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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.
Tuesday, September
5, 2023
The 2023 Buncombe County Parks and Recreation Scarecrow Contest
WNC Farmers Market
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Waterfalls and Blue Ridge Parkway Hiking Tours
Therapeutic Recreation: Tennis + Bowling
Therapeutic Recreation (TR)
Verner Center for Early Learning needs volunteers
Exhibition: NEO MINERALIA
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Exhibition: Something earned, Something left behind
Exhibition: Crafting Denim
Farm Beginnings® Program w/ Organic Growers School
Food Scraps Drop Off: West Asheville Library
LAZOOM: CITY COMEDY TOUR
Tree Nursery Workdays
Weaverville Library Knitters and Stitchers
Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Nantahala Gorge Excursion
Preschool Story Time
Toddler Story Time
Toddler Story Time
Black Mountain College and Mexico (BMC/MX): Exhibition
The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad
Guided Trail Walk
PARENTS LOUNGE LEAF Global Experience
Waterfalls and Blue Ridge Parkway Hiking Tours
Baby Story Time
LEGO Builders Club
Policy on Tap: Immigration
West Asheville Tailgate Market
Wee Wine + Dahlias
Dark City Poet’s Society
Build your own scarecrow and set at up in Lake Julian Park. Scarecrows can be made of recycled materials, household items, traditional farm materials, repurposed wood, various items found in nature, etc. We just ask scarecrows are not made of any food items.
Registration is open now! Scarecrows can be set up in the park from October 14th-21st. On October 21st Lake Julian will hold its annual Fall-o-ween Festival where Scarecrows will be judged and awarded a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place trophy!
This is a fun family friendly activity for all ages! Great for families, couples, school groups, clubs, offices, teams, and more! We welcome all to celebrate the autumn season and get crafty with the agricultural tradition of making a unique personified sculpture!
The WNC Farmers Market is the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.
House of Operation:
WNC Farmers Market: 24/7, 361 days a year market access for farmers
Office: Monday- Friday, 8am-5pm
Market Shops: 7 days a week, 8 am-5 pm
Wholesale and Truck Sheds: 7 days a week
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!
Join a local naturalist on this waterfall hiking tour and enjoy the best scenery near Asheville. This intimate group tour offers 2-3 stunning waterfalls, local history, wildlife, and edible plants. Transportation included from Asheville! Call us now to book or make a reservation on our website!
Therapeutic Recreation (TR)
For more info, contact Lori Long at [email protected] or (828) 232-4529. TR sports are designed for kids, teens, and adults who may excel with additional support. For TR social opportunities and movement, hiking, cooking, and crafting classes, check out more programs online.
TR Tennis Clinic, free
Registration ends September 5, clinics held each Saturday from September 9-30
Open to individuals ages 8 and older, Asheville Tennis Association and Abilities Tennis pros teach basics and players practice skills on the courts at Omni Grove Park Inn on 290 Macon Avenue.
TR Bowling, $35 per player
Registration ends September 30, games played each Saturday from October 7-November 4
Strikers 6 years-old and over play games adapted with ramps and bumpers in this five-week league at Sky Lanes on 1477 Patton Avenue.
For more info, contact Lori Long at [email protected] or (828) 232-4529. TR sports are designed for kids, teens, and adults who may excel with additional support. For TR social opportunities and movement, hiking, cooking, and crafting classes, check out more programs online.
Verner Center for Early Learning needs volunteers!
For over 20 years, Verner Center is a local nonprofit in Asheville that primarily serves children ages 0-5 years who are living in high-risk vulnerable situations. They have a variety of needs – ranging from holding babies, helping with clerical duties, keeping their library tidy and up to date with books donated, teaching the children in the garden they have planted, general upkeep and maintenance of the garden, and reading with the children.
They have two locations – one in Swannanoa and one in West Asheville.
Photo credit:
Sae Honda. Courtesy of the Artist.
NEO MINERALIA suggests that recent rock formations no longer fit within the traditional groups: Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary. Instead, the Anthropocene, the era of human influence on the climate and environment, has introduced two post-natural rocks: Synthetic and Digital.
NEO MINERALIA presents a selection of new geological specimens crafted by ten international artists exploring rocks as reflections of our effects on human and nonhuman ecologies. By embedding synthetic materials (plastics, e-waste) and layers of data points (critical, financial, social) into the craftsmanship of these artifacts, the artists transgress the definition of rocks, turning them from passive aggregates of minerals into metaphorical aggregates of data. Within their apparent “rockness” we can decode hopes, warnings, and speculative future scenarios.
The featured works stemming from places as varied as Mexico, Japan, Poland, and Australia (including a curated artists’ books library), collectively signal a new era of planetary and geological consciousness where we are asked to read, feel, and listen to rocks in new ways.
