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!

Presented by Bee City USA- Hendersonville and Bullington Gardens

For educators: teachers, camp counselors, home-school parents, childcare professionals, summer program leaders, and more, the Pollinator Exploration Kit provides excellent tools. Bee City USA – Hendersonville is eager to help you share the wonder of pollinators with children you teach. The kit includes sets of 12 sturdy child-size insect nets, special bug capture bubbles, bug boxes with magnifying lids, and magnifying glasses. Two pop-up insect habitats and two sets of laminated fold-out field guides (NC Trees & Wildflowers, NC Butterflies & Moths, Bees & Other Pollinators) are also included. The kit can be loaned for up to a week (as available) and may be picked up and returned weekdays 9am-4pm.

Pick-up location:

Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville.

Cost: no charge

Reservation needed: contact [email protected] to check availability and reserve the dates to borrow the Pollinator Exploration Kit.

Will once again be providing access to some of the finest artists in the region with it’s market series now in its second decade. The event takes place on three Saturdays each June and October. Nationally known artists exhibit at this event and the best part is- they are local. Muddy Knees Design and Production proudly offers local artists the opportunity to connect with the public in Asheville‘s Pack Square Park.

You are invited to come out to Asheville Art in the Park, take a stroll around downtown Asheville and experience the textures and forms of a truly unique art garden.

What will you see at Asheville Art in the Park?

At the event you are sure to find the finest in handcrafted art that Asheville Area Artists have to offer. Skilled workers of Glass, Ceramics, Wood, Jewelry, and metal make their shops open to display to the public at every market. Positioned in the center of downtown Asheville the market has created over $1M in needed income for area artists. Many artists return to the market to welcome customers that return each year. Asheville is known as the hub of artistic activity that radiates throughout the area. Not only does Western North Carolina boast many excellent craft education programs, but it also plays host to many tourist each year. The vacationers marvel at the city as it’s arts and culture oozes out of every side of the artcentric mountainous region. Come start your next artistic adventure in the center of Asheville in Pack Square Park this June and October and take home some of the wondrous bounty that is Asheville Art.

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)

Cost: no charge; no registration required

Park volunteer and beekeeper Will Garvey will discuss how the park supports bees, and how bees support the park … and how the park’s wildflower meadow, pollinator garden, native bees, and beehives work together to create healthy ecosystems. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Kids’ Comedy Tour: Wildly funny, this educational and entertaining tour features the perfect blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically toward the 5–12 year old crowd, you’ll explore the town with our famously outlandish tour guides leading the way.

• Perfect for birthday parties
• Makes for memorable school field trips
• Tickets are $27 per person
• Beverages available for purchase at the LaZoom Room
• Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

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

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.

Join a certified forest therapy guide for a relaxing 2.5-hour stroll through the forest on the peaceful Arboretum grounds. Through a series of invitations, you’ll have the opportunity to be present in the moment, deepening your connection with nature and community, and enjoying the many gifts nature has to offer. Your guide will share mindfulness practices designed to connect you more deeply to your inner landscapes, as well as the world around you. Inspired by Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese art of immersing oneself in a forest environment, a forest bathing walk invites you to spend time in nature in a way that invites healing for ourselves, our fraught ecosystems, and our community. It is true nature therapy!

• Special, discounted rate of $45/person (includes parking!)
• Occurs on select dates each month
• Max group size is 15 for a more intimate experience

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

There is no pre-registration; walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center.

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Know Before You Go

• Guided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.
• Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.
• Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.
• Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.
• COVID-19 Safety: In order to hear the guide and fully participate in the trail walk, participants will be in close proximity to one another for extended periods of time. While face coverings are not required, participants should use their best judgement to keep themselves and others safe while enjoying the trails. Individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should not participate.
• At this time, no more than 6 spaces may be filled by a single family/group through pre-registration for any one Guided Trail Walk. If additional spaces are available on the day of the Walk, additional members of the family/group may participate. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming larger groups in the future.

Please join us for MoonieFest! There will be Live Music & a Karaoke Contest by Thunderstruck Entertainment. Live music includes Misdemeanor, Jeremy Whiteside and Joe Roads. This is a free event that also includes a raffle and cornhole. There will be a food truck, ice cream and drinks available on the premises at cost. MoonieFest is a fundraising event to benefit Stage 4 No More: Search for a Cure. Help Jennifer in her fight to find healing from stage 4 cancer. Donations appreciated.Want to know why it is called “MoonieFest”? Well, come join us and find out. Thank you.
Other ways to help:
https://gofund.me/57aec302
https://givesendgo.com/G9QUV?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campai

From the local favorites to new regional acts, all live from the river banks of the Nantahala. Raft, dine, then jam with us with Live Music every Friday and Saturday from 5pm-8pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

Promotion (2): Crash Davis Night

Join us at McCormick Field as we celebrate a former Tourists player, Crash Davis!

Promotion: Throwback Jersey Giveaway

The first 1,500 fans through the gates receive a Throwback Tourists Jersey courtesy of Telco.

From the regional crafters to local guide artisans, set up on the river banks of the Nantahala. Come and meet these vendors and more on the second Saturday of every month, May – September.

If you are interested in joining us as a vendor, please fill out your information here: https://forms.gle/BgqQQpY4XSGqtH6f6

A Summer Solstice Special Event!
2 nights only! Don your fairy finery, and come belly laugh, sing along, and feel the magic of Midsummer at this concert reading (and singing) of a NEW, ORIGINAL MUSICAL COMEDY by local theatre artists, Laura Depta Peal and Stan Peal.

It is Midsummer night in the magical court of Titania, Queen of the Fairies, and her motley bunch of forest fey are busy preparing for the night’s festivities. Oberon, her wayward consort, is late again, but when he arrives this time he’s not alone! A young human woman has followed him into the fairy realm, and now she can’t get home. Led by the mischievous Puck and a very dusty ghost of Shakespeare, the goofy forest denizens hilariously hatch a plan to get the lost girl back where she belongs. Mixed up Shakespearean shenanigans and Midsummer magic collide in this delightful musical celebration of summer!

Presented by Solstice Theatre – solsticetheatre.com – [email protected]
Friday & Saturday, June 23-24, 7:30pm
At the Tryon Fine Arts Center Amphitheater
34 Melrose Ave, Tryon, NC 28782
828.859.8322
Tickets: $10 at tryonarts.org/partner-series

Note: A concert reading is different from a full production of a play. At a reading such as this, the actors will be standing on stage or seated in chairs and will have their scripts in front of them on music stands. There will be minimal set, blocking, props, and costumes. Scene descriptions and stage directions will be read aloud to set the stage for the audience. Even with such a pared down production, you will be amazed at how much the story, the characters, the music, and the comedy will come alive for you!

All shows will be at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in the Montford District of Asheville, and all will be presented absolutely FREE of charge!

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Fable Wilde Day
Always an audience favorite, Twelfth Night returns to the MPP stage with all of the mistaken identity, love triangles and general wackiness you may already know and love!

All shows will run Fridays through Sundays and all will be presented at 7:30pm and prime seats can be reserved.

Montford Park Players has been bringing some of theater’s greatest works to Western North Carolina for over 50 years. Montford Park Players continues its mission of bring free theater to the community. The summer season allows everyone to come spend an evening under the stars, seeing some of the best live performances presented in Asheville.

Montford Park Players allows patrons to bring their favorite food and beverages to their shows and sells beer, wine and concessions at the shows. If you’ve never been to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre for a Montford show, there’s no better season than this one. If you have been, you know why you should come back and catch everything we have to offer!