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.
Buncombe County Special Olympics’ annual Coffee for Champions fundraiser returns for a third year on October 1. During the month of October, local coffee shops donate up to five cents for each cup of coffee purchased at their establishments to support Special Olympics training and competitions for area youth and adults.
“We are a completely volunteer-driven, donation-funded program focused on inclusionary sporting opportunities for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities,” said Karla Furnari of Buncombe County Recreation Services, who is also a Buncombe County Special Olympics coach and Local Coordinator. “Coffee for Champions helps build connections between our athletes and the community. It also allows us to move away from labor intensive fundraising campaigns that often pull volunteers from other critical program needs such as coaching and transporting athletes.”
A map on the organization’s website lists participating coffee shops:
- Donating Five Cents Per Cup
- Ivory Road Café & Kitchen (1854 Brevard Road in Arden)
- Mosaic Café & Coffee House (1 Town Square Boulevard in Biltmore Park)
- Trout Lily Market (1297 Charlotte Highway in Fairview)
- Donating One Cent Per Cup
- Dynamite Roasting Company (3198 US Highway 70 in Black Mountain)
- PennyCup Coffee Company West (362 Depot Street in Asheville’s River Arts District)
- PennyCup Coffee Company East (6 Beverly Road in Asheville’s Haw Creek)
- PennyCup Coffee Company North (857 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville)
- Round Earth Roasters (518 Hendersonville Road in Asheville)
Buncombe County Special Olympics is made possible through funding from donors and support from Buncombe County Government. To donate or volunteer, visit buncombecountyspecialolympics.org.
Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy in 1968 to celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities. Buncombe County Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for youth and adults. Sports include alpine skiing and snowboarding, aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, and tennis. The organization also offers the Adaptive Athlete Program in a partnership with South Slope CrossFit and Buncombe County Recreation Services.
Bring the kids for an after school Trick or Treat at the WNC Farmers Market. All costumed kids receive a fresh NC apple and other surprises. Stores will have folks dressed in costume. Come and join us for this Halloween celebration!
Kids of ALL AGES are invited to a howling good time during the Asheville Outlets’ (ShopAshevilleOutlets.com) annual Halloween BOO BASH on Thursday, October 31st from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. An annual favorite, Boo Bash will feature multiple trick-or-treating spots at participating retailers, strolling magic, arts and crafts activities, balloon art, strike a pose at our photo spot, and MORE! All activities are FREE and open to the public (first come, first served, while supplies last).
Vermont Ave is closed to traffic from 5:30 to 9:00 on Halloween night to create a safe and fun trick-or-treating environment. Residents receive 1500 – 2000 trick-or-treaters (or more?).
That’s a lot of candy!
Bring the whole family for a night of fun activities, inflatables, and candy! It all takes place at the Asheville Mall on October 31 from 6 to 9 PM. Visit biltmorechurch.com/fun for more details and to register for this FREE event.
Halloween night at Haiku I Do!
Two dance floors powered up by some of Asheville’s finest
?️DJ Bowie
?️DJ Brett Rock
?️Cpt. Hyperdrive
?️DJ Cotton Kandy
?️Trillium Dance Company
Come in costume and get a discount at the door!
There will be a TON of sausage samples this year!! We listened to the feedback from last year and you’ll get to not only sample lots of different sausages, but we’re also showing you how we make it in a live demo. Brian, our butcher, has 18 different flavors and will be adding a special sausage just for the festival.
With your ticket, you’ll take part in:
- Sausage sampling ALL DAY LONG!
- Fantastic sausage-centric menu
- Live sausage making demos
- Adult Musical Chairs (with prize)
- Oktoberfest Games like “Pass the Pretzel”
- Local beers and ciders
- Fresh soft pretzels by Blunt Pretzels
- Live Music by Mile High Band
- Hot Beverages by Snowbird Mountain Coffee
- All Fall Festival activities like hay rides, etc.
Food Truck Festivals of America is bringing the 3rd Annual Asheville Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival to Asheville Outlets on Saturday, Nov 2, in Asheville, NC from Noon-5pm (VIP hour 11am-Noon). While popular food trucks dish out fan favorites, craft ales and beers will be available for sale. There will also be music playing, lawn games to enjoy, and an artisan market where local artists will showcase their work.
For those foodies that want a little more out of their festival experience, the VIP hour is for you (from 11am-Noon)! VIP tickets are $25 in advance online and entitle you to:
• Early access to the festival
• No lines!
