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.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Wilderness Medicine + Survival Skills at Nantahala Outdoor Center
Jun 6 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

LEARN MORE THIS YEAR

Brush up on your wilderness medicine or learn new survival skills! SOLO Southeast & NOC are offering over 200 courses in 2023 and classes in locations across the southeast.

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bryson City, NC
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • Collegedale, TN
  • Greenville, SC

Find your next course with SOLO Southeast and be prepared for the unexpected!

Pollinator Exploration Kit (Available for Loan)
Jun 6 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

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.

Conflict Resolution in the Henderson County Community
Jun 6 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom - link provided with registration

Conflict Resolution in the Henderson County Community: Discover how you can contribute to a more peaceful community and how your local community mediation center can help

Join The Mediation Center for a conflict resolutions skills training for Henderson County community members. The webinar will provide participants with an understanding of the nature of conflict as a normal part of everyday life. Participants will learn quick tips for identifying the underlying interests of people who are experiencing conflict. With these skills, participants will be better equipped to support collaboration. In addition to conflict resolution skill-building, participants will learn about The Mediation Center’s free community mediation services in Henderson County. Participants to leave the webinar with a deeper understanding of what The Mediation Center does, what community mediation can accomplish, and how individuals can access community mediation services in Henderson County.

This is a FREE one-hour training provided by The Mediation Center. Pre-registration is required.

Summer Animal Encounters
Jun 6 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Weekdays only at 2pm

Do you know our staff has a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn about the types of wildlife in the area and their jobs. Some of our best educators have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

Elementary After-School Volunteer Creative Peacemakers
Jun 6 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Deaverview Apartment Community

We are seeking volunteers to assist us in our small after school program for children in West Asheville in low-income housing.  We provide a safe and nourishing environment, healthy snacks, and creative activities.  Our program currently meets during the school year on most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:00-5:00pm. You may volunteer for one or two days a week. 

Volunteer Responsibilities:

  • Assist with serving snacks
  • Interact with children during activity time
  • Supervise games and outdoor free time
  • For people with background in education, there is also an opportunity to assist with curriculum development and program planning and administration

Requirements:

  • Background check
  • Orientation booklets will be provided
  • Masks are required if unvaccinated
A Narrative from the Inside: Hendersonville’s 9th Avenue School
Jun 6 @ 6:00 pm
hybrid

Join the Asheville Museum of History Thursday, June 8 at 6pm for this special program. This hybrid event is held in-person at OLLI and livestreamed via Zoom. It will be recorded.

Hendersonville’s 9th Avenue School—a union school merging grades 1-12—served African American students from Polk, Transylvania, and Henderson counties from 1951-1965. When the Brown v Board decisions eventually went into effect, the school finally became integrated in 1966, bringing great change and some challenges.

The presentation will share information from both the students and teachers perspective about: busing from surrounding counties, education expectations and what has been learned from the teachers’ perspective, their education qualifications, where they were from and where they resided while teaching at the 9th Avenue School, and what happened after integration.

 

About the Speaker:

Ronnie Pepper grew up in Hendersonville and attended the 9th Avenue School. He served in the U.S. army before becoming a Head Start teacher. In addition to researching and telling the story of the Happy Land Kingdom, Ronnie serves his community on numerous boards. He also serves as the Chair of the Black History Research Committee of Henderson County. He has travelled abroad representing Henderson County groups, and has won several awards for his work including the Spirit of Diversity Award by the Latino Advocacy Coalition of Henderson County and the Scholastic Early Childhood Professional Award. Ronnie is currently a librarian at the Hendersonville County Public Library, and a storyteller in the region.

Tickets: $5 for AMoH and OLLI members/ $10 for General Admission. We also have no-cost, community-funded tickets available. We want our events to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are able please consider making a donation along with your ticket purchase. These donations are placed in our Community Fund, which allows us to offer tickets at no cost to those who would not be able to attend otherwise.

Viewing: Registrants will receive a Zoom link with which to view the program. It will also be recorded and later available on our website.

