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.
Named by USA Today as one of the Top Twenty Festivals in North Carolina, Folkmoot is a ten-day event, held across the mountains of Western North Carolina in Waynesville, Clyde, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley, Canton, Cherokee, Franklin, Hickory, Asheville, and Hendersonville. The 2018 festival dates are July 19 – 29 and feature cultural ambassadors/dance performing groups from Ghana, Italy, Czech Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and Northern Cyprus, Thailand and local Appalachian and Cherokee dancers and musicians.
Tickets are now on sale for all performances and can be purchased at Folkmoot.org, in person at the Folkmoot Friendship Center, or by calling 828-452-2997.
For the seventh consecutive year, the Asheville Habitat ReStore at 31 Meadow Road near Biltmore Village is encouraging residents to show off their creativity and talent for a chance to win in the ReStore ReUse Contest. Garden shed, artist studio, chicken coop…tree house, playhouse, tiny house…if you recently built a structure like this using predominantly reused building materials, Habitat wants to know. The contest runs July 1-August 31 and submissions must be sent electronically. Information and entry form will be available on ashevillehabitat.org starting July 1 st . The purpose of the contest is to showcase innovative building projects constructed predominantly of used building materials. “Our customers often tell us about the projects they make using materials purchased at the ReStore. This contest is a great way to showcase their projects and inspire others to reuse, recycle and repurpose usable materials,” said Scott Stetson, ReStore General Manager. Five judges will select winners in the following categories: Furniture, Homesteading, Live and/or Work Space, Home Décor, Youth (age 16 and under), and Best in Show. Winners will be announced in mid-September.
Set in the heart of the ancient and mystical Appalachian Mountains, the vision of Asheville Yoga Festival is to create a space for connection, adventure, play, relaxation and healing.
Downtown Asheville will be the retro-urban backdrop for our expanded 2017 festival that will feature over 30 presenters and 70+ offerings including yoga, music, outdoor activities, and unique health & wellness vendors.
While enjoying the pedestrian-friendly festival, you will have the opportunity to experience the eclectic, funky downtown scene complete with a variety of locally owned shops, art galleries, and close to 100 restaurants, coffeeshops & cafes.
We look forward to seeing you in Asheville!
While having school supplies may simply be an item on the ‘to-do’ list for many parents and guardians, for others, the calculator that their child needs, or a backpack without last year’s broken zippers, may not be in the cards. 
These parents—and especially their children—should not have to worry about heading into school without the necessary supplies. This is why the United Way has this drive and, by contributing the supplies our students need to succeed, we’re investing in the future of our community. Together we are stronger. United, we make a difference. #BackpacktotheFuture.
This year’s 2018 school supply drive will be July 9th trough July 27th. If you visit www.handsonasheville.org/
Students at the Visual Arts Preschool at Roots + Wings School of Art and Design engage with pre-K education fundamentals through a dynamic, arts based curriculum. Literacy, numeracy, social skills, community building, cultural and environmental studies are approached through an art and design thinking lens, as students explore learning concepts experientially across multiple platforms.
The Roots + Wings Visual Arts Preschool ‘Best of 2018’ collection is a cross section of the diverse pre-K education program and includes investigations into art movements, community and culture, storytelling, and creative play.
BUGS! is a new musical exploring the insect world. Through a series of funny and uplifting vignettes, this immersive spectacle asks us to pause, look closely, and consider the little things.
Public performances are Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 1pm and 3:30pm, and Sundays at 1pm, with added performances Sunday July 22 at 3:30pm and Thursday July 26 at 7pm. Visit Asheville Creative Arts’ website for information on tickets: $12 (July 19-22); and $12/students and $23/adults (July 26-29).
The Biltmore Estate has been planning the largest exhibition in its historic gardens for almost a decade. And finally, last week, Chihuly at Biltmore opened with a mega installation of glass sculptures from the famous artist Dale Chihuly. Tens of thousands of glass pieces from all around the world reside in 14 locations around the Estate (which is the very first large-scale N.C. Chihuly installation).
The exhibition is up from now until Oct. 7th, free admission with a Biltmore day pass (and free for annual pass holders). Chihuly at Nightis a special, ongoing event where the glass sculptures are lit up, plus live music in the gardens + a wine bar. Tickets are $37.50 for kids + range from $65 – 75 for adults ($10 discount for pass holders).
Three new works were blown just for Biltmore, and 6 new compositions were put together.
The Asheville Area Arts Council is excited to announce Contemplative Art in an Age of Distraction, a new exhibit curated by local photographer Susanna Euston.
Contemplative Art in an Age of Distraction will consist of large, fine art photographs paired with three-dimensional works to create a unified whole—an artistic gestalt. Euston aims to provide a meditative and contemplative atmosphere to transport the viewer from today’s turmoil to a place of peace. Seating will be made available in the large gallery to allow viewers to sit and meditate on the scenes before them.
Participating artists include four photographers—Susanna Euston, Matthew Kraus, Bonnie Cooper and Rick Daley—joined by potter, Steven Forbes-deSoule; Ikebana artist Lynn Forbes; glass artist, Rob Levin; and fiber artist, Paige Houghton.
Join them on Friday, July 6, 2018, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Thom Robinson and Ray Griffin Exhibition Space to celebrate the opening of the exhibit. Artist talk will begin at 6:30 pm.
Asheville, NC—Momentum Gallery in downtown Asheville is pleased to participate in the Summer of Glass, a WNC celebration of glass art in conjunction with the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Biltmore Estate, May-October 2018. The gallery exhibition, Reflections (July 1-August 25) nods to the Gilded Age, a period during the late 19th Century when the Biltmore Estate was conceived and constructed by railway tycoon George Vanderbilt. This curated exhibition features recent work by some of the country’s top contemporary glass artists with many of the works in the collection speaking to Vanderbilt’s aesthetic of opulence, grandeur, and beauty. Other conceptual pieces examine concepts of memory and history, referencing the “downstairs” or “behind the scenes” of the palatial mansion as well. Sophisticated sculptures and stylish wall pieces incorporate a variety of glass techniques and explore the intricate detailing, ornamentation, and drama indicative of the Gilded Age. This Exhibit is free and open to the public.
Reflections includes works by: Thor & Jennifer Bueno, Amber Cowan, Jennifer Halvorson, Alli Hoag, Joanna Manousis, Andy Paiko, Kit Paulson, Pablo Soto, and Tim Tate.
Throughout the month of July, you can enjoy a great local craft beverage and help support MANNA’s mission to provide food to families across WNC.
Many of us are busy planning summer vacations, gatherings, and picnics ahead of July. But for over 100,000 Western North Carolina residents busy trying to make ends meet to provide for their most basic needs, that kind of celebration is out of the question.
That is why the nationally recognized WNC beer scene is collaborating again, and raising the stakes, to bring awareness to the issue of hunger in Western North Carolina. Over twenty local breweries are joining forces to help support MANNA FoodBank’s mission to end hunger for thousands of families across WNC through the 2nd annual Hops for Hunger campaign, July 1st – 31st.
Hops for Hunger is made possible through support from Asheville Ale Trail, and MANNA’s annual sponsors: Preserve Communities, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Anurja Interactive, The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village, Mast General Store, and Lamar Advertising.
These incredible dogs have delighted audiences nationwide at halftime shows on television. Don’t miss them live at Tweetsie Railroad! Shows at 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Saturday evening show at 7:00 p.m.
This exquisite, interactive exhibit is designed to inspire and educate visitors about the storied history and evocative power of scent while taking them on a full sensory journey, literally! Blending flora, fashion and science, Making Scents showcases some of Mother Nature’s most fragrant botanicals and unveils the plants and flowers behind some of the world’s most iconic perfumes. Visitors will explore the mysterious power of the sense of smell, learn about the artistry and science behind the fragrance industry and even compose their own basic fragrance.
