River Arts Tour
Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Sunday, March
21, 2021
WNC Farmers Market Open Daily
Winter Nantahala Gorge Train Tour Great Smokey Mountains Railroad
With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River.The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available by selecting our First Class Seating option or pre-purchasing one of our boxed lunches, an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!
We are operating under all current COVID-19 safety guidelines and ask that you follow all protocols. Find the information HERE! *Please be aware dining options are currently not available at your layover destination. You are advised to enjoy onboard dining by pre-purchasing a box lunch meal option along with your train tickets.*
Plan on being here by 1 hour before your departure.
Monday, March
22, 2021
WNC Farmers Market Open Daily
With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.
Tuesday, March
23, 2021
WNC Farmers Market Open Daily
Holistic Crop Management Webinar Series
With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.
This is a 6 Week Series from 3/23/21 through 4/27/21.
Organic Growers School is excited to offer this curriculum and training opportunity to Southern Appalachia for a second year in partnership with Certified Naturally Grown.
Manage for Your Farm’s Future:
Growing a viable farm business is sustained by continuous learning of the land and your products. In this workshop series, growers across Southern Appalachia and beyond will gain tools to manage their crop production for whole-farm success.
Regionally Specific Tools:
The Holistic Crop Management series focuses on the growing regions of Northern Georgia, Eastern Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and Southwestern Virginia. Webinar sessions will feature farmers and agricultural experts from these areas. Through curated group activities in the virtual setting, participants will be able to build a network with experienced growers who know farming and the land.
Workshop Structure:
In response to the need for virtual learning opportunities during the pandemic, we have restructured this workshop series from in-person workshops to a six-part webinar series, which includes a mixture of videos, resources, and live virtual meetings. The curriculum uses Certified Naturally Grown standards as the guidelines for holistic principles, and each session will consist of discussion-based exploration of soil health, pest management, disease control, and weed maintenance, along with several components of the Holistic Management framework.
Participants are not required to be Certified Naturally Grown or Certified Organic to join the webinar; however, the skills gained in these sessions will equip farmers to take on certification confidently should they choose. While this webinar series focuses on farming in the Southern Appalachians, farmers from any region will gain valuable knowledge and are invited to join.
Wednesday, March
24, 2021
WNC Farmers Market Open Daily
With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.
Thursday, March
25, 2021
Virtual Arts + Crafts Home Tour
WNC Farmers Market Open Daily
Tip-Based Walking Tour
This year you can join us for the Arts & Crafts Home Tour from the comfort of your home! Tour Possum Trot and Dogwood Cottages in Albemarle Park and finish with Sondley House in Haw Creek. Due to location and accessibility, these homes would not normally be included in the tour, so this is a special treat!
With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.
This insider excursion provides you with tips and local secrets about the best way to do Asheville on a budget! You will have a better understanding of how Asheville became the unique, quirky city you see now and learn everything we are doing to “Keep Asheville Weird.” This is the only walking tour provided that allows you to choose how much you think a walking tour is worth and pay whatever you like. We will follow the urban trail, stop along the way for some free honey tastings and finish the tour with some special beer tastings at one of the best local breweries in South Slope! At the brewery, you will also be able to participate in a free raffle where you receive gifts donated from local businesses like free salsa classes, local theatre performances, books and more! I want you to know and love my city as much as I do and I am excited to share this experience with you!
Pay what you want at the end!
Downtown Tour
We will meet at Pack Square where the road cuts through the park! I will be wearing a free walking tour Tshirt
My parking recommendations are either street parking in the square or the Aloft parking deck on Biltmore Ave. If it’s a weekend, there should be free parking on the streets but be sure to check the meter! Feel free to ask any other questions you may have!
We will meet outside of the Magentic Theatre and your guide will be wearing a blue T-shirt !
I recommend parking in the public parking lot directly beside the theatre for free parking close to the meeting spot!
Friday, March
26, 2021
2021 Summer Cuba Agroecology Tour
Driving Tour with Smith-McDowell House
Haunted Asheville Tour
Help Save Wild Baby Orphan Animals
Self-Guided WNC Tours
Victoria: The Forgotten Town Walking Tour
Virtual Arts + Crafts Home Tour
WNC Farmers Market Open Daily
Smith-McDowell House Museum Open for private, pre-booked tours
Winter Nantahala Gorge Train Tour Great Smokey Mountains Railroad
Tuckasegee River Excursion with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Tip-Based Walking Tour
Organic Growers School is partnering with Food First and Altruvistas to offer their fourth Cuba Agroecology Tour and their first such trip in the summer from June 22 through July 1, 2021, with a focus on the country’s intensive sustainable agriculture practices. The tour, to be comprised of growers, community leaders, educators, and activists who are passionate about sustainable agriculture, will begin in Havana and travel to destinations such as Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, and Matanzas. The trip offers participants on-the-ground exposure to Cuban agriculture and the food sovereignty movement and will highlight their engagement with the global food system. The intention is for participants to acquire the knowledge and strategies to create just, sustainable, local, and healthy food systems in their own communities.