(Images: The newly-completed Hendersonville 9th Avenue School and first incoming class, in The Tiger [Yearbook], 1952, courtesy Henderson County Public Library)

Weaverville Library Evening Book Club: The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Jun 6 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Weaverville Public Library

Join us as we discuss, The Guncle by Steven Rowley.  We will meet in person at the Weaverville Library with the option to join the discussion via ZOOM.  Only ZOOM participants need to register.  Copies of this title are available at the Weaverville Library while supplies last. Newcomers are always welcome.

East Asheville Library Book Club: The Other Dr. Gilmer, by Benjamin Gilmer
Jun 6 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
East Asheville Library

Join other literature lovers to discuss your favorite books at the library! This month’s pick is The Other Dr. Gilmer, by Benjamin Gilmer.

Enka Evening Book Club: “West With Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge
Jun 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

We’ll be discussing “West With Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge. Books are available for pick up at the library.
All newcomers are welcome to participate and no registration is required. Join us!

Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Wilderness Medicine + Survival Skills at Nantahala Outdoor Center
Jun 7 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

LEARN MORE THIS YEAR

Brush up on your wilderness medicine or learn new survival skills! SOLO Southeast & NOC are offering over 200 courses in 2023 and classes in locations across the southeast.

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bryson City, NC
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • Collegedale, TN
  • Greenville, SC

Find your next course with SOLO Southeast and be prepared for the unexpected!

Lewis Creek Preserve Nature Walk
Jun 7 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Edneyville Community Center

Bob Gale, MountainTrue’s Ecologist & Public Lands Director, will lead a slow hike along the nature trail and boardwalk, interpreting plant life, wildflowers, a rare Southern Appalachian Bog ecosystem, and the value of pollinators on this property. From the community center parking lot, the group will go to Lewis Creek Preserve trailhead a short distance away. Suitable for all ages; children must be accompanied by an adult.

Pollinator Exploration Kit (Available for Loan)
Jun 7 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

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.

Asheville Art Museum Book Club: Fierce Poise
Jun 7 @ 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Fierce Poise is a dazzling biography of one of the 20th century’s most respected painters, Helen Frankenthaler, as she came of age as both an artist and a woman in the vibrant art world of 1950s New York. Brought to vivid life by acclaimed art historian Alexander Nemerov, this book comprises a portrait as bold and distinctive as the painter herself.

 

Read Fierce Poise in advance and join museum staff for a book conversation followed by a gallery talk featuring Frankenthaler’s artwork Book of Clouds, on view in SECU Collection Hall, level 3. Books are available at your local library as well as Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café for a 10% discount.

Summer Animal Encounters
Jun 7 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Weekdays only at 2pm

Do you know our staff has a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn about the types of wildlife in the area and their jobs. Some of our best educators have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

Read to Puptart!
Jun 7 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

Puptart is a tail wagging robot dog who sits and stays, pants when listening, and responds to someone talking to and petting it. It will not jump up or run away, plus it’s fur free, so no sneezes and runny noses coming your way!

Every Wednesday afternoon, Puptart will be available for reading practice in the children’s picture book room. Help establish a joy of reading and develop early literacy skills. Sign up at the front desk, pick a book and practice reading for up to 15 minutes.

Pritchard Park Summer Series: Summer of Science with Asheville Museum of Science
Jun 7 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Pritchard Park

Explore hands on activities and experiments while we learn about the Science of Bubbles or the Science of Sound. Every other week we will play and learn together using a variety of tools, instruments, and toys. AMOS has a plethora of science to intrigue the zeal of every learner!

Malaprop’s Book Club
Jun 7 @ 7:00 pm
online w/ Malaprop's Bookstore

The Malaprop’s Book Club, hosted by Jay Jacoby, explores a diverse selection of fiction and nonfiction books determined by member suggestion. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM. The club will meet virtually until further notice. To join the club, please email [email protected]

The French Broad River: Its Past, Present + Future
Jun 7 @ 7:00 pm
UNC-Asheville’s Reuter Center
Please join the Sierra Club of WNC + RiverLink for a lively conversation on The French Broad River: Its Past, Present & Future. Date: Wednesday June 7 at 7:00 pm. Location: Room 102, UNC-Asheville’s Reuter Center at 300 Campus View Drive, or tune in via Zoom.

