at 5:30PM for our FREE Acoustic Grateful Dead series Featuring members of Phuncle Sam and great drink and food specials.

Image

Iamavl Restreams on FB
May 1 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
facebook

Image may contain: text

Darren Nicholson Band – Live Stream Bands2Fans
May 1 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
live stream

Image may contain: 5 people, people standing and indoor

We are very excited to present the Darren Nicholson Band for the first installment of our concert series. Get the couch warmed up, make your favorite cocktail, put on your dancin’ shoes and join us Friday at 8PM!

This will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube

Connecting Bands2Fans while focusing on safety, transparency, and quality.

Million Dollar Quartet CANCELLED
May 1 @ 8:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
VIRTUAL: Aaron Price’s Sessions from the Cocoon
May 1 @ 9:30 pm
facebook

Aaron price is a longtime fixture of the Asheville music community. Known as an indispensable sideman and record producer, Aaron is known for working in the studio and onstage with many iconic Asheville bands. He is opening his personal studio to the public eye for NIGHTLY 9:30 performances (you can even make requests!) on his Facebook page. Aaron plays originals and covers at the guitar and piano and features the occasional special guest.

Saturday, May 2, 2020
23rd annual French Broard River Festival
May 2 all-day
Hot Springs Campground & Resort

Kick off spring in the mountains at the 23rd annual French Broad River Festival.  It’s part outdoor adventure, part music festival with whitewater rafting, biking, hiking, kid’s village, camping, great music, and much more.  Painter John, a popular FBRF musician, compares the atmosphere to “a big potluck at your best friend’s house”.  If you’ve been you know . . . what better way to enjoy spring in these mountains?

INTRO-IMAGE_1024px

Classical Public Radio
May 2 all-day
Brevard Music Center Online

http://www.classicalpublicradio.org/series/openair-brevard-2019?utm_source=Brevard+Music+Center&utm_campaign=87c60ff5e2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_31_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b154873bc5-87c60ff5e2-131688489

Open Air Brevard Radio

Cold Mountain Music Festival Rescheduled August 14-15
May 2 all-day
Cold Mountain Music Festival at Lake Logan 25 Wormy Chestnut Lane

A message from the founders of Cold Mountain Music Festival:

To our Cold Mountain Music Festival, Lake Logan, and Camp Henry families,

In recent weeks, we have stood alongside our nationwide cohort of festival organizers to witness the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic and assess how it would impact our 2020 event schedule. While we originally hoped the situation would be subdued in time for our June gathering, we have also kept a watchful eye on the trajectory of this outbreak and have learned that the likelihood of this occurrence is slim.

In the interest of public safety, the 4th Annual Cold Mountain Music Festival will be postponed until August 14-15, 2020. While we can not yet reveal the exact lineup details, rest assured that we have been able to preserve the majority of originally scheduled artists. The talent team is working diligently to put the finishing touches on the new bill and will be ready to announce next week.

All previously-reserved tickets will be valid for the new festival date. In the event that you are unable to attend this August, you may contact ([email protected]) to secure a refund on your ticket purchase. All refund requests must be made before May 15.

Cold Mountain Music Festival is proud to announce the lineup for its 4th annual event happening June 5-6, 2020 at the picturesque Lake Logan Conference Center in Canton, NC. GRAMMY-winning newgrass pioneer Sam Bush Band will headline the weekend-long retreat, with additional appearances by fast-rising alt-country sensation Charley Crockett, West Coast folk-rock outfit Blitzen Trapper, critically acclaimed troubadour Amythyst Kiah, plus regional powerhouses Futurebirds, Sierra Ferrell, and more.

With less than half a decade of programming under its belt, Cold Mountain Music Festival has already been recognized as one of the Southeast’s best goldmines for live music, outdoor recreation, and family-oriented activities. Located just outside of Asheville in one of Western North Carolina’s most pristine stretches of land, Cold Mountain utilizes the vibrant Pisgah National Forest as its playground, and encourages exploration throughout the two-day immersive experience. At the heart of the festival site is the glistening Lake Logan, which boasts plenty of swimming, paddle-boarding, and fishing. Paired with performances by some of live music’s leading forces on the scene and plenty of kid-friendly offerings, the upcoming Cold Mountain Music Festival will offer the trifecta of rustic summer experiences.

Weekend passes are on sale now on the Cold Mountain Music website. General admission passes are available for $75, and youth passes for those aged 12-17 can be purchased for $40 apiece. Overnight camping spots and catered breakfast meal tickets are also available for $75 (per site) and $12-$15 (per person), respectively. Group discounts may be applied for parties of 15 or more. Enter the code DioWNC at checkout to purchase each pass (minimum 15) for $60 each. Cold Mountain Music Festival is presented by Ingles Markets, with partners iHeartMedia and Haywood County Tourism Development Authority. For more information, visit www.coldmountainmusic.org. A complete lineup can be found below.

Dig Local Playlist on Spotify!
May 2 all-day
Dig Local Online

Enjoy original local Asheville music anywhere.

We recently put out a “call for musicians” to create a compilation that is Asheville. We were blown away by the response and the talent in this town! And with COVID-19 putting a temporary halt to live music, now is the perfect time to begin sharing this playlist for you to enjoy from the safety of your own couch. While you’ll likely recognize some of these artists, there are many new ones that you’ll love to discover.

We’ll be adding new local music to our Spotify playlist every week for your enjoyment.

Yep, that means fresh local music. Free access all the time! Coming soon additional songs by The Styrofoam TurtlesHope GriffinBombassicVia and more!

 Check out the first 10 songs on our playlist on Spotify, and tell us which local artist you dig the most!  Stay tuned…

The Social Distancing Festival: Visual Arts, Music, Beer Tent
May 2 all-day
The Social Distancing Festival

Welcome to The Social Distancing Festival.

This is a site for celebrating art from all over the world, showcasing amazing talent, and coming together as a community at a time when we need it more than ever.

Social Distancing Festival1.jpg

A NOTE FROM NICK – Thank you so much for checking out The Social Distancing Festival. I can’t believe how quickly this all happened (on so many levels). I am so grateful to have gotten the chance to connect with artists around the world. You have really kept me company during this tough and lonely time.

My small team of AMAZING colleagues and I have been through hundreds of submissions, and are really proud to present you with this collection of art, as well as our ever-growing calendar of live streams from around the world. We’ll keep taking submissions and updating the site, so keep coming back!

I hope that you enjoy the work displayed on this site. I hope that you can get lost in work of all different mediums and styles from artists in all different stages of their careers . I hope you read their stories and feel connected through a shared love of art and creation and life. And I hope that helps to get you through.

That’s really, ultimately, the whole point.

Virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of: May 15-17, 2020
May 2 all-day
LEAF Online
V-LEAF Brings Joy! Save the Date!
LEAF is in the process of creating a virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of:

May 15-17, 2020

We didn’t know if we had the capacity to create a virtual festival with our core staff on reduced time, but then we really started missing our LEAF friends and said “Let’s give it a go!”. We’ve embraced that “V-LEAF” will be old school creative, authentic, and fun. The CONNECTION and #LEAFLove is the essential ingredient.

The creation phase is happening and YOU are welcome to be apart of this new journey. Have time? We want to hear from you if you’d like to volunteer website or social media support, lead a workshop, zoom w/ LEAF friends or if you have LEAF stories and ideas. Dance, connect, pull out costumes, decorate, camp in the yard – let’s get LEAFy.

CONTEST ALERT! Looking for ways to share your art with the world? V-LEAF may be your moment! Show us how you express your #LEAFLove. Any age, any experience – we are looking for artwork to add to the digital experience. The artwork must embody the spirit of LEAF and feature the LEAF logo. Any “artists” whose graphic is used will win an awesome Vintage LEAF Style packet!

Reach out & share ASAP with [email protected]

Creative Sector Summit CANCELLED
May 2 @ 12:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

Since 2010, the Asheville Area Arts Council, in partnership with the City of Asheville, has convened the Creative Sector Summit– the region’s only creative industry-specific annual conference.

This year’s conference will kick-off on Thursday, April 30th with a Dinner in the Foundry Hotel’s Savoy Ballroom. Guests will be presented with the results of this year’s Creative Sector Survey, hear from the city and county about how they support the arts, and learn from the director of the North Carolina Arts Council about the current state of the arts in NC.

The Summit will take place on May 1st and 2nd at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Friday will focus more heavily on Creative Placemaking, with a keynote presentation by the leading consulting group in this field Forecast Public Art. On Saturday we will shift to Arts Education with a keynote presentation from Ingenuity, a nonprofit working to increase arts access for all students in Chicago Public Schools. Both themes will be addressed through the lens of Equity and Inclusion. The full conference line-up will be posted in mid-March.

Tickets are on sale now. Member discounts are available.

More details: ashevillearts.com/events/creative-sector-series

Live Morning Didgeridoo Meditation
May 2 @ 7:30 am – 8:00 am
online

Tune in with me on Facebook Live each morning at 7:30am for a 20 minute live meditation with didgeridoo. I’ll be guiding you through simple and effective ways that will help you to:

  • Calm your nervous system
  • Become more resilient to stress
  • Get you ready for the day and evening

The intention is for you to learn this simple skillset quickly and use it right now to stay centered, balanced and show up for yourself, your family, and your community.

The more of us that can do that, the better! I hope to see you soon.  

Warmly, 

Corey Costanzo

ps If you miss the live meditation, check our website later in the day. We will be uploading all recordings. 

Angel Pets Expo 2020 ONLINE EVENT
May 2 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
AngelPetsExpo.com

Angel Pet Expo 2020 in Western North Carolina, covering ‘All things Pets’ with a focus on holistic pet care and inclusive of all stages of pet life including: young and adult life, senior pet, end-of-life care and pet loss grief support. The goal of the Angel Pets Expo is to bring people together with resources, services and products which support and honor our pets, and ourselves as pet parents.

Angel Pets Expo 2020:
• Saturday, May 2nd, 2020, 10-4pm
• WNC AG Center, Expo Building, 761 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher, NC 28732
• “All things pets.” There is a focus on holistic pet care.
• Open to the public. Pet Friendly. Family Friendly.
• Over 70 Vendors, music, food, presentations, fun & more!
• Tickets $7 in advanced on Eventbrite, $10 at door.
An additional goal of the Angel Pets Expo 2020 is to increase the pet loving community, connect with each other, increase the quality of life of our pets and ourselves, as pet parents.

Vendor and Sponsorship opportunity still available.

70+ vendors specializing in unique pet related services and products, pet artists, veterinarians, pet nutritional supplements, dog rehab specialist, pet trainers, senior pet care needs, end-of-life, pet insurance specialist, caregiver support, grief healing, animal communicators, pet items and jewelry, pet memorabilia, pet supplies and other pet supportive topics.

Select featured vendor presentations throughout the day for pet parent education. List of Vendors and Featured Vendor Presentation schedule can be found at AngelPetsExpo.com.

Angel Pets Expo 2020 is very proudly presented by Bright Star Studio, llc – a Life enhancement center, offering Life Coaching, Intuitive Counseling sessions, Guided meditations, Healing Energy work, Classes, Private sessions, and more. ‘Be the Best You!’ Learn more: https://brightstarstudio.net/

Million Dollar Quartet CANCELLED
May 2 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
Iamavl Restreams on FB
May 2 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
facebook

Image may contain: text

Livestream: Third Coast Percussion
May 2 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
livestream

Image may contain: 4 people, people sitting

Grammy Award-winning quartet Third Coast Percussion performs a live stream concert featuring John Cage’s iconic masterpiece “Third Construction,” a new work composed for TCP by composer and modular synth practitioner Bana Haffar entitled “Shed,” and an early work by TCP ensemble member David Skidmore, “Ritual Music.”

