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.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Biltmore: Stickwork by Patrick Dougherty
Aug 18 @ 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore

Image result for Stickwork by Patrick Dougherty

Included with admission

A unique-to-Biltmore, large-scale outdoor sculpture will be crafted and installed in Antler Hill Village this spring by Patrick Dougherty. Over the last three decades, this internationally-acclaimed artist has combined his carpentry skills and love of nature to build over 300 of these wondrous works, captivating the hearts and imaginations of viewers worldwide.

Image: Close Ties (2006) Scottish Basketmakers Circle, Dingwall, Scotland. Photo: Fin Macrae
NOTE: This is an example of Patrick Dougherty’s work; the artist will create Biltmore’s unique structure in Antler Hill Village this spring.

Summer at Biltmore
Aug 18 @ 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore

See the source image

Summer at Biltmore offers an abundance of opportunities to explore our 8,000-acre Blue Ridge Mountain backyard and create the kind of memories that last a lifetime. Wander through historic gardens, along winding trails, and within the spacious halls of America’s Largest Home®. Enjoy extraordinary experiences and peace of mind in one spectacular setting: only at Biltmore.

Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Aug 18 @ 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 and a specialty boxed lunch. During the month of October. 9am and 2pm departures. 9am will feature the option of a delicious Sausage & Bacon Quiche or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole. The 2pm departure will be serving the popular BBQ meal.

Diesel $109.00 ($114.00 October) Not Permitted
Steam $119.00 ($126.00 October) Not Permitted
Locomotive Adult (21+ Only) Under 21

How to Purchase

You can purchase your tickets online or call our reservations department at (800) 872-4681. Or, you can purchase your tickets the day of in the Bryson City Depot. No matter how you purchase tickets, they’ll be waiting at will call.

Wednesday Kid’s Night! Chick-fil-A Asheville Mall
Aug 18 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Chick-fil-A Asheville Mall

Join us EVERY Wednesday night for Kid’s Night! Children receive a free four-count kid’s meal with the purchase of an adult meal. See you on Wednesdays!

Unearthing Our Forgotten Past – Reception
Aug 18 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Smith-McDowell House Museum

“Unearthing Our Forgotten Past: Fort San Juan” is now on display at the Smith-McDowell House in Asheville. We will celebrate the official opening of this excellent traveling exhibit on Wednesday, August 18 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm with live music, refreshments, and games on the front lawn. The event is free and open to the public. We are also celebrating several newly completed renovations on the historic home that serves as our facility including a new copper standing seam roof and new exterior paint.

The exhibit was developed by the Exploring Joara Foundation Inc. as part of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Juan Pardo expeditions through Western North Carolina.

Several decades ago, archaeologists identified a site near Morganton as the location of Joara, one of the largest Native American towns in what is today Western North Carolina. Joara was occupied from approximately 1400-1600 A.D. Two Spanish expeditions (led respectively by Hernando de Soto and Juan Pardo) visited the town in the 1500s. The Pardo expedition was part of a larger effort to establish a string of forts from the coast of present-day South Carolina to Mexico.

In 2013, archaeologists confirmed that Joara was also the site of Fort San Juan, which was established by Pardo in 1567, nearly 20 years before the English settlement at Roanoke on the coast of North Carolina and 40 years before the settlement at Jamestown.

Through various artifacts uncovered by the archaeologists, the exhibit showcases the Spanish occupation of Fort San Juan and the lives of the native people who lived in the Joara area.

We’ll have refreshments, live old-time music, yard games, and more.

Bring a lawn chair to sit and listen to live music on the lawn!

Trivia @ Sweeten Creek Brewing
Aug 18 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Sweeten Creek Brewing

Let’s meet at Sweeten Creek Brewing for their Wednesday night trivia. They’ve got a couple of nice covered outdoor spaces we can enjoy

Well-Crafted Wednesdays w/ Matt Smith
Aug 18 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Highland Brewing Company
Witty Wednesday Trivia
Aug 18 @ 6:30 pm
Sweeten Creek Brewing
Scoop: Witty Wednesday Trivia
Miami Gold Live Music
Aug 18 @ 7:00 pm
CONTINUUM ART NC
Our first gallery show opens at 11am on September 18th and Miami Gold hits the stage at 7pm!
Robert’s Totally Rad Trivia
Aug 18 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
12 Bones Brewing

Totally Rad Trivia invades 12 Bones South every Wednesday evening for two hours of Pop Culture Trivia. Grab a beer, some BBQ and buckle in for some fun and challenging Trivia.
Dear Evan Hansen
Aug 18 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Peace Center

show

Winner of six 2017 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it.

“One of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history,” says The Washington PostRolling Stone calls Dear Evan Hansen, “a game-changer that hits you like a shot in the heart” and NBC News calls the musical “an inspiring anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.”

Dear Evan Hansen features a book by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson, a score by Grammy, Tony, and Academy Award® winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La LandThe Greatest Showman), and direction by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (RentNext to Normal).

Latin Night Wednesday
Aug 18 @ 9:00 pm – 11:59 pm
One World Brewing West

Latin Night Wednesday

MTN VIBEZ Presents Latin Night-every Wednesday.  Free Dance Lessons 8:30-9PM-All Skill Levels and All Latin Genres-Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cumbia, Reggaeton.

DJ Ephcto spins cultural bass music from 6:30pm-9pm and is a perfect time to come for some dinner prior to the start of Latin night.

Move On Up: Soul/R+B
Aug 18 @ 9:00 pm – Aug 19 @ 2:00 am
Asheville Beauty Academy

“Move On Up” is a night of your favorite and forgotten Soul/RB cuts right after Comedy Night.

Thursday, August 19, 2021
COVID19 POLICY changes AT THE ORANGE PEEL begin 8.18.21
Aug 19 @ 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Dear Orange Peel Family:

We find ourselves, once again, in an extremely challenging time to be in the business of bringing a crowd of people together for a shared experience.

For that reason, effective immediately, all public concerts and events at The Orange Peel on Biltmore Avenue will be subject to new Covid-19 health measures.

For all shows, we will require:

  • Vaccination -or- Negative PCR Proof at Entry.  We require either proof of a full course of COVID-19 vaccination, or proof of a negative COVID-19 lab-conducted test taken in the prior 48 hours, upon entry into the venue.  At-home rapid tests are not as reliable and will not be accepted.  Patrons must bring a completed COVID-19 vaccination card, with their final dose at least fourteen days prior to the event, or a valid negative test result from no more than 2 days prior to the evening of the show in order to go inside. 
  • Mask at All Times Additionally, regardless of vaccination status, customers will be required to wear a mask to enter, and masks must be worn at all times, except when taking a sip of your beer or beverage of choice.  Between sips, however, your mask must be worn. 

Quite simply, we feel it is necessary to enact these steps to keep our beloved venue open given the current spikes in Covid nationwide and the contagious Delta strain.   Our first priority is the health and safety of our guests, artists and krewe. To ensure that we can continue to operate safely to bring great music to WNC, these simple measures are the best we can do to minimize the risk and the spread of Covid.  Our previous policy included mandatory vaccinations and masking for staff, and this is an extension of those precautions.

We ask for your help and cooperation in enthusiastically complying with these safety precautions.  They will help keep us safe; they will help keep you safe; they will help keep our venue open.  Our music community and venue staff have already endured many months without nationally touring concerts and our plea is that fans support independent venues taking these steps for everyone’s protection, so that we can stay open to bring you all the amazing shows we have lined up for this fall.  For anyone who is unable or unwilling to wear a mask, and to either provide proof of vaccination or proof of a recent negative test result, we would be happy to offer you a refund.  Please contact us at [email protected] to request one.

When you arrive at the venue, please be ready and willing to follow the policies without argument.  Venue staff are working hard right now to do a challenging job in uncertain circumstances; please do not make it harder for them.  If you have feedback to share, you are welcome to email us beforehand.   We thank you for your support and compliance.  For more answers to specific questions about how to acceptably meet our requirements, please see our Covid-19 Policy FAQ

Biltmore Gardens Railway
Aug 19 @ 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore

Included with admission

Our fun-for-all-ages botanical model train displays invite you to experience our grounds in an engaging new way. Located in the Conservatory in the Walled Garden, the displays feature replicas of structures connected with Biltmore and its founder George Vanderbilt. Each beautifully executed piece was handcrafted from such natural elements as leaves, bark, and twigs.

In compliance with state and local mandates related to COVID-19, all guests must enter the Conservatory via the ADA entrance in the back and follow a one-way route.

