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.

Thursday, August 3, 2023
Asheville renters’ opportunities to give feedback
Aug 3 all-day
The city of Asheville

Do you live and rent in the City of Asheville?

Do you want an opportunity to share your experience as a renter?

The City wants to hear from you! 

Our Community and Economic Development staff is addressing housing in Asheville by looking at what we call “missing middle housing”.  “Missing middle housing” refers to housing types, such as duplexes, triplexes, or townhomes, that can be said to have largely been missing from the residential housing market over the last 70 years. You can describe middle residential as housing types that live in the middle of two common and well-known housing options: Single-family homes and large-scale multi-family housing apartment buildings.

Local examples of Missing Middle Housing including an accessory dwelling unit (left), small apartment house (center), and townhomes (right)
Local examples of Missing Middle Housing including an accessory dwelling unit (left), small apartment house (center), and townhomes (right)

Join the discussion in 2 ways!

Take our survey:  Renter’s Survey.

In April 2023 the City began a Missing Middle Housing Study  to identify barriers that negatively impact the production of housing supply in Asheville. The term “missing middle” is meant to describe a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units that are compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes, including such examples as duplexes, cottage courts, and fourplexes.

As part of the study, the team is conducting a Renter’s Survey to better understand housing preferences and needs from the perspective of Asheville’s renting population. Anyone wishing to participate in the anonymous survey can access it at the project website or directly by clicking the following link: Renter’s SurveyThis survey will be accessible until Friday, August 11, 2023. 

Attend a workshop : August 4, 2023

Another approaching engagement opportunity will be a public workshop to be held next month. The free workshop will be an open-house format where attendees can drop in anytime between 4 – 7 p.m. on August 4th at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center’s Banquet Hall (87 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801). Attendees will learn more about missing middle housing and how it can help to expand housing choice, increase entry-level home ownership opportunities, help homeowners to build generational wealth and passive income, and enable local ownership and neighborhood-driven investment.

The workshop is a family-friendly event that will include a series of stations for participants to learn and discuss specific housing-related topics. At each station there will be an opportunity to give feedback that will help guide the final Missing Middle Housing report. This report will ultimately make recommendations to help Asheville prioritize next steps for regulatory changes and strategies that support more housing choices in Asheville. Topics that will be highlighted at the workshop include:

  • Project Overview: Timeline, engagement opportunities, and next steps
  • Asheville’s Housing Needs: What are the most significant housing challenges facing Asheville?
  • Missing Middle Housing Outcomes:  What are the benefits of missing middle housing and how have other cities implemented these housing strategies?
  • MMH Building Types: What are the types of housing included in the study and which missing middle housing types would fit into your neighborhood?
  • What We’ve Heard So Far: What are the concerns and barriers that exist in Asheville today?

For those who cannot attend the in-person event, all workshop materials and accompanying surveys will be available on the City’s project website.

City of Asheville implements changes to leaf bag collection beginning August 1
Aug 3 all-day
City of Asheville

The City of Asheville is committed to promoting environmental sustainability and reducing plastic waste.

As part of these efforts, the City will be implementing a new ordinance, effective August 1, 2023, that prohibits the use of plastic bags for brush and leaf collection.

This regulation is in accordance with the Asheville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 15 §38(h). To assist with this transition, the City has provided paper yard waste bags for residents to sample. These are available at multiple locations. Reusable containers marked yard waste are also possible options. For more information regarding the change, visit the City’s website.

 

The City has provided information on alternative disposal methods on its website. One of the simplest and most efficient ways to manage loose leaves is through composting. Residents can use a mulching mower to run over the leaves, allowing them to compost directly into the lawn. Another option is to rake the leaves into a compost pile, which will decompose over time and serve as a beneficial soil additive for gardening purposes. Get more info on leaf composting here, or general composting options.

 

The City of Asheville remains dedicated to promoting sustainable practices and protecting the environment. By implementing this plastic bag prohibition for brush and leaf collection, the City is taking another step towards building a cleaner and greener community while having efficient and safe conditions for workers.