Cuba has had a focus on organic agriculture production methods since the 1970s. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 ended Cuba’s access to agricultural inputs overnight, propelling them into what is now known as the “Special Period”—a crisis of reduced resources and increased hunger. The country embarked on a massive and rapid conversion to agroecology in an attempt to boost food production. The tour will focus on small farmers, sustainable food systems, and national security. There are multiple opportunities in Cuba’s diverse agricultural landscape to learn many lessons and insights for the development of a secure and sustainable food system elsewhere.
“The purpose of this tour is not to romanticize or glorify Cuban agriculture,” says Sera Deva, Director of Programs with Organic Growers School and the trip organizer. “It is instead an opportunity to learn about what a country-wide commitment to sustainable, local agriculture can look like. It will broaden and deepen our region’s wisdom regarding alternative food systems. Our goals are to show our participants the importance of cooperative farming models and sustainable farming techniques, as well as encouraging them to think critically about practical and governmental structures that could support a thriving community of organic growers and consumers.”
Local partners will provide an overview of Cuban history, culture, politics, agriculture, and ecology. Additionally, the group will meet with specialists who will provide background on the country’s transition into agroecological farming practices and the national policies that prioritize organic farming and the remediation of hunger. With a firm commitment to sustainability and justice, this tour will connect participants to farmers, consumers, activists, NGOs, policymakers and experts working to transform the global food system.
Tour highlights will include the following:
- Discuss agroecology with Fernando Funes, co-author of Food First’s book Sustainable Agriculture & Resistance in Cuba.
- Visit community permaculture and agricultural education, and food conservation projects.
- Discuss changes in US-Cuba relations and how they might affect the future of tourism and agriculture in Cuba.
- Meet with the National Association for Small Farmers (ANAP) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Meet with a variety of small farmers and farmers’ cooperatives.
For the purposes of this trip, OGS is partnering with Food First, a “people’s think tank” dedicated to ending the injustices that cause hunger and helping communities to take back control of their food systems. Food First has been offering tours to Cuba for more than 20 years with the organizing assistance of Altruvistas, a socially responsible and philanthropic travel company that has facilitated 20,000 travelers to Cuba.
The cost of the trip is $2,950 and will serve, in part, as a fundraiser for Organic Growers School (OGS), a 501c3 non-profit organization. Thanks to a grant from the Christopher Reynolds Foundation, there are a limited number of partial scholarships for farmers and food activists to attend. This tour and all registrants will not be affected by recent political actions to restrict American travel to Cuba. Cuba is considered one of the safest destinations for travel, partially due to their diligent and holistic approaches to healthcare. Due to COVID-19, the traveling climate of the US (as well as tourist restrictions in Cuba) is changing daily. Cuba has implemented many of the same precautionary measures implemented around the world to minimize the spread of COVID-19 including social distancing, limiting travel to the island completely through the summer, and closing schools. In early November 2020, Cuba reopened its borders to travelers.
Potential tour participants can visit the OGS FAQ page which answers questions such as, “Why Cuba?,” “What are the legal considerations when traveling to Cuba?,” “Why ravel with Organic Growers School?,” “What does the tuition cover?,” and “What can I expect to experience?” Traveler testimonials from previous trips, the full itinerary, as well as a photo gallery can also be found on the website.
 |
| The residents of the Smith-McDowell House and grounds were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.
This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house. |
 |
| Asheville, and the surrounding mountains, have also hosted numerous writers, musicians, and folklorists who have promoted (if not possibly created) some of these legends. Perhaps these are some of the reasons lore permeates the streets, hills, and valleys of this mountain city. You can see many of these sites for yourself, if you dare. |
Appalachian Wild provides injured and orphaned wild animals a place to go for care and treatment to give them a second chance at life in the wild. Help the wild ones today!
 |
| Western North Carolina is defined as much by the various chains and valleys within the Appalachian Mountains as it is by the various people here. The region contains large swaths of national forest lands and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It contains old rivers and old folkways, along with an increasingly large stream of transplants and temporary visitors. This virtual tour gives a broad overview of our region. |
 |
| Contained by its larger growing neighbor (Asheville), the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, and the Southern Railway line, the Town of Victoria existed from 1887 until 1905, when it was absorbed into Asheville. The community—which included the Smith-McDowell House and Fernihurst mansion—originally incorporated into a town to prevent unwanted development (particularly from the Vanderbilts). |
This year you can join us for the Arts & Crafts Home Tour from the comfort of your home! Tour Possum Trot and Dogwood Cottages in Albemarle Park and finish with Sondley House in Haw Creek. Due to location and accessibility, these homes would not normally be included in the tour, so this is a special treat!
