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, February 22, 2020
Farmer Incubator Program – Apply Now!
Feb 22 all-day
SAHC

Farmer Incubator Program – Apply Now!

Farming = a long-term game. Traditionally, farming was a lifelong+ learning process, with families passing along experience, knowledge, and land accrued by multiple generations. Today, your experience in farming may be different. This program is part of a collaborative support system to help “incubate” farm businesses as they grow.

Farming is a business… What’s your business plan?

Do you have a farm business idea? Make it a reality! You are invited to join Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Farmer Incubator Program, a “business incubator” for farm operations.

LEAF 50th Festival Line Up and Tickets
Feb 22 all-day
Lake Eden Arts Festival
LEAF Volunteers is now LEAF WeX
Feb 22 all-day
LEAF
We’ve opted to shift the name and give some different benefits.
WHAT is changing? The name, WeX Star Crew benefit, & Festival HQ
– Regular Volunteers are now WeX. Work 10 hours in exchange for Weekend (Fri to Sun) Ticket
– Plus Volunteers are now WeX Plus. Work 15 hours in exchange for a Weekend Plus (Thu to Sun) Ticket
– Star Volunteers are now WeX Star. Work 20 hours in exchange for a Weekend Plus (Thu to Sun) Ticket AND a Culinary Passport -OR- a Star Guest Pass Ticket (Thu to Sun). Guest passes are LIMITED.

We’ll update our Auto-Reply as well as make a note on the website when the guest pass is no longer an available option. Those who have submitted completed applications prior to the cut off will have the guest pass option.

WeX Headquarters (HQ) will now be located under the Ship with a designated lounging area for WeXs. Make sure to come by and say hello!! You’ll pick up official schedule cards and culinary passes here as well.

NC Brewers and Music Festival CANCELLED
Feb 22 all-day
Historic Rural Hill

UPDATED INFO:

To make the transition from this year to the 2021 event as seamless and exciting as possible, we have already worked with our artists, our brewers, and our vendors to make sure that we are able to carry over this year’s lineup and infrastructure to next year’s festival date. In addition, we are also in conversation with Eventbrite regarding the best options we can offer you when it comes to making a choice about how your ticket investment plays out. 

Because this decision affects you as much as it does us, we will offer full refunds of all ticket purchases to any of you who would prefer that option. We understand the inconvenience that this change might cause you, and we ask that you offer us your patience while we organize that process. As another option, we would also like to offer you the opportunity to retain your ticket purchase and to roll it over into next year’s attendance. Any ticket that has already been purchased for 2020 will be honored at our 2021 festival in lieu of a refund. That is a choice we are allowing you to make, and we will be delighted to have you back as our guests then! 

Please check back with us often as we continue to plan for the 2021 (“unofficial 10th Anniversary”) North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival. Again, thank you for your patience and understanding, but mostly for your continued support at the festival. We couldn’t keep putting on this event without you, and we continue to be thankful year after year. 

 

Along with a rich Americana lineup, North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival also shines a spotlight on local brewers and their contribution to North Carolina’s vibrant culinary scene. Over 50 breweries offering a selection of craft beers will be featured on-site throughout the weekend. Tasting tickets, which include access to beer samples plus a commemorative sampling glass, are available for purchase for $50 ($39 for early birds).

North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival began as a fundraising effort to preserve the historic site of Rural Hill. The site, which boasts extensive hiking trails, is a beloved landmark in the Central NC region and is home to many educational field trips and events. Since its inception, the North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival has continued to support the awareness of Rural Hill and attract diverse crowds from all over the country.

Friday music-only passes with sets from Acoustic Syndicate and Fireside Collective are $15. Saturday music-only passes with sets from the Steep Canyon Rangers and Hayes Carll are $22 for early birds. For attendees who would like to sample an unlimited assortment of celebrated North Carolina brews on Saturday, Tasting Tickets (which include daily entrance to the festival for music happenings) are available at the Early Bird price of $39. Camping options are available for attendees who would like to make the most of their weekend. Two-Day weekend tent camping, premium tent camping, and RV/Camper camping with hook-ups are available for $45, $65, and $85 respectively. North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival is a family-friendly event. Children 4 and under are free. A Children’s Ticket is available for kids 5 – 15 for $8.

ASAP Business of Farming Conference
Feb 22 @ 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
AB Tech Conference Center

The conference focuses on the business side of farming, offering beginning and established farmers financial, legal, management, and marketing tools to improve their farm businesses and make new professional connections.

The conference offers over a dozen workshops led by farmers and regional professionals, including Achieve Your Farm Financial Goals, Developing Your Farm Brand, Selling to Restaurants, and more. The popular Grower-Buyer Meeting gives farmers the chance to meet with buyers from area restaurants, groceries, and distributors. Farmers can receive individual support on legal, tax, labor, recordkeeping, and marketing issues during the extended lunch. Breakfast and lunch featuring local farm products is provided.

For the second year, the conference will include a free summit and leadership training for farmers market managers as well as a new farmers market fundraising forum. With more than 100 independent markets across the region, farmers markets are an important outlet for farmers to sell their products, build their customer base, and strengthen community ties. Interested market managers should contact Mike McCreary, [email protected], to pre-register for the summit.

Registration for the Business of Farming Conference is now open at asapconnections.org or by contacting ASAP at (828) 236-1282. Attendance is $75 per person by Feb. 1 and $95 beginning Feb. 2, with a discount for farm partners registering together. Sponsors for the Business of Farming Conference include Ingles Markets, Farm Burger, and Biltmore. Additional support comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Buncombe County Strategic Partnership, Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, and the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.

7th Annual Spartanburg 2020 Home and Garden Shows
Feb 22 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

Home & Garden Show

Sunday, February 23, 2020
25th Annual Bluegrass First Clsss
Feb 23 all-day
Crowne Plaza Resort

25th Annual Bluegrass First Class February 21st-23rd 2020.

7th Annual Spartanburg 2020 Home and Garden Shows
Feb 23 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

Home & Garden Show

Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Early Bird tickets: 23rd annual French Broard River Festival
Feb 26 all-day
Hot Springs Campground & Spa

INTRO-IMAGE_1024px

Kick off spring in the mountains at the 23rd annual French Broad River Festival.  It’s part outdoor adventure, part music festival with whitewater rafting, biking, hiking, kid’s village, camping, great music, and much more.  Painter John, a popular FBRF musician, compares the atmosphere to “a big potluck at your best friend’s house”.  If you’ve been you know . . . what better way to enjoy spring in these mountains?

Weekend passes include camping

$120 online by 3/31/20
$125 online by 4/30/20
$140 at gate
$65 Saturday only
$45 whitewater rafting

Early Bird Tickets: Connect Beyond Festival
Feb 26 all-day

Connection. A word that by definition means to join together to establish a link, so as to provide access and communication. Connect Beyond Festival has established that link and is using music, film, and storytelling to create connections. More than just an event, Connect Beyond Festival is a movement to develop a network of people inspired by creative mediums and united in the pursuit of equality and social justice. Our goal is to inspire a sense of community and personal engagement.

Lauded as “Asheville’s version of SXSW” (Ashvegas) this event is perfect for those who are looking for a more dynamic festival experience – one that prioritizes exploration and participation just as much as entertainment. If you’re looking to broaden your horizons, to engage with others, and want to leave a festival with more than just a hangover, Connect Beyond Festival is just the place to be.

Thursday, February 27, 2020
Attracting Birds to the Landscape
Feb 27 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Bullington Gardens

Bullington staff Kelsey Jarvis and John Murphy will discuss trees, shrubs and hardy perennials that will draw birds to your garden year-round with examples of nesting preferences and food sources for specific birds. In partnership with Wild Birds Unlimited Hendersonville.

Friday, February 28, 2020
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Feb 28 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

LEAF 50th Festival Line Up and Tickets
Feb 28 all-day
Lake Eden Arts Festival
Healthy Beginnings WNC Farmers Market
Feb 28 @ 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
WNC Farmers Market

Healthy Beginnings – February 28 at noon to 2:30. AdventHealth and WNC Farmers Market are teaming up to promote healthy habits. Blood pressure and body mass index screenings will be available and AdventHealth dieticians will prepare samples of healthy recipes using WNC Farmers Market ingredients.

Saturday, February 29, 2020
Early Bird tickets: 23rd annual French Broard River Festival
Feb 29 all-day
Hot Springs Campground & Spa

INTRO-IMAGE_1024px

Kick off spring in the mountains at the 23rd annual French Broad River Festival.  It’s part outdoor adventure, part music festival with whitewater rafting, biking, hiking, kid’s village, camping, great music, and much more.  Painter John, a popular FBRF musician, compares the atmosphere to “a big potluck at your best friend’s house”.  If you’ve been you know . . . what better way to enjoy spring in these mountains?

Weekend passes include camping

$120 online by 3/31/20
$125 online by 4/30/20
$140 at gate
$65 Saturday only
$45 whitewater rafting

Early Bird Tickets: Connect Beyond Festival
Feb 29 all-day

Connection. A word that by definition means to join together to establish a link, so as to provide access and communication. Connect Beyond Festival has established that link and is using music, film, and storytelling to create connections. More than just an event, Connect Beyond Festival is a movement to develop a network of people inspired by creative mediums and united in the pursuit of equality and social justice. Our goal is to inspire a sense of community and personal engagement.

Lauded as “Asheville’s version of SXSW” (Ashvegas) this event is perfect for those who are looking for a more dynamic festival experience – one that prioritizes exploration and participation just as much as entertainment. If you’re looking to broaden your horizons, to engage with others, and want to leave a festival with more than just a hangover, Connect Beyond Festival is just the place to be.

EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Feb 29 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

Farmer Incubator Program – Apply Now!
Feb 29 all-day
SAHC

Farmer Incubator Program – Apply Now!

Farming = a long-term game. Traditionally, farming was a lifelong+ learning process, with families passing along experience, knowledge, and land accrued by multiple generations. Today, your experience in farming may be different. This program is part of a collaborative support system to help “incubate” farm businesses as they grow.

Farming is a business… What’s your business plan?

Do you have a farm business idea? Make it a reality! You are invited to join Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Farmer Incubator Program, a “business incubator” for farm operations.

LEAF 50th Festival Line Up and Tickets
Feb 29 all-day
Lake Eden Arts Festival
NC Brewers and Music Festival CANCELLED
Feb 29 all-day
Historic Rural Hill

UPDATED INFO:

To make the transition from this year to the 2021 event as seamless and exciting as possible, we have already worked with our artists, our brewers, and our vendors to make sure that we are able to carry over this year’s lineup and infrastructure to next year’s festival date. In addition, we are also in conversation with Eventbrite regarding the best options we can offer you when it comes to making a choice about how your ticket investment plays out. 

Because this decision affects you as much as it does us, we will offer full refunds of all ticket purchases to any of you who would prefer that option. We understand the inconvenience that this change might cause you, and we ask that you offer us your patience while we organize that process. As another option, we would also like to offer you the opportunity to retain your ticket purchase and to roll it over into next year’s attendance. Any ticket that has already been purchased for 2020 will be honored at our 2021 festival in lieu of a refund. That is a choice we are allowing you to make, and we will be delighted to have you back as our guests then! 

Please check back with us often as we continue to plan for the 2021 (“unofficial 10th Anniversary”) North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival. Again, thank you for your patience and understanding, but mostly for your continued support at the festival. We couldn’t keep putting on this event without you, and we continue to be thankful year after year. 

 

Along with a rich Americana lineup, North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival also shines a spotlight on local brewers and their contribution to North Carolina’s vibrant culinary scene. Over 50 breweries offering a selection of craft beers will be featured on-site throughout the weekend. Tasting tickets, which include access to beer samples plus a commemorative sampling glass, are available for purchase for $50 ($39 for early birds).

North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival began as a fundraising effort to preserve the historic site of Rural Hill. The site, which boasts extensive hiking trails, is a beloved landmark in the Central NC region and is home to many educational field trips and events. Since its inception, the North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival has continued to support the awareness of Rural Hill and attract diverse crowds from all over the country.

Friday music-only passes with sets from Acoustic Syndicate and Fireside Collective are $15. Saturday music-only passes with sets from the Steep Canyon Rangers and Hayes Carll are $22 for early birds. For attendees who would like to sample an unlimited assortment of celebrated North Carolina brews on Saturday, Tasting Tickets (which include daily entrance to the festival for music happenings) are available at the Early Bird price of $39. Camping options are available for attendees who would like to make the most of their weekend. Two-Day weekend tent camping, premium tent camping, and RV/Camper camping with hook-ups are available for $45, $65, and $85 respectively. North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival is a family-friendly event. Children 4 and under are free. A Children’s Ticket is available for kids 5 – 15 for $8.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Early Bird tickets: 23rd annual French Broard River Festival
Mar 4 all-day
Hot Springs Campground & Spa

INTRO-IMAGE_1024px

Kick off spring in the mountains at the 23rd annual French Broad River Festival.  It’s part outdoor adventure, part music festival with whitewater rafting, biking, hiking, kid’s village, camping, great music, and much more.  Painter John, a popular FBRF musician, compares the atmosphere to “a big potluck at your best friend’s house”.  If you’ve been you know . . . what better way to enjoy spring in these mountains?

Weekend passes include camping

$120 online by 3/31/20
$125 online by 4/30/20
$140 at gate
$65 Saturday only
$45 whitewater rafting

Thursday, March 5, 2020
Plant Sale
Mar 5 @ 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
NC Cooperative Extension-Buncombe County

 

It’s almost time for Soil & Water’s popular plant sale. For a list of plants and prices, click the below PDF. Quantities are limited, so don’t miss out.

2020 Plant Sale

Friday, March 6, 2020
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Mar 6 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

Plant Sale
Mar 6 @ 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
NC Cooperative Extension-Buncombe County

 

It’s almost time for Soil & Water’s popular plant sale. For a list of plants and prices, click the below PDF. Quantities are limited, so don’t miss out.

2020 Plant Sale

Saturday, March 7, 2020
Early Bird tickets: 23rd annual French Broard River Festival
Mar 7 all-day
Hot Springs Campground & Spa

INTRO-IMAGE_1024px

Kick off spring in the mountains at the 23rd annual French Broad River Festival.  It’s part outdoor adventure, part music festival with whitewater rafting, biking, hiking, kid’s village, camping, great music, and much more.  Painter John, a popular FBRF musician, compares the atmosphere to “a big potluck at your best friend’s house”.  If you’ve been you know . . . what better way to enjoy spring in these mountains?

Weekend passes include camping

$120 online by 3/31/20
$125 online by 4/30/20
$140 at gate
$65 Saturday only
$45 whitewater rafting

EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems: food and farm help/resources in WNC
Mar 7 all-day
WNC

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

LEAF Volunteers is now LEAF WeX
Mar 7 all-day
LEAF
We’ve opted to shift the name and give some different benefits.
WHAT is changing? The name, WeX Star Crew benefit, & Festival HQ
– Regular Volunteers are now WeX. Work 10 hours in exchange for Weekend (Fri to Sun) Ticket
– Plus Volunteers are now WeX Plus. Work 15 hours in exchange for a Weekend Plus (Thu to Sun) Ticket
– Star Volunteers are now WeX Star. Work 20 hours in exchange for a Weekend Plus (Thu to Sun) Ticket AND a Culinary Passport -OR- a Star Guest Pass Ticket (Thu to Sun). Guest passes are LIMITED.

We’ll update our Auto-Reply as well as make a note on the website when the guest pass is no longer an available option. Those who have submitted completed applications prior to the cut off will have the guest pass option.

WeX Headquarters (HQ) will now be located under the Ship with a designated lounging area for WeXs. Make sure to come by and say hello!! You’ll pick up official schedule cards and culinary passes here as well.

NC Brewers and Music Festival CANCELLED
Mar 7 all-day
Historic Rural Hill

UPDATED INFO:

To make the transition from this year to the 2021 event as seamless and exciting as possible, we have already worked with our artists, our brewers, and our vendors to make sure that we are able to carry over this year’s lineup and infrastructure to next year’s festival date. In addition, we are also in conversation with Eventbrite regarding the best options we can offer you when it comes to making a choice about how your ticket investment plays out. 

Because this decision affects you as much as it does us, we will offer full refunds of all ticket purchases to any of you who would prefer that option. We understand the inconvenience that this change might cause you, and we ask that you offer us your patience while we organize that process. As another option, we would also like to offer you the opportunity to retain your ticket purchase and to roll it over into next year’s attendance. Any ticket that has already been purchased for 2020 will be honored at our 2021 festival in lieu of a refund. That is a choice we are allowing you to make, and we will be delighted to have you back as our guests then! 

Please check back with us often as we continue to plan for the 2021 (“unofficial 10th Anniversary”) North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival. Again, thank you for your patience and understanding, but mostly for your continued support at the festival. We couldn’t keep putting on this event without you, and we continue to be thankful year after year. 

 

Along with a rich Americana lineup, North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival also shines a spotlight on local brewers and their contribution to North Carolina’s vibrant culinary scene. Over 50 breweries offering a selection of craft beers will be featured on-site throughout the weekend. Tasting tickets, which include access to beer samples plus a commemorative sampling glass, are available for purchase for $50 ($39 for early birds).

North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival began as a fundraising effort to preserve the historic site of Rural Hill. The site, which boasts extensive hiking trails, is a beloved landmark in the Central NC region and is home to many educational field trips and events. Since its inception, the North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival has continued to support the awareness of Rural Hill and attract diverse crowds from all over the country.

Friday music-only passes with sets from Acoustic Syndicate and Fireside Collective are $15. Saturday music-only passes with sets from the Steep Canyon Rangers and Hayes Carll are $22 for early birds. For attendees who would like to sample an unlimited assortment of celebrated North Carolina brews on Saturday, Tasting Tickets (which include daily entrance to the festival for music happenings) are available at the Early Bird price of $39. Camping options are available for attendees who would like to make the most of their weekend. Two-Day weekend tent camping, premium tent camping, and RV/Camper camping with hook-ups are available for $45, $65, and $85 respectively. North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival is a family-friendly event. Children 4 and under are free. A Children’s Ticket is available for kids 5 – 15 for $8.

Organic Growers School 27th Annual Spring Conference, March 6–8
Mar 7 all-day
Mars Hill University

The 27th Annual Spring Conference—for farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, and sustainability seekers—is hosted by Organic Growers School (OGS), an Asheville-based non-profit organization. The conference takes place Friday–Sunday, March 6–8, 2020. The weekend event takes place at Mars Hill University in Mars Hill and the pre-conference events are in Buncombe and Henderson Counties.

Cost for  the pre-conference workshops are $60 with conference registration (Saturday, Sunday, or both) and $75 without. Cost for the weekend conference if registered by January 31, 2020 is $65 for Saturday and $80 for Sunday with the full weekend for $110.  For registration  after January 31, the cost of Saturday is $80, Sunday is $70 and the full weekend is $140.

The Spring Conference offers practical, region-specific workshops on farming, gardening, permaculture, urban growing, and rural living and includes a trade show, a seed exchange, special guest speakers, and a Saturday evening social.

More than 150 classes—both 90-minute sessions and half-day workshops—are offered on Saturday and Sunday in 17 learning tracks:

  1. Community Food

  2. Cooking

  3. Earth Skills

  4. Farmers: Beginning

  5. Farmers: Experienced

  6. Gardening: Beginning

  7. Gardening: Experienced

  8. Herbs

  9. Homesteading

  10. Livestock

  11. Mushrooms

  12. Permaculture

  13. Poultry

  14. Soils

  15. Sustainable Forestry

  16. Sustainable Living

  17. Thinking Big

This one-of-a-kind event brings people of all walks of life together for a weekend of learning, inspiration, and networking and features a host of local and regional experts. The mission of the Spring Conference is to provide down-to-earth advice on growing and sustainable living while remaining affordable and accessible. The Spring Conference is the largest locally run sustainability conference in the Southeast and is proudly focused on regionally appropriate growing methods.

Three full-day, on-farm, pre-conference workshops with special guest instructors are available on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They are:

  1. Mushroom Cultivation at the Farm & Home with William Padilla-Brown & Leif Olson at Creekside Farms Education Center in Arden, NC.

  2. Healing Our Soils through Compost, and Compost Tea: Safe & Natural Fertilizers with Troy Hinke at Living Web Farms in Mills River, NC

  3. Chickens & You: From Egg to Table with Pat Foreman & Meagan Coneybeer at Franny’s Farm in Leicester, NC.

The conference will also host an evening lecture on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with Leah Penniman entitled, Farming While Black: African Diasporic Wisdom for Farming & Food Justice. The location for this event is the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St, Asheville, NC 28801.

The Spring Conference features a trade show on Saturday and Sunday that showcases a wide array of exhibitors and products from local farms, gardening suppliers, and cottage industries that specialize in organic products and resources. Also featured on Saturday and Sunday is the annual Seed and Plant Exchange booth which offers the opportunity to preserve genetic diversity and protect regionally adapted varieties. Attendees may bring excess seeds and small plants to share, barter, or trade.

For more information, visit the website at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/ and see the entire weekend schedule at https://organicgrowersschool.org/conferences/spring/schedule/.

2020 Workdays at Sandhill Tree Nursery
Mar 7 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Buncombe County Sports Park

2020 Workdays at Sandhill Tree Nursery

From Asheville GreenWorks:

Looking to get involved, stay active, and meet some new friends? Public workdays at Sandhill Native Tree Nursery and Edible Orchard take place on the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. until noon at Buncombe County Sports Park (58 Apac Circle in West Asheville/Candler). 2020 dates include:

  • Feb. 1
  • March 7
  • April 4
  • May 2
  • June 6
  • July 11 (the second Saturday due to July 4)
  • Aug. 1
  • Sept. 5
  • Oct. 3
  • Nov. 7

Join other volunteers in mulching, pruning, and weeding along with special projects. Please wear work clothes to get dirty and close-toed shoes. Sunscreen, water, and hat are also handy items to have on hand. All other tools and gear will be provided. Contact Gabby Fitts with any questions at (828) 232-7144 or [email protected].

The Sandhill tree nursey is supported with a Buncombe County Community Recreation Grant. Specific native trees are grown at the site and planted in public places throughout the county as a larger plan to plant no less than 500 trees annually. The project allows for a greater variety of fruit and shade trees to support a more diverse ecology.

Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.