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
PEANUTS™ The Great Pumpkin Patch Express Railroad Smokey Mountains
Oct 26 @ 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Bryson City Depot

About This Trip

Guests will hear a narration of Schulz’s “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” as the train travels to the Pumpkin Patch. Upon arrival, passengers will be greeted and have a photo opportunity with Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy. During your 1 hour and 30 minute layover, your activities to enjoy at The Great Pumpkin Patch will include:

  • campfire marshmallows
  • coloring station
  • temporary tattoos
  • trick or treating
  • bouncy house (weather permitting)
  • wagon rides

And kids, don’t forget to wear your Halloween costumes! There will be plenty of PEANUTS™ merchandise at the GSMR Gift Store and Train Museum! Each child will also select their own pumpkin from The Great Pumpkin Patch to take home.

Kid’s Halloween Party! Urban Orchard
Oct 26 @ 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Urban Orchard Cider Company - West

Come on over for some Family Fun at Urban Orchard-West and Archetype!!!
Bring the kids to your favorite neighborhood taprooms and enjoy some specials for kids and grown ups!!

Party is from 2-6pm
Costume Parade-2:30 Archetype Brewing
Donut on a String-3:30 Urban Orchard Cider Company – West

Archetype:
2:30 – Costume parade for kids! (12 & Under) prizes for participation!

Urban Orchard:
Doughnut on a String!
Cookies from OWL Bakery!
Fire Ciders for the grown ups!
N/A Cider for the kids!

12th Annual Pumpkin Pedaller New Belgium Brewing
Oct 26 @ 2:30 pm
New Belgium Brewing

Join hundreds of costumed riders and fill the streets and greenways of Asheville’s downtown and neighborhoods. There will be three route options for all ages and levels of riders, and much more, including a demo of Yuba Electric Cargo Bicycles.

Pumpkin Pedaller ’19 Schedule of Events

  • 2:30pm – Gather at New Belgium Brewing (21 Craven St., Asheville, NC 28806)
  • Also at 2:30pm -NEW! Yuba Electric Cargo Bicycle Demonstration with Motion Makers. Ogle, swoon, and test ride one for yourself!
  • 3:00pm – All-ages roll around New Belgium’s event grounds
  • 3:15pm – Main rides roll out. Choose your route!
  • 5:00pm – Culmination Party at New Belgium
    • Costume contest winner announced
    • Bicycle gear raffle
    • Beer & food trucks on site
    • Live music
    • Tons of fun!

Choose from 3 route options plus an optional Ghoulish Grounds climb! Costumes encouraged!

  • All-ages roll around New Belgium Brewing event space
  • 1 mile loop through the River Arts District
  • 7 mile route which just touches in North Asheville
  • 11 mile route featuring Reed and Glenn Creek Greenways
  • Optional Ghoulish Grounds Climb
  • View maps & routes on RideWithGPS

All routes interconnect—just like our community! We encourage participants to review and pre-ride the routes to best match the route with their riding abilities. All rides (except the all ages roll around) take place on active and open streets, so make decisions accordingly.

PEANUTS™ The Great Pumpkin Patch Express Railroad Smokey Mountains
Oct 26 @ 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Bryson City Depot

 

Guests will hear a narration of Schulz’s “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” as the train travels to the Pumpkin Patch. Upon arrival, passengers will be greeted and have a photo opportunity with Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy. During your 1 hour and 30 minute layover, your activities to enjoy at The Great Pumpkin Patch will include:

  • campfire marshmallows
  • coloring station
  • temporary tattoos
  • trick or treating
  • bouncy house (weather permitting)
  • wagon rides

And kids, don’t forget to wear your Halloween costumes! There will be plenty of PEANUTS™ merchandise at the GSMR Gift Store and Train Museum! Each child will also select their own pumpkin from The Great Pumpkin Patch to take home.

 

Tryon Resort’s “Saturday Night Lights”
Oct 26 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tryon International Equestrian Center

Join us for “Saturday Night Lights,” a family-friendly event at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, NC, happening every Saturday evening May through October featuring FREE carousel rides, pony rides, bounce house, face painting, entertainers and live music, plus horse show competition. General admission and parking are also free and open to the public. With onsite dining options, concessions, shopping, and lodging, come for the night or for a vacation getaway! Learn more at Tryon.com/SNL.

Phone: 828-863-1000

Email: [email protected]

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!

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.

Kids Quiet Play Session Inside the Salt Cave
Oct 27 @ 9:00 am – 9:45 am
Asheville's Therapeutic Salt Cave and Spa

Spend some time with your family detoxing naturally in the Salt Cave. Adults $25, 4-12 years old $15, 3 and younger are free.

Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair
Oct 27 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
WNC Ag Center,

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.

ComicFest 2019 at Morgan’s Comics
Oct 27 @ 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Morgan's Comics

It’s our favorite time of year again! (Who are we kidding? We love to celebrate Geekiness ALL times of the year!)

We are happy to invite all of our Nerd Sanctuary family & friends to ComicFest 2019 Morgan’s Comics style! FREE Comics, Candy, Locally Baked Treats, Costume Contest, Local Artists & two musical Performances.

The Costume Contest is at 6:30- tell your friends!

**We have hundreds of limited edition, rare & Chase POPS! instock.
***We have many different prizes & promotions going for that day! Games & Contests- please message us or come by for details.

Eliada Corn Maze
Oct 27 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Eliada Homes

A Monster Maze and a Monstrously Good Time
 All money raised from the 6-week event benefits Eliada’s vast continuum of care for children and youth 0-25 years old.
This year, Eliada will maintain some beloved attractions including the tractor ride, which now drives all the way around, and partially through, the Corn Maze, the jumping pillow, the corn kernel sand box, the spider web climber, the tube slides, and the corn cannons.
New This Year:
This year, Eliada’s featuring fun monsters in the maze design. To accompany this theme, a new game has been added to the event. This monster mystery will take you through the maze, where you follow clues, and find monsters hidden throughout the cornfield. You can be a monster mystery detective!
Like last year, Eliada is pleased to announce that the corn planted in the field is Non-GMO, and that Eliada used all natural fertilizers to help the corn grow. Eliada is committed to sustaining our land and the health of our campus through sustainable farming methods. Since we made this shift in practice last year, our neighboring farmers have already let us know that their bee populations have returned. We are proud to be impacting the great community through our farming practices.
Beer and Cider:
This year, Eliada is pleased to offer beer and cider to guests during select weekend hours.
  • Friday: 5-8pm
  • Saturday: 11am-8pm
  • Sunday: 11am-6pm
  • Special Events: We offer field trip, birthday party, and corporate night experiences. Contact Chris Rainwater at [email protected] to schedule your event.
    Volunteer:Volunteers may work 3 hours shifts at one of our many attractions. Volunteers receive 2 FREE tickets to the Corn Maze for every shift served. More information at EliadaCornMaze.com.
PEANUTS™ The Great Pumpkin Patch Express Railroad Smokey Mountains
Oct 27 @ 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Bryson City Depot

About This Trip

Guests will hear a narration of Schulz’s “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” as the train travels to the Pumpkin Patch. Upon arrival, passengers will be greeted and have a photo opportunity with Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy. During your 1 hour and 30 minute layover, your activities to enjoy at The Great Pumpkin Patch will include:

  • campfire marshmallows
  • coloring station
  • temporary tattoos
  • trick or treating
  • bouncy house (weather permitting)
  • wagon rides

And kids, don’t forget to wear your Halloween costumes! There will be plenty of PEANUTS™ merchandise at the GSMR Gift Store and Train Museum! Each child will also select their own pumpkin from The Great Pumpkin Patch to take home.

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.

PEANUTS™ The Great Pumpkin Patch Express Railroad Smokey Mountains
Oct 27 @ 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Bryson City Depot

 

Guests will hear a narration of Schulz’s “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” as the train travels to the Pumpkin Patch. Upon arrival, passengers will be greeted and have a photo opportunity with Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy. During your 1 hour and 30 minute layover, your activities to enjoy at The Great Pumpkin Patch will include:

  • campfire marshmallows
  • coloring station
  • temporary tattoos
  • trick or treating
  • bouncy house (weather permitting)
  • wagon rides

And kids, don’t forget to wear your Halloween costumes! There will be plenty of PEANUTS™ merchandise at the GSMR Gift Store and Train Museum! Each child will also select their own pumpkin from The Great Pumpkin Patch to take home.

 

The Haunted Trail at Pisgah Brewery
Oct 27 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Pisgah Brewing Company

Gather your closest ghouls and raise money for your school! The Haunted Trail at Pisgah Brewery is back with festive family fun for it’s 7th year. The Haunted Trail is ideal for children ages 3-12 years old. The night includes a heart pumping walk through the Trail with live actors, spooky sounds, and spectacular props. After adrenaline reaches peak levels during the walk, guests spill out screaming and laughing into the Party at Pisgah Park. The party warmly welcomes trail-goers with Halloween crafts, contests, activities and local food trucks, as well as Pisgah beer on tap for the grown-ups! The younger ghouls can enjoy the (actor-free) “Sweet Peek Tour” of the Trail at 6:45pm before it gets dark.

Our Ghouls For Schools program puts the “fun” in fundraising, and is giving back to local schools for its 4th year in a row. The program gives $1 back from each ticket to your PTA or PTO of choice. Ingles Markets will award an additional $1000 as a grand prize to the school that gets the most participants. In addition to the give back program, we will be hosting a silent auction at the festival to benefit the Eliada Academy. Great community sponsors like Ingles Markets, Mellow Mushroom, The Adventure Center of Asheville, Best Bites Dental, Union Transfer, The DM Shop and Asheville Plays help make the Ghouls For Schools program possible.

The Haunted Trail is produced by Asheville Plays!. Asheville Plays! was founded by a local husband and wife team who create lasting memories through the power of play. They specialize in corporate team building for adults, and unique special events for families. The Haunted Trail is Asheville Plays! signature event, and they are striving to make The Trail a treasured part of your family’s tradition.

For more information, visit www.hauntedtrailwnc.com. For more information about Asheville Plays!, visit www.ashevilleplays.com

Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Halloween Pet Parade at West Asheville Tailgate Market
Oct 29 @ 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
West Asheville Tailgate Market

Just before Halloween, WATM will be hosting a family-friendly Halloween Pet Parade

>> PET PARADE <> GOURD DECORATING <> LIVE MUSIC <<\

As always, the market will be filled with the sounds of live music! Come out to shop and hang out to watch the great local talent.

Thursday, October 31, 2019
Trick or Treat at the WNC Farmers Market
Oct 31 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
WNC Farmers Market

Trick or Treat at the WNC Farmers Market

Bring the kids for an after school Trick or Treat at the WNC Farmers Market. All costumed kids receive a fresh NC apple and other surprises. Stores will have folks dressed in costume. Come and join us for this Halloween celebration!

Halloween Boo Bash at Asheville Outlets
Oct 31 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Asheville Outlets

Kids of ALL AGES are invited to a howling good time during the Asheville Outlets’ (ShopAshevilleOutlets.com) annual Halloween BOO BASH on Thursday, October 31st from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. An annual favorite, Boo Bash will feature multiple trick-or-treating spots at participating retailers, strolling magic, arts and crafts activities, balloon art, strike a pose at our photo spot, and MORE! All activities are FREE and open to the public (first come, first served, while supplies last).

Halloween on Vermont Ave.
Oct 31 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Instant Karma Asheville West

Halloween on Vermont Ave.

Vermont Ave is closed to traffic from 5:30 to 9:00 on Halloween night to create a safe and fun trick-or-treating environment. Residents receive 1500 – 2000 trick-or-treaters (or more?).

That’s a lot of candy!

Family Fun Fest at the Asheville Mall
Oct 31 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Mall

Bring the whole family for a night of fun activities, inflatables, and candy! It all takes place at the Asheville Mall on October 31 from 6 to 9 PM. Visit biltmorechurch.com/fun for more details and to register for this FREE event.

Family Fun Fest

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!

Saturday, November 2, 2019
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.
3rd Annual Asheville Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival
Nov 2 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Asheville Outlets

Food Truck Festivals of America is bringing the 3rd Annual Asheville Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival to Asheville Outlets on Saturday, Nov 2, in Asheville, NC from Noon-5pm (VIP hour 11am-Noon). While popular food trucks dish out fan favorites, craft ales and beers will be available for sale. There will also be music playing, lawn games to enjoy, and an artisan market where local artists will showcase their work.

For those foodies that want a little more out of their festival experience, the VIP hour is for you (from 11am-Noon)! VIP tickets are $25 in advance online and entitle you to:

• Early access to the festival
• No lines!
• One free dessert from our designated VIP food truck
• Unlimited bottled water throughout the festival
• $1 off any craft beer throughout the festival

This year for beer lovers looking for something special FTFA is introducing their new Beer Lovers Package. These tickets are $40 in advance online only and includes:

• Early access to the festival (11 AM)
• 3 beer tickets for 3 craft beers of your choice
• $1 off additional craft beers
• Free FTFA koozie
• Unlimited bottled water

You can also purchase our Beer 6-pack add on in advance and get 6 beers for the price of 5!

Ticket Information

General admission tickets will be available for purchase in advance online for $5, or at the gate for $10. Children 12 and under are free.
For more information or to purchase VIP or General Admission tickets please visit www.foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com.

Paying Tribute to the Amazing Work of Those Who Keep Us Safe
First Responders will receive Free Admission at all festivals – from police, to fire, to EMTs – with a valid ID.

More Information

For the very latest news please follow @FTFofAmerica on Twitter and “like” us on www.facebook.com/FTFofAmerica/.

Russian Ballet Theatre presents “Swan Lake”
Nov 2 @ 7:30 pm
U.S. Cellular Center Asheville

Swan Lake, which has mesmerized audiences for over a century, is based on a German fairy tale. Tchaikovsky’s score tells the tragic love story of Prince Siegfried and Swan Princess, Odette, who is cursed to be a swan by day but a young woman at night. The Russian Ballet Theatre’s new production will captivate audiences with time-honored Russian traditions while adding new choreography, hand painted sets, radiant hand sewn costumes, artistic hair designs and special effects makeup.

The production’s hand-painted sets and more than 150 hand-sewn costumes were created in the tradition of the great masters by young, accomplished designer Sergei Novikov (Mariinksy Theatre, Omsk State Music Theatre, St. Petersburg State Music Hall). The SFX makeup is done by Award-winning Irina Strukova (Crazy Rich Asians, Netflix, HBO) and will make ballet devotees feel as though they are seeing the beautiful Swan Lake for the first time!

Sunday, November 3, 2019
Kids Quiet Play Session Inside the Salt Cave
Nov 3 @ 9:00 am – 9:45 am
Asheville's Therapeutic Salt Cave and Spa

Spend some time with your family detoxing naturally in the Salt Cave. Adults $25, 4-12 years old $15, 3 and younger are free.

Artisanville – A NEW Fine Art/Fine Craft Show coming to Greenville, SC
Nov 3 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Greenville Convention Center

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!

Get Out: Haunted House
Nov 3 @ 5:00 pm – 11:30 pm
YMI Cultural Center

Starting Thursday October 24 at 5pm, Bring your family & friends to join you as you make your way in…and hopefully out of the scariest experience you’ve ever had. Think you can get out? Get your tickets and find out!

The Sleepy Hollow Experience
Nov 3 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Cherokee's Mountainside Theatre

Lose your head at Cherokee, NC’s newest and most thrilling Halloween attraction: The Sleepy Hollow Experience. Step into a fresh, horrifying new take on the world of the classic Washington Irving tale as the audience becomes part of the action. But be aware of what’s in front of you… and behind you… The Headless Horseman is waiting… Nationally renowned theatre producer Brian Clowdus invades Unto These Hills this Halloween season with a 360-degree immersive theatrical nightmare that has taken the country by storm. In this modern retelling, Ichabod Crane is still being pursued by the Headless Horseman, but the pulse-quickening drama and terror have increased tenfold. Don’t miss this reimagining, which was named one of the “Top 5 Halloween Plays” in the USA by American Theatre magazine.

The Sleepy Hollow Experience
October 17th-November 3rd
Thursday-Sunday at 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Mountainside Theatre, 688 Drama Road, Cherokee, NC 28719
For tickets visit: www.cherokeehistorical.org

Monday, November 4, 2019
Live Glassblowing Demos
Nov 4 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Grove Arcade - Suite 123

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

Thursday, November 7, 2019
Live Glassblowing Demos
Nov 7 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Grove Arcade - Suite 123

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