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.

Friday, June 2, 2023
2023 Toe River Arts Studio Tour
Jun 2 all-day
Mitchell and Yancey Counties

The art is as diverse as the artists with the tour featuring the work of glassblowers, jewelers, printmakers, potters, fiber artists, ironworkers, painters, sculptors, and woodworkers.

Mark your calendars for the 2023 Toe River Arts Spring Studio Tour, happening June 2 – June 4, 2023.

This driving tour through Mitchell and Yancey Counties will take visitors along the meandering Toe River, across its many bridges, around barns, acres of fields, and miles of forests all while visiting the talented studio artists and galleries participating.

Please have a look at the tour website to begin planning your visit.

LAZOOM: CITY COMEDY TOUR
Jun 2 @ 10:00 am
LaZoom Room

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

  • Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
  • 90-Minutes – tours run daily
  • 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
  • $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Sandburg Home Tours
Jun 2 @ 11:00 am
Carl Sandburg Home

Sandburg Home Tours – Thursday to Sunday at 11am, 1pm, 2pm.

*As of April 2022, tours are free until further notice. See rates below if they change before your visit. Online reservations are available at recreation.gov.

The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

  • Tour Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.
  • Passes: The park does not currently sell the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
    *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
    *You can purchase a pass online at 
    America the Beautiful – National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass | USGS Store.
  • 30-minute house tours are offered year-round, schedule varies by season. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
  • Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
  • Tours are limited to 6 persons.
  • Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

    Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee
    *Tours are free until further notice, this chart is the rate when fees resume.

    (credit card only)
    $10.00 for Adults 16 and older
    $6.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
    Free for Children age 15 and under

The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad
Jun 2 @ 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:

  • An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
  • A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
  • Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels

Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.

Eliada Campus Farm Tours
Jun 2 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Eliada Homes

Join us at Eliada Home’s campus for a small group guided walking Farm Tour. Tours last approximately 1 hour. Participants will learn about outdoor and greenhouse growing practices, aquaponics, hydroponics, market gardening, corn maze production, and about our equine therapy program.

Reservations required. There is no cost, but donations to the non-profit agency are greatly appreciated.

We recommend bringing the following: comfortable shoes for walking on pavement and grass, hat, sunglasses, and water. This tour is not handicap accessible and will require participants to climb stairs and walk on uneven ground.

Summer Sounds in the Gorge
Jun 2 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Nantahala Outdoor Center

From the local favorites to new regional acts, all live from the river banks of the Nantahala. Raft, dine, then jam with us with Live Music every Friday and Saturday from 5pm-8pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

May 27th 5pm-8pm – Mama and the Ruckus

May 28th 5pm-8pm – The Lefties

June 2nd 5pm-8pm – Christina Chandler Trio

June 3rd 5pm-8pm – Laura Thurston

June 9th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton

June 10th 1pm-4pm – Jacobs Well

June 10th 5pm-8pm – Natti Love Joys

June 16th 5pm-8pm – Rae and the Ragdolls

June 17th 5pm-8pm – Beer and Loathing

June 23rd 5pm-8pm – TBA

June 24th 5pm-8pm – Terry Haughton Trio

June 30th 5pm-8pm – Blue

July 1st 5pm-8pm – Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs

July 7th 5pm-8pm – Bayou Diesel

July 8th 5pm-8pm – Pioneer Chicken Stand

July 14th 5pm-8pm – Wyatt Espalin

July 15th 5pm-8pm – Christina Chandler Duo

July 21st 5pm-8pm – Terry Haughton

July 22nd 5pm-8pm – TG and the Stoned Rangers

July 28th 5pm-8pm – Blue

July 29th 5pm-8pm – Somebody’s Child

August 4th 5pm-8pm – Trial by Fire

August 5th 5pm-8pm – Andy Johnson

August 11th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton Solo

August 12th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton Band

August 18th 5pm-8pm – Big Deal Band

August 19th 1pm-4pm – Mckinney

August 19th 5pm-8pm – Funk N’ Around

August 25th 5pm-8pm – Wyatt Espalin

August 26th 5pm-8pm – Somebody’s Child

September 1st 5pm-8pm – TBA

September 2nd 5pm-8pm – Regatta 69

The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge 10th Anniversary Celebration — Not Your Typical Garden Party!
Jun 2 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Riverside Event Center

We can’t believe it’s been ten years since the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge came onto the Lake Lure scene! The Bridge is a premier garden destination that draws visitors from around the world. From the beginning, our volunteers have lovingly created and maintained the gardens and delighted in sharing information and their passion with all who visit.

Whether we’re chatting with visitors as they walk the gardens or making presentations in more formal sessions, we love talking shop. To mark this special occasion, we are hosting a special FUNraising and FUNDraising event.

As part of commemorating the anniversary, we are growing and enhancing our education program. Currently, all classes are conducted “open air,” which means we sometimes have to cancel or move a class due to rain or excessive wind or do our best to provide shelter from the hot sun. To grow our vision and attract even more visitors to our beautiful area, we need a structure where we can safely conduct classes and events and where our schedule is not weather-dependent.  All proceeds from the anniversary party will go toward building and operating our new Education Center. Make plans now to join in the fun and support the cause.

Tickets – $80 per person
Includes:

  • Live music by Johnnie Blackwell
  • Three-course dinner buffet & dessert
  • Cash bar
  • Silent Auction – get ready to purchase items for your garden and more!
LAZOOM Tours: BAND AND BEER TOUR
Jun 2 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
LaZoom Room

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

  • Curated Live Music & Brewery Bus experience
  • 3 Hours long, includes three 30 Minute Local Brewery Stops
  • You Can Drink on the Funky Purple Bus! **Must be purchased at LaZoom or at brewery stop**
LAZOOM Tours: GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Jun 2 @ 7:00 pm
LaZoom Room


GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR

Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.

  • Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
  • 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
  • $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
  • Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.

JOHN McEUEN AND THE CIRCLE BAND
Jun 2 @ 8:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

John McEuen, born in Oakland, CA in 1945, moved to southern California’s Orange County with his family for high school years, where he thought his teenage dream job in Disneyland’s Magic Shop (at 16 years old) was “as good as it gets”. He and lifelong high-school friend both got that 1963 job (magic shop co-worker, Steve Martin) were 17 when music came along. After seeing Missouri bluegrass group The Dillards in an Orange County club, John’s life headed towards his new dream: make magic with music and be a traveling music man. Leaving his Garden Grove spawning ground, moving to Hollywood, dream became a reality more than imagined it could be!

In 1971 John initiated the landmark Will the Circle be Unbroken* album by asking musical mentors Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson to record; then with his brother Bill (band manager, record producer) it grew to inviting Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, Roy Acuff, ‘Bashful’ Brother Oswald, Vassar Clements, and Merle Travis to a

Nashville studio, hooking them up with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, for 5 magic hot August days of recording.

The now multi-platinum “Circle” is honored both by Library of Congress and the Grammy Hall of Fame. * “One of the most important records to come out of Nashville…” Chet Flippo, Rolling Stone

Multi-instrumentalist McEuen (banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, piano, dulcimer) recognized as a founding member and award-winning outstanding performer of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (50 years!), departed NGDB at the end of the 50th year anniversary tour Oct. 22, 2017 due to demands for his solo work. In addition to John’s

numerous solo accolades, NGDB was inducted in to Colorado Music Hall of Fame 2015. He covers it all in his highly praised book The Life I’ve Picked on Chicago Review Press, published April, 2018.

McEuen has made over 46 albums (7 solo) that have earned five platinum and six gold records, multiple Grammy Awards and nominations, CMA and ACM awards, an Emmy film score nomination, IBMA record of the year award, and performed on another 25 albums as guest artist. John’s production of Steve Martin – The Crow won the

2010 Best Bluegrass Album Grammy.

The Music of the Wild West CD- produced by McEuen, was honored with the Western Heritage Award. Other accolades include: Grammy nomination for String Wizards II; the Uncle Dave Macon Award (for excellence in preservation and performance of historic music); 2009 he was inducted in to the Traditional Country Music Hall

of Honor. As a producer/composer of film scores, John has produced award-winning projects of his own and for several other artists.

John has continually performed since 1963 – over 10,000 concerts, 300 television shows, 11,000 interviews and flown more than 4 million miles. In 2010 he was honored with the Best in the West Award solo performer from the Folk Alliance Organization.

McEuen’s rich history of creating, producing and preserving original and traditional

folk music earned him the 2013 Charlie Poole Lifetime Achievement Award.

McEuen joined forces with Martha Redbone in 2011 to co-write, arrange, perform on and produce her Garden of Love album where they put Englishman William Blake’s artful poetry of 200 years ago to the ‘Appalachian sound’. Playing a variety of instruments, he fit it to the musical landscape of the late 1800’s.

Made in Brooklyn. – (Stereophile Magazine's Record of the Month; winner: Independent Music Award’s Best Americana album in 2018), produced by John and David Chesky, earned rave reviews.

John was inducted in 2017 to the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame

John’s first book, The Life I’ve Picked on Chicago Review Press has over 100 5-star rave reviews on Amazon.

John’s popular Sirius/XM Acoustic Traveller Show, now in its 18th year, is found on The Village channel.

Radio Host, author, television show producer, writer, concert promoter, multi-instrumental musician, performer, magician, John McEuen continues to explore the music world. “I am grateful people continue to support what I do, as it excites me to continue making things. I feel like some of my best projects are ahead, like my next album out this summer on Compass Records! So many stories. so many songs, so many notes, so little time!”

This show will probably sell out in advance.

Thus, advance ticket purchases are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!!!!!

Matt Maeson – That’s My Cue Tour
Jun 2 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel
Saturday, June 3, 2023
2023 Toe River Arts Studio Tour
Jun 3 all-day
Mitchell and Yancey Counties

The art is as diverse as the artists with the tour featuring the work of glassblowers, jewelers, printmakers, potters, fiber artists, ironworkers, painters, sculptors, and woodworkers.

Mark your calendars for the 2023 Toe River Arts Spring Studio Tour, happening June 2 – June 4, 2023.

This driving tour through Mitchell and Yancey Counties will take visitors along the meandering Toe River, across its many bridges, around barns, acres of fields, and miles of forests all while visiting the talented studio artists and galleries participating.

Please have a look at the tour website to begin planning your visit.

Cinderella Magic Package
Jun 3 all-day
online w/ Flat Rock Playhouse

We are excited to bring this special package to you and your loved ones. It’s super easy!

  1. Pick your show date – June 14, 17, 21, 24 (Evening only)
  2. Choose 2 Adult Seats and 2 Student Seats
  3. At Checkout, discount will be applied

Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!

Your wish is granted!

TICKETS + INFO

If you have any problems, our Box Office is happy to help!

828.693.0731

Certified Pollinator Habitat on the Historic Montford Garden Tour
Jun 3 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Montford North Star Academy School--parking lot

On the day of the tour bring confirmation of purchase to the parking lot at Montford North Star Academy School, 90 Montford Avenue, to pick up the tour guide that will also serve as your ticket to enter the gardens.  Just north of the school, take Courtland Street to the school parking lot where someone will direct you to the ticket table. Check-in at the school will begin at 9:30 a.m.

All ages

The Stiles garden is one of 8 gardens featured on the tour. It will include Pollinator Trivia to earn a free native plant, pollinator viewing areas and educators, and native plant/pollinator experts. The Historic Montford Garden Tour makes a great day’s outing for residents plus their friends and families. Proceeds from this year’s event will go toward improvements to Montford Garden, located at the corner of Montford Avenue and East Wanetta Street.Local musicians will be playing at varying times throughout the day on the porches, decks, and patios of our gardens on the tour. A special highlight this year is an authentic Greek lunch offered as a fund-raiser by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Cumberland Avenue.

