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 17, 2024
Volunteer: Grace Covenant Community Garden
May 17 all-day
YWCA of Asheville

Spring has sprung, and at the YWCA that means that our talented Nutrition team is cooking up new ways to serve fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables to the children in our Early Learning and Empowerment Child Care programs. We are so grateful to be partnering with the wonderful volunteers who operate Grace Covenant’s Community Garden to receive produce grown specifically for our kitchen! The YWCA has been partnering with Grace Covenant for three years, and we have received over 1000 pounds of healthy, local produce from the garden.

YWCA Nutrition Specialist Melinda Aponte works hard to make the most of the bounty from Grace Covenant, and she also nurtures our own YWCA garden to teach kiddos in our childcare programs healthy habits and get them in the garden. Love the idea of helping to feed children fresh, healthy foods? Volunteer with the YWCA Nutrition team this spring and summer to help out in the YW garden space.

Black Mountain Beautification Committee Garden Sale
May 17 @ 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Black MountainTown Square

19 vendors with prized annuals, carnivorous plants, cut flowers, edible shrubs, herbs, native plants, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vegetable starts from specialty plant vendors. Garden-related items will include garden décor, bee cabins, garden art and containers, wood carvings, and other special items. Members Market with goods and services. Bake sale, raffle for free plants and a wealth of good spirit.

Black Mountain Beautification Committee Market
May 17 @ 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Black MountainTown Square

A gardener’s dream sale. All are welcome to purchase from a wide variety of plant and garden vendors as well as baked goods and services from members.
Meet us in the Black Mountain Town Square parking lot from 3 to 7pm on May 17 and
from 9am to 3:30pm on May 18.
This year’s sale will feature prized annuals, carnivorous plants, cut flowers, edible shrubs, herbs, native plants, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vegetable starts from specialty plant vendors. Garden-related items will include garden décor, bee cabins, garden art and containers, wood carvings, and other special items.

Rewilding Your Space
May 17 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Leicester Library

Whether you live in a rural, urban or suburban environment, nature is everywhere! We’ll share practical tips on how to re-wild your land (or balcony!) to support a healthy habitat for butterflies, birds, native plants – and your family. We will also discuss yard foraging and share recipes for delicious spring greens that many folks have in abundance this time of year. Presented by Buncombe County Soil and Water.

This program is free. Registration is not required!

Saturday, May 18, 2024
Master Gardeners Plant Clinics
May 18 all-day
Various Locations

Again this growing season, the Extension Master GardenerSMPlant Clinics will be held at several locations and special events across the area.  At each Plant Clinic, Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answer all of your gardening questions and address your related concerns. Feel free to bring plant or insect samples for identification and/or problem resolution.  You can pick-up soil test kits and receive information about in-person programs and activities at The Learning Garden and the Gardening in the Mountains online seminars.  Please stop by to learn more!

2024 Plant Clinic Locations

Asheville City Market. On the third Saturday of each month, April through September. Master Gardener volunteers will be at the Asheville City Market located at 52 N. Market Street, Asheville, NC 28801.  The specific dates will be April 20, June 15, July 20, August 17, and September 21. We will not be at the City Market in May; instead, we will be at the Spring Fling Plant Sale (see below).

 

2024 Spring Herb Festival. In addition to City Market, the Master Gardeners Plant Clinic is returning to the 2024 Spring Herb Festival this year. Our table will be located at the entrance hall to the Davis Event Center at the WNC Ag Center on Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27 from 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.,on Sunday, April 28 from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. The WNC Ag Center is located across the highway from the Asheville Airport at 761 New Boylston Highway, Fletcher, NC 28732. A map and directions to the WNC Ag Center can be found by clicking: https://www.wncagcenter.org/directions.aspx.

Spring Fling Plant Sale. Be sure to look for the Plant Clinic tent at this year’s Spring Fling Plant Sale on May 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Plant Sale will be located at the Interchange Building, 59 Woodfin Place, in downtown Asheville.

NC Arboretum Plant Sale. EMG volunteers will also staff Plant Clinics at the North Carolina Arboretum Plant Sale on May 31, and June 1, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The NC Arboretum is located at 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806. The Plant Sale and Vendor Market, May 31 and June 1, is open to all members and the general public.  For more information on the public sale, please refer to the WNC Arboretum website at https://www.ncarboretum.org.  NOTE: The Arboretum’s standard $20 parking fee applies to all non-members.

