Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

Presented by Bee City USA- Hendersonville and Bullington Gardens

For educators: teachers, camp counselors, home-school parents, childcare professionals, summer program leaders, and more, the Pollinator Exploration Kit provides excellent tools. Bee City USA – Hendersonville is eager to help you share the wonder of pollinators with children you teach. The kit includes sets of 12 sturdy child-size insect nets, special bug capture bubbles, bug boxes with magnifying lids, and magnifying glasses. Two pop-up insect habitats and two sets of laminated fold-out field guides (NC Trees & Wildflowers, NC Butterflies & Moths, Bees & Other Pollinators) are also included. The kit can be loaned for up to a week (as available) and may be picked up and returned weekdays 9am-4pm.

Pick-up location:

Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville.

Cost: no charge

Reservation needed: contact [email protected] to check availability and reserve the dates to borrow the Pollinator Exploration Kit.

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)

Take a daily, short, guided stroll at 2 PM that highlights Grandfather Mountain’s rhododendron species and blooms. Included with admission. See the blooms and learn about their history, attributes and roles they play in the mountain’s ecological communities. The easygoing walks take approximately 20 minutes and are fit for guests of all ages – wheelchair and stroller accessible. Meet by the Butterfly Garden at the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery. Staff naturalists will a display inside Wilson Center. Read more about our species of rhododendron.

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!

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!
• 

Game Highlight: Dollar Dog Fridays

$1 Hot Dogs presented by Blossman Gas and Mix 96.5

Promotion: Tourists Fireworks Night

Every Sunday evening Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country

Having grown up working in his folks’ Memphis BBQ restaurant, Charlie Vergos is 100% Southern on the surface, but his erratic attention span, piano playing and wandering years spent in the comedy scenes of Memphis, New Orleans, Cape Town, Chicago, Brooklyn, and now post-pandemic Memphis have developed his act into a colorful rambling far more vibrant than a simple regional cartoon.

Since starting stand-up in 2009, Charlie has worked at The Onion, performed in clubs all over the country and several comedy festivals, including the Limestone Comedy Festival, Laughing Skull, 10,000 Laughs, and a full run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022, among several others. His debut album, Barbecue Rich, debuted at #1 on Apple Music in June 2020.

Featuring TBA

ages 18+

doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm

All shows will be at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in the Montford District of Asheville, and all will be presented absolutely FREE of charge!
Written and Directed by Skyler Goff
This World Premiere was penned by local playwright Skyler Goff and tells of the continuing adventures of our favorite Lost Boy. A fantastical way to kick off our season!

All shows will run Fridays through Sundays and all will be presented at 7:30pm and prime seats can be reserved.

Montford Park Players has been bringing some of theater’s greatest works to Western North Carolina for over 50 years. Montford Park Players continues its mission of bring free theater to the community. The summer season allows everyone to come spend an evening under the stars, seeing some of the best live performances presented in Asheville.

Montford Park Players allows patrons to bring their favorite food and beverages to their shows and sells beer, wine and concessions at the shows. If you’ve never been to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre for a Montford show, there’s no better season than this one. If you have been, you know why you should come back and catch everything we have to offer!

Chaotic Comedy is a night of Improv, Sketch, Magic and Stand Up Comedy all in one show!!! Anything can happen

Lineup: Marlene Thompson, Joe Carroll, Christian Lee and more!!!

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

Cost: no charge; no registration required

At this vendor’s booth, taste pure, raw, local honey, and safely observe a live honey bee hive.

Presented by HoneyBee Bliss, Randy and Pam Knowles.

Join us for this 5K Run for Life event hosted by Open Arms Pregnancy Center to help support women and teens facing unplanned pregnancies. This will be a run/walk-timed event to be held at The Park at Flat Rock located at 55 Highland Golf Drive, Flat Rock, NC US 28731 June 3,2023 with a start time of 8:30 AM.
Runners should register by May 14 to secure a T-shirt for the race.
Sign up at https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/FlatRock/Run4for5k
Those interested in sponsoring the event should contact Open Arms Pregnancy Center by May 15th to learn more. (Marlies Zerressen at [email protected] or Lydia Bright at 864-921-5770)
Open Arms’ ministry is love, our aim: to support and guide, our purpose: to serve God and preserve life. We provide a safe and supportive place for pregnancy related needs with ultrasounds, material and emotional support for those facing difficult circumstances or perhaps the loss of a child.
All are services are Free and Confidential.

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

Presented by Bee City USA- Hendersonville and Bullington Gardens

For educators: teachers, camp counselors, home-school parents, childcare professionals, summer program leaders, and more, the Pollinator Exploration Kit provides excellent tools. Bee City USA – Hendersonville is eager to help you share the wonder of pollinators with children you teach. The kit includes sets of 12 sturdy child-size insect nets, special bug capture bubbles, bug boxes with magnifying lids, and magnifying glasses. Two pop-up insect habitats and two sets of laminated fold-out field guides (NC Trees & Wildflowers, NC Butterflies & Moths, Bees & Other Pollinators) are also included. The kit can be loaned for up to a week (as available) and may be picked up and returned weekdays 9am-4pm.

Pick-up location:

Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville.

Cost: no charge

Reservation needed: contact [email protected] to check availability and reserve the dates to borrow the Pollinator Exploration Kit.

Float down Mud Creek between N. Main Street and Balfour Road, cleaning up trash. Can provide canoes for eight people but encourages anyone who has their own canoe or kayak to bring them

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)

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.

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

Join a certified forest therapy guide for a relaxing 2.5-hour stroll through the forest on the peaceful Arboretum grounds. Through a series of invitations, you’ll have the opportunity to be present in the moment, deepening your connection with nature and community, and enjoying the many gifts nature has to offer. Your guide will share mindfulness practices designed to connect you more deeply to your inner landscapes, as well as the world around you. Inspired by Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese art of immersing oneself in a forest environment, a forest bathing walk invites you to spend time in nature in a way that invites healing for ourselves, our fraught ecosystems, and our community. It is true nature therapy!

• Special, discounted rate of $45/person (includes parking!)
• Occurs on select dates each month
• Max group size is 15 for a more intimate experience