LAZOOM: CITY COMEDY TOUR
Jun 3 @ 10:00 am
LaZoom Room

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

  • Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
  • 90-Minutes – tours run daily
  • 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
  • $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
The Historic Montford Garden Tour
Jun 3 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Asheville Visitors Center

Coming around again after a two-year breather: the 2023 Historic Montford Garden Tour, a favorite community fundraiser. The date is Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No rain date is scheduled, and organizers trust that the garden gods will produce fair weather.

Featuring eight wonderful gardens here and there around Montford, the Historic Montford Garden Tour makes a great day’s outing for residents plus their friends and families. Proceeds from this year’s event will go toward improvements to Montford Garden, located at the corner of Montford Avenue and East Wanetta Street.

Tickets may also be purchased at the Asheville Shop, Asheville Visitors Center, 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville, from May 21, 2023, through June 3, 2023, with cash or check only. Children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

On the day of the tour (Saturday, June 3, 2023), bring confirmation of purchase to the Asheville Visitors Center, 36 Montford Avenue, to pick up the tour guide that will also serve as your ticket to enter the gardens. Check-in at the Visitors Center will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Pets are not allowed in the gardens.

LAZOOM Tours: Kids’ Comedy Tour
Jun 3 @ 11:00 am
LaZoom Room


Kids’ Comedy Tour: 
Wildly funny, this educational and entertaining tour features the perfect blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically toward the 5–12 year old crowd, you’ll explore the town with our famously outlandish tour guides leading the way.

  • Perfect for birthday parties
  • Makes for memorable school field trips
  • Tickets are $27 per person
  • Beverages available for purchase at the LaZoom Room
  • Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
Sandburg Home Tours
Jun 3 @ 11:00 am
Carl Sandburg Home

Sandburg Home Tours – Thursday to Sunday at 11am, 1pm, 2pm.

*As of April 2022, tours are free until further notice. See rates below if they change before your visit. Online reservations are available at recreation.gov.

The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

  • Tour Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.
  • Passes: The park does not currently sell the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
    *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
    *You can purchase a pass online at 
    America the Beautiful – National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass | USGS Store.
  • 30-minute house tours are offered year-round, schedule varies by season. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
  • Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
  • Tours are limited to 6 persons.
  • Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

    Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee
    *Tours are free until further notice, this chart is the rate when fees resume.

    (credit card only)
    $10.00 for Adults 16 and older
    $6.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
    Free for Children age 15 and under

Sandburg Music Festival
Jun 3 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Carl Sandburg Home
The music festival began in 1987, to celebrate Carl Sandburg’s efforts to document the history of American music in his American Songbag. Carl Sandburg published the American Songbag in 1927 after spending years documenting and researching early American songs. As Sandburg said, “The American Songbag is a ragbag of strips, stripes, and streaks of color from nearly all ends of the earth. The melodies and verses presented here are from diverse regions, from varied human characters and communities, and each is sung differently in different places.” His publication does not focus on one genre of music, but rather on the human experience. “It is an All-American affair, marshalling the genius of thousands of original singing Americans.”

Sandburg enjoyed all American musical genres. He spent years interviewing musicians and singers, documenting their songs, including folk, gospel, jazz and blues. Carl Sandburg said, “the American Songbag comes from the hearts and voices of thousands of men and women.”

Compiling and publishing the American Songbag was one of the most difficult writing projects Sandburg took on during his life. Today, the Carl Sandburg Music Festival celebrates his work and the work of modern singers and songwriters to share diverse and original American music.

Parking
There are three parking options available: the Main parking lot, located on Little River Road across from the Flat Rock Playhouse; the Flat Rock Playhouse lot; and the Hikers’ parking lot. Visitors with accessibility needs should pull into the Main parking lot and stop by the accessible parking spaces where a ranger will provide assistance. Other non-accessible parking lots are available in Flat Rock.

  • Find more information about parking options here.
  • Find more information about accessibility here.

Shuttle
A shuttle will be available throughout the day from the Main parking lot to transport visitors to the amphitheater.