Photo credit:
J Diamond, “Pony II,” 2022. Courtesy of the Artist
Something earned, Something left behind is an exhibition of objecthood; a critical analysis of the transactional and political languages of everyday and culturally significant objects. This exhibition challenges a history of exclusion and inclusion of People of Color (POC) and their narratives from the canon of craft based on subject matter. It dissects this history’s origins and precedent as an economic transaction to gain access to white spaces.
Racial and ethnic identity influences the way individuals perceive themselves, the way others perceive them, and the way they choose to behave. For this reason, People of Color are expected to perform certain roles in order to fit into hegemonic institutions. These roles can be an active shrinking of themselves and the racialized part of them, or a personal exploitation of their racialized selves. This exhibition addresses and redresses the ways narrowed populations have been included, and the ways in which they have been asked to participate.
Together, this work creates space for and legitimizes POC narratives with depth and care. The exhibiting artists’ practices work against institutionalized expectations of POC work, expanding discourse and inserting new subjectivity into the canon of craft art. It engages with a community hungry for the revitalization and resuscitation of non-Western voices within art spaces. This exhibition challenges the expectations of art from artists of marginalized backgrounds and embraces a new subjectivity of interrogating one’s inherited experiences.
Photo credit:
Photograph by Bowery Blue Makers
Jeans – with their standardized pockets, rivets, and denim – are so much a part of everyday wardrobes that they are easy to overlook. Yet, in workshops across the nation, independent makers are reevaluating the garment and creating jeans by hand, using antiquated equipment and denim woven on midcentury looms. Crafting Denim explores how and why jeans have come to exist at the intersections of industry and craft, modernity, and tradition.
A product of industrial factory production for over a century, jeans are being recast by a new cohort of small-scale makers including craftspeople like Ryan Martin of W.H. Ranch Dungarees, Takayuki Echigoya of Bowery Blue Makers, and Sarah Yarborough and Victor Lytvinenko of Raleigh Denim, who favor choice materials and small-batch fabrication. The jeans they make merge craft traditions with industry and extend the conversation between hand and machine.
Each maker creates a distinctive product but shares a deep appreciation for materials, tools, history, and denim. These jeans are in dialogue with the past and in line with contemporary interests in sustainability. The small workshops featured here are sites of innovation and preservation, and visitors are invited to take a close look at an everyday item and imagine alternative contexts for making and living in our own clothes.
Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.
Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.
Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.
We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.
The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:
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Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning
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Sessions taught by regional, experienced Farmers
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One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network Membership
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Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan
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Access to Field Days with regional partners
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Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference
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Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference
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15 hr mentorship with an experienced Farmer Mentor
View a sample of the full course schedule here.
Food Scraps Drop Off
The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in
two locations for all Buncombe County residents. This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Register for Food Scraps Drop Off
Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin? Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.
Locations
West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building
942 Haywood Road, Asheville
Library open hours
Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot
30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville
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- Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.
Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot
749 Fairview Road, Asheville
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- Dawn – Dusk
Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander
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- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm
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Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
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.
The Knitters and Stitchers are back! Join us for a morning of crafting and conversation. This is not an instructional group, but newcomers are most welcome. Pre-registration is not required. Come ready to meet fun people!
“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas! Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century. Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made. Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and our popular Cajun seasoned Pulled Pork BBQ with Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce cooked in our special spices and slow roasted to perfection! During the month of October, 9am departures will feature the option of a delicious Cheesy Shrimp & Grits or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole while 2pm departures will be served the popular BBQ meal.
Join us for a story time designed for children ages 3 to 5 years as we share books, songs, rhymes, and activities.
Join us for a fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
Ticketed registration is required. Tickets will be given out starting 10 am in the Pack Juv department. 40 tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Story time song handouts and book bundles will be available for families who arrive too late to receive a ticket.
Join us for a fun and interactive story time designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years.
Black Mountain College and Mexico (BMC/MX): Exhibition, Publication, and Public Programming
Black Mountain College (1933–1957), a small but remarkably influential liberal arts school in rural North Carolina, had important links to Mexico that until now have been little investigated. A crucible of twentieth-century creativity, BMC galvanized and inspired artists and intellectuals from around the world, while Mexico’s innovations and age-old traditions—in fine and applied arts, architecture, poetry, music, performance, and more—dovetailed with, and indeed drove, global impulses toward modernism and beyond. Among the many key BMC figures whose lives were importantly touched by experiences in Mexico were Anni and Josef Albers, Ruth Asawa, John Cage, Jean Charlot, Elaine de Kooning, Buckminster Fuller, Carlos Mérida, Robert Motherwell, Charles Olson, Clara Porset, M.C. Richards, and Aaron Siskind. In turn, engagements with BMC and its legacy have played a significant role in shaping contemporary approaches to art in Mexico, evident in the works of Jorge Méndez Blake, Iñaki Bonillas, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Jose Dávila, Gerda Gruber, Lake Verea, Gabriel Orozco, and Damián Ortega, among others.
The exhibition BMC/MX features works by these and other prominent contemporary Mexican artists alongside a selection of historic works by BMC artists, highlighting the ways in which ideas and modalities are translated across materials, space, and time.
Related programming, planned in collaboration with Mexican artists, features a series of public events, including a performance by artist (and BMC/MX co-curator) David Miranda to take place at Different Wrld; an exhibition visit (in Spanish and English) with BMC/MX Project Director Eric Baden; and a series of experiential art events in the BMCM+AC library.
The exhibition is accompanied by the book Black Mountain College and Mexico (forthcoming late summer 2023), which investigates the people, ideas, and practices linking BMC and Mexico during the life of the school, as well as resonances between BMC and the work of contemporary Mexican artists. With contributions by BMC/MX’s curators, as well as by artist Abraham Cruzvillegas, design scholar Ana Elena Mallet, and author and activist Margaret Randall, this fully illustrated volume brings new light to this complex and underexplored subject.
BMC/MX is an investigation into modes of communication—the arenas in which new ideas and alliances may come to be—between Black Mountain College and Mexico, between past and present, between form and idea.
About the Curators
BMC/MX’s Project Director Eric Baden is a photographer and from 1994 to 2022 was professor of photography at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina. He is the founding director of photo+, a multidisciplinary arts event held in Asheville, North Carolina.
Artist and educator David Miranda is curator at the Museo Experimental El Eco (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM), and teaches at the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado “La Esmeralda” in Mexico City.
Diana Stoll is an editor, writer and curator who works with institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum. She has served as an editor at Aperture and Artforum magazines, and contributes writings to prominent arts publications.
Included with admission
Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:
- An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
- A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
- Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels
Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.
Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.
Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..
Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.
There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.
Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.
Know Before You Go
- Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
- Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
- Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
- Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.
- COVID-19 Safety: In order to hear the guide and fully participate in the trail walk, participants will be in close proximity to one another for extended periods of time. While face coverings are not required, participants should use their best judgement to keep themselves and others safe while enjoying the trails. Individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should not participate.
- At this time, no more than 6 spaces may be filled by a single family/group through pre-registration for any one Guided Trail Walk. If additional spaces are available on the day of the Walk, additional members of the family/group may participate. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming larger groups in the future.
LEAF isn’t just for kids! Join us in the Mezzanine while you wait for your youth to finish their class or just to hang out!
Join a local naturalist on this waterfall hiking tour and enjoy the best scenery near Asheville. This intimate group tour offers 2-3 stunning waterfalls, local history, wildlife, and edible plants. Transportation included from Asheville! Call us now to book or make a reservation on our website!
Join us for a lively language enrichment story time designed for children ages 4 to 18 months.
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Come down the Pack Memorial Library and play with LEGOs! Please leave your personal LEGOs at home, because we’ve got plenty.
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ABOUT WEST ASHEVILLE TAILGATE MARKET
• We accept SNAP EBT + Credit Cards •
At the West Asheville Tailgate Market, vendors’ tables are abundant with an array of goods including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bread, eggs, cheese, milk, meat, poultry, and fish. You will also find plant starts for gardens, locally made specialty items, natural beauty products, herbal medicine, and locally made art and crafts. We have live music and free kids activities so there’s fun for the whole family.
| Bullington Gardens invites you to experience the epitome of exclusivity with their new and exciting offering – twilight parties in the enchanting gardens. Now accepting reservations, this is your chance to indulge in a truly magical evening with your own private group of eight. From August 15 to October 14, 2023, Tuesday through Saturday, 4:30-6:30p.m., immerse yourself in nature’s wonders while delighting your palate with locally-sourced wines and cider, all in the company of the resplendent Dahlias in full bloom.
Picture this: you and your closest companions, relishing the serenity of the gardens, sipping on delectable beverages, and taking leisurely strolls amidst the breathtaking flora. To ensure an intimate experience, each group of up to eight will have their own private party. Whether you prefer the charming pavilion or the festive tents, the choice is yours. And fear not, for even if the rain tries to dampen the mood, the horticultural therapy greenhouse is ready to shelter you. With only two groups accommodated each evening, you’ll have the pleasure of enjoying your own secluded space. Each group’s table will be beautifully set in separate venues, adorned with fresh floral arrangements that you can take home as a keepsake. As the host, you have the opportunity to curate a culinary masterpiece by bringing your own hors d’oeuvres or even an entire meal. Imagine the delight of savoring delicious food amidst an unparalleled view, creating an unforgettable private party. The cost for a table of eight is $300 per group, ensuring an intimate and personalized experience. If you’re interested in elevating your involvement, consider a sponsorship level of $500. By participating in this extraordinary event, you will not only create cherished memories but also support the Educational and Horticultural Therapy programs dedicated to children and adults with special needs. To secure your spot for the Wee Wine & Dahlias evening of your dreams, reserve below or give us a call at 828-698-6104. Remember, availability is limited, so make sure to secure your reservation early. Get ready to immerse yourself in an evening of enchantment at Bullington Gardens! August 15th through October 14th, 2023. Tuesday-Saturday, 4:30pm-6:30pm. |
Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.