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.

Monday, October 5, 2020
WNC Nature Center Reopens!
Oct 5 @ 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
WNC Nature Center

Upon reopening, the Nature Center will be open seven days a week, from 10 am until 4:30 pm.  Asheville residents receive a discounted rate with local ID and children under the age of 3 are free.

Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Oct 5 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase.

 

GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made.

Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant serving GSMR’s freshly cooked pulled pork barbeque rubbed with Cajun spices then slow-roasted to perfection served with southern sweet cornbread muffin with honey butter, coleslaw, and cinnamon apples then finish with a delicious piece of Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake. Riders will also receive their very own Carolina Shine mason drinking jar, refillable with soda beverages and tea throughout the day, and a souvenir GSMR tote bag (1 per couple/party).

Artisphere Online Market
Oct 5 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Online
Goodwill’s WNC Career Expo Prep Week Webinars
Oct 5 @ 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Online

Career Expo Prep Webinars:

In advance of the Virtual WNC Career Expo Goodwill and AARP are hosting webinars to help job seekers prepare.

Show up to the expo ready to shine with Goodwill’s WNC Career Expo Prep Week (Each Virtual Webinar Held from 1:30-2):

  • 10/5 Doing the Research: What employers will be present at the EXPO? Which employers should you target? What are the employer’s values? What types of questions will you ask the recruiter?
  • 10/7 Resume Revamp: Quick tips to update, polish, and make your resume standout to the employers you are targeting.
  • 10/9 Nail the (Informational) Interview: Setting Career Expo goals. How to maximize the few minutes you have in front of an employer. Preparing your questions to ask the employer.

To register for these webinars with Goodwill, email [email protected] with the course you would like to attend.

The Fall Color Ramble
Oct 5 @ 2:00 pm – 2:20 pm
Grandfather Mountain

From Oct. 3-11, guests can enjoy 20-minute guided walks that highlight Grandfather Mountain’s fall colors.

Studio 52 Virtual Fall Classes: ​Acting + Creative Movement– K-2nd
Oct 5 @ 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
zoom

Picture Studio 52

Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more. 

The Dave Hart Scholarship Fund was created in memory of Studio 52’s friend, artist, and educator Dave Hart.
​Dave believed that all students, no matter their background or resources, benefit from participating in theatre.

​​A small number of full and partial need-based scholarships are available upon application. 
Applications are due by September 4. Please fill out the Scholarship Application Form which includes basic student, guardian, and household information as well as a short written statement outlining the purpose and significance of a scholarship. Recipients will be notified via email by September 9.

Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more. 

Mondays from 3 – 3:45 PM
Sep. 21 – Nov. 16
K – 2nd Grades
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: Tania Battista
$150

Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more. 

Mondays from 3 – 3:45 PM
Sep. 21 – Nov. 16
K – 2nd Grades
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: Tania Battista
$150

Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more.

Mondays from 3 – 3:45 PM
Sep. 21 – Nov. 16
K – 2nd Grades
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: Tania Battista
$150Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more. 

Mondays from 3 – 3:45 PM
Sep. 21 – Nov. 16
K – 2nd Grades
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: Tania Battista
$150

Burgers and Bourbon
Oct 5 @ 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sovereign Remedies

Join Sovereign Remedies every Monday for our limited time Burgers & Bourbon special for $12. This reoccurring event is designed to thank all of you for your support and to get the new week started off properly. You fantastic people seemed to love this event, so we have chosen to keep it going for a little while. Give it a try while we can still offer it.
Sovereign Burger:
Confit garlic aioli, Lusty Monk Mustard, house pickles, carrot catsup, smoked white cheddar, red onion and local lettuce.
Your Bourbon cocktails to select from are Old Fashioned, Whiskey-Ginger (house-made ginger), Bourbon High Ball. We do allow for you to upgrade to a bourbon cocktail of your choosing, for an additional cost.
Social distancing and safety procedures are fully utilized by our staff. Thank you for joining us! Please bring and wear a mask.
Studio 52 Virtual Fall Classes: Acting 3rd-5th
Oct 5 @ 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
Online

Picture

Explore improvisation, characterization, voice and speech, costume design, and more as you create an original virtual play! With a combination of weekly in-person classes and one private 20-minute session with your instructor, students will develop, memorize, film, and share a video of their role in the play. At the end of the semester, each actor’s part will be edited together to create a virtual performance!

3rd – 5th Grades
Weekly Zoom class, one 20-minute private lesson
Instructors: Anna Kimmell, Tania Battista

Flatiron Writers Room 3 day Writer’s Workshop w/ Mel Ryane
Oct 5 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Online

Mel Ryane, in a return engagement to Flatiron Writers Room, will teach this workshop for writers wishing to read their work aloud in digital format.

The workshop will begin on Day One with a 3-hour course on technique. Writers will learn to scan text, examine rhythm and pace, choose those juicy words, prep their bodies and voices, play to the video camera, properly use lighting and, above all, lift their work into a compelling reading. This workshop has proven invaluable as an editing tool. Prep, practice, present.

On Day Two, Mel will coach writers one-on-one in 20-minute sessions on their readings—you will learn valuable information from the guidance she gives you and your classmates. Day Three, as needed depending on class size, will continue as Day Two.

Studio 52 Virtual Fall Classes: Acting 6th – 8th
Oct 5 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Online

Dive into the development of full and fun characters in this imaginative acting class where students learn about character creation and analysis. With an emphasis on improvisation, collaboration, and self-scripting, actors will leave feeling more confident making Picturebold and specific choices on screen, on stage, and in life. At the end of the semester, actors will share their original characters in a one-of-a-kind virtual showcase.

Students learn about character creation and analysis. Actors will share their original characters in a virtual showcase.

Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: TJ Medel

Improv I: The Basics of Inspired Improvisation
Oct 5 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

This class will be offered in person on the ACT Mainstage, following all the recommended protocols for safety and sanitation. Class is limited to 8 students.

Incorporating aspects of the top improv programs in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, this course covers the fundamentals of improvisational acting with an emphasis on comedy; such as listening, commitment, adding information, agreement, intuitive reaction over desperate invention, as well as recognizing and capitalizing on emerging patterns. The class is crafted in such a way to have participants gradually gain their improv instincts through enjoyable and achievable exercises rather than teaching them the taste of disappointment and frustration. Students will gain experience and confidence in unscripted comedic performance through a series of improvised stories, scenes, and group structures; all done from a safe distance.

*In person classes are 50 minutes with an added 10 minutes for temperature checks*

The Historic Art of Hairwork Mourning Jewelry
Oct 5 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Online

Join the Swannanoa Valley Museum a 1-hour Zoom presentation with Gina Iacovelli of Mementos Entwined, on the 19th century techniques used to create sentimental and mourning jewelry with human hair, and the sincerity it represented in a modernizing world. Ms. Iacovelli will also describe mourning jewelry artifacts provided by historic sites, including the Swannanoa Valley Museum.

Ghostbusters Outdoor Movie Night
Oct 5 @ 7:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit
WWE Monday Night Raw CANCELLED
Oct 5 @ 7:30 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

The WWE Friday Night SmackDown originally scheduled for Friday May 15 in Greenville, SC has been postponed to Monday Night Raw on Monday, October 5. All original tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date.

The 23rd Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival
Oct 5 @ 8:00 pm
Plēb Urban Winery in the Tasting Room

Join the Grail Moviehouse Pop Up at the Plēb Urban Winery where film lovers in Asheville will join over 100,000 film enthusiasts around the world during the month of September 24 – Oct 31 for the 23rd Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival!
You Be the Judge!
Which of these Final Nine short films is best? That’s up to a worldwide audience to decide. Cinema-goers across the United States and the globe will become instant film critics as they are handed a ballot upon entry that allows them to vote for the Best Film and Best Actor. MANHATTAN SHORT is the ultimate audience award that salutes the creative talents of both directors behind the camera and actors in front of it. Votes will be sent through to MANHATTAN SHORT HQ with the winner announced at ManhattanShort.com on Sunday Nov 1st.
**Please note that All 9 finalists will play during each showtime. You only need to attend one show to see all 9 Shorts. Each screening is a 2 hour and 15 minute show that includes all 9 short films**

Ty Segall and The Freedom Band CANCELLED
Oct 5 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Due to unforeseen circumstances, this show has been cancelled. Please consider donating your ticket money to The Orange Peel! Email [email protected] for more info. Refunds will be processed shortly.

Ages 18+

RESCHEDULED TO AUGUST 23, 2021. All previously purchased tickets will be honored at the rescheduled date. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions. Deadline to request a refund is August 15, 2020.

Ty Segall has been playing music and producing records since 2005, producing over a dozen albums under his own name and multiple other headings, including Epsilons, The Traditional Fools, Fuzz, GØGGS and The CIA. His music has been heard in movies and he has composed several television theme songs as well as playing on most of the late night shows currently on the air. His most recent album, Deforming Lobes, was recorded on the Freedom’s Goblin tour of North America, in support of one his most popular collections yet – all of his last four solo album have landed in the Billboard Top 200. Ty’s also played tons of shows and festivals around the world, toured most of the continents and is down to do some more.

ty-segall.com

Tuesday, October 6, 2020
$40 million Small Business Relief Program NC Dept. of Commerce
Oct 6 all-day
Online
Tuesday, September 22nd Governor Roy Cooper announced that some NC small businesses experiencing disruptions to their operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible and benefit from a $40 million relief program to help offset fixed costs like rent, mortgage interests, and utility bills.
The NC Mortgage, Utility, and Rent Relief (MURR) is administered by the NC Department of Commerce and can provide up to $20,000 in relief funds per qualifying business location. Business applicants from certain industry sectors that have not been able to operate during COVID-19 may apply for up to two of their businesses.
Applicants can apply for up to four months of mortgage interest or rent expenses, and utility expenses. The help offers relief for some of the fixed costs a business cannot easily control on its own. Applications to the program should open next week and will be addressed on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants must certify that they were closed during the period of April 1 to July 31, 2020; they expect to be able to operate after the COVID crisis has passed; and they have not been reimbursed by any other federal source for the expenses they seek to reimburse through this program.
Eligible applicants include:
  • Amusement Parks
  • Banquet Halls (with catering staff)
  • Bars, taverns, night clubs, cocktail lounges
  • Bingo parlors
  • Bowling alleys/centers
  • Dance halls
  • Indoor fitness and recreation centers
  • Motion picture/movie theaters (except drive-ins)
  • Museums
8th Annual (Virtual) Root Ball
Oct 6 all-day
Online
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Covid-19 hasn’t stopped us from making an impact on local rivers and communities throughout WNC — so we’re adapting our 8th Annual Root Ball End of Season Party to celebrate quarantine-style… Save the dates for three awesome ways to participate!

Online silent auction (Oct 2nd-18th). We’ll have an incredible collection of items and experiences focused on outdoor recreation, arts + culture, food + beverage, and other offerings that are uniquely Asheville.

Online native tree and plant sale (Oct 2nd-18th). Individuals will be able to purchase from a wide variety of plants and trees provided by participating partner nurseries (with all proceeds going to GreenWorks programs).

Virtual Dance Party on October 16th: Gather up your pod and safely dance the evening away in your own living room. The event will be kid-friendly and have lots of opportunities for audience participation.

Stay tuned for more information on how to join in these exciting events!

If you’d like to offer support by donating an item or service to our silent auction, please contact [email protected].

A Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Study Seeks Participants
Oct 6 all-day
Online
BBBS Online Auction Fundraiser to Ignite Potential in our Youth
Oct 6 all-day
Online

This is the last call to bid. Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC in
Henderson County encourages the public to participate now. Bidding closes 7pm Thursday,
October 8.
Funds are being raised to support unique one-on-one mentoring programs. 81 items include an
array of trips, experiences, art, personal services and more at www.bbbswnc.org.

BOOsters and Pumpkins
Oct 6 all-day
Businesses throughout Buncombe County

The BOOsters are happy little friendly ghosts sold throughout the month of October in area banks, restaurants, cleaners, convenience stores, and many other businesses. For only $1.00, anyone can purchase a BOOster, place his or her name or business card on it and have it displayed. This is a great way to decorate area businesses for the holiday while providing fun, friendly competition, and funds to help continue the outreach of the Eblen Charities.

Eblen Charitable Group Pumpkin Sales: Much like the BOOster sales, these bright paper pumpkins are sold for $1.00 during the month of October in area schools and Ingles Markets. This program sponsored by Outback Steakhouse, Ingle’s Markets, Pepsi, and Clear Channel radio stations benefits the programs of the Eblen Charities  and helps provide a community program to the area schools with the premise of children helping children. Schools also have the opportunity to win prizes and equipment for their school. The school with the most over all sales is awarded the Frank Lewis Memorial Award, named in memory of our long time friend and Buncombe County educator, Frank Lewis.

CAR RAFFLE: Support Student Scholarships at Brevard Music Center
Oct 6 all-day
Online

This year’s winner will be drawn on Tuesday, December 1st, and can choose any 2020 Volvo or Subaru from Hunter Automotive Group in Fletcher, North Carolina with an MSRP up to $50,000!

Though we were unable to have students on campus and present live performances this summer, we continued to support their education needs during the pandemic, providing masterclasses, lectures, streaming performances and more, available at no charge.

Community Recreation Grant Applications Now Open
Oct 6 all-day
Online

Buncombe County has opened the 2020-2021 application cycle of the Community Recreation Grants program. The grants are part of other countywide initiatives that help make Buncombe County a place everyone from infants to retirees has the opportunity to be strong, healthy, and successful. The program is intended to help community nonprofits make immediate improvements and jump-start long-term progress that align with the Buncombe 2025 plan. Grants range in amounts from $500-$6,000, depending on the number of qualifying applicants.

Eligibility

Eligible entities include Buncombe County nonprofits focused on providing equitable access to recreational, fitness, cultural, and wellness activities to the public at no- or low-cost. These funds are intended to be a leveraging tool that promote partnerships between the County and area nonprofits and are not a donation, funding stream, or sponsorship opportunity. Programs applying for funding should align with the Buncombe 2025 plan’s focus areas, as well as embody the spirt of Buncombe County Recreation Services’ mission: Connect Communities. Preserve Culture. Change Lives.

Projects funded in the past have included creative placemaking, increasing safe connections to a wider range of play and wellness activities for underserved residents, supporting access to experiences that preserve regional and international cultures, improvements to public athletic fields and fitness courses, expanding environmental education, building food security through community gardens, and establishing multigenerational outdoor spaces for neighbors to connect with each other and foster community pride.

Want to apply?

Application, guidelines, and a list of 2019-2020 recipients are available online. Questions should be directed to [email protected].

The grant application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. Late applications will not be accepted. The Community Recreation Grant Committee will notify all applicants via email no later than Friday, Nov. 15, 2020.

Grace Episcopal Church Pumpkin Patch – Consider Haiti
Oct 6 all-day
Grace Episcopal Church

Beginning Sunday, September 27, and continuing throughout the month of October, the front lawn of Grace Church will once again be filled with pumpkins! And as in years past, proceeds from pumpkin sales will benefit our friends with Consider Haiti.

Annually, the Pumpkin Patch is Consider Haiti’s biggest fundraiser. A year ago, we netted $10,000 that supported programs in community health, sustainable nutrition, clean water and medical care. Consider Haiti’s single most urgent goal is promoting the health and welfare of Haitian children. This year, they will impact the lives of more than 2,000 children and their families. Through the Pumpkin Patch, Grace Church has an opportunity to raise both funds and awareness for the work Consider Haiti is doing, even in the midst of a pandemic. We hope we have made participating as safe and risk-free as possible for you. And we thank you in advance for your on-going support.

For the safety of our volunteer sellers, we have developed a method of no-touch electronic payment that will hopefully eliminate a lot of cash transactions that involved handling money. Wheelbarrows will be on hand for shoppers to load their own pumpkin selections. The idea is to handle money and pumpkins as little as possible. Wipes, masks and disinfectant will be available for use as needed within the Patch

Great Trails State Plan Survey for Public Opinion
Oct 6 all-day
Online

A woman rides her bike on a path surrounded by woods. ​​​​​

​One Network of Trails. One Hundred Counties.

Give Your Feedback

The N.C. Department of Transportation wants to hear from you about how to improve North Carolina’s greenways. Learn more about how you can get involved​.

​The Great Trails State Plan will draw upon existing plans and new recommendations to identify a network of shared-use paths and trails that connect​​​ every county in North Carolina, with a focus on connections between population centers and North Carolina State Parks.

The primary outcome of this planning process is to develop a statewide trail map coupled with an action-oriented network plan and 5-year implementation strategy.

The Great Trails State Plan is being led by the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division, in coordination with the NCDOT Transportation Planning Division and North Carolina State Parks.​​​

Help Create a Thriving Food+ Farming Community
Oct 6 all-day
Online
Help Greenworks Win $100,000 for Urban Forestry
Oct 6 all-day
Online

Help us Win $100,000 for Urban Forestry

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Give during A Community Thrives’ fundraising window through October 16th and GreenWorks could receive a grant of up to $100,000! Your $10 donation will make an incredible difference!

Asheville GreenWorks will continue to adapt and grow with the challenges of 2020, and beyond. We hope to give away and plant more trees to the community, collect more litter and recyclables, and engage and educate more volunteers. Your support encourages us to work harder for a better Buncombe County.

If you are unable to give at this time, follow us on Facebook and Instagram and share this information with your family and friends.

Meet Biblioboard, Buncombe Library’s Newest Digital Resource
Oct 6 all-day
Online
The Perfect Turkey

Create, share, and discover with Buncombe County Public Library’s newest resource, Biblioboard.

BiblioBoard Library is an easy-to-use platform of high-quality digital content. Biblioboard offers books, articles, documents, images, audios, and videos. BiblioBoard Library is host to content from traditional publishers, indie authors, cultural institutions, and local thought leaders. Users can access BiblioBoard Library through the library’s website or on the device of their choice.

Some features of Biblioboard:

  • No waitlists or holds
  • Streaming audio and video are available on a wide variety of topics
  • Check out curated collections of the best indie authors.
  • Available for desktop, iOS, and Android devices

Local authors can submit their work for inclusion in the library catalog or publish books with Press Books. You can submit and share your work locally or nationally.

 

NC Nonprofit Coalition Launches Voter Safety Protection Campaign
Oct 6 all-day
Online

Vulnerable North Carolinians can request free PPE as they head to the polls.

Protecting Voters

Whether you Early Vote or vote on Election Day, NCBA wants to protect voters at the polls by providing FREE single-use PPE kits. These kits will include:

 

  • A pair of disposable gloves
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Single-use protective mask
  • A pen and simple instructions on how to cast your ballot in person
  • A template to create your voting plan
  • A voter guide (will be mailed separately)

Need Assistance Requesting a PPE Kit?

Thanks to our partners at Disability Rights NC, voters can call 888-WEVOTE-2 for additional assistance, and to request a free PPE Kit.

NC Rapid Recovery Program Taking Applications
Oct 6 all-day
Online

We are all in this together.

In response to the unique economic challenges of COVID-19, a consortium of public, private, and nonprofit partners have come together and launched an innovative recovery-lending program to help support entrepreneurs like you and stabilize North Carolina’s small business sector.