Music Festival is supported by:
Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, Inc.
America’s National Parks, the non-profit partner that operates the park store


 

  • CARL SANDBURG HOME NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

    Carl Sandburg and Music

    black and white image of Carl Sandburg sitting, playing a guitar

    Carl Sandburg spent years interviewing musicians and singers, documenting their songs, including folk, gospel, jazz and blues. He published a book titled “The American Songbag” and said it was “a ragbag of strips, stripes, and streaks of color from nearly all ends of the earth. The melodies and verses presented here are from diverse regions, from varied human characters and communities, and each is sung differently in different places.”

The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad
Jun 3 @ 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Biltmore Estate

Included with admission

Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:

  • An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
  • A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
  • Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels

Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.

Summer Sounds in the Gorge
Jun 3 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Nantahala Outdoor Center

From the local favorites to new regional acts, all live from the river banks of the Nantahala. Raft, dine, then jam with us with Live Music every Friday and Saturday from 5pm-8pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

May 27th 5pm-8pm – Mama and the Ruckus

May 28th 5pm-8pm – The Lefties

June 2nd 5pm-8pm – Christina Chandler Trio

June 3rd 5pm-8pm – Laura Thurston

June 9th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton

June 10th 1pm-4pm – Jacobs Well

June 10th 5pm-8pm – Natti Love Joys

June 16th 5pm-8pm – Rae and the Ragdolls

June 17th 5pm-8pm – Beer and Loathing

June 23rd 5pm-8pm – TBA

June 24th 5pm-8pm – Terry Haughton Trio

June 30th 5pm-8pm – Blue

July 1st 5pm-8pm – Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs

July 7th 5pm-8pm – Bayou Diesel

July 8th 5pm-8pm – Pioneer Chicken Stand

July 14th 5pm-8pm – Wyatt Espalin

July 15th 5pm-8pm – Christina Chandler Duo

July 21st 5pm-8pm – Terry Haughton

July 22nd 5pm-8pm – TG and the Stoned Rangers

July 28th 5pm-8pm – Blue

July 29th 5pm-8pm – Somebody’s Child

August 4th 5pm-8pm – Trial by Fire

August 5th 5pm-8pm – Andy Johnson

August 11th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton Solo

August 12th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton Band

August 18th 5pm-8pm – Big Deal Band

August 19th 1pm-4pm – Mckinney

August 19th 5pm-8pm – Funk N’ Around

August 25th 5pm-8pm – Wyatt Espalin

August 26th 5pm-8pm – Somebody’s Child

September 1st 5pm-8pm – TBA

September 2nd 5pm-8pm – Regatta 69

LAZOOM Tours: BAND AND BEER TOUR
Jun 3 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
LaZoom Room

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

  • Curated Live Music & Brewery Bus experience
  • 3 Hours long, includes three 30 Minute Local Brewery Stops
  • You Can Drink on the Funky Purple Bus! **Must be purchased at LaZoom or at brewery stop**
LAZOOM Tours: GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Jun 3 @ 7:00 pm
LaZoom Room


GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR

Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.

  • Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
  • 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
  • $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
  • Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.

Modest Mouse
Jun 3 @ 7:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit

All Ages – under 12 requires venue approval

THIS EVENT IS RAIN OR SHINE
NO BAGS ALLOWED

BMC PRESENTS: BRYAN SUTTON’S NORTH CAROLINA GUITAR CELEBRATION
Jun 3 @ 7:30 pm
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium

On Saturday, June 3rd, guitars will be abundant in Brevard as iconic guitarist Bryan Sutton hosts the Second Annual North Carolina Guitar Celebration at Brevard Music Center’s Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and is the culmination of Sutton’s Blue Ridge Guitar Camp. The concert will feature Bryan Sutton with special guests Darrell ScottSierra Hull & Justin MosesAndrew Marlin (Watchhouse), Jeff Hanna (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Dom FlemonsJon StickleyEd Helms (The Office and The Hangover movies), T. Michael Coleman and Jack Lawrence along with the instructors, Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers), Courtney HartmanMarcel ArdansMatt MunistariJake Eddy and Woody Platt. This year’s event is also celebrating Doc Watson’s 100th birthday.