• One free dessert from our designated VIP food truck
• Unlimited bottled water throughout the festival
• $1 off any craft beer throughout the festival
This year for beer lovers looking for something special FTFA is introducing their new Beer Lovers Package. These tickets are $40 in advance online only and includes:
• Early access to the festival (11 AM)
• 3 beer tickets for 3 craft beers of your choice
• $1 off additional craft beers
• Free FTFA koozie
• Unlimited bottled water
You can also purchase our Beer 6-pack add on in advance and get 6 beers for the price of 5!
Ticket Information
General admission tickets will be available for purchase in advance online for $5, or at the gate for $10. Children 12 and under are free.
For more information or to purchase VIP or General Admission tickets please visit www.foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com.
Paying Tribute to the Amazing Work of Those Who Keep Us Safe
First Responders will receive Free Admission at all festivals – from police, to fire, to EMTs – with a valid ID.
More Information
For the very latest news please follow @FTFofAmerica on Twitter and “like” us on www.facebook.com/FTFofAmerica/.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ODYSSEY CLAYWORKS BENEFIT AUCTION
ASHEVILLE, NC (October 11, 2019)
ODYSSEY CLAYWORKS announces the 7th Annual Odyssey Auction. Taking place November 2nd in their studio and gallery from 6-9pm, this year’s auction will feature over 140 items by established artists and local businesses. This year the auction will feature work by renowned potters Perry Haas, Bandana Pottery, and Will Dickert.
In addition to providing over $7000 in scholarships and tuition assistance to students annually, proceeds from the auction directly support the studio’s work with veterans suffering from PTSD, substance and alcohol abuse recovery programs, and adults with developmental disabilities.
Over 200 guests are expected to attend this lively event featuring a silent and live auction, beautifully catered food and drink, as well as music and dancing throughout the night. According to Studio Director Gabriel Kline, “Odyssey is known throughout the ceramics world as a premier teaching studio and we have made tremendous connections over the years. We will have work available by some of the finest artists in the country. The auction is a unique opportunity to bid on works by some of America’s most collectible ceramic artists.”
A limited number of tickets are available for the event on the Odyssey ClayWorks website, www.odysseyclayworks.com. Please call the studio for more information at 828 285 0210.
Swan Lake, which has mesmerized audiences for over a century, is based on a German fairy tale. Tchaikovsky’s score tells the tragic love story of Prince Siegfried and Swan Princess, Odette, who is cursed to be a swan by day but a young woman at night. The Russian Ballet Theatre’s new production will captivate audiences with time-honored Russian traditions while adding new choreography, hand painted sets, radiant hand sewn costumes, artistic hair designs and special effects makeup.
The production’s hand-painted sets and more than 150 hand-sewn costumes were created in the tradition of the great masters by young, accomplished designer Sergei Novikov (Mariinksy Theatre, Omsk State Music Theatre, St. Petersburg State Music Hall). The SFX makeup is done by Award-winning Irina Strukova (Crazy Rich Asians, Netflix, HBO) and will make ballet devotees feel as though they are seeing the beautiful Swan Lake for the first time!
Spend some time with your family detoxing naturally in the Salt Cave. Adults $25, 4-12 years old $15, 3 and younger are free.
From traditional paintings, jewelry, wood, pottery, and glass, to unique photography, furniture, clothing, and mixed media art; the idea behind Artisanville is to have something for everyone to appreciate and to take home.
Artisanville invites its guests to investigate and explore our unique items during a two-day long fine art and craft show. With over 175 regional and national artists—each handpicked and personally invited to the event— this show promises to surprise and entrance you. Visitors can interact with artisans, see live art demos, purchase beautiful artwork, or simply enjoy the craftsmanship behind each piece. When in need of a break, art lovers can also relax, get a drink or snack, listen to live music and log into the Internet at the new Art Patron Lounge area. There are even free drawings for “Artisanville bucks” to spend at the show. Be sure not to miss ARTISANVILLE…the newest Fine Art/Fine Craft Show coming to Greenville, SC!
This event creates a space for all of WNC and surrounding communities to join together in honor of fermentation, food preservation, farming and food resiliency in Madison County, NC. All profits & proceeds from the festival will be donated to the Beacon of Hope Food Bank of Marshall, NC. There will be FREE demos on food preservation & fermentation, music, family friendly activities and of course local and regional fermenters, foodies and crafting vendors ranging from local farms to local potters, fermenters, crafters and much more!
Please Check Out More Info Through Our Facebook Event Page!
Smash Don’t Trash is back for its 2nd year in Asheville! Bring out those rotten pumpkins for a smashing good time!
Starting Thursday October 24 at 5pm, Bring your family & friends to join you as you make your way in…and hopefully out of the scariest experience you’ve ever had. Think you can get out? Get your tickets and find out!
Lose your head at Cherokee, NC’s newest and most thrilling Halloween attraction: The Sleepy Hollow Experience. Step into a fresh, horrifying new take on the world of the classic Washington Irving tale as the audience becomes part of the action. But be aware of what’s in front of you… and behind you… The Headless Horseman is waiting… Nationally renowned theatre producer Brian Clowdus invades Unto These Hills this Halloween season with a 360-degree immersive theatrical nightmare that has taken the country by storm. In this modern retelling, Ichabod Crane is still being pursued by the Headless Horseman, but the pulse-quickening drama and terror have increased tenfold. Don’t miss this reimagining, which was named one of the “Top 5 Halloween Plays” in the USA by American Theatre magazine.
The Sleepy Hollow Experience
October 17th-November 3rd
Thursday-Sunday at 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Mountainside Theatre, 688 Drama Road, Cherokee, NC 28719
For tickets visit: www.cherokeehistorical.org
Since 2010 master scientific glass blower, Jason Probstein has been presenting live glassblowing demonstrations here at our art gallery.
And once again we are proud to announce that Jason will be blowing his unique Christmas ornaments and glass artworks here at Mountain Made gallery from now to December 23rd, 2019.
Jason will be demonstrating Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. He will also be blowing glass every Sunday from Noon to 2:00 PM.
We invite you come by Mountain Made for a fun, family-friendly event
Enjoy locally sourced seasonal food while supporting Pisgah Legal Services. 15% of proceeds will benefit PLS.
Girls on the Run Annual Holiday Wreath Sale: Reserve your locally-harvested 22” Fraser Fir wreath for $25. Call the Girls on the Run office at 828-713-4290 for more information. Wreaths will also be available for purchase at the Girls on the Run 5K.
Friday, November 8th: Shop at the new Athleta store in Biltmore Park anytime on Friday. A percentage of sales will be donated to GOTR.
Tuesday, November 19th: Shop at the Asheville Outlets Vineyard Vines store on the 19th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The store will donate 20% of sales to GOTR.
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).
Girls on the Run Annual Holiday Wreath Sale: Reserve your locally-harvested 22” Fraser Fir wreath for $25. Call the Girls on the Run office at 828-713-4290 for more information. Wreaths will also be available for purchase at the Girls on the Run 5K.
Friday, November 8th: Shop at the new Athleta store in Biltmore Park anytime on Friday. A percentage of sales will be donated to GOTR.
Tuesday, November 19th: Shop at the Asheville Outlets Vineyard Vines store on the 19th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The store will donate 20% of sales to GOTR.
Since 2010 master scientific glass blower, Jason Probstein has been presenting live glassblowing demonstrations here at our art gallery.
And once again we are proud to announce that Jason will be blowing his unique Christmas ornaments and glass artworks here at Mountain Made gallery from now to December 23rd, 2019.
Jason will be demonstrating Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. He will also be blowing glass every Sunday from Noon to 2:00 PM.
We invite you come by Mountain Made for a fun, family-friendly event
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).
Girls on the Run Annual Holiday Wreath Sale: Reserve your locally-harvested 22” Fraser Fir wreath for $25. Call the Girls on the Run office at 828-713-4290 for more information. Wreaths will also be available for purchase at the Girls on the Run 5K.
Friday, November 8th: Shop at the new Athleta store in Biltmore Park anytime on Friday. A percentage of sales will be donated to GOTR.
Tuesday, November 19th: Shop at the Asheville Outlets Vineyard Vines store on the 19th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The store will donate 20% of sales to GOTR.
Since 2010 master scientific glass blower, Jason Probstein has been presenting live glassblowing demonstrations here at our art gallery.
And once again we are proud to announce that Jason will be blowing his unique Christmas ornaments and glass artworks here at Mountain Made gallery from now to December 23rd, 2019.
Jason will be demonstrating Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. He will also be blowing glass every Sunday from Noon to 2:00 PM.
We invite you come by Mountain Made for a fun, family-friendly event
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).
About This Trip
Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.
December 1, 8 & 15, 2019 – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. inside Food Court
Bring your furry friend to meet Santa and capture the moment with a FREE photo package, courtesy of Asheville Outlets. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue will be on-site to share information on fostering, adopting, or volunteering this holiday season. All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier.