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.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when Buncombe County Public Libraries join the American Library Association and libraries nationwide to remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.
In Buncombe County, there are two ways to get a library card.
Go to any library – this is the fastest way.
If you can’t to come to a library, we can give you a card online. You will need to email us a photo of your ID to get a card by email. We’ll email you a library card number and PIN that you can use immediately for all digital resources and the physical card will be mailed to you at a later date.
Remember, all Buncombe County and Asheville City School IDs can be used to check out library materials, so if you have a school ID you already have a library card. The PIN for your school ID is the last four digits of the ID number.
Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. Please contact us if you have any questions and we look forward to seeing you at the library.
Did you know more than 40 peaks in the Southern Appalachians of NC and TN reach over 6,000 feet elevation? And, most of these “Southern Sixer” summits fall within Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s six conservation focus areas. (The map below shows Southern Sixer locations relative to our focus areas).
Many of these peaks can be accessed from public lands and trails — such as Mt. Mitchell, Roan High Knob, Mount Kephart, and Black Balsam Knob.
In 2017 we launched the Southern Sixer Hiking Challenge, to challenge YOU to summit at least six of these 6,000+ ft. peaks and receive a commemorative patch!
Originally started as part of our “For Love of Beer & Mountains” Partnership, the Southern Sixer Challenge has become so popular we’ve decided to keep it going. Since starting the Challenge, many hikers have shared stories and images from their adventures — including the cover photo for our 2018 View from the Highlands newsletter, submitted by Steve Bridges.
Fill out the online form on this page (submit a photo and tell us a little about each of your hikes), and we’ll send your patch!
Unique outdoor sculptural works by environmental artist Patrick Dougherty, known as “Stick Man,” will reside in Antler Hill Village. Renowned worldwide for his monumental creations, Dougherty weaves saplings and branches into intricate artworks, fashioning whimsical forms ranging from gigantic snares and cocoons to sculptural interpretations of notable buildings. The visual appeal of these large-scale artworks may be appreciated up close as guests are encouraged to walk through and around the creations, affording the opportunity to admire the artistry and technical skills required to make the sculptures.

Want to save money and support your community organizations at the same time? Join the Target Circle Rewards Program! Members have the chance to vote for a local non-profit whenever they shop at Target between now and September 30.
Join today at target.com/circle and vote for ACT! It’s the easiest way to support ACT and save on products you need!

Tarzan Train
Our train and canopy combo trip will start in Bryson City at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad train depot. You will ride through the Smoky Mountains, along Fontana Lake and up into the Nantahala Gorge. On your 2 hour train ride, watch paddlers challenge the rapids on the Nantahala River. A delicious Deli Sandwich lunch is included. At the top-of-the-line, you will disembark the train and travel a short distance to Wildwater’s Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours.
The original zipline canopy tour in Western North Carolina, Wildwater’s Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours offers 13 different zip lines and 8 sky bridges. Our two highest platforms have unbelievable views of Clingman’s Dome, Fontana Lake and waterfalls. This gliding experience, naturally fueled by a gradual elevation change, takes you through multiple ecosystems, past hemlocks, into hardwoods and through a deciduous forest packed with native flowering plants. All Canopy Tour Rangers are trained to – and all courses are built and inspected to – ACCT Standards to provide for your well-being and fun. This is a great experience for families.
After enjoying the fully guided zip line tour, check out your photos and buy a t-shirt in Wildwater’s store. Your adventure will end later in the afternoon back at your car in Bryson City, NC. All transportation is included.
Members of your party who can’t – or don’t want to – go on the canopy tour can ride the train round trip. You’ll all meet up shortly after the train’s return in Bryson City, NC.

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| Contained by its larger growing neighbor (Asheville), the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, and the Southern Railway line, the Town of Victoria existed from 1887 until 1905, when it was absorbed into Asheville. The community—which included the Smith-McDowell House and Fernihurst mansion—originally incorporated into a town to prevent unwanted development (particularly from the Vanderbilts). |
The Farm Beginnings® class is a 12-month training session that uses holistic management to help beginning farmers clarify their goals and strengths, establish a strong enterprise plan and start building their operation.
Farm Beginnings will help you build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking.
Farm Beginnings is designed for new and prospective farmers who want to plan a profitable farm business. Classes will be hybrid this year, starting in October 24th 2021.
Farm Beginnings will be hybrid for 2021/2022.
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Applications open now, due by September 18th
Farm Beginnings® Farmer Training is approved by the US Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) as an Education Vendor. As a Farm Beginnings® Graduate, your training counts as a year of farm management experience when you apply for a farmland loan through the Farm Service Agency.
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YMICC is committed to economic development and entrepreneurship for Black individuals and communities. Through this program entrepreneurs will receive six (6) months to one (1) year of business incubation support that will include business development training, startup and capacity building funding, as well as, mentorship opportunities. We are interested in you and your business ideas.
The “HMMM” (Hospitality, Medical, Manufacturing, Municipality) workforce training initiative and business development program is designed to support participants with training to build technical and workforce skills. The expansion of this program is “Operation Gateway” which provides a “circle of support” that addresses barriers to successful employment. In this program participants will receive wraparound services along their pathway to the workplace. This circle of services includes childcare, transportation, financial support, guidance, and re-entry skill development (e.g., resume-building and interviewing).
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“Best News Ever”
Save 25% off tickets to MercyMe with special guest Micah Tyler
at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on November 18!
Valid: Thursday, September 2 at 12:01am through
Tuesday, September 7 at 11:59pm
Use Code: LABOR
*Valid online only and on select seats.
We are Asheville’s Community Blood Center.
We’re proud to call Western North Carolina home. Our dedicated staff work and live in the area, just like you. Whether you’re here for the breath-taking mountain views or the cooler weather, we’re glad you’re here to help us save the lives of your neighbors.
Our centers are the perfect places to give back and kick back. Open every day, yes weekends too, makes it easy to fit donating into your schedule.
You could probably use a little peace, and every Blood Connection center offers that. Clean, spacious, and comfortable, a center getaway may be exactly what you need…it’s exactly what 3 blood recipients need too.
Every donation has the power to save up to 3 lives. Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of a life-saving blood transfusion. You’re 1 person who can make a difference!

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Solo Runner? We have an 8K for that!
If you don’t have a team’s worth of runners, you can still participate with the individual 8K portion of the race.
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And for the Kids? They’ll love the Chick-fil-A Mini Moo Mile!
This fun run starts just after the 8K & 5K and each child will receive a finisher’s prize.
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EFFECTIVE AUGUST 10, 2021: All events at the HCCA will now require at least on the following items for entry:
- Proof of COVID-19 vaccine – OR – a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event.
- MASKS ARE REQUIRED unless actively eating or drinking.
For guests unable to meet the requirements for entry, refunds will be available until Wednesday, August 25th at 5:00pm ET.

All throughout September, guests are invited to join the mountain’s naturalists as they count and celebrate the annual spectacle of the fall raptor migration. Participants can meet daily across the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Linville Peak, weather permitting.
This is the 42nd year for this weekly tailgate market, where vendors sell fresh-picked seasonal vegetables, blueberries, fruit, local honey, cut flowers, plant starts and more.

Hendersonville Community Coop
Carolina Farm Credit
Duke Energy
Charlotte Sheppard, REALTOR, Keller Williams Mountain Partners
GiveSmart
One Health Direct Primary Care
Underground Baking Co

This weekly market is a producer-only market, selling only products raised or produced within 50 miles. Special events include live music, educational stations, a demonstration station and a Kid’s Zone. Vendors will be selling items including vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, high-quality crafts and more. Open 8am-12pm each Saturday through Oct 30 at Mills River Elementary School. This is a SNAP/EBT Retailer with Double Dollars Program.

Since 1980, we have been providing Asheville and the surrounding area with a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants, prepared foods and crafts. Day vendors complement the members’ offerings with additional products and services.
The North Asheville Tailgate Market is a weekly, Saturday morning gathering of the best farmers, craftsmen, and bakers. With over 40 vendors and more than 40,000 annual customers, the market’s energetic and warm environment exemplifies the celebrated diversity of our community.

Visit The Learning Garden! The gardens are in full summer mode with ripening tomatoes, blooming roses, giant sunflowers, and many other perennials and plants of interest.
The Learning Garden is a dedicated, on-site teaching garden at the Buncombe Extension Center located at 49 Mt. Carmel Road, Asheville. It is managed and cared for by the Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers (EMGVs) of Buncombe County.
Everyone is welcome to visit the gardens Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9 to 12 when temperatures are cool and Master Gardeners are working in the gardens. Or come visit on your own Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.
The Learning Garden (TLG) surrounds the Extension building, includes 8 distinct gardens, and a composting demonstration site. Each garden offers plants that grow well in our region. You will gather new ideas and learn successful horticultural practices that lead to beautiful, healthy gardens.
Look for plant labels in the garden. Find more information and brochures at the kiosk near the building and in the garden mailboxes.
GARDENERS ARE IN THE GARDEN.

The North Carolina Arboretum is going wild for art and nature in 2021 with Wild Art! On view April 1 through September 26, this outdoor sculpture exhibition features works by 17 local and national artists drawing inspiration from the natural environment. Situated throughout the Arboretum’s spacious, open-air gardens, the show offers guests a doorway into the wild world from the comfort and safety of cultivated landscapes transformed by art.
The 18 sculptures on display represent a variety of approaches to the theme of “wild art,” from the literal to the abstract, and are crafted from a diverse array of materials that will delight and inspire. Let your imagination take you on a wild journey into the world of plants and animals near and far with Wild Art at The North Carolina Arboretum.
The exhibit is available to all guests during normal Arboretum hours, and there is no admission cost to view the sculptures beyond our usual parking fee of $16 per personal vehicle.

With the convenience of being open year-round, 7 days a week, the WNC Farmers Market offers a selection of farm-fresh produce at the lowest prices in Western N.C. Our popular retail buildings, providing a selection of non-perishables, fruits, vegetables, crafts and more, are open daily.

About ASAP Farmers Market
The ASAP Farmers Market and the ASAP Winter Farmers Market are designed to protect shoppers and vendors by maintaining social distances and mitigating potential virus transmission points during the COVID-19 pandemic. The market is located on the downtown campus of A-B Tech in the parking lot beside the Bailey Student Services Building (340 Victoria Rd.). Enter via Student Circle and follow market staff directions to park or queue inside your vehicle. Handicapped parking is available and there is a bus stop on the S4 route adjacent. The ASAP Farmers Market and Winter Market offer Double SNAP.
The ASAP Farmers Market is open Saturdays, the first week in April through the third week in December, 9am – noon.
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COVID-19 SAFTEY PROCEDURES
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Please be safe and follow our Covid-19 market procedures.
HOW DO YOU PAY? Vendors accept touch-free credit or debit payments as well as SNAP. Some take exact cash (no change given) or check. SNAP tokens may be purchased at the market table. The market offers Double SNAP (i.e., if you purchase $20 in SNAP tokens, you will receive $40 to spend). Learn more about our Double SNAP program here. Contact vendors directly at the links below to find out if they offer preorders. |

A Life in the Wild features more than 30 large-format images from award-winning nature photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen, who has devoted decades of his life to documenting wild places across the globe and the remarkable creatures that inhabit them. For this traveling retrospective exhibition of his works, Mangelsen has hand-selected several legacy photographs from his portfolio of more than 40 years, during which time he has captured thousands of breathtaking images of wildlife under natural — and sometimes harsh — conditions. With subjects ranging from black bears in the Great Smoky Mountains to plains zebras in the savannas of East Africa, this collection of photographs serves to remind us all to slow down and take a moment to connect with nature near and far. Named the 2011 Conservation Photographer of the Year by Nature’s Best Photography, among other accolades, Mangelsen has his work featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C..
A Life in the Wild is on display daily, May 15 – September 5, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the Baker Exhibit Center. Face coverings are required for visitors ages 5 years and older.
Exhibit support for A Life in the Wild is provided in part by The North Carolina Arboretum Society, Asheville Citizen-Times, Biltmore Farms Hotels, Gasperson Moving & Storage, RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide and Smoky Mountain Living Magazine.
THOMAS D. MANGELSEN – A LIFE IN THE WILD, produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C., David J. Wagner, Ph.D., Curator/Tour Director.

Our market is a seasonal Saturday morning community event featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and local arts and handcrafted items. A family event every Saturday from May through November.

Located in the heart of downtown Asheville, North Carolina, and open to the public this Fall. Host your company dinner or private party at Citizen Vinyl today.

River’s End Restaurant is an iconic spot for locals and visitors to Bryson City. Enjoy spectacular views of the gorge, with paddlers passing through as they complete their Nantahala River Rafting trip. Stop in for year-round lunch and dinner, with weekend brunch during the summer season, and choose from a wide range of appetizing entrees, burgers, salads, pizza, and sandwiches. Hang out for a while and enjoy a large selection of signature cocktails, wine, and beer, including local favorites.
In River’s End Restaurant, every seat has a view of the river! Enjoy music by the river and views of paddlers passing through as they complete their Nantahala River Rafting trip. Join our waitlist online to reserve a table or order online and grab your meal to go, for a sunny lunch right by the river!