Bryan Sutton is the most accomplished and awarded acoustic guitarist of his generation, an innovator who bridges the bluegrass flatpicking traditions of the 20th century with the dynamic roots music scene of the 21st. His rise from buzzed-about young sideman to first-call Nashville session musician to membership in one of history’s greatest bluegrass bands has been grounded in quiet professionalism and ever-expanding musicianship.

Auditorium seating is reserved.  Lawn seating is general admission.

Indigo De Souza POSTPONED TO JUNE 3, 2023
Jun 3 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

“Everything has to be said.” This is the conviction guiding Indigo De Souza’s sophomore album, Any Shape You Take. This dynamic record successfully creates a container for the full spectrum—pushing through and against every emotion: “I wanted this album to give a feeling of shifting with and embracing change. These songs came from a turbulent time when I was coming to self-love through many existential crises and shifts in perspective.”

Faithful to its name, Any Shape You Take changes form to match the tenor of each story it tells. “The album title is a nod to the many shapes I take musically. I don’t feel that I fully embody any particular genre—all of the music just comes from the universe that is my ever-shifting brain/heart/world,” says Indigo. This sonic range is unified by Indigo’s strikingly confessional and effortless approach to songwriting, a signature first introduced in her debut, self-released LP, I Love My Mom. Written in quick succession, Indigo sees these two records as companion pieces, both distinct but in communion with each other: “Many of the songs on these two records came from the same season in my life and a certain version of myself which I feel much further from now.”

Throughout Any Shape You Take, Indigo reflects on her relationships as she reckons with a deeper need to redefine how to fully inhabit spaces of love and connection. “It feels so important for me to see people through change. To accept people for the many shapes they take, whether those shapes fit into your life or not. This album is a reflection of that. I have undergone so much change in my life and I am so deeply grateful to the people who have seen me through it without judgment and without attachment to skins I’m shifting out of.”

Lead single “Kill Me,” written during the climax of a dysfunctional relationship, opens with the lines “Kill me slowly/ Take me with you.” This powerful plea, that begins within the quiet strum of a single electric guitar, is diffused by Indigo’s ironic apathy—a slacker rock nonchalance that refuses to take itself seriously: “I was really tired and fucked up from this relationship and simultaneously so deeply in love with that person in a special way that felt very vast and more real than anything I’d ever experienced.”

Across the table from that irreverence sits the sincerity of the single “Hold U,” a more energized, neo soul-inspired love song that substitutes apathy for a genuine expression of care. “I wrote ‘Hold U’ after I left that heavy season of my life and was learning how to love more simply and functionally. I wanted to write a love song that was painfully simple.”

Growing up in a conservative small town in the mountains of North Carolina, Indigo started playing guitar when she was nine years old. “Music was a natural occurrence in my life. My dad is a bossa nova guitarist and singer from Brazil and so I think I just had it in my blood from birth.” It wasn’t until moving to Asheville, NC that Indigo began to move into her current sound, developing a writing practice that feeds from the currents that surround her: “Sometimes it feels like I am soaking up the energies of people around me and making art from a space that is more a collective body than just my own.”

“Real Pain,” one of the most experimental tracks on the record, is Indigo’s attempt to make that phenomena more intentionally collaborative. Starting soft before dropping down into a cavernous pit of layered screams and cries, “Real Pain” collages the voices of strangers—audio bites Indigo received after posting online asking for “screams, yells and anything else.” “Hearing these voices join together and move with my own was really powerful. The whole record was a release for me. And I hope it can be that for others.”

At the forefront of all De Souza’s projects is her magnetism—her unique quality of spirit that is both buoyant and wise. While her backing band has undergone shifts between releases, her sound has stayed tethered to her vision. Any Shape You Take is the first full-length album that Indigo produced herself. Teaming up with executive producer Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, The War on Drugs) and engineers/producers Alex Farrar and Adam McDaniel, Indigo recorded the album at Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s studio in Chapel Hill, NC and finished it with additional production and mixing at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville. Moving past the limitations of a home studio, Indigo could finally embody the full reach of her sound: “It felt really exciting to lean into my pop tendencies more than I have in the past and to trust my intuition to take the songs where I felt they should go. I had the tools to do it and collaborators who were willing to
go there with me.”