Food Scraps Drop Off: Oakley Community Center
Aug 3 all-day
Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

 

Locations

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

    • Dawn – Dusk

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

    • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

    • Library open hours
    • Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

      85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

        • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
        • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm
Inqwiry: Outdoor Wire Sculptures by Josh Coté
Aug 3 all-day
Grovewood Village

Grovewood Gallery will present Inqwiry, an outdoor exhibition of wire animal sculptures by Bakersville, NC, artist Josh Coté. This event is open to the public and free to attend. Inqwiry will remain on view through August 13, 2023.

Need Help With Water Bills? New Water Assistance Program Could Offer Help.
Aug 3 all-day
online

If you’re behind on your water bill or afraid your water might get cut off, a new resource might be able to help you. On Jan. 4, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved more than $450,000 in federal funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The initiative is aimed at preventing water disconnections and helping reconnect drinking and wastewater services.

The LIHWAP will be administered by Buncombe County-based Eblen Charities. The nonprofit will make payments directly to utilities on behalf of qualifying households. The program is slated to run through Sept. 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility requirements

Households that currently receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Work First services, or those that received Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) services from Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021, are automatically eligible to receive this benefit if their water services have been cut off or are in danger of being cut off.

For additional eligibility information or to apply, please contact Eblen Charities at (828) 255-3066.

Preservation Grant
Aug 3 all-day
online w/ Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County

The addition of preservation grants to our existing efforts in advocacy, technical support, preservation easements, and education, will allow us to reach a new and diverse audience.  This program will allow us to support both large and small projects from downtown Asheville to our rural and under-served communities.

Click here for the Grant Application

We look forward to helping with emergency stabilization projects and restorations of important places, to helping neighborhoods receive designations such as recognition on the National Register of Historic Places and to encouraging and supporting new and unique education and research opportunities.  We want to be surprised and humbled by the projects our community asks us to support!

As our city faces the inevitable challenges of growth, PSABC’s voice and reach must expand.  The important addition of this Preservation Grant Program comes in response to the needs of our community.

*Deadline to apply for the current grant round is Friday August 11th*

Preservation grants from $500 – $5000 will be offered to the public in three categories:

  1. Bricks-And-Mortar

Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older

Some examples: Windows and doors • Exterior painting • Porches • Roofs and gutters • Electrical and plumbing • Hardscaping • Foundation • Original exterior or interior details

  1. Public Education

Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history

Some examples: Research and documentation • Oral histories • Installations specific to buildings, place history, and culture • Exhibitions • K–12 educational publications • Seminars and lectures • Documentary films

  1. Planning, Survey and Designation

Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resource surveys and local or national designations

Some examples: Historic building condition reports • Engineering and rehabilitation plans • Feasibility studies • Historic resource surveys • Updates of previous surveys • Local and national historic designations

Read about our past winners here!

Preservations Grants
Aug 3 all-day
online
Apply for a Grant Today!
We are currently accepting preservation grant applications! Grants from $500 – $5000 will be offered to the public in three categories:
1. Bricks-And-Mortar
Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older
2. Public Education
Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history
 
3. Planning, Survey and Designation
Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resources surveys and local or national designations
(Deadline is Friday August 11th)
Summer Cycle Volunteer Opportunities
Aug 3 all-day
New Belgium Brewing Company

In partnership with Riding In Color WNC, who create intersectional affinity spaces for BIPOC of all genders, body sizes, and abilities to build skills and community within cycling in WNC, we’re co-hosting a BIPOC Affinity Summer Cycle experience as well as our traditional event in an effort to create a more inclusive space for people to enjoy riding in their community. Preview the schedule below because there are many moving parts to Summer Cycle ‘23.

Support the Summer Cycle experience by volunteering to support the AoB kiosk, host the bike park, pedal patrol the routes, and/or breakdown or set up.

Summer Cycle Schedule

Riding in Color: BIPOC Affinity Schedule

10:00 AM:
Summer Cycle Check In

10:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Begins

11:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Returns

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
Pop-Up Bike Park

Asheville on Bikes: Open Afternoon Schedule

2:00 PM – 7:00 PM:
Pop-Up Bicycle Park

3:00 PM:
Summer Cycle Check In

3:30 PM:
Summer Cycle Begins

4:30 PM – 7:00 PM:
Post Ride Silliness & Pop-Up Bicycle Park

*The morning affinity program is for individuals and families that identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.
Wilderness Medicine + Survival Skills at Nantahala Outdoor Center
Aug 3 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

LEARN MORE THIS YEAR

Brush up on your wilderness medicine or learn new survival skills! SOLO Southeast & NOC are offering over 200 courses in 2023 and classes in locations across the southeast.

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bryson City, NC
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • Collegedale, TN
  • Greenville, SC

Find your next course with SOLO Southeast and be prepared for the unexpected!

Food Scraps Drop Off: Stephens-Lee Recreation Center
Aug 3 @ 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
Stephens-Lee Recreation Center

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in

two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

 

Locations

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

    • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

    • Dawn – Dusk

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

    • Library open hours
    • Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander
        • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
        • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm
Food Scraps Drop Off: Buncombe County Landfill
Aug 3 @ 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

 

Locations Holidays call for hours

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center

85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

    • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

    • Dawn – Dusk

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

    • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

    • Library open hours
Journeyperson Program w/ Organic Growers School
Aug 3 @ 8:00 am
Organic Growers School

The Journeyperson Program is designed for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region. This program will give you the space and time to work on your business’s scale, viability, and long-term direction while making connections that deepen peer-to-peer support.

Limited spots are available for the full program, and those who want to be eligible for our Savings Incentive Program and the professional development funds must commit to participating in all aspects of the program.

Participants can use this program as a tangible step toward achieving their farm goals, and make significant contributions to the agricultural community and economy.

This program is designed to give tailored guidance and support for your farm business to answer questions of:

  • Scale

  • Market access

  • Land access

  • Risk management

  • Understanding cash flow

  • Enterprise innovation

WNC Farmers Market
Aug 3 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
WNC Farmers Market

NCDA&CS - Marketing Division - Western North Carolina Farmers Market

The WNC Farmers Market is the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.

House of Operation:

WNC Farmers Market: 24/7, 361 days a year market access for farmers
Office: Monday- Friday, 8am-5pm
Market Shops: 7 days a week, 8 am-5 pm
Wholesale and Truck Sheds: 7 days a week

Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Aug 3 @ 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!

Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
Aug 3 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
NC Cooperative Extension Buncombe County Center

Presenter: Dave Bush, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

Disbudding is the first step of pruning dahlias. Learn all the steps of pruning in order to get the best blooms from your plants. We will also introduce the American Dahlia Society’s classification system.

This will be an in-person program at the Extension office at the address above. Portions of this program may be held outside; please dress appropriately for the weather. The classroom size is limited so register to reserve your seat!

Registration: The talk is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Please click on the link below to register. If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Exhibition: NEO MINERALIA
Aug 3 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

Photo credit:

Sae Honda. Courtesy of the Artist.

NEO MINERALIA suggests that recent rock formations no longer fit within the traditional groups: Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary. Instead, the Anthropocene, the era of human influence on the climate and environment, has introduced two post-natural rocks: Synthetic and Digital.

NEO MINERALIA presents a selection of new geological specimens crafted by ten international artists exploring rocks as reflections of our effects on human and nonhuman ecologies. By embedding synthetic materials (plastics, e-waste) and layers of data points (critical, financial, social) into the craftsmanship of these artifacts, the artists transgress the definition of rocks, turning them from passive aggregates of minerals into metaphorical aggregates of data. Within their apparent “rockness” we can decode hopes, warnings, and speculative future scenarios.

The featured works stemming from places as varied as Mexico, Japan, Poland, and Australia (including a curated artists’ books library), collectively signal a new era of planetary and geological consciousness where we are asked to read, feel, and listen to rocks in new ways.

Exhibition: Something earned, Something left behind
Aug 3 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

Photo credit:

J Diamond, “Pony II,” 2022. Courtesy of the Artist

Something earned, Something left behind is an exhibition of objecthood; a critical analysis of the transactional and political languages of everyday and culturally significant objects. This exhibition challenges a history of exclusion and inclusion of People of Color (POC) and their narratives from the canon of craft based on subject matter. It dissects this history’s origins and precedent as an economic transaction to gain access to white spaces.

Racial and ethnic identity influences the way individuals perceive themselves, the way others perceive them, and the way they choose to behave. For this reason, People of Color are expected to perform certain roles in order to fit into hegemonic institutions. These roles can be an active shrinking of themselves and the racialized part of them, or a personal exploitation of their racialized selves. This exhibition addresses and redresses the ways narrowed populations have been included, and the ways in which they have been asked to participate.

Together, this work creates space for and legitimizes POC narratives with depth and care. The exhibiting artists’ practices work against institutionalized expectations of POC work, expanding discourse and inserting new subjectivity into the canon of craft art. It engages with a community hungry for the revitalization and resuscitation of non-Western voices within art spaces. This exhibition challenges the expectations of art from artists of marginalized backgrounds and embraces a new subjectivity of interrogating one’s inherited experiences.

Exhibition: Crafting Denim
Aug 3 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Center for Craft

Photo credit:

Photograph by Bowery Blue Makers

Jeans – with their standardized pockets, rivets, and denim – are so much a part of everyday wardrobes that they are easy to overlook. Yet, in workshops across the nation, independent makers are reevaluating the garment and creating jeans by hand, using antiquated equipment and denim woven on midcentury looms. Crafting Denim explores how and why jeans have come to exist at the intersections of industry and craft, modernity, and tradition.

A product of industrial factory production for over a century, jeans are being recast by a new cohort of small-scale makers including craftspeople like Ryan Martin of W.H. Ranch Dungarees, Takayuki Echigoya of Bowery Blue Makers, and Sarah Yarborough and Victor Lytvinenko of Raleigh Denim, who favor choice materials and small-batch fabrication. The jeans they make merge craft traditions with industry and extend the conversation between hand and machine.

Each maker creates a distinctive product but shares a deep appreciation for materials, tools, history, and denim. These jeans are in dialogue with the past and in line with contemporary interests in sustainability. The small workshops featured here are sites of innovation and preservation, and visitors are invited to take a close look at an everyday item and imagine alternative contexts for making and living in our own clothes.

Farm Beginnings® Program w/ Organic Growers School
Aug 3 @ 10:00 am
Organic Growers School

Farm Beginnings® is training the next generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more.

Farm Beginnings® will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. We support individuals in clarifying their goals and strengths, developing agricultural skills, and growing profitable, equitable, and ecologically sound farm businesses.

Guided by our commitment to social justice, our programming is led by farmers and mentors active in food, farming, or social justice. By empowering people with skills, knowledge, and access to resources, together we can build a more diverse, equitable food system that enriches the environment and creates a thriving food and farming community.

We use a holistic management frame, farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, mentoring, and an extensive farmer network. The topics of equity and justice in the food systems are woven into the curriculum, including examples of realistic approaches within the scope of your business models.

The 200+ hr, year-long program consists of:

  • Training on holistic management, farm business, marketing & financial planning

  • Sessions taught by regional, experienced Farmers

  • One-year WNC CRAFT Farmer Network Membership

  • Completing and presenting an individualized farm plan

  • Access to Field Days with regional partners

  • Entry to ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference

  • Entry to OGS’s Spring Conference

  • 15 hr mentorship with an experienced Farmer Mentor

View a sample of the full course schedule here.

Food Scraps Drop Off: West Asheville Library
Aug 3 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
West Asheville Library

Food Scraps Drop Off

The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in

two locations for all Buncombe County residents.  This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Register for Food Scraps Drop Off

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin?  Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.

 

Locations

West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building

942 Haywood Road, Asheville

Library open hours

Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot

30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville

    • Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    • Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot

749 Fairview Road, Asheville

    • Dawn – Dusk

 

Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander

        • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
        • Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm
LAZOOM: CITY COMEDY TOUR
Aug 3 @ 10:00 am
LaZoom Room

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

  • Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
  • 90-Minutes – tours run daily
  • 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
  • $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
The Learning Garden presents: Dahlia Series: Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
Aug 3 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Buncombe County Extension Office

Disbudding is the first step of pruning dahlias. Join Extension Master Gardener Dave Bush to learn all the steps of pruning in order to get the best blooms from your plants. Dave will also introduce the American Dahlia Society’s classification system.
Portions of this program may be held outside; please dress appropriately for the weather.
Attendance is limited and registration is required.

Rootabaga Express! Summer Plays
Aug 3 @ 10:15 am
Carl Sandburg Home

Carl Sandburg created his own version of American fairy tales when he published Rootabaga Stories (1922) and Rootabaga Pigeons (1923). He replaced the European fairy tale cast of princes, princesses, castles and kingdoms with icons American children would recognize — taxi-drivers, movie actors, skyscrapers, prairies and automobiles. Rootabaga Express! brings the stories of the Five Rusty Rats, Bimbo the Snip and more to life.You’ll meet new characters and journey farther into the Village of Liver and Onions and Sandburg’s imagination than ever before.

The 30-minute shows are appropriate for all ages and held rain or shine.These shows are supported by the Flat Rock Playhouse and the Park Store, operated by America’s National Parks.

For young visitors who attend the plays, there is a Rootabaga Junior Ranger program available. Activity sheets will be available at the amphitheater after the play and can be turned in at the Sandburg Home for a limited edition “Rootabaga Ranger” badge.


Apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse have performed adaptations of Sandburg’s works for park visitors since 1974. Using Sandburg’s own words from his collections of children’s stories, poetry, collected music, biography of Abraham Lincoln and his own autobiography, the performances provide visitors with a sense of the scope of his work and imagination. Sandburg was an expert storyteller, and easily wove important messages of fairness, empathy and social justice into his writings. Whatever play you are able to attend you will walk away with a smile on your face and a better understanding of the legacy of Carl Sandburg.

Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Aug 3 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas! Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century. Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made. Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and our popular Cajun seasoned Pulled Pork BBQ with Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce cooked in our special spices and slow roasted to perfection! During the month of October, 9am departures will feature the option of a delicious Cheesy Shrimp & Grits or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole while 2pm departures will be served the popular BBQ meal.

Nantahala Gorge Excursion
Aug 3 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

TAKE A TRAIN RIDE ALONG SIDE THE BEAUTIFUL NANTAHALA RIVER ON OUR NANTAHALA GORGE EXCURSION! DEPARTING FROM BRYSON CITY, THIS 4½ HOUR ROUNDTRIP EXCURSION CARRIES YOU 44 MILES TO THE NANTAHALA GORGE AND BACK AGAIN ARRIVING AT OUR BRYSON CITY DEPOT.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River. The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available in First Class Seating and selecting from our  First Class Dinning menu options OR you can pre-purchase a box lunch option to make this an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!

Itinerary

30m before departure Boarding begins at Bryson City Depot
See schedule for departure time Depart Bryson City, NC
1h 45m Reach top of the line
2h 00m Begin return
2h 30m—3h 30m Layover
3h 30m Depart Layover
4h 30m Arrive at Bryson City Depot
Time from Departure Activity
Black Mountain College and Mexico (BMC/MX): Exhibition
Aug 3 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center

Black Mountain College and Mexico (BMC/MX): Exhibition, Publication, and Public Programming

Black Mountain College (1933–1957), a small but remarkably influential liberal arts school in rural North Carolina, had important links to Mexico that until now have been little investigated. A crucible of twentieth-century creativity, BMC galvanized and inspired artists and intellectuals from around the world, while Mexico’s innovations and age-old traditions—in fine and applied arts, architecture, poetry, music, performance, and more—dovetailed with, and indeed drove, global impulses toward modernism and beyond. Among the many key BMC figures whose lives were importantly touched by experiences in Mexico were Anni and Josef Albers, Ruth Asawa, John Cage, Jean Charlot, Elaine de Kooning, Buckminster Fuller, Carlos Mérida, Robert Motherwell, Charles Olson, Clara Porset, M.C. Richards, and Aaron Siskind. In turn, engagements with BMC and its legacy have played a significant role in shaping contemporary approaches to art in Mexico, evident in the works of Jorge Méndez Blake, Iñaki Bonillas, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Jose Dávila, Gerda Gruber, Lake Verea, Gabriel Orozco, and Damián Ortega, among others.

The exhibition BMC/MX features works by these and other prominent contemporary Mexican artists alongside a selection of historic works by BMC artists, highlighting the ways in which ideas and modalities are translated across materials, space, and time.

Related programming, planned in collaboration with Mexican artists, features a series of public events, including a performance by artist (and BMC/MX co-curator) David Miranda to take place at Different Wrld; an exhibition visit (in Spanish and English) with BMC/MX Project Director Eric Baden; and a series of experiential art events in the BMCM+AC library.

The exhibition is accompanied by the book Black Mountain College and Mexico (forthcoming late summer 2023), which investigates the people, ideas, and practices linking BMC and Mexico during the life of the school, as well as resonances between BMC and the work of contemporary Mexican artists. With contributions by BMC/MX’s curators, as well as by artist Abraham Cruzvillegas, design scholar Ana Elena Mallet, and author and activist Margaret Randall, this fully illustrated volume brings new light to this complex and underexplored subject.

BMC/MX is an investigation into modes of communication—the arenas in which new ideas and alliances may come to be—between Black Mountain College and Mexico, between past and present, between form and idea.

About the Curators

BMC/MX’s Project Director Eric Baden is a photographer and from 1994 to 2022 was professor of photography at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina. He is the founding director of photo+, a multidisciplinary arts event held in Asheville, North Carolina.

Artist and educator David Miranda is curator at the Museo Experimental El Eco (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM), and teaches at the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado “La Esmeralda” in Mexico City.

Diana Stoll is an editor, writer and curator who works with institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum. She has served as an editor at Aperture and Artforum magazines, and contributes writings to prominent arts publications.

Sandburg Home Tours
Aug 3 @ 11:00 am
Carl Sandburg Home

Sandburg Home Tours – Thursday to Sunday at 11am, 1pm, 2pm.

*As of April 2022, tours are free until further notice. See rates below if they change before your visit. Online reservations are available at recreation.gov.

The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

  • Tour Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.
  • Passes: The park does not currently sell the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
    *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
    *You can purchase a pass online at 
    America the Beautiful – National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass | USGS Store.
  • 30-minute house tours are offered year-round, schedule varies by season. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
  • Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
  • Tours are limited to 6 persons.
  • Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

    Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee
    *Tours are free until further notice, this chart is the rate when fees resume.

    (credit card only)
    $10.00 for Adults 16 and older
    $6.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
    Free for Children age 15 and under

The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation
Aug 3 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

The Art of Food features works from important postwar artists, like Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, John Baldessari, Wayne Thiebaud, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Jasper Johns, alongside the work of contemporary artists, like Alison Saar, Lorna Simpson, Enrique Chagoya, Rachel Whiteread, and Jenny Holzer, among others.

The Art of Food features more than 100 works in mediums that include drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and ceramics by 37 artists.

Each artist has a unique means of depicting food in their work that, when seen alongside others, creates a nuanced representation of the complex place food holds in everyday life. Cross-historical resonances between artists in the exhibition spark novel meditations on food and its discontents, while speaking to a broad range of audiences.

The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad
Aug 3 @ 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:

  • An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
  • A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
  • Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels

Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
Aug 3 @ 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.