Black Mountain Beautification Committee Garden Sale
May 18 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Black MountainTown Square

A gardener’s dream sale. All are welcome to purchase from a wide variety of plant and garden vendors as well as baked goods and services from members.
Meet us in the Black Mountain Town Square parking lot from 3 to 7pm on May 17 and
from 9am to 3:30pm on May 18.
This year’s sale will feature prized annuals, carnivorous plants, cut flowers, edible shrubs, herbs, native plants, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vegetable starts from specialty plant vendors. Garden-related items will include garden décor, bee cabins, garden art and containers, wood carvings, and other special items.

Black Mountain Beautification Committee Garden Sale
May 18 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Black MountainTown Square

Nineteen vendors will include prized annuals, carnivorous plants, cut flowers, edible shrubs, herbs, native plants, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vegetable starts from specialty plant vendors. Garden-related items will include garden décor, bee cabins, garden art and containers, wood carvings, and other special items. Members Market with home and garden related goods and services, yummy bake sale, raffle for free plants, and tons of good spirit for this important fundraiser.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 18 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Spring Plant Sale
May 18 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
NC Cooperative Extension
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 19 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Monday, May 20, 2024
Volunteer: Grace Covenant Community Garden
May 20 all-day
YWCA of Asheville

Spring has sprung, and at the YWCA that means that our talented Nutrition team is cooking up new ways to serve fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables to the children in our Early Learning and Empowerment Child Care programs. We are so grateful to be partnering with the wonderful volunteers who operate Grace Covenant’s Community Garden to receive produce grown specifically for our kitchen! The YWCA has been partnering with Grace Covenant for three years, and we have received over 1000 pounds of healthy, local produce from the garden.

YWCA Nutrition Specialist Melinda Aponte works hard to make the most of the bounty from Grace Covenant, and she also nurtures our own YWCA garden to teach kiddos in our childcare programs healthy habits and get them in the garden. Love the idea of helping to feed children fresh, healthy foods? Volunteer with the YWCA Nutrition team this spring and summer to help out in the YW garden space.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 20 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 21 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Sand Hill Nursery Workday
May 21 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Sand Hill Nursery at the Buncombe County Sports Park

Join us for weekly workdays in the Sand Hill native tree nursery. Tasks vary and often include repotting, weeding, mulching, and other special projects to improve infrastructure and function.

Need to know

Please come dressed in work clothes with close toed shoes. Bring water and sun protection. All other gear and supplies are provided.

SAHC Community Farm Volunteer Work Day
May 21 @ 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
SAHC Community Farm

Join us for a public volunteer workday at the SAHC Community Farm, nestled in the pastoral community of Alexander, North Carolina. As the splendor of spring unfolds, we invite you to roll up your sleeves and help us to steward our beautiful farm.

We welcome volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to join us for a day of camaraderie, purposeful work, and connection with nature. Our public volunteer workday offers a hands-on opportunity to engage with the land, learn sustainable farming practices, and make a tangible impact on our local ecosystem.

Activities may include:

  1. Planting: Embrace the rhythm of the season as we sow seeds, transplant seedlings, and nurture the growth of vibrant crops that will sustain our community.
  2. Weeding and Mulching: Partner with fellow volunteers to tend to the soil, clearing away invasive species and spreading nourishing mulch to promote healthy plant growth.
  3. Trail Maintenance: Explore the beauty of our farm while contributing to its upkeep by maintaining trails, clearing debris, and enhancing accessibility for visitors.
  4. Environmental Restoration: Engage in projects aimed at restoring native habitats, protecting wildlife corridors, and fostering biodiversity within our landscape.
  5. Community Building: Forge meaningful connections with fellow volunteers as we work together towards a shared vision of environmental stewardship and community resilience.

No prior experience is necessary – just bring your enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and a spirit of collaboration. Gloves, tools, will be provided.

Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Volunteer: Grace Covenant Community Garden
May 22 all-day
YWCA of Asheville

Spring has sprung, and at the YWCA that means that our talented Nutrition team is cooking up new ways to serve fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables to the children in our Early Learning and Empowerment Child Care programs. We are so grateful to be partnering with the wonderful volunteers who operate Grace Covenant’s Community Garden to receive produce grown specifically for our kitchen! The YWCA has been partnering with Grace Covenant for three years, and we have received over 1000 pounds of healthy, local produce from the garden.