“I feel very much like a shape-shifter with my music, I’m always trying to embody a balance between the existential weight and the overflowing sense of love I feel in the world.” It is exactly this balance that Indigo strikes in her Saddle Creek debut, Any Shape You Take. A listening experience that gives back, as you shed and shape-shift along with her.

indigodesouza.com

NICKEL CREEK
Jun 3 @ 8:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

Nickel Creek is the platinum-selling, internationally renowned roots trio of mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins. The Grammy-winning band has revolutionized folk and roots music since first performing together as children at a pizza parlor in San Diego in 1989, signing to acclaimed roots label Sugar Hill Records after wowing the bluegrass circuit for a decade. Nickel Creek quickly broke through in 2000 with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP, which showcased not just their instrumental virtuosity but their burgeoning songwriting prowess. The trio quickly followed that effort with the Krauss-produced This Side, a landmark release that earned Nickel Creek the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album and brought their progressive take on acoustic music to a broader audience, greatly influencing the sound and trajectory of roots music in the process. 2005’s Grammy-nominated Why Should the Fire Die? found the trio pushing genre boundaries even further, incorporating elements of alt-rock and indie pop into their singular brand of acoustic music. Nickel Creek’s most recent album, 2014’s critically acclaimed and joyously received A Dotted Line, ended a seven-year recording and touring hiatus for the band, during which members explored other musical and creative avenues.

 

Each member of Nickel Creek has taken part in many outside projects over the years, too. Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the American radio variety show Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion) from 2016 to 2020. Over the course of Nickel Creek’s career, Thile has released collaborative albums alongside world-renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau and Stuart Duncan. His Grammy-winning band Punch Brothers has released six studio albums, the most recent being 2022’s Hell on Church Street, a re-imagining of the beloved 1983 Tony Rice album Church Street Blues. Sean Watkins has kept busy outside of Nickel Creek, too, co-founding Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, releasing three albums with the collective and maintaining the long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles for a decade. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, most recently 2020’s This Is Who We Are with the Bee Eaters. Sara Watkins’ extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour band, as well as co-founding the Grammy-winning roots trio I’m With Her alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. Sara has released four studio albums, most recently 2021’s Under the Pepper Tree. She has contributed fiddle to recordings by artists like Phoebe Bridgers, the Killers and John Mayer.

 

Nickel Creek will release Celebrants, their first new album in nine years, March 24 via Thirty Tigers.

 

Nickel Creek will be joined by opening act Gaby Moreno.

Sunday, June 4, 2023
2023 Toe River Arts Studio Tour
Jun 4 all-day
Mitchell and Yancey Counties

The art is as diverse as the artists with the tour featuring the work of glassblowers, jewelers, printmakers, potters, fiber artists, ironworkers, painters, sculptors, and woodworkers.

Mark your calendars for the 2023 Toe River Arts Spring Studio Tour, happening June 2 – June 4, 2023.

This driving tour through Mitchell and Yancey Counties will take visitors along the meandering Toe River, across its many bridges, around barns, acres of fields, and miles of forests all while visiting the talented studio artists and galleries participating.

Please have a look at the tour website to begin planning your visit.

LAZOOM: CITY COMEDY TOUR
Jun 4 @ 10:00 am
LaZoom Room

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

  • Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
  • 90-Minutes – tours run daily
  • 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
  • $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Sandburg Home Tours
Jun 4 @ 11:00 am
Carl Sandburg Home

Sandburg Home Tours – Thursday to Sunday at 11am, 1pm, 2pm.

*As of April 2022, tours are free until further notice. See rates below if they change before your visit. Online reservations are available at recreation.gov.

The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

  • Tour Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.
  • Passes: The park does not currently sell the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
    *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
    *You can purchase a pass online at 
    America the Beautiful – National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass | USGS Store.
  • 30-minute house tours are offered year-round, schedule varies by season. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
  • Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
  • Tours are limited to 6 persons.
  • Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

    Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee
    *Tours are free until further notice, this chart is the rate when fees resume.

    (credit card only)
    $10.00 for Adults 16 and older
    $6.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
    Free for Children age 15 and under