Click here to register in advance for the Zoom session.

Thursday, June 8, 2023
Wilderness Medicine + Survival Skills at Nantahala Outdoor Center
Jun 8 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

LEARN MORE THIS YEAR

Brush up on your wilderness medicine or learn new survival skills! SOLO Southeast & NOC are offering over 200 courses in 2023 and classes in locations across the southeast.

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bryson City, NC
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • Collegedale, TN
  • Greenville, SC

Find your next course with SOLO Southeast and be prepared for the unexpected!

Pollinator Exploration Kit (Available for Loan)
Jun 8 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

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.

Identifying Trees + Shrubs
Jun 8 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Henderson County Extension Agent and host of the Gardening in the Mountains Radio Show Steve Pettis will teach you how to identify the most common trees and shrubs in the Western North Carolina forests.

Summer Animal Encounters
Jun 8 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Weekdays only at 2pm

Do you know our staff has a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn about the types of wildlife in the area and their jobs. Some of our best educators have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

Elementary After-School Volunteer Creative Peacemakers
Jun 8 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Deaverview Apartment Community

We are seeking volunteers to assist us in our small after school program for children in West Asheville in low-income housing.  We provide a safe and nourishing environment, healthy snacks, and creative activities.  Our program currently meets during the school year on most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:00-5:00pm. You may volunteer for one or two days a week. 

Volunteer Responsibilities:

  • Assist with serving snacks
  • Interact with children during activity time
  • Supervise games and outdoor free time
  • For people with background in education, there is also an opportunity to assist with curriculum development and program planning and administration

Requirements:

  • Background check
  • Orientation booklets will be provided
  • Masks are required if unvaccinated
A Narrative from the Inside: Hendersonville’s 9th Avenue School
Jun 8 @ 6:00 pm
Zoom

Join the Asheville Museum of History Thursday, June 8 at 6pm for this special program. This hybrid event is held in-person at OLLI at UNC Asheville and livestreamed via Zoom. It will also be recorded.

Hendersonville’s 9th Avenue School—a union school merging grades 1-12—served African American students from Polk, Transylvania, and Henderson counties from 1951-1965. When the Brown v Board decisions eventually went into effect, the school finally became integrated in 1966, bringing great change and some challenges.

The presentation will share information from both the students and teachers perspective about: busing from surrounding counties, education expectations and what has been learned from the teachers’ perspective, their education qualifications, where they were from and where they resided while teaching at the 9th Avenue School, and what happened after integration.

About the Speaker:

Ronnie Pepper grew up in Hendersonville and attended the 9th Avenue School. He served in the U.S. army before becoming a Head Start teacher. In addition to researching and telling the story of the Happy Land Kingdom, Ronnie serves his community on numerous boards. He also serves as the Chair of the Black History Research Committee of Henderson County. He has travelled abroad representing Henderson County groups, and has won several awards for his work including the Spirit of Diversity Award by the Latino Advocacy Coalition of Henderson County and the Scholastic Early Childhood Professional Award. Ronnie is currently a librarian at the Hendersonville County Public Library, and a storyteller in the region.

Tickets: $5 for AMoH and OLLI members/ $10 for General Admission. We also have no-cost, community-funded tickets available. We want our events to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are able please consider making a donation along with your ticket purchase. These donations are placed in our Community Fund, which allows us to offer tickets at no cost to those who would not be able to attend otherwise.

Viewing: Registrants will receive a Zoom link with which to view the program. It will also be recorded and later available on our website.

In-Person Location: Reuter Center, 300 Campus View Rd, Asheville, NC 28804

(Images: The newly-completed Hendersonville 9th Avenue School and first incoming class, in The Tiger [Yearbook], 1952, courtesy Henderson County Public Library)

For questions, email Trevor Freeman at [email protected]

A Narrative from the Inside: Hendersonville’s 9th Avenue School
Jun 8 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Live at OLLI at UNCA or via Zoom

Hendersonville’s 9th Avenue School—a union school merging grades 1-12—served African American students from Polk, Transylvania, and Henderson counties from 1951-1965. When the Brown v Board decisions eventually went into effect, the school finally became integrated in 1966, bringing great change and some challenges.

