Calendar of Events

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.

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Valentines Day Cabaret
Feb 14 @ 7:30 pm
HART Theatre
Directed by Candice Dickinson & Kelly Jackson
Fangmeyer Theatre

Join Candice Dickinson and a bevy of incredible HART couples for our 2nd annual Valentine’s Day Cabaret! Enjoy intimate cabaret table seating with wine by the bottle and desserts for sale. Snuggle up to your valentines date as you enjoy some of the regions most talented singers serenading you.

Rated PG-13, mild language and suggestive content

Read more
Categories: Holiday Music Theatre
Blind Date Live!
Feb 14 @ 8:00 pm
Doors Open: 6:30 PM

– AGES 18+
– SEATED SHOW
– 7PM MIXER, 8PM SHOW

We’re back for more Blind Date Live — Asheville’s only live dating show!

It’s that time of year again… the holiday season is flying by, and Single’s Awareness Day is almost upon us! Fear not, sexy Asheville singles! At Blind Date Live, we provide a fun and effective alternative to #applife. Join us for our Valentine’s Day Edition!

But hey, our show isn’t just about helping real locals find love in front of a live audience. We are dedicated to helping existing romantic bonds grow even more robust by offering a unique Valentine’s Day date night idea. Cancel those hard-to-get Applebee’s reservations, and bring you and your sweetie(s) to the Grey Eagle on February 14th. As always, our local sponsors will make the night more memorable with giveaways and goodies PLUS we will surely have more delights up our sleeves!

Get your tickets while you can!

Read more
Categories: Holiday
Thursday, February 15, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 15 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

Read more
Categories: Garden Grants
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 15 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
Read more
Categories: Community Education Family Fun Garden
School Garden Grants
Feb 15 all-day
online

Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce for the seventeenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website, buncombemastergardener.org where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get access to the online 2024 School Garden Grants Application.

All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 12, 2024, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 15, 2024. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.

We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 60 School Garden Grants totaling over $47,000. These grants have involved more than 17,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.

School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2024.

Click on the link below to review the guidelines for school garden grants:
Guidelines for 2024 School Garden Grants

 

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Feb 15 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 15 @ 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!

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 15 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Gardening in the Mountains: Tomato Varieties for Home Gardens
Feb 15 @ 10:00 am
online

Calling all gardeners crazy about growing tomatoes! Learn best varieties to grow, their culture and disease management.

Gardening in the Mountains presents:

Tomato Varieties for Home Gardens

FREE Virtual Event

Presenters: Phil Roudebush, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer and
Dr. Reza Shekasteband, NCSU Horticultural Research Station

Do you love growing tomatoes but find the variety choices overwhelming? Do you know what new varieties are recommended for WNC? Master Gardener Phil Roudebush and Dr. Reza Shekasteband from the NCSU Horticultural Research Station will discuss tomato types and varieties, culture and disease resistance. They will also share new varieties and research from the NCSU Tomato Breeding and Genetics program and give you a glimpse into the future of tomatoes in WNC.

Registration: The talk is free but 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.

Zoom seminar access: After registration, you will receive an email with instructions and a link to join this online live broadcast via Zoom. The ability to access Zoom through a computer, tablet or smartphone with a reliable internet connection is necessary to attend.

Read more
Categories: Garden Garden Events
Andrea Bocelli: 2024 Valentine’s Tour with Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Feb 15 @ 8:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Bon Secours Wellness Arena is pleased to announce that we will host iconic Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli February 15, 2024 as part of an eleven show tour hitting major cities across the U.S. and Canada. The show will honor Valentine’s Day and mark Bocelli’s first time performing in South Carolina. Greenville Symphony Orchestra will accompany Bocelli for the performance conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio.

