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.

Sunday, February 11, 2024
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Feb 11 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.

Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.

Family Sessons at Asheville Salt Cave
Feb 11 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Asheville Salt Cave
Spend some quality time with your family Sundays @ 10AM
We have designed this special session, held every Sunday at 10am, so you and your young ones can enjoy the salt cave together. Some benefits, especially useful for children, include mental clarity for distracted youngsters as well as immune boosting, respiratory relief, and relief from skin conditions. Little ones, ages 0 to 11 years can only be registered for the Kids Quiet Play Sessions on Sundays at 10am, or you may buy out the room for a Private Session for you and your family. Accompanying adults must register as an Adult. In consideration of all our guests, PLEASE help children to be quiet and calm while in our space so we can keep these sessions open to our family friendly times. Children must always be accompanied by an adult. Adults must be present and attentive to their child, as we have other spa/wellness services going on and do our best to have children in a calm and quiet setting. What to expect : We have a cave host who will help you enter the space and then once everyone is settled they will leave and you may enjoy the time together to chat and connect. They will return after about 40 minutes and have you all help pick up toys and books so kids learn how to be helpful with resetting the space. We have books, sand toys and some toys for kids to play with. You may bring additional toys or books as well, just please no food or liquids. To help maintain the atmosphere for all guests, we are having family sessions enter and exit though our lower entrance to help keep noise levels at a minimum so to not interrupt other guests services. If you are wanting to shop in our retail space please make sure children are mindful of their voice volume as noises drift easily in our space. . Adults $25, 4-12 years old $15, 3 and younger FREE!
Ringling Bros. and Barnum + Bailey® The Greatest Show On Earth®!
Feb 11 @ 10:30 am
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Get ready for The Greatest Show On Earth®! The reimagined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® invites Children Of All Ages to a spectacle of superhuman feats, pushing the limits of possibility and thrilling families and fans of all generations. Get closer to the action than ever before. Feel part of the show with an immersive, 360-degree environment and new technology that creates real connections between you and unforgettable performers from all over the world. Witness daring and never-before-seen acts on a highwire, trapeze, bicycle, and much, much more. Share the laughter and awe-inspiring spirit of the circus and ignite your family’s spark of fun at The Greatest Show On Earth®. Come fun, come all! The new Ringling™ live show experience is coming to a town near you!

Winter Flow Yoga
Feb 11 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
One World Brewing West

In Ayurveda, the kapha dosha is cold, heavy, wet, thick, and slow, among other things. This dosha tends to be most present in winter and early spring. As a practice, we challenge that in yoga by building heat in the body and releasing excess water, so we can be our strongest and fittest, boosting our immune system and staving off depression.

2024 WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition
Feb 11 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

The Museum recognizes Western North Carolina youth for their original artworks

Award winners will be featured in a student exhibition in the Museum’s Van Winkle Law Firm Gallery and Multipurpose Space from January 24–March 25, 2024. All regional award recipients will be honored at a closing reception on March 21.

The Asheville Art Museum and the Asheville Area Section of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) are the Western North Carolina (WNC) regional Affiliate Partners of the National Scholastic Art Awards. This ongoing community partnership has supported the creative talents of our region’s youth for 44 years. The WNC regional program is open to students in grades 7–12, ages 13-18, across 24 counties.

“I’m thrilled to witness the incredible talent showcased in the 2024 Western North Carolina Scholastic Art Awards exhibition,” said Susan Hendley, School & Teacher Programs Manager at the Asheville Art Museum.  “This is a celebration of original works by students across the WNC region and highlights the profound impact of arts education.”

The regional program is judged in two groups: Group I, grades 7–9 and Group II, grades 10–12. Out of more than 500 total art entries, over 200 works have been recognized by the judges; Gold and Silver Key awards are featured in this exhibition, with select Honorable Mentions displayed digitally. The 2024 regional judges include Victoria Bradbury, Associate Professor and Chair of New Media at UNC Asheville, Andrew Davis, Studio Technician and instructor at Winthrop University, and Jenny Pickens, a native Asheville artist and educator.

Those works receiving Gold Keys have been submitted to compete in the 101st Annual National Scholastic Art Awards Program in New York City. Of the Gold Key Award recipients, five students have also been nominated for American Visions, indicating their work is the Best in Show of the regional awards. One of these American Visions Nominees will receive an American Visions Medal at the 2024 National Scholastic Art Awards.

Visit the Museum’s website for more information about the student exhibition.

Thanks to our sponsors, Jon and Ann Kemske, Russell and Ladene Newton, and Frugal Framer.

Download Student Artworks
American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940-1960
Feb 11 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
Images: Left: Minna Wright Citron, Squid Under Pier, 1948, color etching, soft-ground, and engraving on paper, edition 42/50, 15 x 17 7/8 inches, 2010 Collections Circle purchase, Asheville Art Museum. © Estate of Minna Citron/Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York. Right: Dorothy Dehner, Woman #2, 1954, watercolor and ink on paper, 22 3/4 x 18”, courtesy of Dolan Maxwell.

The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940–1960, which explores the groundbreaking contributions of artists who worked at the experimental printmaking studio Atelier 17 in the wake of World War II. Co-curated by Marilyn Laufer and Tom Butler, American Art in the Atomic Age which draws from the holdings of Dolan/Maxwell, the Asheville Art Museum Collection, and private collections will be on view from November 10, 2023–April 29, 2024.

Atelier 17 operated in New York for fifteen years, between 1940 and 1955. The studio’s founder, Stanley William Hayter (1901–1988) established the workshop in Paris but relocated to New York just as the Nazi occupation of Paris began in 1940. Hayter’s new studio attracted European emigrants like André Masson, Yves Tanguy, and Joan Miró, as well as American artists like Dorothy Dehner, Judith Rothschild, and Karl Schrag, allowing for an exchange of artistic ideas and processes between European and American artists.

The Asheville Art Museum will present over 100 works that exemplify the cross-cultural exchange and profound social and political impact of Atelier 17 on American art. Prints made at Atelier 17—including those by Stanley William Hayter, Louise Nevelson, and Perle Fine—will be in conversation with works by European Surrealists who were working at the studio in the 1940s and 1950s. The exhibition will also feature a selection of domestic mid-century objects that exemplify how the ideas and aesthetics of post-war abstraction became a part of everyday life.

Art Exhibition: “Reflections”
Feb 11 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
The Asheville Gallery of Art

The Asheville Gallery of Art is excited to present its February exhibit, “Reflections,” which features the virtuoso works of three new gallery artists: Carol Fetty, Annie Gustley, Sandra Brugh Moore. This exhibit of visual poetry runs February 1 to 28.

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
Feb 11 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. Several artists of the Studio Glass Movement came to the region, including its founder Harvey K. Littleton. Begun in 1962 in Wisconsin, it was a student of Littleton’s that first came to the area in 1965 and set up a glass studio at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. By 1967, Mark Peiser was the first glass artist resident at the school and taught many notable artists, like Jak Brewer in 1968 and Richard Ritter who came to study in 1971. By 1977, Littleton retired from teaching and moved to nearby Spruce Pine, North Carolina and set up a glass studio at his home.

Since that time, glass artists like Ken Carder, Rick and Valerie Beck, Shane Fero, and Yaffa Sikorsky and Jeff Todd—to name only a few—have flocked to the area to reside, collaborate, and teach, making it a significant place for experimentation and education in glass. The next generation of artists like Hayden Wilson and Alex Bernstein continue to create here. The Museum is dedicated to collecting American studio glass and within that umbrella, explores the work of Artists connected to Western North Carolina. Exhibitions, including Intersections of American Art, explore glass art in the context of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works from the Museum’s Collection.

EARLY: COUNTRY BRUNCH W/ HEARTS GONE SOUTH
Feb 11 @ 12:00 pm
The Grey Eagle
Doors Open: 11:00 AM
– ALL AGES (free admission for kids) 
– LIMITED SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
Country Brunch at The Grey Eagle – a music series for early birds. Country Brunch showcases a goldmine of local country bands that can usually only be found playing late nights in local and regional venues, and brings them out  into the light of day for lovers of an early matinee show. The series runs monthly with a different band each month.
Monthly Lineup:

Show runs 12-3pm on the indoor music room stage. Food and drink available from The Grey Eagle Taqueria. Family friendly show! Kids get in free. Come fill your Sunday day with food, drink, fun and some of the best live music Asheville has to offer – all in one place.

Jack’s Bluegrass Brunch
Feb 11 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

Jack’s Bluegrass Brunch kicks off every Sunday at 12 noon — with lively bluegrass tunes courtesy of The Jack of the Wood Bluegrass Brunch Boys from 1-3pm. Sip a Bloody Mary or Mimosa or a warm Irish coffee. Tasty brunch specials alongside our regular menu and 18 taps of rotating craft brews! Sláinte, y’all!

Volunteer with FEAST
Feb 11 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Lucy Herring Elementary

Our FEAST cooking and gardening program offers public school students the opportunity to learn food security skills that will last a lifetime. Not only that, we tailor our classes to grade level standard course of study and incorporate science, math, reading and history. Students get to taste and have hands on experience, and we could use some volunteers!

Lucy Herring Elementary Weekend Garden Workday
🗓️ Sunday 2/11 from 12pm- 2pm
Main Projects: Pruning fruit trees, turning compost
🌳 We would love to have some folks experienced with pruning fruit trees come out to lend a hand!
🗺️ Located in West Asheville on Harnett St between Sulphur Springs and Sand Hill Rd

✅ Please RSVP at this link so we can plan accordingly. We need at least 5 people to sign up in order for it to be worth our time to run this workday.
☎️ Contact [email protected] for more information

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
Feb 11 @ 1:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

“BOB DYLAN’S SONGS HAVE NEVER SOUNDED SO HEARTBREAKINGLY PERSONAL AND UNIVERSAL.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY is the Tony Award®-winning new musical that the Chicago Tribune declares is “a Broadway revelation!”

Written and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson and featuring Tony Award®-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale, Girl From the North Country reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before, including “Forever Young,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” and “Like A Rolling Stone.”

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred
Feb 11 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sigal Music Museum

Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.

 

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.

 

Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.

And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!

An Act of God
Feb 11 @ 2:00 pm
HART Theatre

An Act of God was submitted by Pasquale LaCorte as a dream role to perform. He teams up again with Candice Dickinson who directed him in the sold out run of Say Goodnight, Gracie. An Act of God had a limited run in 2015 starring Jim Parsons and then Sean Hayes as God and received a Tony Award Nomination for best performance.

By David Javerbaum
Directed by Candice Dickinson
Fangmeyer Theatre

Starring Pasquale LaCorte as God.

God sits down to discuss the mysteries of life and explains how humans got it all wrong. With the help of his archangels, Gabriel, played by David Spivey, and Micheal, played by Tom Bastek, God is asked to examine some of humanity’s most pressing questions and introduces his brand new set of commandments.

Rated PG-13 for language and suggestive content.

Dear Valentine: A Love Letter Writing Workshop
Feb 11 @ 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm
Story Parlor

Led by certified Inward & Artward Creative Facilitator, Tikva Kingrea, this pre-Valentine’s Day workshop offers space to connect + craft a love letter from the heart. We’ll talk about the history and styles of love letters complete with examples, what elements go into writing a love letter, how to find and capture meaningful moments, and provide the needed materials to complete a written letter.
For partners and individuals alike, this workshop is designed for everyone looking for a shared meaningful experience to tap into a more intentional way of connection and expression. From die-hard romantics, to self-love-devotees, to “Galentines” enthusiasts, to folks where the “L” word needs a little TLC — there’s something for everyone — whether you’re looking to write a love letter to yourself, your longtime beloved, your cat, or a ghost who won’t let up their haunt in your heart, join us!

Participants will walk away with:
– creative ways of thinking about letter-writing-
a wax-sealed envelope and letter
– meaningful connection exercises
– a shared experience
– snacks

Downtown Asheville Valentine’s Day Treasure Hunt – Walking Scavenger Hunt!
Feb 11 @ 2:00 pm
Dssolvr

Guests will meet at Dssolvr Asheville (63 N. Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801) and then depart with their treasure map on a walking team scavenger hunt where they will use their minds and feet to follow Valentine’s Day themed clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes to find and unlock the treasure chest for a grand prize!

