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, July 7, 2023
Bubble Brigade presented by Professor Whizzpop
Jul 7 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Fairview Library
   Mountains and mountains of bubbles, music, and fun. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet. All ages.
Summer Animal Encounters
Jul 7 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Weekdays only at 2pm

Do you know our staff has a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn about the types of wildlife in the area and their jobs. Some of our best educators have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

Community Costume Craft: Firefighter
Jul 7 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Swannanoa Library
Throughout the Summer Reading Program, select Buncombe County Libraries will have craft events or kits to put together the pieces of your own amazing firefighter costume!  We will be hosting a fashion show at the North Asheville Library on Saturday, August 19th where you can show off your creations.

“The Odyssey”
Jul 7 @ 5:00 pm
Hazel Robinson Amphitheater

Go on an epic adventure with us as we perform a made-for-Moppets adaptation of the original road trip gone wrong story!

Downtown Asheville Treasure Hunt – Walking Team Scavenger Hunt!
Jul 7 @ 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Guests will meet outside the Asheville Art Museum (2 S. Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801) and then depart with their treasure map on a walking team scavenger hunt where they will use their minds and feet to follow clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes to find and unlock the treasure chest for a grand prize!

The hunt involves walking a distance of up to 2.0 miles in total and will take place rain or shine, so long as the weather does not become dangerous. The hunt typically takes about 60 minutes to complete.

Children under 10 years old are welcome to participate for free with the purchase of an Adult ticket.

Free Skate Night
Jul 7 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Carrier Park
Pritchard Park Summer Series: Drum Circle
Jul 7 @ 6:00 pm – 9:45 pm
Pritchard Park

The beats of the Friday Night Drum Circle have been rocking Pritchard Park for decades and the circle has become so popular that it is featured in magazines and TV commercials.

Skate Night at Carrier Park
Jul 7 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Carrier Park

Bring your own skates and roll bounce with us to your favorite soundtrack.
Dates are May 19th, June 2nd, July 7th, Aug. 4th, Sept. 15th, & Oct. 20th

Ages 5+

Montford Park Players: Twelfth Night
Jul 7 @ 7:30 pm
Montford Park Players

All shows will be at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in the Montford District of Asheville, and all will be presented absolutely FREE of charge!

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Fable Wilde Day
Always an audience favorite, Twelfth Night returns to the MPP stage with all of the mistaken identity, love triangles and general wackiness you may already know and love!

All shows will run Fridays through Sundays and all will be presented at 7:30pm and prime seats can be reserved.

Montford Park Players has been bringing some of theater’s greatest works to Western North Carolina for over 50 years. Montford Park Players continues its mission of bring free theater to the community. The summer season allows everyone to come spend an evening under the stars, seeing some of the best live performances presented in Asheville.

Montford Park Players allows patrons to bring their favorite food and beverages to their shows and sells beer, wine and concessions at the shows. If you’ve never been to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre for a Montford show, there’s no better season than this one. If you have been, you know why you should come back and catch everything we have to offer!

Saturday, July 8, 2023
2,000 Kids Movies + TV Shows with Your Library Card + Kanopy Kids
Jul 8 all-day
online

Buncombe County Public Libraries have added the popular Kanopy Kids streaming video service for library card holders. Kanopy Kids offers curated, age-appropriate content for young viewers with beloved characters from Sesame Street, Madeline, Blippi, and Paddington Bear.

Our Kanopy Kids subscription begins on July 1 and offers unlimited access to over 2,000 enriching and entertaining films and TV series. Parents can set parental controls on the Kanopy app to make sure children are only viewing Kanopy Kids content.

Films can be streamed free of charge from any computer, television, mobile device, or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku. To access Kanopy, visit the library website, or download the app to your phone, TV, or digital device. If you have any questions, contact your local library.

LEAF Global Arts Summer Camp
Jul 8 – Jul 7 all-day
LEAF Global Arts

LEAF SUMMER CAMPS
IN FULL SWING!

LEAF Schools & Streets invites your students to join us at LEAF Global Arts for summer camp. We are offering multiple camps which will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at LEAF Global Arts at 19 Eagle Street in Downtown Asheville.


Scholarships are available! Qualifications include
:

  • Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch
  • Two of more siblings attending the same week of camp
  • Students registering for 4+ LEAF Summer Camps in 2023 (must pay in full)

To inquire about scholarships, email [email protected].

Snacks will be provided, and students should bring a peanut free bagged lunch and a water bottle to camp each day, and wear clothes and shoes they can move in.

In addition to the main focus of the camp, each week will explore elements of theater art, music, and dance from around the world.