With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.
We are OPEN Fridays and Saturdays
for private, pre-booked tours at:
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
1:30 PM
3:00 PM
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River.The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available by selecting our First Class Seating option or pre-purchasing one of our boxed lunches, an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!
We are operating under all current COVID-19 safety guidelines and ask that you follow all protocols. Find the information HERE! *Please be aware dining options are currently not available at your layover destination. You are advised to enjoy onboard dining by pre-purchasing a box lunch meal option along with your train tickets.*
Plan on being here by 1 hour before your departure.
Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!
The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1½ hour layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.
This insider excursion provides you with tips and local secrets about the best way to do Asheville on a budget! You will have a better understanding of how Asheville became the unique, quirky city you see now and learn everything we are doing to “Keep Asheville Weird.” This is the only walking tour provided that allows you to choose how much you think a walking tour is worth and pay whatever you like. We will follow the urban trail, stop along the way for some free honey tastings and finish the tour with some special beer tastings at one of the best local breweries in South Slope! At the brewery, you will also be able to participate in a free raffle where you receive gifts donated from local businesses like free salsa classes, local theatre performances, books and more! I want you to know and love my city as much as I do and I am excited to share this experience with you!
Pay what you want at the end!
Downtown Tour
We will meet at Pack Square where the road cuts through the park! I will be wearing a free walking tour Tshirt
My parking recommendations are either street parking in the square or the Aloft parking deck on Biltmore Ave. If it’s a weekend, there should be free parking on the streets but be sure to check the meter! Feel free to ask any other questions you may have!
River Arts Tour
We will meet outside of the Magentic Theatre and your guide will be wearing a blue T-shirt !
I recommend parking in the public parking lot directly beside the theatre for free parking close to the meeting spot!
Saturday, March
27, 2021
2021 Summer Cuba Agroecology Tour
Driving Tour with Smith-McDowell House
Haunted Asheville Tour
Help Save Wild Baby Orphan Animals
Self-Guided WNC Tours
Victoria: The Forgotten Town Walking Tour
Virtual Arts + Crafts Home Tour
WNC Farmers Market Open Daily
ASAP Farmers Market Holiday markets and special events feature local food, wellness, and gifts for the season
Organic Growers School is partnering with Food First and Altruvistas to offer their fourth Cuba Agroecology Tour and their first such trip in the summer from June 22 through July 1, 2021, with a focus on the country’s intensive sustainable agriculture practices. The tour, to be comprised of growers, community leaders, educators, and activists who are passionate about sustainable agriculture, will begin in Havana and travel to destinations such as Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, and Matanzas. The trip offers participants on-the-ground exposure to Cuban agriculture and the food sovereignty movement and will highlight their engagement with the global food system. The intention is for participants to acquire the knowledge and strategies to create just, sustainable, local, and healthy food systems in their own communities.
Cuba has had a focus on organic agriculture production methods since the 1970s. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 ended Cuba’s access to agricultural inputs overnight, propelling them into what is now known as the “Special Period”—a crisis of reduced resources and increased hunger. The country embarked on a massive and rapid conversion to agroecology in an attempt to boost food production. The tour will focus on small farmers, sustainable food systems, and national security. There are multiple opportunities in Cuba’s diverse agricultural landscape to learn many lessons and insights for the development of a secure and sustainable food system elsewhere.
“The purpose of this tour is not to romanticize or glorify Cuban agriculture,” says Sera Deva, Director of Programs with Organic Growers School and the trip organizer. “It is instead an opportunity to learn about what a country-wide commitment to sustainable, local agriculture can look like. It will broaden and deepen our region’s wisdom regarding alternative food systems. Our goals are to show our participants the importance of cooperative farming models and sustainable farming techniques, as well as encouraging them to think critically about practical and governmental structures that could support a thriving community of organic growers and consumers.”
Local partners will provide an overview of Cuban history, culture, politics, agriculture, and ecology. Additionally, the group will meet with specialists who will provide background on the country’s transition into agroecological farming practices and the national policies that prioritize organic farming and the remediation of hunger. With a firm commitment to sustainability and justice, this tour will connect participants to farmers, consumers, activists, NGOs, policymakers and experts working to transform the global food system.
Tour highlights will include the following:
- Discuss agroecology with Fernando Funes, co-author of Food First’s book Sustainable Agriculture & Resistance in Cuba.
- Visit community permaculture and agricultural education, and food conservation projects.
- Discuss changes in US-Cuba relations and how they might affect the future of tourism and agriculture in Cuba.
- Meet with the National Association for Small Farmers (ANAP) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Meet with a variety of small farmers and farmers’ cooperatives.
For the purposes of this trip, OGS is partnering with Food First, a “people’s think tank” dedicated to ending the injustices that cause hunger and helping communities to take back control of their food systems. Food First has been offering tours to Cuba for more than 20 years with the organizing assistance of Altruvistas, a socially responsible and philanthropic travel company that has facilitated 20,000 travelers to Cuba.
The cost of the trip is $2,950 and will serve, in part, as a fundraiser for Organic Growers School (OGS), a 501c3 non-profit organization. Thanks to a grant from the Christopher Reynolds Foundation, there are a limited number of partial scholarships for farmers and food activists to attend. This tour and all registrants will not be affected by recent political actions to restrict American travel to Cuba. Cuba is considered one of the safest destinations for travel, partially due to their diligent and holistic approaches to healthcare. Due to COVID-19, the traveling climate of the US (as well as tourist restrictions in Cuba) is changing daily. Cuba has implemented many of the same precautionary measures implemented around the world to minimize the spread of COVID-19 including social distancing, limiting travel to the island completely through the summer, and closing schools. In early November 2020, Cuba reopened its borders to travelers.
Potential tour participants can visit the OGS FAQ page which answers questions such as, “Why Cuba?,” “What are the legal considerations when traveling to Cuba?,” “Why ravel with Organic Growers School?,” “What does the tuition cover?,” and “What can I expect to experience?” Traveler testimonials from previous trips, the full itinerary, as well as a photo gallery can also be found on the website.
|
| The residents of the Smith-McDowell House and grounds were woven in to the fabric of Asheville.
This driving tour begins at the Smith-McDowell House Museum on the campus of A-B Tech and continues through historic sites related to early occupants of the house. |
|
| Asheville, and the surrounding mountains, have also hosted numerous writers, musicians, and folklorists who have promoted (if not possibly created) some of these legends. Perhaps these are some of the reasons lore permeates the streets, hills, and valleys of this mountain city. You can see many of these sites for yourself, if you dare. |
Appalachian Wild provides injured and orphaned wild animals a place to go for care and treatment to give them a second chance at life in the wild. Help the wild ones today!
|
| Western North Carolina is defined as much by the various chains and valleys within the Appalachian Mountains as it is by the various people here. The region contains large swaths of national forest lands and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It contains old rivers and old folkways, along with an increasingly large stream of transplants and temporary visitors. This virtual tour gives a broad overview of our region. |
|
| Contained by its larger growing neighbor (Asheville), the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, and the Southern Railway line, the Town of Victoria existed from 1887 until 1905, when it was absorbed into Asheville. The community—which included the Smith-McDowell House and Fernihurst mansion—originally incorporated into a town to prevent unwanted development (particularly from the Vanderbilts). |
This year you can join us for the Arts & Crafts Home Tour from the comfort of your home! Tour Possum Trot and Dogwood Cottages in Albemarle Park and finish with Sondley House in Haw Creek. Due to location and accessibility, these homes would not normally be included in the tour, so this is a special treat!
With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.
The market is located in A-B Tech parking lot A-13, adjacent to the A-B Tech/Mission Health Conference Center (16 Fernihurst Dr.). Enter the market via Fernihurst Dr. off Victoria Rd., following campus signs to the conference center.
Market staff will control the number of shoppers in the market area at one time by limiting the number of cars in the parking lot. When you arrive at the market, please follow signs and staff directions to queue inside your vehicle until instructed to park your car in the parking lot. There may be a 15 – 30 minute wait to park during peak shopping times.
Dates and Hours
Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon until December 19th…
The ASAP Winter Market will run Saturdays, 10am – 1pm, January 9th until March 27th in the same location.
Market Rules
- No customers or vendors exhibiting symptoms may enter the market.
- Maintain 6 feet of social distance at all times.
- One customer at a time for each vendor table.
- Only handle product you are purchasing. Vendors will pre-package or bunch products.
- All vendors and shoppers are required to wear masks. Customers who are not able to wear a mask may arrange to pre-order from vendors. Market staff will direct you to a separate parking area and deliver prepaid items to the car.
- Children, if they must attend with adult shoppers, must be closely supervised.
- Please leave your pets at home.
Staff will direct anyone failing to comply with these conditions to leave the market.
Paying for Purchases
Vendors accept touch-free credit or debit payments as well as SNAP. Some take exact cash (no change given) or check. Thanks to generous support from the community, we are offering Double SNAP.