Biltmore: Stickwork by Patrick Dougherty
Aug 19 @ 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore

Image result for Stickwork by Patrick Dougherty

Included with admission

A unique-to-Biltmore, large-scale outdoor sculpture will be crafted and installed in Antler Hill Village this spring by Patrick Dougherty. Over the last three decades, this internationally-acclaimed artist has combined his carpentry skills and love of nature to build over 300 of these wondrous works, captivating the hearts and imaginations of viewers worldwide.

Image: Close Ties (2006) Scottish Basketmakers Circle, Dingwall, Scotland. Photo: Fin Macrae
NOTE: This is an example of Patrick Dougherty’s work; the artist will create Biltmore’s unique structure in Antler Hill Village this spring.

Summer at Biltmore
Aug 19 @ 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore

See the source image

Summer at Biltmore offers an abundance of opportunities to explore our 8,000-acre Blue Ridge Mountain backyard and create the kind of memories that last a lifetime. Wander through historic gardens, along winding trails, and within the spacious halls of America’s Largest Home®. Enjoy extraordinary experiences and peace of mind in one spectacular setting: only at Biltmore.

PRE SALE: Ty Segall + Freedom Band
Aug 19 @ 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Online
Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Aug 19 @ 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 and a specialty boxed lunch. During the month of October. 9am and 2pm departures. 9am will feature the option of a delicious Sausage & Bacon Quiche or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole. The 2pm departure will be serving the popular BBQ meal.

Diesel $109.00 ($114.00 October) Not Permitted
Steam $119.00 ($126.00 October) Not Permitted
Locomotive Adult (21+ Only) Under 21

How to Purchase

You can purchase your tickets online or call our reservations department at (800) 872-4681. Or, you can purchase your tickets the day of in the Bryson City Depot. No matter how you purchase tickets, they’ll be waiting at will call.

ArborEvenings
Aug 19 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens and experience our Wild Art outdoor sculpture showcase in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Thursdays and most Fridays through October 1, 2021, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. ArborEvenings are not scheduled on the following Fridays: July 9, August 6, September 3 and 10.

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Please note: ArborEvenings will not be held in the event of rain. Please check the website or Facebook page by 3 p.m. for any cancellation announcements prior to attending. 

Beverage Service

Beer, Wine, and soft drinks will be for sale onsite at the Green Gardener’s Shed from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. each night of the event. Outside alcohol is strictly prohibited, but guests are welcome to bring in water or a favorite non-alcoholic beverage.

Food Available for Pre-Order, Picnics Welcome

Although the Bent Creek Bistro will not be open during the event, we are pleased to share that they will be offering their delicious dining options at ArborEvenings via pre-order this year! Simply place your online order — including alcoholic beverages — up until 11 a.m. on the date you plan to attend, then pick up your order at the Baker Information Desk between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (In the event of rain cancellation, pre-orders will be fully refunded.)

Guests are welcome to bring in outside food and non-alcoholic beverages. However, outside alcohol is strictly prohibited.

ORDER AHEAD

Musician Schedule

Please note, scheduled performances are subject to change.

Know Before You Go

  • Parking fees will be collected at the gate upon arrival, and members must present valid card for free entry. Pre-registration is not required.
  • Restroom access will be available during ArborEvenings inside the Baker Visitor Center.
  • Guests are invited to explore A Life in the Wild, a breathtaking exhibition of photographs from Thomas D. Mangelsen; however, food and drink are not permitted inside the Exhibit Hall.
  • Leashed dogs are welcome at ArborEvenings, but are not permitted inside of  buildings.
  • To protect our lawn, blankets are not permitted at the event; however, guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs to set up in front of the musicians.
  • Due to existing event bookings, ArborEvenings will not take place on the following Fridays: July 9, August 6 and September 3 and 10.
Rhythm + Brews: Jamie McLean Band
Aug 19 @ 5:30 pm
Main Street, Hendersonville

 

The Rhythm & Brews concerts series brings together live music, a variety of food trucks, and locally crafted beer, wine and cider! These free concerts close part of South Main Street to make room for all the fun, as well as a children’s area with games and activities. Tickets and wristbands, for the purchase of beer, wine and hard cider, will be located at the Downtown Hendersonville tent.

The Rhythm & Brews musical line-up includes established acts as well as up-and-coming artists from around the nation playing a wide range of tunes from southern rock, soul to R&B.

The concerts begin with an opener at 5:30 pm followed by the headlining performance at 7:30 pm,on the third Thursday of each month from May – September (2021 the concerts will run July – October) on Main Street between Allen & Caswell Streets.

The Inclement Weather Policy is to delay each act by 30 minutes before moving onto the next act. If headline act is unable to perform by 8:00 pm the show will be canceled.  Follow the weather decisions on Facebook page.

Please leave your pets comfortably at home. A Hendersonville City ordinance allows event organizers to exclude animals from the event space for the health, safety and welfare of the community, dogs, patrons, and vendors and their products.

Courtyard Acoustic Jam Night
Aug 19 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
East Asheville Library

Courtyard Acoustic Jam Night

All ages and abilities welcome. Bring your instrument and jam with other musicians in the library courtyard. No amps or electric instruments, please. Call 828-250-4738 for more information.

Gluten-Free Comedy, open mic at Ginger’s Revenge
Aug 19 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Ginger's Revenge
Homegrown Music at the East Asheville Library
Aug 19 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
East Asheville Library


Let’s make homegrown music together at the library! Come play, sing, learn, or just listen at these musical East Asheville Library events.

Courtyard Jam Nights

Grab your guitar, fiddle, ukulele, or any other acoustic instrument and join us at the East Asheville Library for our Courtyard Acoustic Jam nights Thursday, July 15 and Aug. 19 from 6:30-8 pm, rain or shine. All ages and abilities are welcome. No amps or electric instruments please.

 

Live Jazz Hour!
Aug 19 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Enka-Candler Library

Live Jazz Hour!

Join us for our free monthly jazz hour on Thursday, August 19 at 6:30 PM. Hosted by composer and Steinway pianist, Michael Jefry Stevens with Zack Page on bass and Pete Chavez on saxophones.

This program will be held outside by our community room in the blocked off parking area. Some chairs will be available, but feel free to bring your own or a blanket to sit on. Want to treat yourself to dinner or a drink? Our friends next door, Griff’s Kitchen and Bar, will be open for seating or takeout! Get there early to nab their tables outside.

This program is free and sponsored by the Friends of Enka-Candler Library.

For stormy weather, the program will be moved inside of the community room. 

Open mic Come sing, play, and support fellow artists
Aug 19 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain
VEIL B2B NOTLÖ + MATHENY
Aug 19 @ 7:00 pm – 2:00 am
Asheville Music Hall

Image

Join us at Asheville Music Hall for VEIL B2B NotLö with Matheny & CALLMENIKKIP!
+ MORE TBA
Dear Evan Hansen
Aug 19 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Peace Center

show

Winner of six 2017 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it.

“One of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history,” says The Washington PostRolling Stone calls Dear Evan Hansen, “a game-changer that hits you like a shot in the heart” and NBC News calls the musical “an inspiring anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.”

Dear Evan Hansen features a book by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson, a score by Grammy, Tony, and Academy Award® winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La LandThe Greatest Showman), and direction by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (RentNext to Normal).

SUMMER SOUNDTRACK venue change to indoors
Aug 19 @ 7:30 pm
Mainstage at Asheville Community Theatre
Montford Park Players Logo
VENUE CHANGE: Performed on the Mainstage at Asheville Community Theatre

Due to forecast of thunderstorms, Summer Soundtrack will be held indoors at Asheville Community Theatre instead of at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre.

 

A night of music under the stars at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre! Enjoy a summer evening with some of your favorite hits from Broadway and beyond performed by talented youth in our community! Free, but donations are greatly appreciated!

TOMMY EMMANUEL
Aug 19 @ 7:30 pm
Peace Center--Genevieve's

tommy

Although Tommy Emmanuel is an instrumentalist, he approaches the guitar much more like a vocalist, singing melodies through the strings.

 

There are two qualities that define the Australian artist’s greatness. The first, predictably, is his extraordinary guitar playing. Considered by those in the know to be among this planet’s greatest guitarists, it would take three musicians or more to do what Tommy does solo. Who else can lay down the rhythm part of “Day Tripper” while also digging into the riff and singing the melody all at once on just one acoustic guitar?

 

Which brings us to the other aspect of his music, and without which the first might not be as powerful or as infectiously appealing: the joy. Yes, joy. It’s one thing to play these multi-dimensional arrangements flawlessly on an acoustic guitar, but to do it with that with authentic, unbridled delight is an irresistible invitation to feel his music as deeply as he does.

 

An invitation we hope you’ll take us up on August 19.

 

Official Website