The hunt involves walking a distance of up to 2.0 miles in total and will take place rain or shine, so long as the weather does not become dangerous. The hunt typically takes about 60 minutes to complete.

Children under 10 years old are welcome to participate for free with the purchase of an Adult ticket.

Flyin’ West
Feb 11 @ 2:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Flyin’ West is a  compelling, crowd-pleasing drama by esteemed playwright Pearl Cleage. Set in the 1890s, the story unfolds in the historic town of Nicodemus, Kansas, one of the many all-black towns established in the American West following the Civil War. Through the eyes of four African-American women, the play delves into their journey of resilience and aspiration as they navigate their lives against the backdrop of the harsh realities of the frontier and the societal constraints of the era. With themes of community, racial pride, and female empowerment, Flyin’ West is a powerful portrayal of the determination and grit of black pioneers, offering audiences a captivating glimpse into an often overlooked chapter of American history.

A talkback with the cast & crew of Flyin’ West will be held following the performances on February 11th and 18th.

“To Victims of War” Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra Winter Concert
Feb 11 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Grace Luthern Church

A candlelight meditation on war and peace, featuring reflective masterworks by Shostakovich and Vaughan-Williams, and the world premiere of Frederic Glesser’s “An Illusion of Presence.”

Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra
Feb 11 @ 3:00 pm
Grace Lutheran Church

Hendersonville, Sunday, February 11, 2024 : The 4SCO returns to the stage with a meditative and reflective program. This thought-provoking concert is titled “To Victims of War” and will feature a candlelight component. The concert will be held in Hendersonville at Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, NC on February 11, 2024, at 3:00 pm. Concert tickets are a $10 donation at the door.

The program features evocative compositions including; Glesser’s An Illusion of Presence, the Shostakovich Chamber Symphony in C minor To Victims of Facism and the War, and Vaughan-Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis. This contemplative experience will leave audience members rapt and optimistic for the future of humanity.

As the Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra continues with the mission of connecting music with philanthropic opportunities, this concert will support the United Nations Global Crisis Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). The UN CERF provides direct relief to organizations that are supplying life-saving aid in the world’s most intense crises. This includes the provision of food, clean water, medication, shelter, and additional resources.

The Vagina Monologues
Feb 11 @ 3:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

A poignant and hilarious tour of the last frontier, the ultimate forbidden zone, The Vagina Monologues is a celebration of the feminine experience in all its complexity and mystery. Based on countless interviews conducted with real-life women, the production features stories of body image, consensual and nonconsensual sexual experiences, genital mutilation, direct and indirect encounters with reproduction, sex work, and several other topics through the eyes of women of various ages, races, sexualities, and other differences. A recurring theme throughout the piece is the vagina as a tool of female empowerment and the ultimate embodiment of individuality.

TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION
Feb 11 @ 3:30 pm
Jack of the Wood

Jack’s long-running Traditional Irish Music Session is the perfect way to enjoy the Celtic-influenced sounds of talented pluckers from all over WNC & further afield! Stop in to enjoy a pint or afternoon Irish coffee with the music! Sláinte!

A Valentine Concert
Feb 11 @ 4:00 pm
Parish Hall

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Friends of Music of The Episcopal
Church of St. John in the Wilderness presents Do You Love Me? The program features songs
that chart the lifecycle of a romantic relationship, from those first smitten moments through
loss and finally reconciliation.

Soprano Jacquelyn Culpepper and bass-baritone Dan Boye take the stage together for this
upcoming performance and their chemistry promises to be powerful. The Davidson College
professors have been performing together for 30 years, including appearances as featured
guest artists at the Breckenridge Music Festival for more than 15 years.
Jacquelyn Culpepper’s career highlights include concerts on almost every continent, including
those at Washington's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Atlanta’s
Symphony Hall. The Professor of Voice has also appeared on PBS; her national broadcasts
include An Evening with Cole Porter and Salute to Masterpiece Theatre.
As Professor of Physics, Dan Boye’s varied course offerings include one for non-science
majors entitled & ;Musical Technology. Along with his busy schedule of professional singing,
he also maintains an active research program in the development of new optical materials.
Handicapped accessibility and free parking are available; donations will be gladly accepted
for Friends of Music. For more information call the church office at 828-693-9783 or visit
www.stjohnflatrock.org.

Valentine’s Chocolate and Wine Pairing
Feb 11 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Atelier Maison & Co.

Indulge in an intimate Chocolate & Wine Tasting hosted by Celeste King. Join us on Feb 10, 4-6 pm, at Atelier Maison & Co. Limited tickets at $28. Experience curated flavors from award-winning Chocolatiers – The Chocolate Fetish and Van’s Chocolates. Reserve your spot for a delightful Valentine’s weekend start!

SUPER BOWL WATCH PARTY
Feb 11 @ 6:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

Join us to watch the BIG game on the BIG screen! We have beer specials and the taqueria will be slinging team-inspired food — KC barbecue ribs and wings + SF clam chowder. Kickoff is at 6:30pm.

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
Feb 11 @ 6:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

“BOB DYLAN’S SONGS HAVE NEVER SOUNDED SO HEARTBREAKINGLY PERSONAL AND UNIVERSAL.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY is the Tony Award®-winning new musical that the Chicago Tribune declares is “a Broadway revelation!”

Written and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson and featuring Tony Award®-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale, Girl From the North Country reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before, including “Forever Young,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” and “Like A Rolling Stone.”

Super Sunday At The Draftsman
Feb 11 @ 6:30 pm
The Draftsman Bar + Lounge

The best seat to the big game is at The Draftsman! Cheer on your team (or Usher) over elevated bar bites, cocktails, or local beers on tap.

Karaoke Nights in The Draftsman
Feb 11 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Draftsman Bar + Lounge

“Sing your heart out every Sunday with Lyric Jones at our laidback basement bar. Whether you’re a classic crooner or want to relive your glam metal glory days, find your moment to shine between 8pm and 11pm. Remember: what happens at karaoke night, stays at karaoke night.

People in the biz get half off select appetizers and burgers all night!”

Monday, February 12, 2024
2024 Carl Sandburg Poetry Contest is open with a theme of “Memory”
Feb 12 all-day
online w/ Carl Sandburg Home

Carl Sandburg wrote countless words in an array of different genres, including poetry, children’s stories, journal articles, as well as a biography and autobiography! He wrote of love and nature, dreams and struggles. This year’s theme of “Memory” is echoed in much of his works. ““Under the summer roses, when the flagrant crimson, lurks in the dusk, Of the wild red leaves, Love, with little hands, comes and touches you with a thousand memories, and asks you beautiful, unanswerable questions.” Carl Sandburg

Poems submitted for the 2024 contest should reflect the theme of “Memory.” By definition, “the process or power of recallling something learned or experienced from the past” Note: Poems do NOT need to be titled Memory, as long as the poem itself relates to the theme.

Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry and is open to students nationwide!

  • Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be submitted by email by Monday March 4, 2024. See below for submission rules.
  • Winners will be notified by April 7, 2024, and will be invited to participate in a virtual celebration program on Sunday, April 28.
2024 West Asheville Garden Stroll Seed Money Grant
Feb 12 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.

Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail
Feb 12 all-day
Asheville Area

Explore the Rich Heritage of Black Communities in Asheville

The Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail leads visitors through three areas of Asheville: Downtown, Southside, and the River Area. The entire trail takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to walk and read.

Reflecting on Community Resolve

Did you know that Black people helped create this region’s first non-Indigenous households? Did you know that Black people helped build Asheville and connected Asheville globally? Black entrepreneurs created thriving business districts. Black families cultivated close-knit neighborhoods. Black people from all backgrounds built resilient communities and fostered social change.

Immerse yourself in the history and heroism of Black Ashevillians by walking the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail. Deepen your understanding with articles, videos, and more resources available here on the trail’s website.

Follow the Trail

Experience this trail in pieces as you explore Asheville or start at one of our three introduction kiosks to learn more about how Black people in Asheville negotiated landscapes of unequal power to build resilient communities and foster social change.