 

2024 officially marks 30 years of Andrea Bocelli’s iconic career as well as his 65th birthday. As one of the most recognizable voices in the entertainment industry and revered by fans internationally, Andrea Bocelli has sold 90 million records worldwide. In addition to his sold-out arena-sized concert events and record-breaking live-streams, Bocelli has shared his talents at many major events including the Olympic Games, the World Cup, and Global Citizen. He has earned a Golden Globe, seven Classical BRITs and seven World Music Awards, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 

The tour will feature performances from Bocelli’s beloved repertoire, including music to celebrate Valentine’s in February. All newly announced dates will feature selections from his uplifting solo album Believe, as well as a selection of arias, his beloved crossover hits, and famed love songs.

Read more
Categories: Holiday Music
Friday, February 16, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 16 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

Read more
Categories: Garden Grants
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Feb 16 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 16 @ 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!

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 16 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Thai, Tantra, + Tea – The Perfect Valentine’s Activity for Couples
Feb 16 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
The Horse Shoe Farm 

Immerse yourself in a heart-opening journey from
the start with a Bobinsana tea ceremony. This master plant teacher from the Amazon sets the tone for an evening filled with
loving-kindness. Step into a world of healing and connection with a special partnered event. This workshop will be facilitated by
one of their talented Massage Therapists at The Stable Spa, Nicole Lilly.

Read more
Categories: Holiday
Saturday, February 17, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 17 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

Read more
Categories: Garden Grants
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 17 @ 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!

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 17 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Zoe + Cloyd’s Valentine’s Concert
Feb 17 @ 7:00 pm
Black Mountain Center for the Arts

The innovative “klezgrass” music of Zoe & Cloyd springs from the rich traditions and complementary styles of fiddler/vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist John Cloyd Miller. Descending from a lineage of klezmer and jazz musicians, Natalya trained classically in her home state of Massachusetts before moving south in 2004. John, a twelfth generation North Carolinian and grandson of pioneering bluegrass fiddler, Jim Shumate, is a 1st place winner of the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest and the Hazel Dickens Songwriting Contest. Based in Asheville, NC, Zoe & Cloyd delight audiences with soaring harmonies and heartfelt songwriting, seamlessly combining original bluegrass, klezmer, old-time and folk with sincerity and zeal.

In 2023, Zoe & Cloyd released their fifth studio album on Organic Records, entitled Songs of Our Grandfathers. The project is an homage to their respective bluegrass and klezmer roots and has been enthusiastically received with feature articles in Bluegrass Unlimited, No Depression and the Bluegrass Situation. Also in 2023, Zoe & Cloyd performed at numerous events including Bluegrass Omagh in Northern Ireland, the Earl Scruggs Music Festival, the NC Folk Festival, and will host A Swannanoa Solstice at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Asheville.

Zoe & Cloyd will be joined at the BMCA by bassist and long-time collaborator, Kevin Kehrberg. Kevin is an award-winning bassist who has performed jazz and traditional music styles all over the world from Indonesia to Kyrgyzstan, Japan and beyond. His recent collaborative recording for Bluegrass at the Crossroads won IBMA 2021 Instrumental Recording of the Year. Kevin has taught many workshops and clinics in addition to being a professor of music at Warren Wilson College, where he maintains an active bass studio and teaches various courses in music and culture.

Doors open at 6:30pm. Seating is general admission. Online ticket sales end one hour prior to showtime. If the show has not sold out, tickets may still be available for purchase in the office after online sales have ended. Call 828-669-0930 for availability.

Read more
Categories: Holiday Music
Sunday, February 18, 2024
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 18 all-day
online

Are you involved in a community-oriented gardening project in West Asheville that needs some extra resources? Or have you been dreaming of a great project that just needs some cash to become a reality? Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS has awarded Seed Grants annually since 2014.  We support projects that deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, &/or contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, such as boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc.

