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, November 30, 2019
Chocolate & Beer Pairing
Nov 30 @ 2:00 pm
Highland Brewery Event Center Mezzanine

We are teaming up with local chocolatier French Broad Chocolate for a seasonal tasting experience during the our Holiday Market. Representatives from the French Broad Chocolate and Highland will walk you through the processes for making chocolate and beer with expertly paired samples along the way.

Festival of Lights Walk Thru-Lake Julian
Nov 30 @ 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.  Walk through the park and view the dazzling displays.  Santa, hot chocolate and more awaits you.
*More details will be available in early November

Literacy Council November Community Box Partner: Chiesa Restaurant
Nov 30 @ 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Chiesa

Community Box Partner

Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!

Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

Sunday, December 1, 2019
Highland Brewing Cheese and Charcuterie Pairing
Dec 1 @ 1:00 pm
Highland Brewing Company

Highland Brewing Cheese and Charcuterie Pairing

Sunday, December 1st, at 1pm on the Event Center Mezzanine. This is a ticketed event during Highland’s free Holiday Market. Join the WNC Cheese Trail, The American Pig, and Highland Brewing for a cheese, meat and beer tasting experience during the Highland Holiday Market! Sample offerings from three local cheese makers, Appalachian charcuterie, and beers from Asheville’s first brewery.

Monday, December 2, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 2 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 3 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Think Tank Tuesdays Trivia Night
Dec 3 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Hillman Beer

Hillman Beer’s Trivia Night is on Tuesdays from 7pm-9pm! Get ready to drink some beer, test your wit, and have some fun!

Details:
– Please arrive at 6:30pm
– Max 6 people per team
– First place gets a $50 Hillman Beer Gift Card!

Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Reduced Price Growler Fill Wednesdays
Dec 4 @ 9:00 pm – Dec 5 @ 3:00 am
plēb urban winery

Select a wine on draft and fill a plēb urban winery 500mL or 1L growler for a reduced price (see menu for availability and pricing). Growler purchase is separate. Carry out only.

https://www.facebook.com/events/859748727719594/?event_time_id=859748901052910

Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 4 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Thursday, December 5, 2019
Semi-Wild Women’s Night
Dec 5 @ 10:30 pm – Dec 6 @ 1:00 am
Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

Ladies, please join us the first Thursday of every month** for great wine, great friends, and lots of fun!

**July’s event will not be held because of the 4th.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2190909954570744/?event_time_id=2190909981237408

Balsam Range Art of Music Festival Kickoff
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Folkmoot Center

Tickets for Balsam Range Art of Music Festival Kickoff in Waynesville from ShowClix

For the second year, Balsam Range opens its December Art of Music Festival with an official Waynesville kickoff at the Queen Auditorium, at Folkmoot Center in the Historic Hazelwood School.

Members of Balsam Range will be joined by a strong lineup of special guests to launch their popular weekend festival with a performance on Thursday, December 5.

In a special night honoring the art of songwriting, Balsam Range welcomes John Wiggins, Milan Miller, Aaron Bibelhauser and Missy Armstrong, and adds an appearance by Terry Baucom, a founding member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out and Boone Creek, and current leader of his band The Dukes of Drive.

Balsam Range will follow the songwriters with its own performance, and will give a sneak-peek of some material from its upcoming album (Note: no recording devices allowed in the auditorium). In addition, Balsam Range’s Marc Pruett will sign copies of his new autobiography “Rascally Mountain Boy”, and may share a tale of two from the book.

The event begins with a social gathering at 6pm, with barbeque and fresh beer available for purchase.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door, and can be purchased in advance at Folkmoot.org or by calling 828.452.2997. Tickets sales and contributions support Folkmoot programs that sustain cultural arts for youth and families in Western North Carolina.

Food will be available at the event:
BBQ chopped pork with a choice of 2 sides from; slaw, beans or collards: $12.00
Peach Cobbler: $3.00

Serving: 5:30pm-7:00pm

Capella on 9 Repeal Day Celebration
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Capella on 9

Our ancestors lived in a world without alcohol, so we would never have to. Join Capella on 9 in celebration of Repeal Day on Thursday, December 5, for a night of spirits and celebrations. Sample limited edition bourbons, including the select Maker’s Mark Stave RC6. Hand dip unique Repeal Day ornaments, sip on Prohibition-style cocktails, enjoy small bites and enter to win Maker’s Mark prizes. We hope to see you there!

Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Friday, December 6, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 6 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Saturday, December 7, 2019
Free Community Family Swim YWCA
Dec 7 @ 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
YWCA of Asheville

Every Saturday, YWCA of Asheville, in partnership with City of Asheville Parks and Recreation, is offering free Community Open Swim to the public.  Fall 2019 hours are Saturdays 1:30-3:30 pm through December 14th. Join us in our solar-heated, indoor pool and bring a friend! You do not need to RSVP or be a member of the YWCA to enjoy community open swim.

Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 7 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Sunday, December 8, 2019
Hendersonville Pub Crawl Benefiting Blue Ridge Humane Society
Dec 8 @ 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Dry Falls Brewing Co.

Join us for a fun day out on the town, visiting all the best breweries Hendo has to offer! We’ll be starting at Dry Falls at 1 PM, then the lineup is as follows (all times approximate):

1 PM – 1:45 PM Dry Falls Brewing Co.
walk

2 PM – 2:45 PM Sanctuary Brewing Company
walk

3:00 – 3:45 Triskelion Brewing Company
walk

4:00 – 4:45 Guidon Brewing Co.
walk

5 PM – ?? Southern Appalachian Brewery

Tickets: $5 at the door (cash, check, and card accepted with cash preferred). No kids or pets please! All proceeds plus a percentage of sales are donated to Blue Ridge Humane Society! Event is organized by the Historic Hendersonville Pub Crawl. Please utilize free parking options near Dry Falls as their parking is limited and we don’t want to use all their parking after we’ve left!

 

Holiday Tour of Historic Inns and Cookie Caper Hendersonville
Dec 8 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Hendersonville Visitor Center

Holiday Tour of Historic Inns and Cookie Caper

The Holiday Tour of Historic Inns and Cookie Caper is a self-guided tour of several of the area’s inns decorated for the holidays, where at the end of each inn tour, participants are given a delicious Christmas treat. Tickets sold at the Hendersonville Visitor Center. Inns TBD, check the website closer to the date for more info!

Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 8 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Monday, December 9, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 9 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 10 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Think Tank Tuesdays Trivia Night
Dec 10 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Hillman Beer

Hillman Beer’s Trivia Night is on Tuesdays from 7pm-9pm! Get ready to drink some beer, test your wit, and have some fun!

Details:
– Please arrive at 6:30pm
– Max 6 people per team
– First place gets a $50 Hillman Beer Gift Card!

Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Reduced Price Growler Fill Wednesdays
Dec 11 @ 9:00 pm – Dec 12 @ 3:00 am
plēb urban winery

Select a wine on draft and fill a plēb urban winery 500mL or 1L growler for a reduced price (see menu for availability and pricing). Growler purchase is separate. Carry out only.

https://www.facebook.com/events/859748727719594/?event_time_id=859748904386243

Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 11 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Thursday, December 12, 2019
The 2020 AIR Passport: Asheville Independent Restaurant Association
Dec 12 all-day
Asheville’s Independent Restaurant Association

The AIR Passport is your buy-one-get-one (BOGO)* ticket to some of Buncombe County’s highly acclaimed independent restaurants. Visit an old favorite or try a new member of the area’s vibrant independent restaurant community. AIR Passports make great gifts, but they go fast.

The AIR Passport offers BOGO from 60 area eateries with discounts up to $15 per participating restaurants. All proceeds from the AIR Passport go to benefit the ongoing efforts of AIR to keep Asheville’s food scene eclectic and authentic.

“It is one of our largest fundraisers of the year,” Anderson said.  “We are able to use these funds throughout the year for educational classes,  events and other opportunities for our members and their staff.”

Participating restaurants in the 2020 AIR Passport:

828 Pizzeria North Ducker Tea Room Rosabees
828 Pizzeria South Early Girl DT Rosetta’s
AUX Bar Early Girl West Roux
Baked Pie North Early Girl North Rustic Grape
Baked Pie South Farm Burger Sante
The Barrelhouse French Broad Choc Sawhorse
Bhramari The Glass Onion The Social Lounge
The Bier Garden The Grey Eagle Strada
Black Bear BBQ Hemingway’s Cuba Sunny Point
The Blackbird Isa’s Bistro Tupelo Honey DT
Blue Dream Curry Jack of the Wood Tupelo Honey South
Bouchon Karen Donatelli Daphne-Twisted Laurel
Button & Co Bagels The Laughing Seed Twisted Laurel West
Buxton Hall Little Jumbo Ultimate Ice Cream N
The Cantina The Lobster Trap Ultimate Ice Cream E
Chai Pani Luella’s North Vinnie’s Italian
Chestnut Luella’s South Well Played
Chupacabra The Native Social White Labs
Collaboratory Pack’s Tavern White Duck Taco DT
Copper Crown The Oysterhouse White Duck Taco RAD
The Corner Kitchen The Red Stag Grill White Duck Taco South
Creekside Taphouse RendezVous
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 12 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Mistletoe & Merlot: A Holiday Craft Market
Dec 12 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Radius Chiropractic

One of our goals in this community is to support other small, local businesses. This Holiday season we are excited to host Mistletoe & Merlot, A Holiday Craft Market designed to showcase makers, artist and craftspeople of Asheville.

This is a community event open to all of your family and friends. Come and enjoy FREE wine and food, while browsing items from local vendors. Need to cross some things off your Christmas list? This will be a one stop shop for all of your gift-giving needs.

We are excited to host:

Sweet Abode Artisan Soaps, Asheville Bag Lady, Mommabear Hoodies, Art by Pam Granger Gale, Art by Julie Armbruster, Jewelry by Designed to Dream, Poetry Prints by Morgan Holmes, Stones and Rocks by Carolyn Johnson, Winter wear by Coroin, Pottery from Batton Clayworks and candles and body care by Sage and Sunflowers.

And, don’t miss the raffle, where will be gifting items from each vendor throughout the night!

Friday, December 13, 2019
The 2020 AIR Passport: Asheville Independent Restaurant Association
Dec 13 all-day
Asheville’s Independent Restaurant Association

The AIR Passport is your buy-one-get-one (BOGO)* ticket to some of Buncombe County’s highly acclaimed independent restaurants. Visit an old favorite or try a new member of the area’s vibrant independent restaurant community. AIR Passports make great gifts, but they go fast.

The AIR Passport offers BOGO from 60 area eateries with discounts up to $15 per participating restaurants. All proceeds from the AIR Passport go to benefit the ongoing efforts of AIR to keep Asheville’s food scene eclectic and authentic.

“It is one of our largest fundraisers of the year,” Anderson said.  “We are able to use these funds throughout the year for educational classes,  events and other opportunities for our members and their staff.”

Participating restaurants in the 2020 AIR Passport:

828 Pizzeria North Ducker Tea Room Rosabees
828 Pizzeria South Early Girl DT Rosetta’s
AUX Bar Early Girl West Roux
Baked Pie North Early Girl North Rustic Grape
Baked Pie South Farm Burger Sante
The Barrelhouse French Broad Choc Sawhorse
Bhramari The Glass Onion The Social Lounge
The Bier Garden The Grey Eagle Strada
Black Bear BBQ Hemingway’s Cuba Sunny Point
The Blackbird Isa’s Bistro Tupelo Honey DT
Blue Dream Curry Jack of the Wood Tupelo Honey South
Bouchon Karen Donatelli Daphne-Twisted Laurel
Button & Co Bagels The Laughing Seed Twisted Laurel West
Buxton Hall Little Jumbo Ultimate Ice Cream N
The Cantina The Lobster Trap Ultimate Ice Cream E
Chai Pani Luella’s North Vinnie’s Italian
Chestnut Luella’s South Well Played
Chupacabra The Native Social White Labs
Collaboratory Pack’s Tavern White Duck Taco DT
Copper Crown The Oysterhouse White Duck Taco RAD
The Corner Kitchen The Red Stag Grill White Duck Taco South
Creekside Taphouse RendezVous
Midnight Summit Release Party
Dec 13 @ 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Highland Brewing Company

Midnight Summit returns! Best enjoined by a roaring fire, this vanilla milk stout perfectly melds together creamy notes of vanilla, chocolate, and coffee.

Get your first taste of this seasonal brew at our Taproom release party!
As with all our seasonal releases, a dollar from every pint of Midnight Summit sold will go to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, one our Community Partners.

 

18th Annual Enter the Earth Xmas Party
Dec 13 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Enter the Earth

You’re invited to Enter the Earth’s 18th Annual Christmas party on Friday, Dec 13, 2019. Join us from 6-8pm at the Enter the Earth gallery in the Grove Arcade for nibbles and drinks and to kick off the raffle with all proceeds donated to LEAF Community Arts.

At 9pm we will head over to the Asheville Music Hall for a night of funk with George Porter Jr. featuring Joe Marcinek and the Josh Blake Trio. We also welcome local musicians to jam! Showtime is 9:30pm. There will be an online silent auction starting a week before the event. Keep an eye out for some AMAZING items to fulfill your holiday gift list and support LEAF as we enter our 25th year!  All proceeds from this event will also benefit LEAF Community Arts.

Friday, December 13th, 2019
6pm-8pm: FREE Pre-party at Enter the Earth

Grove Arcade
1 Page Ave Suite 125
Asheville, NC 28801

9pm-2am: ETE’s 18th Annual Xmas Party
Asheville Music Hall
31 Patton Ave
Asheville, NC 28801