From traditional harvest and extraction methods to chemical combinations of synthetic fragrances, Making Scents uncovers the technical processes behind fragrance creation through an immersive, multisensory experience. Art, passion and craft come together inside the exhibit’s iconic bottle display, which showcases the unique designs of more than 100 perfume bottles, some dating back to ancient the Greek and Roman eras. By integrating horticulture, history and pop culture, Making Scents is sure to enlighten the senses and engage the minds of visitors about the fragrance industry and the living world in a fun, dynamic way.
This exhibit showcases the work of three leading fiber artists who explore Western North Carolina’s mountains, meadows and marshes using fabrics and fibers. Their quilted wall art offers a link to familiar images of this region, echoing the Arboretum’s role of connecting people with plants. Through their diverse styles, construction methods and subject matter, artists Mary Stori, Judy Simmons and Kate Weston add a contemporary twist to the area’s rich and storied quilt-making tradition. Their exhibit features pieces of varying sizes, from large focal-point wall hangings to medium-sized wall art to small work suitable for tabletop display. All pieces are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The North Carolina Arboretum Society.
About the Artists
Mary Stori
From her home in Clyde, N.C., Mary creates botanical and organic themed art quilts using artisian-made, hand-dyed cotton, linen, silk and rayon fabrics. She also utilizes hand-felted and hand-dyed wool as rich backdrops, offering texture and depth to her work. Bead embellishment is another one of her trademarks. Learn more on her website.
Judy Simmons
Judy creates her own fabric in her Fletcher, N.C. studio using surface design techniques, including fabric marbling, dyeing, color lifting and silk screening. Much of the imagery in her work utilizes her own photography printed on fabric. To learn more about Judy, please click here.
Kate Weston
From her home in Statesville, N.C., Kate focuses on the creation of complex cloth through the application of dye, paint and embellishment, such as fabric overlay or manipulation and the application of non-fiber materials. Coupled with skillful machine quilting, Kate’s works create and stunning interplay of color and texture. Please visit Kate’s website to learn more.
Join Grammy-winning pianist/composer Peter Kater for a very intimate 90 minute home concert followed by a meet & greet reception with wine and light snacks. Don’t miss this opportunity to sit just a few feet away or to lie under the piano while he plays his soulful masterful music. Doors open at 7 pm. The 90-minute concert begins at exactly 7:30 pm. Reception at 9pm. Donations for wine and snacks will go to Girls Rock Asheville, a music camp for kids.
For more info call: 828-777-0452
Process is a collaborative exhibit by Erica Stankwytch Bailey, Asheville Makers, The Bright Angle with special guest artist Emily Rogstad.
This exhibition offers insight into the working worlds of creative collaborations and independent makers. Artifacts demonstrating inception of idea, design and making will be shown alongside finished pieces to illustrate the inherent value of the creative process.
“The creative process is not just iterative; it’s also recursive. It plays out “in the large” and “in the small”—in defining the broadest goals and concepts and refining the smallest details. It branches like a tree, and each choice has ramifications, which may not be known in advance.” -Dubberly Design Office
Erica Stankwytch Bailey is a Metalsmith and small business owner who designs and makes handmade artisan jewelry. Many of her pieces are inspired by an intense fascination with the building blocks of our world, most specifically molecular and crystalline structures.
The Bright Angle is a modern design company focused on showcasing the process and story behind the makers and products. At The Bright Angle we emphasize practical utility and technology to offer handmade lifestyle goods through carefully curated designer-maker collaborations.
Emily Rogstad graduated in 2013 with a BFA in Metalsmithing + Jewelry from Maine College of Art. After some traveling she moved to Penland School of Crafts for two years for the Core Fellowship. Now a resident of Asheville, North Carolina she spends her time maintaining an inquisitive studio practice, and enjoying the mountains. She is currently the new Design Resident with The Bright Angle.
Asheville Makers is a makerspace in the Asheville area. They are a community of tinkerers, makers, engineers, educators, scientists, artists, hackers, geeks, etc. Anyone who is, aspires to be, or just wants to hang around with local smart, creative, friendly mad scientist folk is welcome!
Process will be open in the Front Gallery of the Refinery Creator Space from June 1 – July 27, 2018 with an opening reception on Friday, June 1 from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
The Asheville Art Museum is excited to present Red Hot in the Blue Ridge, an exhibition being held in conjunction with Western North Carolina’s community-wide Summer of Glass celebration. On view at the Asheville Art Museum On the Slope at 175 Biltmore Avenue May 19 – September 30, 2018, Red Hot in the Blue Ridge celebrates Western North Carolina’s unique place in the history of American Studio Glass. Many other organizations and galleries across WNC are also hosting glass-focused events, programs and exhibitions during the region’s Summer of Glass celebration, which coincides with a new exhibition at Biltmore of multi-media artist Dale Chihuly’s monumental glass sculptures. Visit www.ashevilleart.org for details.
If you’ve recently built a structure from predominantly reused building materials, the Asheville Habitat ReStore wants to know. Projects can include garden sheds, artist studios, benches, chicken coops, playhouses and much more. Share your projects with the Habitat ReStore to help showcase innovative building projects made with reused materials and show off your creativity and talent for your chance to win in the 7th annual ReStore ReUse Contest. The contest runs July 1st through August 31st. For information and submission guidelines, visit ashevillehabitat.org
2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. As the last exhibition to be held in our 56 Broadway gallery before we move to 120 College Street on Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville, Shared History highlights not just the museum’s origins, collection, programs, and exhibitions but also the many ways that this organization has created a space for connection and experimentation. This fulfills our early promise to BMC alumni to be not merely a museum memorializing the past, but a center geared towards building community and fostering forward-thinking creativity in the present. An Opening Reception will be held on June 1st from 5:30PM – 8PM, with a Gallery Talk by Exhibition Curator, Erin Dickey, at 6:30PM. We welcome all who have been a part of our history, and hope that new audiences will gain insight into the scope of BMCM+AC’s reach, both locally and around the globe. This event is FREE and Open to the Public
By highlighting these and other works, Brevard Music Center is presenting some of Bernstein’s greatest output and showing a wonderful variety of his music that is at the core of American classical music experience. We spend so much time celebrating the works of European masters like Beethoven, Mozart, Mahler, and Dvôrak. And those works all deserve to be celebrated. But they must stand alongside Bernstein, Copland, and Gershwin—these masters gave American classical music its voice.
It’s wonderful for Brevard to be joining in with orchestras and institutions all around the world in celebrating the birth of one of the most compelling musicians of our time…or any other time.
THE 2018 BREVARD MUSIC CENTER | LEONARD BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL
Sun., June 24: Beloved Bernstein
Mon., July 9: Bernstein & Friends
Thurs., July 12: Leonard Bernstein/An American Icon (free lecture/details to come)
Fri., July 13: A Bernstein Celebration
Sat., July 14: West Side Story (movie + live symphony)
Sun., July 15: Bernstein the Educator
Thurs., July 26 & Sat., July 28: Candide (opera with English supertitles)
Sun., August 5: Season Finale: Bernstein’s Mass
Property: Omni Grove Park Inn
Event Type: Hotel Event
Event Category: Couples,Entertainment
Contact: (800) 438-5800
Contact Phone: (800) 438-5800
Link: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/dining/elaines-dueling-piano-bar
Join the non-stop, rock n’ roll, sing-along party show at Elaine’s! Doors open at 8:00 pm, show starts at 9:00 pm.
Shelby Lynne Moorer was born in Quantico, Virginia, on October 22, 1968, and raised in Frankville, Alabama. She came from a musical family and her house was filled with the sounds of classic country music as well as The Beatles and Elvis. Her mother was a natural singer, and her father began teaching her to play guitar around age seven. Lynne once said in an interview, “I was singing before I could talk.”
After high school, Lynne decided to leave her Alabama life behind, for Nashville in 1989, so she could pursue her musical dreams. Once in Tennessee, Lynne met veteran songwriter Bob Tubert, and she gave him her demo tape. Tubert liked it and played it for the TV producer of Nashville Network’s Nashville Now, who invited Lynne to perform on the show. The performance caught the attention of CBS Records, and Lynne was offered a contract with the label.
Over the next three years, Lynne produced an album a year: Sunrise (1989), Tough All Over (1990) and Soft Talk (1991), landing a few hits along the way. In 1991, she won the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist award.
Never complacent, after two more albums, Lynne became hungry for a change from the Nashville system, and for her next album she enlisted producer Bill Bottrell, who had worked with such artists as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Sheryl Crow. The resulting album, I Am Shelby Lynne (1999), recorded far away from Nashville on the Northern California coast, earned Lynne the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2000—which was especially poignant as she had been in the music business nearly 13 years.
Love, Shelby was released in 2001, followed by two self-produced albums:Identity Crisis (2003) and Suit Yourself (2005). Just a Little Lovin’, her critically acclaimed tribute to Dusty Springfield, was released in 2008. And the same year Suit Yourself came out, Lynne made her acting debut in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, playing Cash’s mother. She has also appeared on the TV shows Head Case (2007) and Army Wives(2009).
Again showcasing her need to take a different path, Lynne founded her own label, Everso Records, and its first release, Tears, Lies, and Alibis, debuted at No. 16 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart in April 2010. The album resonated with critics as well, and Newsday called it “her strongest album in a decade.” After this critical success, Lynne released her first-ever holiday collection, Merry Christmas, in time for 2010’s holiday season.
In 2011, Everso released Revelation Road, and Lynne headed out on a year-long solo acoustic tour. In 2013, a five-song EP, Thanks, came out to rave reviews from the likes of Mother Jones and The New York Times. Lynne said of the album: “These songs are a way to express my love and gratitude to the universe and to all of the music appreciating souls out there for the friendship and fellowship that music brings us.”
In 2014, I Am Shelby Lynne got the deluxe reissue treatment.
I Can’t Imagine was released in the spring of 2015, it was her first album for Rounder. The tour that followed included complete concert performances of the new recording and I Am Shelby Lynne in a single set.
Lynne and sister Moorer teamed for the Side by Side tour, and considered recording an album together. The plan was shelved until 2017 when they got together in Los Angeles with producer Teddy Thompson and a small group of invited guest musicians including Benmont Tench, Erik Deutsch, Doug Pettibone, and Val McCallum. The sisters chose to record a host of covers from the classic country canon, alongside contemporary fare by pop and Americana songwriters. Their lone co-written original was the set closer “Is It Too Much?” Titled Not Dark Yet, the album was released by Thirty Tigers in August. They sold out venues across the U.S. And U.K. Lynne recently wrapped her first starring film role called Here I Am, a rock and Roll saga, directed by Cynthia Mort (Nina, Tell Me You Love Me). Lynne co-wrote the music and film score. The new single Off My Mind is currently available online.
shelbylynne.com
The 2018 Cashiers Designer Showhouse will take place from July 27th – August 5th at a wonderful, historic home that truly embodies all that is Cashiers. Worthy of being preserved and appreciated, the home is an elegant estate with a traditional gothic style, making it the ideal palette for local and visiting design professionals that the Cashiers Historical Society, in partnership with Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, have invited to unleash their creativity. The enriching week full of energy and style will kick off with an Opening Night Gala on July 27th, feature numerous lectures, book signings, and workshops throughout the week with notable artists and designers, and will close off with a Closing Croquet Brunch on August 5th with Mark D. Sikes.
Named by USA Today as one of the Top Twenty Festivals in North Carolina, Folkmoot is a ten-day event, held across the mountains of Western North Carolina in Waynesville, Clyde, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley, Canton, Cherokee, Franklin, Hickory, Asheville, and Hendersonville. The 2018 festival dates are July 19 – 29 and feature cultural ambassadors/dance performing groups from Ghana, Italy, Czech Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and Northern Cyprus, Thailand and local Appalachian and Cherokee dancers and musicians.
Tickets are now on sale for all performances and can be purchased at Folkmoot.org, in person at the Folkmoot Friendship Center, or by calling 828-452-2997.