Cost: $230 per week. Extended Day: $60 per week.

• July 10th – 14th: Hip-Hop (FULL)

• July 24th – 28th: A LEAF International Experience

• August 7th – 11th: Songwriting & Recording

• August 14th – 18th: West African Drumming (ALMOST FULL)

• August 21st – 25th: Songs for Peace

Register for Summer Camps

Day camp is one of the joys of summer — a chance to learn new skills while making new friends in a fun and supportive atmosphere. LEAF Global Arts Summer Camp registration is live on our website. The week-long camps take place Monday-Friday, June 12-Aug. 25.

This summer, students will dive into music, art, theatre, and dance from around the world and in our community. Camp themes include celebrating diversity, songs for peace, black history, hip-hop culture, West African drumming, and more. Each camp will culminate in a Friday performance for friends and families, in addition to original recordings made in our ONEmic studio! LEAF’s ONEmic studio is funded by the Bed Gradison Memorial Fund and generous support of LEAF members

Wild West Adventure Trips w/ Nantahala Outdoor Center
Jul 8 all-day
various locations
Coon Dog Day Festival
Jul 8 @ 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Downtown Saluda

This annual street festival celebrates the Coon dog, a loyal pet used for many years for
hunting and known for its unique bark and an amazing sense of smell, The celebration has taken place every summer for more
than 50 years and includes a parade, music, street fair with art and food, and dog judging, Begin the day with a 5k race that starts
at 8am, stay for the parade that starts at 11am, and finish the day off at the street dance that ends at 11pm,

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Jul 8 @ 8:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

Ooh La La Curiosity Market
Jul 8 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Pritchard Park

Ooh La La Curiosity Market is an artist’s market that takes place in Pritchard Park, located in the center of beautiful downtown Asheville and will showcase the work of more than a dozen local artists. Taking place on Saturdays throughout Summer and every Saturday in October. Ooh La La will feature works by local painters, leather smiths, jewelry makers, potters, up-cycled crafters, and other curious delights, all beneath the colored canopies of large market umbrellas. In addition to the artists, the market will also feature live local music with three musical acts performing each Saturday and will include everything from a solo saxophonist to folk, blues, acoustic and jazz acts.

Rootabaga Express! Summer Plays
Jul 8 @ 10:15 am
Carl Sandburg Home

Carl Sandburg created his own version of American fairy tales when he published Rootabaga Stories (1922) and Rootabaga Pigeons (1923). He replaced the European fairy tale cast of princes, princesses, castles and kingdoms with icons American children would recognize — taxi-drivers, movie actors, skyscrapers, prairies and automobiles. Rootabaga Express! brings the stories of the Five Rusty Rats, Bimbo the Snip and more to life.You’ll meet new characters and journey farther into the Village of Liver and Onions and Sandburg’s imagination than ever before.

The 30-minute shows are appropriate for all ages and held rain or shine.These shows are supported by the Flat Rock Playhouse and the Park Store, operated by America’s National Parks.

For young visitors who attend the plays, there is a Rootabaga Junior Ranger program available. Activity sheets will be available at the amphitheater after the play and can be turned in at the Sandburg Home for a limited edition “Rootabaga Ranger” badge.


Apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse have performed adaptations of Sandburg’s works for park visitors since 1974. Using Sandburg’s own words from his collections of children’s stories, poetry, collected music, biography of Abraham Lincoln and his own autobiography, the performances provide visitors with a sense of the scope of his work and imagination. Sandburg was an expert storyteller, and easily wove important messages of fairness, empathy and social justice into his writings. Whatever play you are able to attend you will walk away with a smile on your face and a better understanding of the legacy of Carl Sandburg.

Nantahala Gorge Excursion
Jul 8 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

TAKE A TRAIN RIDE ALONG SIDE THE BEAUTIFUL NANTAHALA RIVER ON OUR NANTAHALA GORGE EXCURSION! DEPARTING FROM BRYSON CITY, THIS 4½ HOUR ROUNDTRIP EXCURSION CARRIES YOU 44 MILES TO THE NANTAHALA GORGE AND BACK AGAIN ARRIVING AT OUR BRYSON CITY DEPOT.

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 in First Class Seating and selecting from our  First Class Dinning menu options OR you can pre-purchase a box lunch option to make this 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!

Itinerary

30m before departure Boarding begins at Bryson City Depot
See schedule for departure time Depart Bryson City, NC
1h 45m Reach top of the line
2h 00m Begin return
2h 30m—3h 30m Layover
3h 30m Depart Layover
4h 30m Arrive at Bryson City Depot
Time from Departure Activity
Antique Tractor Pulls
Jul 8 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Apple Country Engine & Tractor Association

Come out to watch an agricultural tradition: antique tractor pulls! Folks will be pulling models as
old as 1964, Bring a chair, sunscreen and cheer on your favorite tractor every 2nd Saturday April-September, Free, Organized by
the Apple Country Engine & Tractor Association, 2298 S Mills Gap Rd, Hendersonville, Facebook.com/AppleCountryWNC

LAZOOM Tours: Kids’ Comedy Tour
Jul 8 @ 11:00 am
LaZoom Room


Kids’ Comedy Tour: 
Wildly funny, this educational and entertaining tour features the perfect blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically toward the 5–12 year old crowd, you’ll explore the town with our famously outlandish tour guides leading the way.

  • Perfect for birthday parties
  • Makes for memorable school field trips
  • Tickets are $27 per person
  • Beverages available for purchase at the LaZoom Room
  • Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
Toybox’s (mostly) Monthly Puppetry Series
Jul 8 @ 11:00 am
The Magnetic Theatre

Toybox’s (mostly) Monthly Puppetry Series
Presented by Toybox Theatre, with special guest artists
Toybox Theatre, in collaboration with The Magnetic Theatre, presents a new puppetry series for ALL AGES. This new series will feature original works by acclaimed award-winning puppeteer and clown Toybox, and will bring some of the best puppeteers in the nation as special guests!
Toybox Theatre has been entertaining audiences from coast to coast with their unique brand of humor and art for over 20 years! Garnishing many “fan favorite” and “funniest show” awards, Toybox has also received an UNIMA Citation for Excellence in the Art of Puppetry, and funding from The Jim Henson Foundation.
Saturday May 06, 2023 at 11:00am: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=177146
Saturday June 10, 2023 at 11:00am: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=179633
Saturday July 8, 2023 at 11:00am: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=179634
Saturday Aug 19, 2023 at 11:00am: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=179635
Saturday Oct 14, 2023 at 11:00am: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=179637
Saturday Nov 11, 2023 at 11:00am: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=179638
Saturday Dec 16, 2023 at 11:00am: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=179639
PRICING
Adults $20; Children (12 and under) $10
All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Toybox’s (mostly) Monthly Puppetry Series
Jul 8 @ 11:00 am
The Magnetic Theatre

Toybox Theatre, in collaboration with The Magnetic Theatre, presents a new puppetry series for ALL AGES. This new series will feature original works by acclaimed award-winning puppeteer and clown Toybox, and will bring some of the best puppeteers in the nation as special guests!

Toybox Theatre has been entertaining audiences from coast to coast with their unique brand of humor and art for over 20 years! Garnishing many “fan favorite” and “funniest show” awards, Toybox has also received an UNIMA Citation for Excellence in the Art of Puppetry, and funding from The Jim Henson Foundation.

Outdoor County Pools Open
Jul 8 @ 11:30 am – 6:00 pm
Various Buncombe County Outdoor Pools

 

Gather bathing suits and sunscreen, Buncombe County’s outdoor pools are getting ready to open. The County’s five outdoor pools will open for the 2023 season on May 27. This includes the pools at Cane Creek, Erwin, Hominy Valley, North Buncombe, and Owen.

Outdoor pools will be open on weekends only until area schools are out for the summer. Starting on June 10, Pools will be open seven days a week.

Pool hours are Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Cost for pool entry is $3 per person.

Private lessons at the outdoor pools are available for different age groups from 3-year-olds and up. For more information on lessons or to register for a class, click here.

The pools can also be booked for private parties 14 days in advance and must have a minimum of 50 patrons. Pool bookings are available Monday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Click here for more information on booking pools.

Buncombe County Pool Locations:

  • Cane Creek Pool – 590 Lower Brush Creek Road, Fletcher
  • Erwin Pool – 58 Lees Creek Road, Asheville
  • Hominy Valley Pool – 25 Twin Lakes Road, Candler
  • North Buncombe Pool – 734 Clarks Chapel Road, Weaverville
  • Owen Pool – 117 Stone Drive, Swannanoa

In addition, lap swimming is available year-round at the Buncombe County Schools Aquatics Center, a 10-lane pool managed by the YMCA of Western North Carolina and Buncombe County Schools.

For more information on outdoor pools, visit the County’s pool website or call (828) 348-4770.

Familypalooza
Jul 8 @ 12:00 pm
The Grey Eagle
-ALL AGES
Performance Image
Buncombe County DHHS Presents

Familypalooza

All regional resource and foster families are invited to live, laugh and party with live music, kids activities, treats and prizes. Event Questions: [email protected]

Tuckasegee River Excursion
Jul 8 @ 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

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 1 hour and 20 minute layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, a brewery, and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.

Here’s what we plan on doing. Refer to this train’s schedule for departures times.

30m before departure Boarding begins at Bryson City Depot
See schedule for departure time Depart Bryson City, NC
1h 30m Arrive at Dillsboro, NC
1h 30m—2h 50m Layover
2h 50m Depart Dillsboro, NC
4h 00m Arrive at Bryson City Depot
Time from Departure Activity

Given the nature of railroading, durations are approximate and subject to change without notice.

“The Odyssey”
Jul 8 @ 5:00 pm
Hazel Robinson Amphitheater

Go on an epic adventure with us as we perform a made-for-Moppets adaptation of the original road trip gone wrong story!

Downtown Asheville Treasure Hunt – Walking Team Scavenger Hunt!
Jul 8 @ 5:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Guests will meet outside the Asheville Art Museum (2 S. Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801) and then depart with their treasure map on a walking team scavenger hunt where they will use their minds and feet to follow clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes to find and unlock the treasure chest for a grand prize!

The hunt involves walking a distance of up to 2.0 miles in total and will take place rain or shine, so long as the weather does not become dangerous. The hunt typically takes about 60 minutes to complete.

Children under 10 years old are welcome to participate for free with the purchase of an Adult ticket.

Shindig on the Green
Jul 8 @ 7:00 pm
Pack Square Park

The 57th season of Shindig on the Green, a free event in the heart of downtown Asheville with a stage show and informal jam sessions, takes place on Saturday evenings July 1 through August 26, 2023.

Locals and visitors alike come together at downtown’s Pack Square Park “along about sundown,” or at 7:00 pm for those who wear a watch, and continues until 10:00 pm. Concessions are available! The remaining Shindig on the Green events will be held on July 1, 8, 15, 22 and August 12, 19, 26, 2023.

The stage show takes place on the Bascom Lamar Lunsford stage, named for the founder of the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. Since the outdoor event’s inception in 1967, hundreds of thousands of individuals from across the region and throughout the world have shared and enjoyed the rich traditional music and dance heritage of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in this outdoor setting.

Shindig on the Green remains a free event due in part to net proceeds from ticket sales to the nation’s longest continually running festival, the granddaddy of all festivals, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.

Montford Park Players: Twelfth Night
Jul 8 @ 7:30 pm
Montford Park Players

All shows will be at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in the Montford District of Asheville, and all will be presented absolutely FREE of charge!

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Fable Wilde Day
Always an audience favorite, Twelfth Night returns to the MPP stage with all of the mistaken identity, love triangles and general wackiness you may already know and love!

All shows will run Fridays through Sundays and all will be presented at 7:30pm and prime seats can be reserved.

Montford Park Players has been bringing some of theater’s greatest works to Western North Carolina for over 50 years. Montford Park Players continues its mission of bring free theater to the community. The summer season allows everyone to come spend an evening under the stars, seeing some of the best live performances presented in Asheville.

Montford Park Players allows patrons to bring their favorite food and beverages to their shows and sells beer, wine and concessions at the shows. If you’ve never been to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre for a Montford show, there’s no better season than this one. If you have been, you know why you should come back and catch everything we have to offer!

Comedy Hypnosis with Jon Dee
Jul 8 @ 8:00 pm
Four Points by Sheraton

This is a Las Vegas Style Comedy Hypnosis show!
Volunteers get relaxed up on stage… Then become the STARS of the show!
Hypnotic comedian Jon Dee brings his Rock n’ Roll Comedy Hypnosis Show to the HYPNOLARIOUS COMEDY THEATER at Four Points by Sheraton in Downtown Asheville.

Sunday, July 9, 2023
2,000 Kids Movies + TV Shows with Your Library Card + Kanopy Kids
Jul 9 all-day
online

Buncombe County Public Libraries have added the popular Kanopy Kids streaming video service for library card holders. Kanopy Kids offers curated, age-appropriate content for young viewers with beloved characters from Sesame Street, Madeline, Blippi, and Paddington Bear.

Our Kanopy Kids subscription begins on July 1 and offers unlimited access to over 2,000 enriching and entertaining films and TV series. Parents can set parental controls on the Kanopy app to make sure children are only viewing Kanopy Kids content.

Films can be streamed free of charge from any computer, television, mobile device, or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku. To access Kanopy, visit the library website, or download the app to your phone, TV, or digital device. If you have any questions, contact your local library.