The presentation will share information from both the students and teachers perspective about: busing from surrounding counties, education expectations and what has been learned from the teachers’ perspective, their education qualifications, where they were from and where they resided while teaching at the 9th Avenue School, and what happened after integration.

 

About the Speaker:

Ronnie Pepper grew up in Hendersonville and attended the 9th Avenue School. He served in the U.S. army before becoming a Head Start teacher. In addition to researching and telling the story of the Happy Land Kingdom, Ronnie serves his community on numerous boards. He also serves as the Chair of the Black History Research Committee of Henderson County. He has travelled abroad representing Henderson County groups, and has won several awards for his work including the Spirit of Diversity Award by the Latino Advocacy Coalition of Henderson County and the Scholastic Early Childhood Professional Award. Ronnie is currently a librarian at the Hendersonville County Public Library, and a storyteller in the region.

 

Tickets: $5 for AMoH and OLLI members/ $10 for General Admission. We also have no-cost, community-funded tickets available. We want our events to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are able please consider making a donation along with your ticket purchase. These donations are placed in our Community Fund, which allows us to offer tickets at no cost to those who would not be able to attend otherwise.

Intro to Sketch
Jun 8 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Whitmire Activity Center

Want to know how to write like they do on SNL? Would you like to level up your comedy knowledge? Learn the basics of sketch comedy writing! We’ll talk about the history of sketch, and the differences between the famous sketch and improv schools based in NYC, Chicago, and LA. Want to learn about the crossover of skills practiced in sketch writing and improv? Are you interested in learning some of the differences between British and American humor? Are you curious about the similarities between sketch and satire? (Think: The Onion.) We’ll talk about it! We’ll read a variety of sketch scripts, break them down into parts, and learn the mechanics. We’ll watch a number of sketches together, practice identifying the formula, and specifically labeling what’s funny about them. We’ll also practice idea generation and pitching. Hold onto your hat!

About the Teacher

Emily Swindal lived in New York City for 8 years as an actor and improv comedian and relocated to Hendersonville during the pandemic. Emily has studied and performed improv and sketch comedy writing at NYC’s Magnet Theater and Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre NY. Emily has performed with an assortment of improv teams. Some of her past instructors include Elana Fishbein, Peter McNerney, Ross Taylor, Michael Lutton, and Nicole Drespel. She has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory. Emily can’t wait to meet you.

Friday, June 9, 2023
Pollinator Exploration Kit (Available for Loan)
Jun 9 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

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.

Summer Animal Encounters
Jun 9 @ 2:00 pm
Chimney Rock State Park
Weekdays only at 2pm

Do you know our staff has a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn about the types of wildlife in the area and their jobs. Some of our best educators have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

The World Beyond the Redbud Tree: Book Reading + Discussion
Jun 9 @ 7:00 pm
Weaverville Community Center

Madison C. Brightwell (a Weaverville resident) will read from and discuss her new novel – The World Beyond the Redbud Tree.

This novel was written by Brightwell during the COVID pandemic as a response to what she saw as a world that needed some healing and hope. The novel is set partly right here in Weaverville, and partly in a fantasy parallel universe, in which our teenage heroine, Charli, discovers a Utopian world where different and better choices were made – a world in which the native peoples were embraced by the white colonists and not destroyed by them, which created a harmonious and peaceful society. Madison hopes to inspire readers of the book to think about how we can all contribute to making the world a better place.

This event will feature…

An interview with the author,
Q&A with the audience,
A performance of an extract from the book by local actors,
Local musicians, and
A book signing by the author at the end of the evening.

Saturday, June 10, 2023
Blue Ridge Audubon monthly bird walk
Jun 10 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Jackson Park

Join the Blue Ridge Audubon, a chapter of the National Audubon Society for their monthly bird walk at Jackson Park, a renowned
birding location. On the 2nd Saturday of each month, meet at the Administration Building parking lot, located on Glover Street,
and join the group to see the many wonderful birds found at Jackson Park, Hendersonville’s largest park.8-10:00am.
828-684-0812. Free.