For the seventh consecutive year, the Asheville Habitat ReStore at 31 Meadow Road near Biltmore Village is encouraging residents to show off their creativity and talent for a chance to win in the ReStore ReUse Contest. Garden shed, artist studio, chicken coop…tree house, playhouse, tiny house…if you recently built a structure like this using predominantly reused building materials, Habitat wants to know. The contest runs July 1-August 31 and submissions must be sent electronically. Information and entry form will be available on ashevillehabitat.org starting July 1 st . The purpose of the contest is to showcase innovative building projects constructed predominantly of used building materials. “Our customers often tell us about the projects they make using materials purchased at the ReStore. This contest is a great way to showcase their projects and inspire others to reuse, recycle and repurpose usable materials,” said Scott Stetson, ReStore General Manager. Five judges will select winners in the following categories: Furniture, Homesteading, Live and/or Work Space, Home Décor, Youth (age 16 and under), and Best in Show. Winners will be announced in mid-September.
While having school supplies may simply be an item on the ‘to-do’ list for many parents and guardians, for others, the calculator that their child needs, or a backpack without last year’s broken zippers, may not be in the cards. These parents—and especially their children—should not have to worry about heading into school without the necessary supplies. This is why the United Way has this drive and, by contributing the supplies our students need to succeed, we’re investing in the future of our community. Together we are stronger. United, we make a difference. #BackpacktotheFuture.
This year’s 2018 school supply drive will be July 9th trough July 27th. If you visit www.handsonasheville.org/
Students at the Visual Arts Preschool at Roots + Wings School of Art and Design engage with pre-K education fundamentals through a dynamic, arts based curriculum. Literacy, numeracy, social skills, community building, cultural and environmental studies are approached through an art and design thinking lens, as students explore learning concepts experientially across multiple platforms.
The Roots + Wings Visual Arts Preschool ‘Best of 2018’ collection is a cross section of the diverse pre-K education program and includes investigations into art movements, community and culture, storytelling, and creative play.
BUGS! is a new musical exploring the insect world. Through a series of funny and uplifting vignettes, this immersive spectacle asks us to pause, look closely, and consider the little things.
Public performances are Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 1pm and 3:30pm, and Sundays at 1pm, with added performances Sunday July 22 at 3:30pm and Thursday July 26 at 7pm. Visit Asheville Creative Arts’ website for information on tickets: $12 (July 19-22); and $12/students and $23/adults (July 26-29).
The Biltmore Estate has been planning the largest exhibition in its historic gardens for almost a decade. And finally, last week, Chihuly at Biltmore opened with a mega installation of glass sculptures from the famous artist Dale Chihuly. Tens of thousands of glass pieces from all around the world reside in 14 locations around the Estate (which is the very first large-scale N.C. Chihuly installation).
The exhibition is up from now until Oct. 7th, free admission with a Biltmore day pass (and free for annual pass holders). Chihuly at Nightis a special, ongoing event where the glass sculptures are lit up, plus live music in the gardens + a wine bar. Tickets are $37.50 for kids + range from $65 – 75 for adults ($10 discount for pass holders).
Three new works were blown just for Biltmore, and 6 new compositions were put together.
The Asheville Area Arts Council is excited to announce Contemplative Art in an Age of Distraction, a new exhibit curated by local photographer Susanna Euston.
Contemplative Art in an Age of Distraction will consist of large, fine art photographs paired with three-dimensional works to create a unified whole—an artistic gestalt. Euston aims to provide a meditative and contemplative atmosphere to transport the viewer from today’s turmoil to a place of peace. Seating will be made available in the large gallery to allow viewers to sit and meditate on the scenes before them.
Participating artists include four photographers—Susanna Euston, Matthew Kraus, Bonnie Cooper and Rick Daley—joined by potter, Steven Forbes-deSoule; Ikebana artist Lynn Forbes; glass artist, Rob Levin; and fiber artist, Paige Houghton.
Join them on Friday, July 6, 2018, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Thom Robinson and Ray Griffin Exhibition Space to celebrate the opening of the exhibit. Artist talk will begin at 6:30 pm.