YWCA Nutrition Specialist Melinda Aponte works hard to make the most of the bounty from Grace Covenant, and she also nurtures our own YWCA garden to teach kiddos in our childcare programs healthy habits and get them in the garden. Love the idea of helping to feed children fresh, healthy foods? Volunteer with the YWCA Nutrition team this spring and summer to help out in the YW garden space.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 22 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Thursday, May 23, 2024
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 23 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Friday, May 24, 2024
Volunteer: Grace Covenant Community Garden
May 24 all-day
YWCA of Asheville

Spring has sprung, and at the YWCA that means that our talented Nutrition team is cooking up new ways to serve fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables to the children in our Early Learning and Empowerment Child Care programs. We are so grateful to be partnering with the wonderful volunteers who operate Grace Covenant’s Community Garden to receive produce grown specifically for our kitchen! The YWCA has been partnering with Grace Covenant for three years, and we have received over 1000 pounds of healthy, local produce from the garden.

YWCA Nutrition Specialist Melinda Aponte works hard to make the most of the bounty from Grace Covenant, and she also nurtures our own YWCA garden to teach kiddos in our childcare programs healthy habits and get them in the garden. Love the idea of helping to feed children fresh, healthy foods? Volunteer with the YWCA Nutrition team this spring and summer to help out in the YW garden space.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 24 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Saturday, May 25, 2024
Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society Rose Exhibit
May 25 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Presented by the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society, the Annual Rose Exhibition promises to be the most spectacular exhibition of roses in Western North Carolina! Over a hundred varieties of fragrant, WNC-grown roses will be on display, including rare and beautiful blooms from some of the region’s most admired gardens, along with lovely easy-care roses perfect for your garden.

Rose experts will be available to offer helpful gardening tips and answer your questions.

Admission to the Annual Rose Exhibition is included with the regular Arboretum parking fee.

More info at wncroses.com.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 25 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Sunday, May 26, 2024
Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society Rose Exhibit
May 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Presented by the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society, the Annual Rose Exhibition promises to be the most spectacular exhibition of roses in Western North Carolina! Over a hundred varieties of fragrant, WNC-grown roses will be on display, including rare and beautiful blooms from some of the region’s most admired gardens, along with lovely easy-care roses perfect for your garden.

Rose experts will be available to offer helpful gardening tips and answer your questions.

Admission to the Annual Rose Exhibition is included with the regular Arboretum parking fee.

More info at wncroses.com.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Monday, May 27, 2024
Volunteer: Grace Covenant Community Garden
May 27 all-day
YWCA of Asheville

Spring has sprung, and at the YWCA that means that our talented Nutrition team is cooking up new ways to serve fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables to the children in our Early Learning and Empowerment Child Care programs. We are so grateful to be partnering with the wonderful volunteers who operate Grace Covenant’s Community Garden to receive produce grown specifically for our kitchen! The YWCA has been partnering with Grace Covenant for three years, and we have received over 1000 pounds of healthy, local produce from the garden.

YWCA Nutrition Specialist Melinda Aponte works hard to make the most of the bounty from Grace Covenant, and she also nurtures our own YWCA garden to teach kiddos in our childcare programs healthy habits and get them in the garden. Love the idea of helping to feed children fresh, healthy foods? Volunteer with the YWCA Nutrition team this spring and summer to help out in the YW garden space.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 27 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 28 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Sand Hill Nursery Workday
May 28 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Sand Hill Nursery at the Buncombe County Sports Park

Join us for weekly workdays in the Sand Hill native tree nursery. Tasks vary and often include repotting, weeding, mulching, and other special projects to improve infrastructure and function.

Need to know

Please come dressed in work clothes with close toed shoes. Bring water and sun protection. All other gear and supplies are provided.

Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Volunteer: Grace Covenant Community Garden
May 29 all-day
YWCA of Asheville

Spring has sprung, and at the YWCA that means that our talented Nutrition team is cooking up new ways to serve fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables to the children in our Early Learning and Empowerment Child Care programs. We are so grateful to be partnering with the wonderful volunteers who operate Grace Covenant’s Community Garden to receive produce grown specifically for our kitchen! The YWCA has been partnering with Grace Covenant for three years, and we have received over 1000 pounds of healthy, local produce from the garden.

YWCA Nutrition Specialist Melinda Aponte works hard to make the most of the bounty from Grace Covenant, and she also nurtures our own YWCA garden to teach kiddos in our childcare programs healthy habits and get them in the garden. Love the idea of helping to feed children fresh, healthy foods? Volunteer with the YWCA Nutrition team this spring and summer to help out in the YW garden space.

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden
May 29 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.