Bookmark this link to watch the concert from the comfort of your own home: https://bit.ly/2SbV7Wp

You can also catch the performance live  on the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and Third Coast Percussion Facebook pages

Million Dollar Quartet CANCELLED
May 2 @ 8:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse
VIRTUAL: Aaron Price’s Sessions from the Cocoon
May 2 @ 9:30 pm
facebook

Aaron price is a longtime fixture of the Asheville music community. Known as an indispensable sideman and record producer, Aaron is known for working in the studio and onstage with many iconic Asheville bands. He is opening his personal studio to the public eye for NIGHTLY 9:30 performances (you can even make requests!) on his Facebook page. Aaron plays originals and covers at the guitar and piano and features the occasional special guest.

Sunday, May 3, 2020
23rd annual French Broard River Festival
May 3 all-day
Hot Springs Campground & Resort

Kick off spring in the mountains at the 23rd annual French Broad River Festival.  It’s part outdoor adventure, part music festival with whitewater rafting, biking, hiking, kid’s village, camping, great music, and much more.  Painter John, a popular FBRF musician, compares the atmosphere to “a big potluck at your best friend’s house”.  If you’ve been you know . . . what better way to enjoy spring in these mountains?

INTRO-IMAGE_1024px

Classical Public Radio
May 3 all-day
Brevard Music Center Online

http://www.classicalpublicradio.org/series/openair-brevard-2019?utm_source=Brevard+Music+Center&utm_campaign=87c60ff5e2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_31_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b154873bc5-87c60ff5e2-131688489

Open Air Brevard Radio

Dig Local Playlist on Spotify!
May 3 all-day
Dig Local Online

Enjoy original local Asheville music anywhere.

We recently put out a “call for musicians” to create a compilation that is Asheville. We were blown away by the response and the talent in this town! And with COVID-19 putting a temporary halt to live music, now is the perfect time to begin sharing this playlist for you to enjoy from the safety of your own couch. While you’ll likely recognize some of these artists, there are many new ones that you’ll love to discover.

We’ll be adding new local music to our Spotify playlist every week for your enjoyment.

Yep, that means fresh local music. Free access all the time! Coming soon additional songs by The Styrofoam TurtlesHope GriffinBombassicVia and more!

 Check out the first 10 songs on our playlist on Spotify, and tell us which local artist you dig the most!  Stay tuned…

The 23rd Annual French Broad River Festival RESCHEDULED Oct 2-4
May 3 all-day
Hot Springs Resort And Spa
23rd FBRF rescheduled
Hello wonderful FBRFers,

With all the cancellations we want to share what we hope you will agree is good news! Our friends at the Hot Springs Campground & Resort have allowed us to move the 23rd annual river fest to the fall, Oct 2-4, 2020. As many of you know we hosted a fall fest or “French Broad Brew Fest” from 2011 to 2015 and it’s a spectacular time of the year to be in this special place down by the river, and we’re really excited to be able to do the full-on 23rd FBRF at that time. Expect lots of great music, kid’s village, whitewater raft race, river cleanup, pumpkins, great weather (usually), and politicians (just kidding we’ll need a break around that time right?).

So . . . if you purchased tickets already you can do nothing and plan on being there Oct. 2-4, 2020 with your purchased ticket . . . or you can go to your Eventbrite account and get a full refund (minus service charges) until April 15th (you will also receive this message with instructions from your Eventbrite account). If you made campground reservations for any nights prior to the spring festival, the campground will allow you to cancel them and/or reschedule (828-622-7676). However, please note, the Hot Springs Resort & Spa is closed for the next two weeks for quarantine. They are happy to get you taken care of as soon as they reopen. If you have questions about refund or anything else email us at [email protected] or message social media and we’ll try to respond as soon as we can.

More details to come about the 23rd French Broad River Festival Oct. 2-4, 2020 as we work to make it the best ever.  Meanwhile check out this short video from the 2012 French Broad Fall Fest.

Stay safe and healthy everyone.  With optimism that comes with the first day of spring, we look forward to seeing you in the fall!

