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.

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Romare Bearden: Ways of Working Exhibition
Oct 25 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Romare Bearden (Charlotte, NC 1911–1988 New York, NY), African American writer and artist, is renowned for his collages. He constantly experimented with various techniques to achieve his artistic goals throughout his career. This exhibition highlights works on paper and explores his most frequently used mediums, including screen-printing, lithography, hand-colored etching, collagraph, monotype, relief print, photomontage, and collage.

 

Bearden’s work reflects his improvisational approach to his practice. He considered his process akin to that of jazz and blues composers. Starting with an open mind, he would let an idea evolve spontaneously.

 

Romare Bearden: Ways of Working highlights Bearden’s unique artistic practice and masterful storytelling through art,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of the Asheville Art Museum. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Jerald Melberg Gallery to present these extraordinary works on paper in conversation with Bearden’s collage Sunset Express, 1984 in the Museum Collection (on view in the Museum’s SECU Collection Hall). This exhibition will also provide a glimpse into the cultural histories and personal interests that influenced his art-making practice, and we hope it encourages introspection and dialogue with our visitors.”

 

Jerald Melberg states, “Romare Bearden’s groundbreaking artistic practice continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With an unparalleled legacy of creativity and innovation, Bearden’s contributions to art remain deeply influential years beyond his life.” We have enjoyed organizing this exhibition with the Asheville Art Museum to showcase his artistic genius and inspire visitors from the Western North Carolina region and beyond.”

 

This exhibition is made possible in part by the Judy Appleton Fund. Many thanks to the Jerald Melberg Gallery for the loan of these important artworks and to Mary and Jerald Melberg for their long-standing support of the arts, artists, and the Asheville Art Museum.

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
Oct 25 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. Several artists of the Studio Glass Movement came to the region, including its founder Harvey K. Littleton. Begun in 1962 in Wisconsin, it was a student of Littleton’s that first came to the area in 1965 and set up a glass studio at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. By 1967, Mark Peiser was the first glass artist resident at the school and taught many notable artists, like Jak Brewer in 1968 and Richard Ritter who came to study in 1971. By 1977, Littleton retired from teaching and moved to nearby Spruce Pine, North Carolina and set up a glass studio at his home.

Since that time, glass artists like Ken Carder, Rick and Valerie Beck, Shane Fero, and Yaffa Sikorsky and Jeff Todd—to name only a few—have flocked to the area to reside, collaborate, and teach, making it a significant place for experimentation and education in glass. The next generation of artists like Hayden Wilson and Alex Bernstein continue to create here. The Museum is dedicated to collecting American studio glass and within that umbrella, explores the work of Artists connected to Western North Carolina. Exhibitions, including Intersections of American Art, explore glass art in the context of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works from the Museum’s Collection.

Thursday, October 26, 2023
Artsville Collective: Virtual Gallery of Artists (VGA) program
Oct 26 all-day
online

Artsville Collective proudly presents the Virtual Gallery of Artists (VGA) program,
an initiative designed to help elevate the careers of local artists. VGA offers artists a unique
opportunity to gain global exposure, valuable marketing skills, and an array of promotional
resources. The VGA program invites individual artists to apply for three months of marketing
exposure through print, digital, and podcast platforms. Artsville provides guidance on building
relationships with the press and art buyers, empowering artists by coming alongside them and
forming connections. Notably, Artsville does not take any commissions on art sales, ensuring
artists keep their full earnings.
Nine artists introduced in first cohort from Oct- Jan include a carefully curated group
showing diversity in age, mediums, experience and exposure in the art markets so they may also
learn from each other. Meet Amy Massey, Candice Hensley, Elizabeth Walton, Georgia Deal,
Jean McLaughlin, Joseph Pearson, Max Cooper, Selene Plum, and Wendy Newman.
Accessible only online, Artsville’s VGA also provides VGA artists a comprehensive toolkit,
including newsletters, podcasts, discussion groups, and learning programs. Committed artists
who actively participate can earn recognition and further opportunities, such as involvement in
Artsville events, pop-up exhibits, and networking groups. In preparation for the holiday season,
Artsville will also present a curated holiday catalog of handmade gifts, offering a unique
opportunity for VGA participants to showcase their work to a wider audience.
Artsville Collective is dedicated to supporting and empowering the artistic community in
Western North Carolina. For further information about Artsville programs and opportunities,
contact Meredith McBride at [email protected] or 828-216-8050. Images and

Instagram- ArtsvilleUSA
Facebook- ArtsvilleCollective

Buncombe County Special Collections call for proposals
Oct 26 all-day
online

Buncombe County Special Collections is excited to announce a call for proposals for the third year of its creative residency program.

This is an annual opportunity for artists in Buncombe County to create new, research-driven creative work using BCSC’s historic resources as source material and/or inspiration, and to present their work in the Carolina Record Shop, a dedicated exhibition space in the BCSC reading room. Artists age 18 and up, based in Buncombe County, working in any creative discipline are invited to apply.

Buncombe County Special Collections is looking for projects that will:

  • Offer new, diverse perspectives on our shared history
  • Identify and address gaps and/or amplify narratives that are historically underrepresented in the collection
  • Educate and inspire non-traditional users of archives and special collections to engage with the collection in new ways.

More information (including the PDF of the call for proposals) is available at here. The 2024 Creative Residency is made possible in part by the Trust Fund for Buncombe County Public Libraries.

You can also visit Buncombe County Special Collections in the lower level of Pack Memorial to view the current exhibition in the Carolina Record Shop, “Belonging & Non-Belonging: The History and Future of Zines in Western North Carolina,” curated by 2023 resident Miles Lamberson.

The Berkshires Land: Fall Fishing Destinations
Oct 26 all-day
The Berkshires

As the summer is waning and the leaves change colors, anglers across the country eagerly await the start of fall fishing season in some of America’s most attractive locations. To help anglers plan their ideal adventure, FishingBooker has created a list of the 9 Best Fall Fishing Destinations for 2023. The Berkshires have been named at the top of the list. Here’s why:

Fall foliage is the perfect setting for chasing that trophy-sized catch while enjoying the scenic beauty of the landscapes along the way, and the Berkshires encompass it all. Comprised of extensive forests, breathtaking Appalachian trails, and numerous rivers and lakes, this region is beyond wonderful. If you’re an angler, hearing about mountain rivers and fall fishing probably tells you a lot about the species you can target in this region. The cold waters that run through the Berkshires are a fly fishing heaven.

To provide readers with an immersive experience of the beauty and excitement the Berkshires offer, here is a custom-made video we have created specifically for this destination. This video showcases the finest fishing spots, expert insights, and professional narration that will capture the attention of your audience.

The full unranked list of 9 best fall fishing destinations includes:

  • Berkshires, MA

  • San Diego, CA

  • Casper, WY

  • Lake of the Ozarks, MO

  • Grayling, MI

  • Buffalo, NY

  • Virginia Beach, VA

  • Asheville, NC

  • Kissimmee, FL

About FishingBooker:

With an offer of more than 42,000 fishing trips spanning over 2,000 cities across 110 countries, FishingBooker has gained the trust of countless fishing enthusiasts. Our platform has enabled hundreds of thousands of anglers to embark on fishing trips and create long-lasting memories with friends and family across the US – and beyond. By connecting anglers with skilled captains and the best fishing locations, we are committed to making fishing accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

—-

Here is a Dropbox folder that contains a long-form video of all destinations, as well as an additional image you may need if you decide to cover the story. Please feel free to use any of the materials included in the link, and do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Oct 26 @ 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!

Monarchs and Milkweed: A Story of Survival
Oct 26 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Join us on a journey into the world of butterflies and plants, and see the complex relationship between monarchs and milkweed. “Monarchs and Milkweed” explores how very survival of these majestic creatures has been shaped over time by one another, traveling through the seasons of a calendar year and revealing how both insect and plant grow and interact, culminating in a massive migration that crosses a continent.

Art Exhibition: Eden Revisited
Oct 26 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Bender Gallery
Eve

acrylic on canvas

16 x 12 inches

LAINE BACHMAN

Eden Revisited

September 30 – October 30

Bender Gallery is excited to present Eden Revisited, a solo exhibition of thirty-plus lush, botanical paintings by popular artist Laine Bachman featuring real and imaginary creatures and goddess-like women with a deep connection to the natural world. Often inspired by myths, folklore, and nature, Bachman infuses the colorful worlds she creates with verdant foliage, archetypal imagery, underlying themes, exotic fauna, and meticulous detail.

Creekside Play @ Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Oct 26 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm

STATIONARY FUN – Creekside play area has a treehouse and wee slide ➤ The Big Barn has our Sound Silo full of instruments to play on and make noise, trikes on the trike track around a REAL tractor and cornhole boards(ask the staff for bags) ➤ On the grassy slope behind the Big Barn we’ve got our famous and fast culvert tunnel slides for all ages, hammocks on the hill and tetherball!

Availability: All stationary fun is available every day during business hours of 10-5, starting September 2nd, through the rest of the season- tetherball will be back in action starting September 6th!

ANIMALS TO SEE – We will have a brooder house full of chicks in various ages and stages all season, there will typically be mama pigs and piglets in agritourism pens on the hill, more rarely there will be grazing cattle in a nearby field.

FOOD TRUCK SCHEDULE

9/2 Sat  11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

9/16 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck – they will be serving HNG beef for their all-American burger!

9/24 Sun 11-4 *Big Barn Market* Root Down Farm Food Truck

9/30 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck

10/7 Sat 11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

10/14 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck

10/15 Sun 11-4 El Bodegon Food Truck

10/22 Sun 11-4 El Bodegon Food Truck

10/29 Sun 11-4 *Big Barn Market* Grush’s Cajun Dino Grill Food Truck

11/4 Sat 11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

FALL SEASONAL OFFERINGS

APPLES – Our partners in Edneyville, NC, Lyda Farms, bring some of the best in the region. Local and low spray, folks come every year to get the best of fall in NC by the bag to bake, stew, butter, sauce and of course, crunch into while sitting on the farm.

Availability: Apples will be available to buy starting September 9th, they will typically run out Mid to late October.

FRESH PRESSED CIDER – We press fresh apple cider every year, comprised of our historical orchard apples on the Old Sherrill’s Inn property and apples from our partner Lyda Farms. This is a raw, unpasteurized product – delicious and changeable as the season, no added sugar or seasonings.

Availability: 1st pressing September 13th, bottled cider will be in the store for purchase September 14th!

JACKOLANTERN PUMPKINS – We work with several WNC veggie farmers in the area, including Hawkins Farms. We’ll have pumpkins arranged all around the Farm Store to display their beauty AND make sure you get *just the right one*. The seeds are dynamite when roasted, too…

Availability: Coming Mid-September, they will typically run out by end of October so make sure you get yours! 

EDIBLE SQUASH & DECORATIVE GOURDS – From Mr. Anthony Cole’s farms, we have some long-lasting festive gourds to decoarate for the season, and a broad variety of edible squashes and pumpkins perfect for pies, soups and pasta.

Availability: Coming Mid-September.

Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting
Oct 26 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Throughout the history of painting from the mid-19th century forward, artists have used an

endless variety of approaches to record their world. Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting continues this thread, offering an opportunity to explore a singular and still forceful aspect of American art. Photorealism shares many of the approaches of historical and modernist realism, with a twist. The use of the camera as a basic tool for organizing visual information in advance of painterly expression is now quite common, but Photorealists embraced the camera as the focal point in their creative process.

Beyond the Lens presents key works from the collection of Louis K. and Susan Pear Meisel,

bringing together paintings and works on paper dating from the 1970s to the present to focus on this profoundly influential art movement. The exhibition includes work by highly acclaimed formative artists of the movement such as Charles Bell, Robert Bechtle, Tom Blackwell, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings as well as paintings by the successive generations of Photorealist artists Anthony Brunelli, Davis Cone, Bertrand Meniel, Rod Penner, and Raphaella Spence. Featured artworks in the exhibition include diverse subject matters, but the primary focus is on the common and every day: urban scenes, “portraits” of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, still life compositions using toys, food, candy wrappers, and salt and pepper shakers. All provide opportunities for virtuoso studies in how light, reflection, and the camera as intermediary shapes our perception of the material world.

This multigenerational survey demonstrates how the 35-mm camera, and later technological

advances in digital image-making, informed and impacted the painterly gesture. Taken together, the paintings and works on paper in Beyond the Lens show how simply spellbinding these virtuosic works of art can be.

Beyond the Lens offers a fascinating look into the Photorealism movement and delves into the profound connection between the artists’ observation and creative process,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of Asheville Art Museum. “We are delighted to present this curated collection of artworks encapsulating the creative vision and technical precision that defines this artistic genre.”

Photorealism found its roots in the late 1960s in California and New York, coexisting with an explosion of new ideas in art-making that included Conceptual, Pop, Minimalism, Land and Performance Art. At first, representational realism coexisted with the thematic and conceptual explosion but was eventually relegated to the margins regarding critical and curatorial attention. Often misunderstood and sometimes negatively criticized or lampooned as a betrayal of modernism’s commitment to abstraction, the artists involved in Photorealism remained committed explorers of the trail they had blazed. In the decades of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century, realistic and symbolic painting experienced a renaissance, as contemporary artists are increasingly drawn to narrative and storytelling. Concurrently, using a camera as a preparatory tool equally legitimate and valuable as pencils and pens has made the rubric of Photorealism increasingly relevant.

This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Terrie Sultan.

This exhibition is sponsored in part by Jim and Julia Calkins Peterson.

Romare Bearden: Ways of Working Exhibition
Oct 26 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Romare Bearden (Charlotte, NC 1911–1988 New York, NY), African American writer and artist, is renowned for his collages. He constantly experimented with various techniques to achieve his artistic goals throughout his career. This exhibition highlights works on paper and explores his most frequently used mediums, including screen-printing, lithography, hand-colored etching, collagraph, monotype, relief print, photomontage, and collage.

 

Bearden’s work reflects his improvisational approach to his practice. He considered his process akin to that of jazz and blues composers. Starting with an open mind, he would let an idea evolve spontaneously.

 

Romare Bearden: Ways of Working highlights Bearden’s unique artistic practice and masterful storytelling through art,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of the Asheville Art Museum. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Jerald Melberg Gallery to present these extraordinary works on paper in conversation with Bearden’s collage Sunset Express, 1984 in the Museum Collection (on view in the Museum’s SECU Collection Hall). This exhibition will also provide a glimpse into the cultural histories and personal interests that influenced his art-making practice, and we hope it encourages introspection and dialogue with our visitors.”

 

Jerald Melberg states, “Romare Bearden’s groundbreaking artistic practice continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With an unparalleled legacy of creativity and innovation, Bearden’s contributions to art remain deeply influential years beyond his life.” We have enjoyed organizing this exhibition with the Asheville Art Museum to showcase his artistic genius and inspire visitors from the Western North Carolina region and beyond.”

 

This exhibition is made possible in part by the Judy Appleton Fund. Many thanks to the Jerald Melberg Gallery for the loan of these important artworks and to Mary and Jerald Melberg for their long-standing support of the arts, artists, and the Asheville Art Museum.

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
Oct 26 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. Several artists of the Studio Glass Movement came to the region, including its founder Harvey K. Littleton. Begun in 1962 in Wisconsin, it was a student of Littleton’s that first came to the area in 1965 and set up a glass studio at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. By 1967, Mark Peiser was the first glass artist resident at the school and taught many notable artists, like Jak Brewer in 1968 and Richard Ritter who came to study in 1971. By 1977, Littleton retired from teaching and moved to nearby Spruce Pine, North Carolina and set up a glass studio at his home.

Since that time, glass artists like Ken Carder, Rick and Valerie Beck, Shane Fero, and Yaffa Sikorsky and Jeff Todd—to name only a few—have flocked to the area to reside, collaborate, and teach, making it a significant place for experimentation and education in glass. The next generation of artists like Hayden Wilson and Alex Bernstein continue to create here. The Museum is dedicated to collecting American studio glass and within that umbrella, explores the work of Artists connected to Western North Carolina. Exhibitions, including Intersections of American Art, explore glass art in the context of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works from the Museum’s Collection.

Friday, October 27, 2023
Artsville Collective: Virtual Gallery of Artists (VGA) program
Oct 27 all-day
online

Artsville Collective proudly presents the Virtual Gallery of Artists (VGA) program,
an initiative designed to help elevate the careers of local artists. VGA offers artists a unique
opportunity to gain global exposure, valuable marketing skills, and an array of promotional
resources. The VGA program invites individual artists to apply for three months of marketing
exposure through print, digital, and podcast platforms. Artsville provides guidance on building
relationships with the press and art buyers, empowering artists by coming alongside them and
forming connections. Notably, Artsville does not take any commissions on art sales, ensuring
artists keep their full earnings.
Nine artists introduced in first cohort from Oct- Jan include a carefully curated group
showing diversity in age, mediums, experience and exposure in the art markets so they may also
learn from each other. Meet Amy Massey, Candice Hensley, Elizabeth Walton, Georgia Deal,
Jean McLaughlin, Joseph Pearson, Max Cooper, Selene Plum, and Wendy Newman.
Accessible only online, Artsville’s VGA also provides VGA artists a comprehensive toolkit,
including newsletters, podcasts, discussion groups, and learning programs. Committed artists
who actively participate can earn recognition and further opportunities, such as involvement in
Artsville events, pop-up exhibits, and networking groups. In preparation for the holiday season,
Artsville will also present a curated holiday catalog of handmade gifts, offering a unique
opportunity for VGA participants to showcase their work to a wider audience.
Artsville Collective is dedicated to supporting and empowering the artistic community in
Western North Carolina. For further information about Artsville programs and opportunities,
contact Meredith McBride at [email protected] or 828-216-8050. Images and

Instagram- ArtsvilleUSA
Facebook- ArtsvilleCollective

Buncombe County Special Collections call for proposals
Oct 27 all-day
online

Buncombe County Special Collections is excited to announce a call for proposals for the third year of its creative residency program.

This is an annual opportunity for artists in Buncombe County to create new, research-driven creative work using BCSC’s historic resources as source material and/or inspiration, and to present their work in the Carolina Record Shop, a dedicated exhibition space in the BCSC reading room. Artists age 18 and up, based in Buncombe County, working in any creative discipline are invited to apply.

Buncombe County Special Collections is looking for projects that will:

  • Offer new, diverse perspectives on our shared history
  • Identify and address gaps and/or amplify narratives that are historically underrepresented in the collection
  • Educate and inspire non-traditional users of archives and special collections to engage with the collection in new ways.

More information (including the PDF of the call for proposals) is available at here. The 2024 Creative Residency is made possible in part by the Trust Fund for Buncombe County Public Libraries.

You can also visit Buncombe County Special Collections in the lower level of Pack Memorial to view the current exhibition in the Carolina Record Shop, “Belonging & Non-Belonging: The History and Future of Zines in Western North Carolina,” curated by 2023 resident Miles Lamberson.

The Berkshires Land: Fall Fishing Destinations
Oct 27 all-day
The Berkshires

As the summer is waning and the leaves change colors, anglers across the country eagerly await the start of fall fishing season in some of America’s most attractive locations. To help anglers plan their ideal adventure, FishingBooker has created a list of the 9 Best Fall Fishing Destinations for 2023. The Berkshires have been named at the top of the list. Here’s why:

Fall foliage is the perfect setting for chasing that trophy-sized catch while enjoying the scenic beauty of the landscapes along the way, and the Berkshires encompass it all. Comprised of extensive forests, breathtaking Appalachian trails, and numerous rivers and lakes, this region is beyond wonderful. If you’re an angler, hearing about mountain rivers and fall fishing probably tells you a lot about the species you can target in this region. The cold waters that run through the Berkshires are a fly fishing heaven.

To provide readers with an immersive experience of the beauty and excitement the Berkshires offer, here is a custom-made video we have created specifically for this destination. This video showcases the finest fishing spots, expert insights, and professional narration that will capture the attention of your audience.

The full unranked list of 9 best fall fishing destinations includes:

  • Berkshires, MA

  • San Diego, CA

  • Casper, WY

  • Lake of the Ozarks, MO

  • Grayling, MI

  • Buffalo, NY

  • Virginia Beach, VA

  • Asheville, NC

  • Kissimmee, FL

About FishingBooker:

With an offer of more than 42,000 fishing trips spanning over 2,000 cities across 110 countries, FishingBooker has gained the trust of countless fishing enthusiasts. Our platform has enabled hundreds of thousands of anglers to embark on fishing trips and create long-lasting memories with friends and family across the US – and beyond. By connecting anglers with skilled captains and the best fishing locations, we are committed to making fishing accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

—-

Here is a Dropbox folder that contains a long-form video of all destinations, as well as an additional image you may need if you decide to cover the story. Please feel free to use any of the materials included in the link, and do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Oct 27 @ 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!

Monarchs and Milkweed: A Story of Survival
Oct 27 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Join us on a journey into the world of butterflies and plants, and see the complex relationship between monarchs and milkweed. “Monarchs and Milkweed” explores how very survival of these majestic creatures has been shaped over time by one another, traveling through the seasons of a calendar year and revealing how both insect and plant grow and interact, culminating in a massive migration that crosses a continent.

Art Exhibition: Eden Revisited
Oct 27 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Bender Gallery
Eve

acrylic on canvas

16 x 12 inches

LAINE BACHMAN

Eden Revisited

September 30 – October 30

Bender Gallery is excited to present Eden Revisited, a solo exhibition of thirty-plus lush, botanical paintings by popular artist Laine Bachman featuring real and imaginary creatures and goddess-like women with a deep connection to the natural world. Often inspired by myths, folklore, and nature, Bachman infuses the colorful worlds she creates with verdant foliage, archetypal imagery, underlying themes, exotic fauna, and meticulous detail.

CORE Program Fall Fun
Oct 27 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Parks and Community Centers in Asheville
Entrance to Festival of Lights -- display with a deer on a mountain

!

Get ready for another season of excitement as our CORE Program gears up to provide exciting games and activities for toddlers, homeschoolers, and families throughout the community this Fall.

This includes include strider bikes, yard games, kid-friendly music, puzzles, foam archery, chalk and more. While the games can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age–with something available for anyone–the programming is aimed at those 1 to 15 years of age.

Be sure to mark your calendars with the following CORE Program dates:

Community Centers (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

  • September 18 – Sandy Mush Community Center
  • October 9 – Sandy Mush Community Center
  • October 11 – Big Ivy Community Center
  • October 23 – Big Ivy Community Center
  • October 25 – Bent Creek Community Park
  • November 6 – Sandy Mush Community Center
  • November 8 – Big Ivy Community Center

Parks (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

  • September 20 – Buncombe County Sports Park
  • September 22 – Charles D. Owen Park
  • October 27 – Lake Julian Park

For more information, call us at (828) 250-4260.

Creekside Play @ Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Oct 27 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm

STATIONARY FUN – Creekside play area has a treehouse and wee slide ➤ The Big Barn has our Sound Silo full of instruments to play on and make noise, trikes on the trike track around a REAL tractor and cornhole boards(ask the staff for bags) ➤ On the grassy slope behind the Big Barn we’ve got our famous and fast culvert tunnel slides for all ages, hammocks on the hill and tetherball!

Availability: All stationary fun is available every day during business hours of 10-5, starting September 2nd, through the rest of the season- tetherball will be back in action starting September 6th!

ANIMALS TO SEE – We will have a brooder house full of chicks in various ages and stages all season, there will typically be mama pigs and piglets in agritourism pens on the hill, more rarely there will be grazing cattle in a nearby field.

FOOD TRUCK SCHEDULE

9/2 Sat  11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

9/16 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck – they will be serving HNG beef for their all-American burger!

9/24 Sun 11-4 *Big Barn Market* Root Down Farm Food Truck

9/30 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck

10/7 Sat 11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

10/14 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck

10/15 Sun 11-4 El Bodegon Food Truck

10/22 Sun 11-4 El Bodegon Food Truck

10/29 Sun 11-4 *Big Barn Market* Grush’s Cajun Dino Grill Food Truck

11/4 Sat 11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

FALL SEASONAL OFFERINGS

APPLES – Our partners in Edneyville, NC, Lyda Farms, bring some of the best in the region. Local and low spray, folks come every year to get the best of fall in NC by the bag to bake, stew, butter, sauce and of course, crunch into while sitting on the farm.

Availability: Apples will be available to buy starting September 9th, they will typically run out Mid to late October.

FRESH PRESSED CIDER – We press fresh apple cider every year, comprised of our historical orchard apples on the Old Sherrill’s Inn property and apples from our partner Lyda Farms. This is a raw, unpasteurized product – delicious and changeable as the season, no added sugar or seasonings.

Availability: 1st pressing September 13th, bottled cider will be in the store for purchase September 14th!

JACKOLANTERN PUMPKINS – We work with several WNC veggie farmers in the area, including Hawkins Farms. We’ll have pumpkins arranged all around the Farm Store to display their beauty AND make sure you get *just the right one*. The seeds are dynamite when roasted, too…

Availability: Coming Mid-September, they will typically run out by end of October so make sure you get yours! 

EDIBLE SQUASH & DECORATIVE GOURDS – From Mr. Anthony Cole’s farms, we have some long-lasting festive gourds to decoarate for the season, and a broad variety of edible squashes and pumpkins perfect for pies, soups and pasta.

Availability: Coming Mid-September.

Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting
Oct 27 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Throughout the history of painting from the mid-19th century forward, artists have used an

endless variety of approaches to record their world. Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting continues this thread, offering an opportunity to explore a singular and still forceful aspect of American art. Photorealism shares many of the approaches of historical and modernist realism, with a twist. The use of the camera as a basic tool for organizing visual information in advance of painterly expression is now quite common, but Photorealists embraced the camera as the focal point in their creative process.

Beyond the Lens presents key works from the collection of Louis K. and Susan Pear Meisel,

bringing together paintings and works on paper dating from the 1970s to the present to focus on this profoundly influential art movement. The exhibition includes work by highly acclaimed formative artists of the movement such as Charles Bell, Robert Bechtle, Tom Blackwell, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings as well as paintings by the successive generations of Photorealist artists Anthony Brunelli, Davis Cone, Bertrand Meniel, Rod Penner, and Raphaella Spence. Featured artworks in the exhibition include diverse subject matters, but the primary focus is on the common and every day: urban scenes, “portraits” of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, still life compositions using toys, food, candy wrappers, and salt and pepper shakers. All provide opportunities for virtuoso studies in how light, reflection, and the camera as intermediary shapes our perception of the material world.

This multigenerational survey demonstrates how the 35-mm camera, and later technological

advances in digital image-making, informed and impacted the painterly gesture. Taken together, the paintings and works on paper in Beyond the Lens show how simply spellbinding these virtuosic works of art can be.

Beyond the Lens offers a fascinating look into the Photorealism movement and delves into the profound connection between the artists’ observation and creative process,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of Asheville Art Museum. “We are delighted to present this curated collection of artworks encapsulating the creative vision and technical precision that defines this artistic genre.”

Photorealism found its roots in the late 1960s in California and New York, coexisting with an explosion of new ideas in art-making that included Conceptual, Pop, Minimalism, Land and Performance Art. At first, representational realism coexisted with the thematic and conceptual explosion but was eventually relegated to the margins regarding critical and curatorial attention. Often misunderstood and sometimes negatively criticized or lampooned as a betrayal of modernism’s commitment to abstraction, the artists involved in Photorealism remained committed explorers of the trail they had blazed. In the decades of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century, realistic and symbolic painting experienced a renaissance, as contemporary artists are increasingly drawn to narrative and storytelling. Concurrently, using a camera as a preparatory tool equally legitimate and valuable as pencils and pens has made the rubric of Photorealism increasingly relevant.

This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Terrie Sultan.

This exhibition is sponsored in part by Jim and Julia Calkins Peterson.

Romare Bearden: Ways of Working Exhibition
Oct 27 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Romare Bearden (Charlotte, NC 1911–1988 New York, NY), African American writer and artist, is renowned for his collages. He constantly experimented with various techniques to achieve his artistic goals throughout his career. This exhibition highlights works on paper and explores his most frequently used mediums, including screen-printing, lithography, hand-colored etching, collagraph, monotype, relief print, photomontage, and collage.

 

Bearden’s work reflects his improvisational approach to his practice. He considered his process akin to that of jazz and blues composers. Starting with an open mind, he would let an idea evolve spontaneously.

 

Romare Bearden: Ways of Working highlights Bearden’s unique artistic practice and masterful storytelling through art,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of the Asheville Art Museum. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Jerald Melberg Gallery to present these extraordinary works on paper in conversation with Bearden’s collage Sunset Express, 1984 in the Museum Collection (on view in the Museum’s SECU Collection Hall). This exhibition will also provide a glimpse into the cultural histories and personal interests that influenced his art-making practice, and we hope it encourages introspection and dialogue with our visitors.”

 

Jerald Melberg states, “Romare Bearden’s groundbreaking artistic practice continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With an unparalleled legacy of creativity and innovation, Bearden’s contributions to art remain deeply influential years beyond his life.” We have enjoyed organizing this exhibition with the Asheville Art Museum to showcase his artistic genius and inspire visitors from the Western North Carolina region and beyond.”

 

This exhibition is made possible in part by the Judy Appleton Fund. Many thanks to the Jerald Melberg Gallery for the loan of these important artworks and to Mary and Jerald Melberg for their long-standing support of the arts, artists, and the Asheville Art Museum.

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
Oct 27 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. Several artists of the Studio Glass Movement came to the region, including its founder Harvey K. Littleton. Begun in 1962 in Wisconsin, it was a student of Littleton’s that first came to the area in 1965 and set up a glass studio at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. By 1967, Mark Peiser was the first glass artist resident at the school and taught many notable artists, like Jak Brewer in 1968 and Richard Ritter who came to study in 1971. By 1977, Littleton retired from teaching and moved to nearby Spruce Pine, North Carolina and set up a glass studio at his home.

Since that time, glass artists like Ken Carder, Rick and Valerie Beck, Shane Fero, and Yaffa Sikorsky and Jeff Todd—to name only a few—have flocked to the area to reside, collaborate, and teach, making it a significant place for experimentation and education in glass. The next generation of artists like Hayden Wilson and Alex Bernstein continue to create here. The Museum is dedicated to collecting American studio glass and within that umbrella, explores the work of Artists connected to Western North Carolina. Exhibitions, including Intersections of American Art, explore glass art in the context of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works from the Museum’s Collection.

Pack Square Artisan Market
Oct 27 @ 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Pack Square Park

Juried market features handmade goods from local and independent artists.

Pumpkin Fest at Silvermont Park, Brevard, NC
Oct 27 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Silvermont Park

Pumpkin Fest is a fun, family friendly and fantastic artistic event or great date night with 18 beautiful artist-designed lighted carved pumpkin displays on a newly-paved short walking trail. The event includes talented local musicians, food trucks and coffee house, games, storytelling, face painting, white squirrel scavenger hunt, games, dress ups, and the Silvermont historic mansion and second floor museum open for tours. New exhibits from 2022 (“Syd’s Silvermont Adventure”) and 2021 (the spectacular “White Squirrel Circus”) are returning, as well as 16 other lighted pumpkin displays such as Butterfly Garden, Pirates Cove, Under the Sea, Witches Garden, Ghost Circle, Totem Garden, and more.
A new 2023 exhibit has been developed by Friends of Silvermont’s Pumpkin-teers: “Land of Waterfalls”, featuring the unique places and features that make Transylvania County so beautiful and special for locals and tourists alike. A new social media photo-op site with a Silvermont Pumpkin Fest background will also be set up between the dress up and face painting areas near the tennis courts. There will be lots of activities for young and old alike- with fun for all ages! Silvermont Park has a newly paved 1/3-mile trail that works much better for strollers, walkers and wheelchairs.
Pumpkin Fest is a Fundraiser for Friends of Silvermont to help maintain and improve the Silvermont Park and the 106-year-old historic mansion, which houses the county senior center and a history museum. Friends of Silvermont was in 1981 to help save the mansion and has continued to make significant financial contributions to both the mansion and park each year.
Location- Silvermont Park 364 E. Main St. Brevard, NC 28712.
Admission $7 per person (ages 13 and over), $5 ages 3-12, and under 3 is free. We accept cards, cash or check with ID. Volunteers receive free admission. Contact [email protected] if interested in volunteering for event nights or setup/teardown starting Sept. 23 thru Nov 3.
Onsite parking cost is $5 cash per car. Free parking is available offsite on nearby streets and at churches and the Comporium and church parking lots 1 block away. Handicap sticker- free parking onsite.
Music and Food Schedule:
Date Time Music Schedule Food Trucks plus Cup and Saucer
Oct. 6 Friday 6-9 pm Two Step Too Feta Flav, Jenny’s Mini Donuts
Oct. 7 Saturday 6-9 pm Big Eyed Rabbit Southern Hawg BarBQue, Jenny’s Mini Donuts
Oct. 13 Friday 6-9 pm Nikki Talley and Jason Sharpe Feta Flav, Jenny’s Mini Donuts
Oct. 14 Saturday 6-9 pm Andrew Thelston and Carrie Morrison Haus Heidelberg
Oct. 20 Friday 6-9 pm Nikki Talley and Jason Sharpe Toasted Cuban, Jenny’s Mini Donuts
Oct. 21 Saturday 6-9 pm Unpaid Bill and the Bad Czechs Feta Flav
Oct. 27 Friday 6-9 pm McIntosh and the Lionhearts BBQ Shed, Jenny’s Mini Donuts
Oct. 28 Saturday 6-9 pm McIntosh and the Lionhearts Toasted Cuban, Feta Flav
Website: Pumpkin Fest | Friends of Silvermont https://silvermont.org/pumpkinfest/ Facebook: SilvermontPark: https://www.facebook.com/silvermontpark/

Thriller Spiller:​ Classic Choreography with Claire
Oct 27 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Black Mountain Center for the Arts

Grab some friends and prepare to get spooky. In this two-hour workshop, you will learn choreography from Michael Jackson’s Creepy Classic “Thriller” and sip on a Spooky Halloween-themed cocktail (or mocktail if you’d rather). No dance experience is necessary, but costumes are encouraged!

Friday Night Rocks: The Rich Nelson Band
Oct 27 @ 7:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center -- -- Amphitheater

Are you ready to rock? Tryon Fine Arts Center (TFAC) is hosting three Friday night concerts this Fall with rental partner Rich Nelson. The ‘Friday Night Rocks’ shows will be a great opportunity to enjoy local musicians who write, record, and perform their own music, in TFAC’s outdoor amphitheater.

All performances begin at 7pm, and you can get $10 tickets from the Tryon Fine Arts Center ahead of time or at the gate. In case of inclement weather, the shows may be moved indoors or postponed.

Rich Nelson Band as part of the Friday Night Rocks Concert Series

 

Rich Nelson is a rock musician originally from Detroit. He has been making music and art in the mountains of North Carolina since 2004. The band features Rich with Jeff Manson on bass/vocals and Rob Driscoll on drums/vocals.

The Rich Nelson Band’s new album ‘Try On’ came out in May. This follows their albums ‘Lucky Bounce’, released in June 2022, ‘Fret And Wail’ released in 2021, ‘Twenty Twenty Hearing’ from late 2019, and ‘Ever Since Now’ which debuted in 2018.

The band has been playing many shows in our region. “We are excited about our new music, and getting out to play it!”

The concert begins at 7:00 PM. Beverages will be available for purchase.

FULL MOON MARKET
Oct 27 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The Outpost

Local Crafts

Food Trucks

Music

Montford Park Players: Wonderland Legacies: Alice’s Adventures in Murderland
Oct 27 @ 7:30 pm
Montford Park Players

Written by Will Storrs
Directed by Deanna Braine Smith
Just in time for Halloween, local playwright Will Storrs brings us this World Premiere reimagining Alice and the characters of Lewis Carroll’s story in a seasonally-appropriate way. Sure to be a horribly good time!
 
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.

Tweetsie Railroad’s Family-Friendly Halloween Celebration: The Ghost Train
Oct 27 @ 7:30 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

Theme Park Transforms from Wild West by Day to Ghost Train at Night

The spooktacular season of Tweetsie’s Ghost Train® Halloween Celebration, a popular fall family tradition, begins Friday, September 22, and continues every Friday and Saturday night through October 28.

Daytime guests can still enjoy all of Tweetsie’s Wild West adventures, rides and attractions. . . but when the sun goes down, the park gets a full makeover complete with costumed characters, decorations, music and Halloween-themed attractions.

Younger children will love the dance parties, trick-or-treat stations, themed photo opportunities, and the Palace Spooktacular Show.

Braver kids and adults will appreciate the scary night-time journey on the Ghost Train, walking through the hallowed halls of the Haunted House and exploring the murky Freaky Forest.

And, everyone will love the park’s most popular amusement rides after dark in the Creepy Carnival.

The park opens at 7:30 pm with the first train scheduled for 8:00 p.m. On October Saturday nights starting on the 14, 21, and 28, the park opens at 7:15 p.m. with the first train scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $60 for adults, $40 for children (ages 3-12) and free for children age 2 and under. They are sold in advance for a designated night with a scheduled train ride departure time. A limited number of guests will be admitted each evening, so visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets well beforehand to avoid missing out on all of the spooky fun.