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.
The 1st LEAF Festival premiered Fall 1996, and has become a tradition twice a year, May and October. The name Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) was chosen to honor the lake and the former Lake Eden Inn & Resort. “Arts” embraces a broad creative palate and of course it was to be a “festival”. In envisioning LEAF, we sought to embrace world cultures, reflect the creativity of the Asheville area, and to complement the stunning landscape. The location and size, attendance is limited to 6,000 people on site per day, makes LEAF Festival one of the best small festivals in the world. The right place, the right size.

Meet the artisans of the Southern Highlands exhibiting contemporary & traditional works of clay, wood, metal, glass, fiber, natural materials, paper, leather, mixed media, & jewelry.
Thursday – Saturday, 10 – 6pm
Sunday, 10 – 5pm
Join us for the evening for this practical training organized by Co-operate WNC
(a regional mutual aid network), Transition Asheville, and Lenoir Rhyne University.
A community savings pool is a resource-sharing technique whereby a trusted group of 15-25 people
pool their individual savings and then collectively loan money to each other for personal needs and
goals, community projects, business startups and expansions and so on.
Co-operate WNC has identified savings pools as one of the most powerful strategies to
pursue its mission: empowering a regional society of local organizers to grow a mutual aid
network of physical community centers that meet human needs and act as organizing hubs
for climate resilience.
We’ll play a savings pool game, and briefly discuss other cooperative financial tools and mutual aid
practices to improve your community’s life, respond to climate chaos, and grow a regenerative culture
and economy in our region. This discussion will include considerations around the bigger picture of
equity and access in our region and how our community organizing activities can either reinforce or
transform oppressive historical patterns.
You’ll leave with a tangible sense of how to organize and run a savings pool, the benefits
and risks of participation, tools for doing it successfully, and next steps in your own life for
starting or participating in one.
Please consider attending this event with some friends/family/colleagues, as the hope is that you can
go home and start a savings circle with people you trust.
Unique techniques of leaf manipulation will be demonstrated by Suzanne Dillingham of the Ichiyo School. Leaves can be changed beyond recognition and provoke a bit of mystery.
A ‘Friendship Through Flowers’ workshop will follow and is open to members and non-members with a paid RSVP. This is an unusual opportunity for non members to participate with skilled ikebanists and stretch their imagination.
Demonstration is free. For workshop participation, contact Suzanne Dillingham by October 18 for details and payment of $20: [email protected]
For more information on our programs, teachers and workshops, contact Lynn Forbes, Chapter President, 828-273.2222; [email protected] or www.ikebanaasheville.org
- It’s critical for planners to know how to effectively organize, budget and market a variety of different events to keep the company in the green, out of trouble, and on the minds of donors, business partners, and customers. Earning a certificate in Event Planning will expose you to the many different facets of being an event planner from managing people and projects to increasing exposure and dollars for your organization. Participants can earn a certificate by attending six of the designated event planning workshops (EP), which are offered each semester. Participants do not enroll in the certificate program, but rather complete the workshops at their own pace. Workshops are offered each semester (spring and fall) on either Thursday or Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at WCU at Biltmore Park, Asheville, NC.
Instructors will distribute a case study at the end of each EP workshop, and participants submit the case studies to the program coordinator when all 6 workshops are completed to complete the final requirement for the certificate. The workshop instructors include professionals from the Western North Carolina business and hospitality industry and faculty from Western Carolina University.
Complete 6 of the below EP workshops and earn a certificate.
Fee: $119 per workshop or register for 6 workshops for $640 (a 10% discount!) Workshops include lunch and continuing education credits.
- FIVE-STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY Friday, August 16, 2019
- MAKING EVERY PENNY COUNT: EVENT BUDGETING 101 Friday, September 20, 2019
- CURRENT & TESTED SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES FOR DIGITAL MARKETING Friday, October 18, 2019
- ENGAGE, STRATEGIZE, CULTIVATE – THE ART OF SECURING EVENT SPONSORSHIPS Thursday, October 24, 2019
- MAXIMIZING YOUR RETURN FROM TRADESHOWS, EXPOS AND FAIRS Thursday, November 7, 2019
- CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, LIABILITY AND RISK FACTORS Friday, November 22, 2019
The City of Asheville is moving forward with the creation of a master concept plan for City-owned properties on Haywood Street and Page Avenue. With the help of the award-winning consultant team Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, residents can anticipate up to three conceptual designs for Council consideration for the acre of land at the intersection of Haywood and Page in downtown Asheville.
The two public sessions will take place on October 24 at the , 87 Haywood St., and on site around the property.
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Meeting #1:
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Noon — Food truck lunch at 68 Haywood Street and site walk-throughs
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1:15 p.m. — Presentation at U.S. Cellular Center Banquet Hall
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Meeting #2:
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5:30 p.m. — Food truck dinner at 68 Haywood Street and site walk-throughs
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6:45 p.m. — Presentation at U.S. Cellular Center Banquet Hall
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During the meetings the consultant team will walk residents through a mapping exercise, followed by a site walk with community dossiers at key points of interest in and around the site.
During this phase, the primary objective will focus on creating bold and vibrant designs for the Haywood/Page property. Based on the meetings, the City and the consultant team will bring back designs to the community in winter.
Lunch and dinner will be provided. Parking in the Civic Center Garage is free of charge, attendees should see staff for a validation sticker. RSVP is appreciated, but not required. Register here. For more information, please visit ashevillenc.gov.

THE FAIR IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!
Join us for 3 days of fun for the entire family! See spinning, knitting, weaving, felting, sheep, goats and much more! Join a workshop class to improve your skills or just enjoy browsing and shopping the beautiful and unique apparel and wearables.
This Fall outdoor market will feature over 25 local artists and small businesses. Watercolor paintings, wire bonsai tree art, jewelry, organic clothing, natural home cleaning products, locally sourced seasonings and herbs, leather goods, home décor, Hemp/CBD Products and much more!
October 26th 10am-4pm

THE FAIR IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!
Join us for 3 days of fun for the entire family! See spinning, knitting, weaving, felting, sheep, goats and much more! Join a workshop class to improve your skills or just enjoy browsing and shopping the beautiful and unique apparel and wearables.
Asheville, North Carolina, and its surrounding communities are well-known for its vibrant art scene and historic architecture. From the dome-topped Basilica of Saint Lawrence, to the 19th-century Biltmore Estate, and an Art District filled with galleries and museums, Asheville is an excellent place to host up to 150 renowned Juried Artists. Come join us and see for yourself why the Asheville Fine Art Show was voted as one of the Top 100 art shows in America!
Meet renowned glass artist, Jack Pine, and preview his new collection featured at Bellagio Art to Wear in Historic Biltmore Village.
Saturday, Oct. 26th 10am – 6pm
Sunday, Oct. 27th 12pm – 5pm
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Having grown up in Southwestern Ohio, which is the birth place of the North American Studio Glass Movement, Jack was constantly exposed to glass artists and their varied techniques. As a child, Jack would experiment with molten bottle glass in campfires on his family’s farm. Today he is the creative force behind Jack Pine Studios, which has become a mecca for talented soft glass artisans. At the heart of the studio are the designs and techniques developed by Jack.
“I enjoy the intense demand on my skill and the focus involved with working with molten glass. All the energy I use to create a piece is captured in the glass, and thus is frozen in time forever.”
— Jack Pine
Join us for a free watercolor class with local artist Joan Doyle. Class limited to 10 participants – teens over 15 and adults. No group sign ups please. All materials provided.
Lynn Boggess is one of the most unique and noteworthy American landscape painters of the 21st Century. He resides in West Virginia, a state whose diverse mountains, forests, and rivers provide abundant inspiration for the artist’s plein air paintings. In place of brushes he uses palette knives and trowels to thickly layer the broad sweeping strokes and exquisite fine detail that capture all the colors of the seasons in rushing rivers, snow covered hillsides, and thick forest vegetation.
Mr. Boggess’ work is recognized internationally for its incredible three-dimensional texture, rendered solely in oils. These remarkable paintings combine elements of Abstract Expressionism and Photorealism to create a style that is totally unique and original.

THE FAIR IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!
Join us for 3 days of fun for the entire family! See spinning, knitting, weaving, felting, sheep, goats and much more! Join a workshop class to improve your skills or just enjoy browsing and shopping the beautiful and unique apparel and wearables.
Asheville, North Carolina, and its surrounding communities are well-known for its vibrant art scene and historic architecture. From the dome-topped Basilica of Saint Lawrence, to the 19th-century Biltmore Estate, and an Art District filled with galleries and museums, Asheville is an excellent place to host up to 150 renowned Juried Artists. Come join us and see for yourself why the Asheville Fine Art Show was voted as one of the Top 100 art shows in America!
Oscar-winning producer Melissa Berton, creator of the short documentary “Period. End of Sentence.” will speak at Warren Wilson College on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m.
“Period. End of Sentence.” follows a group of women in rural India as they learn how to operate a machine that makes low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pads, which they sell to other women at affordable prices. The film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject this year, and it sparked a worldwide conversation about menstrual justice and menstrual equity.
Berton, who is a graduate of Warren Wilson’s MFA in Creative Writing, works as a high school English teacher at Oakwood School in Los Angeles. After learning that the lack of hygienic sanitary products and taboos around menstruation cause nearly a third of Indian girls to miss school during their periods, her class became inspired to raise money for a pad machine and to create a documentary. They raised funds by doing bake sales and yogathons.
At the lecture at Warren Wilson College, Berton will speak about the importance of girls staying in school and how youth voices can contribute to the global movement for education. She will also give an overview of “how that whole crazy journey took place.”
The lecture will be followed by a showing of the documentary and Q&A session. The event is free and open to the public. It will take place in Warren Wilson College’s Kittredge Theatre. Register online at www.warren-wilson.edu/lecture.
The Buncombe County library system is trying to get into the Asheville Holiday Parade this year and we need your help! We’re building large format puppet hands and small props to support our theme and we need all of the creative help we can get. We’ll be having creator’s workshops on Tuesday evenings beginning September 24 at Pack Memorial Library. We’ll also have stations at branches starting in October for origami bird making. All of the birds made will be a big part of our holiday parade! If you like to work in teams, get your hands dirty, and get crafty come join us, everyone is welcome! Open workshops, drop in and help when you can on posted dates
Join the Friends of the North Carolina Room and researcher Benjamin Porter as he shares information about long-time Asheville-based photographer Herbert Pelton, famous for his panoramic shots of the city in a time of rapid change and modernization.

The Exhibition opens Friday, November 1st, 5pm-8pm and will run the entire month of November Thursday-Sunday 12pm-6pm.
A Teapot exhibition to kick off a wonderful gesture by local artist and gallery owner, Jun Seo, giving back to the community. Thanks to the efforts of the community, Asheville is home to a beautiful live/work facility that features some of the cities best small business artisans. One such artisan is Jun Seo, owner of Gallery 101. To give back to the community he has decided to devote a portion of his gallery space to rotating exhibits of fellow local artists. His first exhibition will feature ceramic artists Catharine Healy and Tori Motyl in a specialty teapot exhibition that celebrates traditional ceramic art making techniques.
NC coppersmith Andy Brinkley and his master craftsman Mark Shrum will demonstrate the techniques used to create unique garden sculptures.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ODYSSEY CLAYWORKS BENEFIT AUCTION
ASHEVILLE, NC (October 11, 2019)
ODYSSEY CLAYWORKS announces the 7th Annual Odyssey Auction. Taking place November 2nd in their studio and gallery from 6-9pm, this year’s auction will feature over 140 items by established artists and local businesses. This year the auction will feature work by renowned potters Perry Haas, Bandana Pottery, and Will Dickert.
In addition to providing over $7000 in scholarships and tuition assistance to students annually, proceeds from the auction directly support the studio’s work with veterans suffering from PTSD, substance and alcohol abuse recovery programs, and adults with developmental disabilities.
Over 200 guests are expected to attend this lively event featuring a silent and live auction, beautifully catered food and drink, as well as music and dancing throughout the night. According to Studio Director Gabriel Kline, “Odyssey is known throughout the ceramics world as a premier teaching studio and we have made tremendous connections over the years. We will have work available by some of the finest artists in the country. The auction is a unique opportunity to bid on works by some of America’s most collectible ceramic artists.”
A limited number of tickets are available for the event on the Odyssey ClayWorks website, www.odysseyclayworks.com. Please call the studio for more information at 828 285 0210.
NC coppersmith Andy Brinkley and his master craftsman Mark Shrum will demonstrate the techniques used to create unique garden sculptures.
From traditional paintings, jewelry, wood, pottery, and glass, to unique photography, furniture, clothing, and mixed media art; the idea behind Artisanville is to have something for everyone to appreciate and to take home.
Artisanville invites its guests to investigate and explore our unique items during a two-day long fine art and craft show. With over 175 regional and national artists—each handpicked and personally invited to the event— this show promises to surprise and entrance you. Visitors can interact with artisans, see live art demos, purchase beautiful artwork, or simply enjoy the craftsmanship behind each piece. When in need of a break, art lovers can also relax, get a drink or snack, listen to live music and log into the Internet at the new Art Patron Lounge area. There are even free drawings for “Artisanville bucks” to spend at the show. Be sure not to miss ARTISANVILLE…the newest Fine Art/Fine Craft Show coming to Greenville, SC!

Explore just how far back our fiber art roots go by viewing centuries old textiles alongside contemporary works. Partnering archives reveal the cultural impact cloth and making have played in our region, while local makers of today continue to investigate place, process, and storytelling through the manipulation of fibrous materials. Techniques include weaving, embroidery, appliqué, natural dyeing, pulled-work, bobbin lace, and quilting.

Since 2010 master scientific glass blower, Jason Probstein has been presenting live glassblowing demonstrations here at our art gallery.
And once again we are proud to announce that Jason will be blowing his unique Christmas ornaments and glass artworks here at Mountain Made gallery from now to December 23rd, 2019.
Jason will be demonstrating Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. He will also be blowing glass every Sunday from Noon to 2:00 PM.
We invite you come by Mountain Made for a fun, family-friendly event
This fall, the Swannanoa Valley Museum is exploring the story of the textile industry in Western North Carolina through its new exhibit “Beacon Blankets: The Mill.” This multimedia exhibit delves into the history of Beacon Blankets, a New England textile company that migrated to the town of Swannanoa, near Asheville, North Carolina, during the Depression. The Beacon Manufacturing Company was once the largest blanket manufacturer in the world and today, many Beacon blankets are collector’s items. The exhibit highlights several aspects of Beacon’s history, including its controversial use of the term “Indian Design” when advertising its blankets, workers’ striking and unionizing efforts, and the lives and culture of Beacon’s Swannanoa mill town community.
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Explore just how far back our fiber art roots go by viewing centuries old textiles alongside contemporary works. Partnering archives reveal the cultural impact cloth and making have played in our region, while local makers of today continue to investigate place, process, and storytelling through the manipulation of fibrous materials. Techniques include weaving, embroidery, appliqué, natural dyeing, pulled-work, bobbin lace, and quilting.