 

The 23rd annual French Broad River Festival will be held May 1-3, 2020 at the beautiful Hot
Springs Campground on the banks of the French Broad River.
FBRF has a loyal following and if you’ve been there, you know. Participate in the river cleanup to kick it off, hike the AT, ride bikes, go fishing, soak in the hot springs, get a massage, go whitewater rafting, check out the vendors, and enjoy the music.
The music is diverse and always on point for such a “small” festival and the setting is incredible.
It’s for a good cause, with over $200,000 donated over 20 years to American Whitewater, Hot Springs Community Learning Center, Homeward Bound, Eliada Home, Mountain Area Child & Family Center, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of WNC, Manna Food bank and more.
The Social Distancing Festival: Visual Arts, Music, Beer Tent
May 3 all-day
The Social Distancing Festival

Welcome to The Social Distancing Festival.

This is a site for celebrating art from all over the world, showcasing amazing talent, and coming together as a community at a time when we need it more than ever.

Social Distancing Festival1.jpg

A NOTE FROM NICK – Thank you so much for checking out The Social Distancing Festival. I can’t believe how quickly this all happened (on so many levels). I am so grateful to have gotten the chance to connect with artists around the world. You have really kept me company during this tough and lonely time.

My small team of AMAZING colleagues and I have been through hundreds of submissions, and are really proud to present you with this collection of art, as well as our ever-growing calendar of live streams from around the world. We’ll keep taking submissions and updating the site, so keep coming back!

I hope that you enjoy the work displayed on this site. I hope that you can get lost in work of all different mediums and styles from artists in all different stages of their careers . I hope you read their stories and feel connected through a shared love of art and creation and life. And I hope that helps to get you through.

That’s really, ultimately, the whole point.

Virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of: May 15-17, 2020
May 3 all-day
LEAF Online
V-LEAF Brings Joy! Save the Date!
LEAF is in the process of creating a virtual LEAF Festival on the weekend of:

May 15-17, 2020

We didn’t know if we had the capacity to create a virtual festival with our core staff on reduced time, but then we really started missing our LEAF friends and said “Let’s give it a go!”. We’ve embraced that “V-LEAF” will be old school creative, authentic, and fun. The CONNECTION and #LEAFLove is the essential ingredient.

The creation phase is happening and YOU are welcome to be apart of this new journey. Have time? We want to hear from you if you’d like to volunteer website or social media support, lead a workshop, zoom w/ LEAF friends or if you have LEAF stories and ideas. Dance, connect, pull out costumes, decorate, camp in the yard – let’s get LEAFy.

CONTEST ALERT! Looking for ways to share your art with the world? V-LEAF may be your moment! Show us how you express your #LEAFLove. Any age, any experience – we are looking for artwork to add to the digital experience. The artwork must embody the spirit of LEAF and feature the LEAF logo. Any “artists” whose graphic is used will win an awesome Vintage LEAF Style packet!

Reach out & share ASAP with [email protected]

Live Morning Didgeridoo Meditation
May 3 @ 7:30 am – 8:00 am
online

Tune in with me on Facebook Live each morning at 7:30am for a 20 minute live meditation with didgeridoo. I’ll be guiding you through simple and effective ways that will help you to:

  • Calm your nervous system
  • Become more resilient to stress
  • Get you ready for the day and evening

The intention is for you to learn this simple skillset quickly and use it right now to stay centered, balanced and show up for yourself, your family, and your community.

The more of us that can do that, the better! I hope to see you soon.  

Warmly, 

Corey Costanzo

ps If you miss the live meditation, check our website later in the day. We will be uploading all recordings. 

Bluegrass Brunch
May 3 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
The One Stop at Asheville Music Hall

Image

Bluegrass Brunch
hosted by Aaron Woody Wood & The Sufi Brothers

Pickin’ on the Porch w/ Chicken Coop Willaye 1030AM
Bald Mountain Boys 11AM – 12:30PM
Sufi Brothers 12:45PM – 3PM

Be sure to check out our Bloody Mary Bar, the BEST selection of pickled products and other additions in Asheville. The MOJO Kitchen will be serving a special Brunch menu until 3PM as well.

Food & music start at 10:30am
ADULT beverages at Noon.

Million Dollar Quartet CANCELLED
May 3 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse