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.

Saturday, October 26, 2019
Howl-o-ween at the Nature Center
Oct 26 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
WNC Nature Center

Our annual Halloween family festival offers spooky arts & crafts, games and face painting, a hay maze, and educational animal encounters throughout the day. Don’t forget to dress in your best costume for the costume contests at 12:30pm and 4pm!
Regular Nature Center admission rates apply; As always, Friends members get in free! Purchase your membership here.
Different Strokes! Masquerade Ball
Oct 26 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Henry LaBrun Studio at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

Put on your best formal wear, slip into your dancing shoes, and join Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective on October 26 for an elegant, exclusive Masquerade Ball. With a red carpet, live music by Rhoda Weaver (Best Vocalist, Mountain Xpress Best of X 2018), silent and live auctions, and catering by Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Win season tickets to Different Strokes! in the best-decorated mask contest (judged by a panel of experts), and get to party in the brand-new Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.

All proceeds benefit Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective and its mission of Making Theatre that Makes a Difference. 

m-pact
Oct 26 @ 7:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

m-pact, October 26, 2019 at 7pm

m-pact’s website

Hailed as “one of the best pop-jazz vocal groups in the world” by the San Francisco Chronicle, m-pact is respected worldwide as a trailblazer in a cappella arts — harnessing the raw power of nature’s first instrument, the human voice. With the smooth soul of Sam Smith, the percussive power of Stomp, the funk and groove of Bruno Mars, the sophisticated harmonies of Take 6 and the brass bite of the Michael Bublé Big Band, m-pact takes vocal acrobatics to new levels, creating technicolor soundscapes that have earned the group accolades like Vocal Group of the Year (LA Music Awards) and Best Vocal Arrangement (the CARA Awards).

Ghost Train
Oct 26 @ 7:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

September 20-21, 27-28, October 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26

Open 7:30 – 11:30 p.m. Advance Tickets Required.

It’s safe, scary fun for the whole family! Kids will enjoy the Halloween shows and trick-or-treating. And take a chilling journey into the night on the Ghost Train—if you dare!

Big Freedia
Oct 26 @ 9:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Big Freedia

October 26, 2019 9:00 PM
Doors Open: 8:00 PM
Support:
Low Cut Connie

Big Freedia (pronounced “FREE-da”), known as the Queen of Bounce, is at the forefront of the Bounce rap movement (a subgenre of hip-hop born out of New Orleans and known for its call and response style and lightening speed booty-shaking dance). Performing five out of seven nights in any given week with dancers she calls The Divas, Big Freedia’s show is nothing short of dazzling. She tours every city in America from New York to San Francisco and is always a favorite at festivals such as Electric Forest, Hangout Fest, FunFunFun Fest, SXSW, and Bonnaroo, among many others.

Ticket price includes applicable sales tax.

Sunday, October 27, 2019
Asheville Community Band 40th Anniversary Concert
Oct 27 all-day
Lipinsky Hall, on the Campus of UNCA

The Asheville Community Band opens our 2019-2020 season with something very special: our 40th Anniversary Celebration Concert! That’s right, 40 years of community-based musical excellence, serving players and listeners in the Asheville area!
The Asheville Community Band is a community-based symphonic winds band for musicians of all ages and professions. Now composed of over ninety musicians (with more than a dozen new players in Fall 2019!), the band truly represents Western North Carolina with members representing six counties. The all-volunteer band ranges in age from high school to octogenarian. Our 40th Anniversary Celebration Concert will celebrate three things: Great conductors, great music, and great community-based musicianship. Tickets are $12, students and children with paying adults are free.

Aston Park Tennis Center Tricks and Treats Tennis Tournament
Oct 27 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Aston Park Tennis Center

people playing on the courts at aston park tennis center

Costumes are welcomed and encouraged for a fall doubles tennis tournament at Aston Park Tennis Center, 336 Hilliard Ave., Oct. 26-27.

The cost for tournament participants is $20/person for one event or $30/person for two events. Spectators are free!

Schedule of events – Two Divisions per day, 3.5 and below, 4.0 and above

  • Oct. 26, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Men’s and Women’s Doubles
  • Oct. 27, 1 – 5 p.m. – Mixed Doubles

Prizes will be given for best team costume!

Registration deadline is October 24. Use this form. For more information, call Aston Park Tennis Center at 828-251-4074.

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Oct 27 @ 3:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

 

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session 

Sundays

1 till who knows when?

Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.

Jack of the Wood

95 Patton ave

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252.5445

http://www.jackofthewood.com/

Music of Phish for Kids Halloween Spooktacular at The Grey Eagle
Oct 27 @ 3:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

Music of Phish for Kids Halloween Spooktacular

The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a family concert series hosted at historic music venues across the country, allows kids to “move, play and sing while listening to works from the classic-rock canon” (NY Times). Performing songs created by the most iconic musicians in rock history, The Rock and Roll Playhouse band offers its core audience of families with children age ten and under games, movement, stories and an opportunity to rock out in an effort to educate children and explore their creativity. The Rock and Roll Playhouse is an early and often first introduction to a child’s lifelong journey with live music and rock and roll. See you at the show!

This concert for kids and families shares the music of the artist named above with a new generation of music lovers, but is not associated with or endorsed by the artist. All children must be accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver.

The Rock and Roll Playhouse knows that little ears are sensitive, so we turn down the volume at our shows. However, all kids experience music differently and you may find that your child is more comfortable wearing hearing protection earmuffs, such as Baby Banz, which are available for purchase here.

By attending this event, I consent to my image (with or without my voice) being included in photographs and/or film and videotape of the event, and give Grey Eagle, The Rock and Roll Playhouse and their respective licensees and assigns the absolute and irrevocable right and permission to use and publish such content in any and all media, whether now known or hereafter developed.

Griffin House @ ISIS Music Hall
Oct 27 @ 8:00 pm
The ISIS Music Hall

Recording and performing for over 15 years, Griffin House is a traveling modern-day troubadour, who continues to headline almost 100 shows a year in the U.S.   He has toured with John Mellencamp, The Cranberries, Josh Ritter, Mat Kearney, and Brett Dennen just to name a few and has been featured on the CBS Sunday morning show, CNN Newsroom, and appeared on Late Night with Craig Ferguson.

On 6/28, House released Rising Star his 12th full Studio Recording.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Open Mic
Oct 29 all-day
Alley Cat Social Club

Open Mic Open format. We host it all at the Alley Cat. Come out and see an amazing display of talent. Every Tuesday 8pm. Sign ups start at 7pm or earlier

Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Karaoke
Oct 30 all-day
Alley Cat Social Club

Anything Goes Karaoke on Wednesdays. Its so much fun and it gets a little wild. Come out and party with us Sign ups start at 8pm music shortly after.

A Good Look’n Tour Presale Event
Oct 30 @ 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
online presale event

STURGILL SIMPSON ANNOUNCES 2020
A GOOD LOOK’N TOUR
WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST TYLER CHILDERS

Offering a rare quote to media, Simpson said:
“We are a live band. Everyone knows we are a live band. Steal the record or give it away, just come to the shows. For free tickets send a message to Tyler’s Instagram.”

REGISTRATION FOR VERIFIED FAN PRESALE BEGINS TODAY, PRESALES START NOVEMBER 5
TICKETS ON SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC STARTING NOVEMBER 8
Travel Packages Will Support Special Forces Foundation

In an effort to fight against scalpers and ensure tickets get into the hands of fans, the tour has partnered with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform. Fans can gain first access to tickets by registering for the Verified Fan presale now through Sunday, November 3 at 10pm local at https://verifiedfan.ticketmaster.com/sturgillsimpson. Registered fans who receive a code will have access to purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, November 5 at 10am local time.

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets for select markets before the general public beginning Wednesday, November 6 at 12pm local through Thursday, November 7 at 10pm local. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Friday, November 8 at 10am local. Sturgill Simpson has also partnered with CID Entertainment to offer travel packages. All net proceeds from these travel packages will benefit the Special Forces Foundation. More information on these exclusive offers can be found HERE.

John Prine with special guest Ben Dickey
Oct 30 @ 8:00 pm
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Arena at the U.S. Cellular Center Asheville

Asheville, NC – The U.S. Cellular Center Asheville is proud to announce John Prine with special guest Ben Dickey at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium on Wednesday, October 30th. Long considered a “songwriter’s songwriter,” JOHN PRINE is a rare talent who writes the songs other songwriters would sell their souls for. Evidence of this is the long list of songwriters who have recorded gems from his extensive catalog, including Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, the Everly Brothers, John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, Ben Harper, Joan Baez, and many others. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 3d via Ticketmaster.com or the U.S. Cellular Center Asheville Box Office.

With immeasurable accolades, including two Grammys and the distinction of being one of the few songwriters honored by the Library of Congress and US Poet Laureate, Prine is more than a musician…he is an American treasure.

“He’s so good, we’re gonna have to break his fingers,” Kris Kristofferson once said after being justifiably stunned by a Prine performance. Bob Dylan remarked, “Beautiful songs… Nobody but Prine could write like that.”

Long before the awards, all the concerts and many, many albums, John Prine trudged through snow in the cold Chicago winters, delivering mail across Maywood, his childhood suburb. “I always likened the mail route to a library with no books,” says John Prine. “I passed the time each day making up these little ditties.” Many of the songs he penned on the route landed on his classic self-titled debut record.

Thursday, October 31, 2019
PRESALE Event at The Orange Peel for Railroad Earth
Oct 31 @ 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
The Orange Peel
Railroad Earth
Saturday – February 22
Use code “RROP
Code valid 10/31 10am – 10pm
Buy Tickets

>> More Information <<

Spooktacular Soiree
Oct 31 @ 6:00 pm – Nov 1 @ 1:00 am
Haiku I Do

Halloween night at Haiku I Do!
Two dance floors powered up by some of Asheville’s finest
?️DJ Bowie
?️DJ Brett Rock
?️Cpt. Hyperdrive
?️DJ Cotton Kandy
?️Trillium Dance Company
Come in costume and get a discount at the door!

Halloween with The Screaming J’s and Phuncle Sam! Salvage Station
Oct 31 @ 7:00 pm – 2:00 am
Salvage Station

Screaming Js

Musician/BandAsheville, North Carolina
BOOGIE music for dancing!

Phuncle Sam

Musician/BandAsheville, North Carolina
Asheville’s finest Grateful Dead tribute. While keeping true to the delicate intricacies of America’s favorite pioneers, Phuncle Sam consistently delivers an exceptional performance of favorites and rarities. Any Dead Head is sure to fall in love.
Land of Sky Symphonic Band Halloween Spooktacular!
Oct 31 @ 7:30 pm
White Horse

Land of the Sky Symphonic Band, a 43-piece community band comprised of professional and amateur musicians of all walks of life who live in Buncombe, Henderson and McDowell counties, will stage a Halloween Spooktacular .

Ticket holders are encouraged to wear creative costumes to the show in the spirit of Halloween.  There will be prizes awarded for the most original costumes.

Doors open at 7 p.m.

https://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/2019/09/halloween-spooktacular-land-of-sky.html

Grateful Area Music Experience Pisgah Brewing Co.
Oct 31 @ 8:00 pm
Pisgah Brewing Company

Halloween night!  Local all-star line up performing Grateful Dead show 10/31/1990 from Wembley Arena in London England.  ?Come on out!


G.A.M.E. (Grateful Asheville Music Experience) features an all-star line up of Asheville artists celebrating the music of the Grateful Dead and JGB with special guests and collaborations that bring you some of the best musical moments in the Asheville scene.  Hosted by Spiro Nicolopoulos of the Paper Crowns.

Party FOUL 10/31 – Halloween! The Odditorium
Oct 31 @ 9:00 pm – 2:00 am
The Odditorium

Party FOUL 10/31 - Halloween!

Party FOUL is Asheville’s #1 weekly drag show, started and hosted by Priscilla Chambers of Dragula season 3Come celebrate the best night of the year with some debaucherous drag, drinks, and special guests! Don’t forget your costume!

Featuring a photobooth by Schuylar Shayne Photography

PERFORMANCES BY:

  • D’Knighten Day & Jackson Rimsday from Atlanta
  • GAMistress RiversIda Carolina
  • Kitty Bubbles
  • Amelia Apathy
  • EE Cumming

$10 Cover
Doors 9pm
Show 10:30pm
18+

Travers Brothership Halloween (Primus/Zappa) +April B & the Cool
Oct 31 @ 9:30 pm – 2:00 am
Asheville Music Hall

Image may contain: 6 people, people smiling, people standing and text

Genre: Soul/Funk/Rock/Jam

Halloween Hometown Throwdown! Local favorites Travers Brothership and  April B. & The Cool will be joining forces for a special night of music on 10/31 at Asheville Music Hall. The Brothership will be performing 2-Sets including the debut of their new Primus/Zappa set.

The Official Brew Pump Halloween After-Party!
Oct 31 @ 10:00 pm – 2:00 am
Alleycat

 

Alley Cat for White Truck Door.jpg

This year the festivities will continue just down the road from the Brew Pump at Alleycat Social Club.

More great music to keep you dancing all night long featuring:

Rainjer Rick
Freakuency Union
Oneiric
Rob Breax

Parking is available behind the venue.

Friday, November 1, 2019
Pan Harmonia 20th Season
Nov 1 @ 2:00 pm
OLLI - Reuter Center

OUTREACH: MIDDAY MUSIC Free and open to the public.

Peek behind-the-scenes of Asheville’s home-grown music collective

Flutist Kate Steinbeck and guitarist Amy Brucksch will play music and speak about Rubble Becomes Art.

Asheville’s 9-Piece Ensemble Known For Its Spectacular Show That Recreates English Psychedelic Rock Band’s Sound
Nov 1 @ 8:00 pm
White Horse

https://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/2019/09/floyd-philharmonic-pink-floyd-tribute.html

Asheville’s 9-Piece Ensemble Known For Its Spectacular Show
That Recreates English Psychedelic Rock Band’s Sound

          The Floyd Philharmonic, a popular nine-piece Asheville-based Pink Floyd Tribute Band that features spectacular visual effects and projections throughout their song playlist.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
The band combines faithful-to-the-recording performance with beautiful special effects topped off with smoke and 100% eye-safe faux lasers. Attention to detail in the music comes from the in-demand professionals at each position. From the ladies on back-ups to the sound effects and spoken lines from the albums, the Floyd Philharmonic is the ultimate experience
Nella
Nov 1 @ 8:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre
Nella, November 1, 2019 at 8PM

Nella
November 1, 2019 at 8pm

Diana Wortham Theatre
Nella’s website

By the end of each performance, Venezuelan singer Nella has the entire room entranced, dazzling fans and newcomers alike with her soulful, Spanish vocals and enchanting onstage charm. Her delicate yet powerful melodies linger at the crossroads of her country’s folkloric roots, traditional music of the Andalusian region and contemporary influences. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Nella shines as a soloist, singing with an energy that erupts from her heart and charisma that radiates from her soul. She has performed with famed world music artists and big names on the international pop scene, such as Alejandro Sanz, Jennifer Lopez, Carlos Vives, Luis Enrique and Los Amigos.

La cantante venezolana Nella deslumbra a sus admiradores con voces conmovedoras, españolas y una presencia encantadora en el escenario, utilizando melodías delicadas y poderosas que combinan las raíces folklóricas de su país con influencias contemporáneas.
The Cinematic Orchestra
Nov 1 @ 9:00 pm
The Orange Peel

The Cinematic Orchestra

November 1, 2019 9:00 PM
Doors Open: 8:00 PM
Ages 18+

Ticket price includes applicable sales tax.

Saturday, November 2, 2019
2019 Shut-In
Nov 2 all-day
Bent Creek

Race Day: Saturday, Nov. 2nd, 2019

Entry information

Registration This is the 40th Year Anniversary for this event! We have transitioned to a LOTTERY system. Interested runners should enter the lottery in the two week period August 1st at 12:00 am EST and August 14th at 12:00 am EST.
It does not matter when you enter, as long as it is within this two-week period. All prospective entrants will be required to use Ultra signup to enter the lottery. There will be NO in-store entries.
Priority will be given to previous winners, those who have completed the race the last five years consecutively, eight or more times cumulatively, and previous race volunteers, then by date of entry receipt some consideration will be given to first-time applicants.
***It is still imperative that these runners still enter the lottery*** 
Packet Pickup:
Packet pickup will take place on RACE MORNING ONLY and will be from 8:30-9:45 am at the NC Arboretum.
Packet Pickup:
Packet pickup will take place on RACE MORNING ONLY and will be from 8:30-9:45 am at the NC Arboretum.
Race Day/Course:
This is a 17.8-mile trail race conducted over the historic Shut-In Ridge Trail that begins at Bent Creek near Asheville, NC and climbs over 5,000 feet along the ridgeline of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Mt. Pisgah parking lot. The race will begin at 10:00 AM on Saturday, November 2th, 2019 at the North Carolina Arboretum’s Visitor Education Center. Enter from Highway 191 at the entrance ramp for the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Awards/Post-Race Celebration:
Post-Race Celebration will take place at 7:00 pm at the Wedge Foundation, located at 5 Foundry St., Asheville, NC 28801
The Asheville Marathon & Half at Biltmore Estate Sign Up Now
Nov 2 all-day
Biltmore Estate

Woman running in front Biltmore House.jpg

The Asheville Marathon began 8 years ago with only a marathon option, which sold out quickly in its first year, and again the next year. A nationwide interest in half marathons was becoming popular, so for the 3rd year a half marathon option was added.  In the 4th year, the event expanded to two days of races and a half marathon on each day.  To add a twist in the 5th year the Backyard to Vineyard Challenge was created, where participants race in the Saturday half and Sunday full. The challenge was very popular and for the 6th anniversary, Backyard to Backyard Challenge was added, where participants run both the Saturday half and the Sunday half. Now in its 8th year both days of races, including the challenges, are expected to be sold out, with 3,100 participants.

The Asheville Marathon & Half at Biltmore Estate is held on and run entirely on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate, where runners will wind through paved and packed dirt roads to see hardwood forest, meadows, gardens, and extraordinary views of the Biltmore House and Estate. This is the original Asheville Marathon and first race of its kind to come to Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina; don’t miss out on being part of history at Biltmore Estate.

For more information about the Asheville Marathon & Half at Biltmore Estate, visit

https://ashevillemarathon.com/. Follow the race on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Final Campaign: Slayer, Primus, Ministry, Philip H Anselmo and the Illegals performing a vulgar display of Pantera
Nov 2 all-day
ExploreAsheville.com Arena

Slayer’s Final World Tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band’s intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last Slayer show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wraps on November 30, the band will have completed seven tour legs plus a series of one- off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30-countries and 40 U.S. states.

Slayer’s Final World Tour has been a wild ride. Three bus drivers, four truck drivers, and a crew of 32 have traveled all over the world to set the stage for this farewell. At most shows, Slayer’s pyro expert set off 160 pounds of propane and 10 liters of 99% isopropyl alcohol, prompting the Phoe– nix New Times reviewer to comment on the “eyebrow-singe- ing pyrotechnics that could be felt even 10 rows behind the pit.” In Toronto, one diehard fan was ejected from the concert before Slayer took the stage, so jumped into Lake Ontario (that surrounds the Budweiser Arena) and swam back to the venue. The Tampa Bay Times’ Jay Cridlin wrote, “ Beginning with the throttling opener ‘Repentless,’ Slayer tore through their set like a flaming cigarette boat across the river Styx, charring up a vicious circle pit by the stage,” and Detroit’s Gary Graff noted in his Oakland Press review the “10,000 headbangers who skipped the ‘Game of Thrones’ finale to pay homage to the pioneering quartet.” “The sheer physicality of their show was something to behold and was yet another indi- cation that while the band may be calling it a career, they are going out on top, playing at their absolute best,” wrote Andy Lindquist for the SF Sonic, and Guy D’Astolfo with the Youngtown Vindicator ended his review with this: “After the final note, Tom Araya stood alone, scanning the crowd…forg- ing a mental imprint of the moment. After a minute or two, he went to the microphone and said, ‘I’m going to miss you guys.’ Then he exited and the lights went up.”

3rd Annual Sausage Festival Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Nov 2 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm

There will be a TON of sausage samples this year!! We listened to the feedback from last year and you’ll get to not only sample lots of different sausages, but we’re also showing you how we make it in a live demo. Brian, our butcher, has 18 different flavors and will be adding a special sausage just for the festival.

With your ticket, you’ll take part in:

  • Sausage sampling ALL DAY LONG!
  • Fantastic sausage-centric menu
  • Live sausage making demos
  • Adult Musical Chairs (with prize)
  • Oktoberfest Games like “Pass the Pretzel”
  • Local beers and ciders
  • Fresh soft pretzels by Blunt Pretzels
  • Live Music by Mile High Band
  • Hot Beverages by Snowbird Mountain Coffee
  • All Fall Festival activities like hay rides, etc.