Seed Money Grants

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, WAGS offers annual grants for gardening projects, between $100 and $1000 per grant.
The grants are intended to deepen horticultural & environmental awareness and education, encourage creative landscaping, & contribute to the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens, schools, etc. To be eligible, the following stipulations apply:
· Proposed projects must be submitted by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a non-profit working in West Asheville, a neighbor collaboration, a faith community, a school, a business, a youth group, etc.
· Proposed projects must be community-oriented (not for individual home projects) & accessible to the public.
· Proposed projects must take place in the area bounded by Patton Avenue/Smokey Park Highway, I-40, & the French Broad River.
We encourage native plantings that support pollinators. (Bee City USA-Asheville has helpful information at https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/native-pollinator…)
Grant applications are due on February 18. Applicants will be notified by March 18 and a simple report about the project (with in-process and final outcome photos) is due August 15. Grantees must be willing to allow use of photos and project descriptions in WAGS publicity materials.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for a Seed Grant, go to https://form.jotform.com/223385924338059, fill out the form and submit it. Note that the form allows you to attach documents such as a project description, budget, and letters of support.

Please email us at [email protected] if you have difficulty with the application or need assistance in completing it.

Read more
Categories: Garden Grants
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 18 @ 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!

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 18 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Monday, February 19, 2024
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 19 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
Read more
Categories: Community Education Family Fun Garden
Biltmore Estate: Ciao! From Italy Sculptural Postcard Display
Feb 19 @ 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!

Read more
Categories: Art & Craft Family Fun Garden Outdoors
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 19 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 20 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
Read more
Categories: Community Education Family Fun Garden
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Feb 20 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants
Indoor Tropical Bonsai Display
Feb 20 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is a challenging and rewarding horticultural activity, in which ordinary plants are grown in an extraordinary way. Through rigorously applied cultivation techniques, trees, shrubs, vines and even herbaceous plants are kept in a miniaturized state, developed into artistic shapes and then displayed in special containers.

What makes the Arboretum’s bonsai endeavor unique among all other public collections in the United States? Regional Interpretation. Visitors will find the Arboretum’s bonsai collection of more than 100 specimens carefully cultivated with a Southern Appalachian accent. The collection draws inspiration from the traditional roots of bonsai, but takes the form of a contemporary, Southern Appalachian influenced American garden. Plantings in the landscape include species and cultivars of American, European and Asian origin.

 

The Bonsai Exhibition Garden

Established in October 2005, The North Carolina Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world renowned garden that displays up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Interpretive signage throughout the garden conveys information about the art and history of bonsai, and the Arboretum’s own creative approach to it.

 

Outdoor Bonsai Exhibition Garden

  • Bonsai on Display Mid May – November; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
  • Garden Open Year Round
  • Parking Fees
    • Personal/Standard Vehicle (up to 20′ long): $20
    • Large vehicles (21′-29′ long): $60
    • Busses and Oversize Vehicles (30′ long+): $125
    • Members: Free

    Apart from the parking fee, there is no other admission charge to enter the Arboretum or our facilities, except in the case of advertised ticketed events.

Read more
Categories: Garden
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Growing Minds: “I Tried Local…” free virtual toolkit
Feb 21 all-day
online

Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.

Each unit includes an overview of a North Carolina–grown crop, lesson plans, recipes, coloring pages, book recommendations, discussion prompts, and a link to the “Meet Your Farmer” video series featuring North Carolina farmers. The toolkit also offers resources for implementing the core elements of farm to school—gardens, classroom cooking and taste tests, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local foods in meals or snacks.
Growing Minds will host a series of virtual training to support educators interested in using the toolkit. The first will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.
Read more
Categories: Community Education Family Fun Garden
Growing Minds Farm to School Mini-Grant
Feb 21 @ 6:30 am
online
ASAP’s Growing Minds mini-grants help early childhood education (ECE) centers and K-12 schools throughout the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina provide children positive experiences with healthy local foods through these components of farm to school: school gardens, farm field trips and farmer classroom visits, and local foods served in meals, snacks, and/or taste tests.

Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding. 

Applications due by:

  • November 30, 2023
  • January 30, 2024
  • March 30, 2024

If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!

Read more
Categories: Community Education Garden Grants