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.
Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.
We invite you to join us.
This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.
July 9-15: Celtic Week
July 16-22: Old-Time Week
July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week
LEAF SUMMER CAMPS
IN FULL SWING!LEAF Schools & Streets invites your students to join us at LEAF Global Arts for summer camp. We are offering multiple camps which will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at LEAF Global Arts at 19 Eagle Street in Downtown Asheville.
Scholarships are available! Qualifications include:
- Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch
- Two of more siblings attending the same week of camp
- Students registering for 4+ LEAF Summer Camps in 2023 (must pay in full)
To inquire about scholarships, email [email protected].
Snacks will be provided, and students should bring a peanut free bagged lunch and a water bottle to camp each day, and wear clothes and shoes they can move in.
In addition to the main focus of the camp, each week will explore elements of theater art, music, and dance from around the world.
Cost: $230 per week. Extended Day: $60 per week.
• July 10th – 14th: Hip-Hop (FULL)
• July 24th – 28th: A LEAF International Experience
• August 7th – 11th: Songwriting & Recording
• August 14th – 18th: West African Drumming (ALMOST FULL)
• August 21st – 25th: Songs for Peace
Register for Summer Camps
Day camp is one of the joys of summer — a chance to learn new skills while making new friends in a fun and supportive atmosphere. LEAF Global Arts Summer Camp registration is live on our website. The week-long camps take place Monday-Friday, June 12-Aug. 25.
This summer, students will dive into music, art, theatre, and dance from around the world and in our community. Camp themes include celebrating diversity, songs for peace, black history, hip-hop culture, West African drumming, and more. Each camp will culminate in a Friday performance for friends and families, in addition to original recordings made in our ONEmic studio! LEAF’s ONEmic studio is funded by the Bed Gradison Memorial Fund and generous support of LEAF members
Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.
We invite you to join us.
This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.
July 9-15: Celtic Week
July 16-22: Old-Time Week
July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week
– ALL AGES (free admission for kids)
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
Show runs 12-3pm on the outdoor patio stage. Food and drink available from The Grey Eagle Taqueria. Family friendly show! Kids get in free. Come fill your Sunday day with food, drink, fun and some of the best live music Asheville has to offer – all in one place.
Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Sundays
1 till who knows when?
Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.
Jack of the Wood
95 Patton ave
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 252.5445
Book by Chris D’Arienzo
Arrangements and Orchestrations by Ethan Popp
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals
www.concordtheatricals.com
Director: Victoria Lamberth
This five-time Tony Award-nominated musical tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip. But when the bar where rock reigns supreme is set to be demolished, it’s up to these wannabe rockers and their band of friends to save the day – and the music. Rock of Ages takes you back to the time of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair! This jukebox musical features all of your favorite ‘80s rock anthems and power ballads from bands including Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more.
Approximate Run Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Rating: PG-13 due to adult content, alcohol use, and language.
– FREE SHOW
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE
Trevor Hall and The Great In-Between will be performing LIVE on the Outdoor Stage at Salvage Station on Sunday, July 9th, 2023 with special guest The California Honeydrops opening the show! Doors open at 5:30 PM and the music starts at 6:30 PM. PAID ON-SITE PARKING opens at 4:30 PM and our FREE shuttle service to our satellite lots will be available. Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have several food trucks and FULL bars open for you to enjoy!
Excerpts from the new musical production of At the Café will be performed at the Weaverville Community Center prior to its grand premier at Asheville’s Diane Wortham Theater in August of this year. The script and lyrics were written by local playwright Marcy Gallagher and the music was written by Sarah Kors (who you might remember graced our stage in 2022 with Tumo Kors). Marcy Gallagher will be on stage to engage with the audience for a Q&A after the performance. Free admission. Curtain time is 7:00 PM for this 75 minute performance. For more information, contact [email protected].
– ALL AGES
– FULLY SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE
LOVE BUBBLE (RECORD RELEASE SHOW)
Asheville’s favorite harmony driven Bubblegum Pop trio is at it again with their sophomore record release “Dream Big.” Expect more love, more bubble, and genius lyrics written and co-written by Hank Bones, Paula Hanke and Peggy Ratusz; all veterans of the Asheville music scene for decades. From storytelling to prose and poetry, each of the 14 tracks is rich in arrangement, instrumentation, melody, rhyme and rhythm.
With reviews like the one from Music Street Journal which harkens: “it’s like a long lost gem of times gone by” and calls it “dreamy & psychedelic, entertaining & poignant.” Rocktimes finds it “wonderfully beautiful and colorful with a cool & groovy hippie vibe.” Sea of Tranquility says “with a name like Love Bubble, it’s no wonder they’d release a record with the theme of love coursing through its grooves. Listening to this album is like taking a time warp into the 1960’s or turning on your local AM dial and letting the pop vibes wash over you. Sunshiny tracks bursting with optimism! Put on your tie-dye and dive in!” Rootstime says “it’s warm, carefree and uplifting with brilliant, impeccable harmonies that invite you to forget your troubles and concerns of the modern day.”
LEAF SUMMER CAMPS
IN FULL SWING!LEAF Schools & Streets invites your students to join us at LEAF Global Arts for summer camp. We are offering multiple camps which will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at LEAF Global Arts at 19 Eagle Street in Downtown Asheville.
Scholarships are available! Qualifications include:
- Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch
- Two of more siblings attending the same week of camp
- Students registering for 4+ LEAF Summer Camps in 2023 (must pay in full)
To inquire about scholarships, email [email protected].
Snacks will be provided, and students should bring a peanut free bagged lunch and a water bottle to camp each day, and wear clothes and shoes they can move in.
In addition to the main focus of the camp, each week will explore elements of theater art, music, and dance from around the world.
Cost: $230 per week. Extended Day: $60 per week.
• July 10th – 14th: Hip-Hop (FULL)
• July 24th – 28th: A LEAF International Experience
• August 7th – 11th: Songwriting & Recording
• August 14th – 18th: West African Drumming (ALMOST FULL)
• August 21st – 25th: Songs for Peace
Register for Summer Camps
Day camp is one of the joys of summer — a chance to learn new skills while making new friends in a fun and supportive atmosphere. LEAF Global Arts Summer Camp registration is live on our website. The week-long camps take place Monday-Friday, June 12-Aug. 25.
This summer, students will dive into music, art, theatre, and dance from around the world and in our community. Camp themes include celebrating diversity, songs for peace, black history, hip-hop culture, West African drumming, and more. Each camp will culminate in a Friday performance for friends and families, in addition to original recordings made in our ONEmic studio! LEAF’s ONEmic studio is funded by the Bed Gradison Memorial Fund and generous support of LEAF members
Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.
We invite you to join us.
This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.
July 9-15: Celtic Week
July 16-22: Old-Time Week
July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week
Grail Moviehouse in Asheville’s River Arts District continues its popular event series: Music Movie Mondays. Showcasing the best in new, classic and cult films about music, these special screenings feature an introduction by music journalist Bill Kopp (that’s me), followed by a screening of the film and then a moderated discussion about what we’ve just seen and heard.
The latest in the series is HEAD, The Monkee’s 1968 film made to deconstruct their cuddly TV image. Is it weird? Oh, yes indeed. Is it fun? Absolutely. And it’s rarely seen on the big screen. Details are in the attached press release; more info at http://musoscribe.com/movies
Named ‘Classical Woman of the Year’ by Performance Today, trailblazing pianist Lara Downes returns to Brevard to share music from her new album, Love at Last, a collection of solo piano works by composers who span generations, continents, and cultures. This music explores themes of love and loss, light and darkness, renewal and redemption, the possibility of peace and compassion, and the everlasting power of love.
PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS
Auditorium seating is reserved.
Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.
We invite you to join us.
This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.
July 9-15: Celtic Week
July 16-22: Old-Time Week
July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week
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| Groovin’ on Grovemont, Swannanoa’s popular outdoor summer concert series, is returning to Grovemont Park for its twenty-first year, with a full schedule of music and family fun on three Tuesday evenings, July 11, July 25 and August 8, beginning at 6 p.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, and come enjoy these free family-friendly evenings of great music and food! Grovemont Park is located adjacent to the Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston Avenue.
As always, a large selection of delicious foods will be available for concertgoers to enjoy, including vegan and gluten free options, as well as smaller portions for the little ones. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the Swannanoa Community Council and Friends of the Swannanoa Library, for the benefit of all those who use and enjoy the library, and Grovemont Park and Playground.
Here’s the entertainment schedule:
Tues., 7/11/23 – Saddletramp: The ultimate 90’s Country Party Band! High-Energy interpretations of all your favorite country hits that will keep you dancing on the green all night long! Saddle up, and hold on tight! www.blakeellegemusic.com
Tues., 7/25/23 – Mama and the Ruckus: The Ruckus is led by “Mama”, aka Melissa McKinney. This intergenerational project is based out of Asheville, and features original music inspired by blues and soul. melissamckinneymusic.com/mama-and-the-ruckus
Tues., 8/8/23 – Queen Bee and the Honeylovers: This dance band performs classic swing, blues and Latin music. Vocal-driven with an infectious groove, the Honeylovers are guaranteed to put a grin on your face and a tap in your toes. www.queenbeeswing.com
Bonus feature during every concert: GIANT USED BOOK SALE from 5 – 8:30 p.m. in the basement of the Swannanoa Library. Come check out the newly-remodeled book sale space. Thousands of great books at unbelievably low prices!
Sponsorships, donations, and volunteers are always welcome and encouraged. If you’d like to support Groovin’ through a sponsorship or donation, or as a volunteer, please call (828) 250-6486 or visit www.GrovemontPark.org. Contributions can be made via PayPal or credit/debit card at |
Andy Grammer will be performing LIVE on the Outdoor Stage at Salvage Station on Tuesday, July 11th, 2023 with Devon Cole opening the show! Doors open at 5:30 PM and the music starts at 6:30 PM. This is an all-ages event and free for children under thee age of 7.
PAID ON-SITE PARKING opens at 4:30 PM and our FREE shuttle service to our satellite lots will be available (see FAQ page for more details). Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have several food trucks and FULL bars open for you to enjoy!
– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMIITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE
The Wildmans come from the hills of Floyd, Virginia, in the heart of the Appalachian mountain music tradition. From campsite jamming at festivals and fiddler’s conventions and a college level music education comes the foundation for musical exploration that sets this group apart, taking the audience on a musical journey that reflects the growth and passion of these talented musicians.
The band features award winning players:
- Eli Wildman, first place winner in mandolin at the Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention, 2018 and 2019, first place winner at the Mount Airy Fiddler’s 2017, 2018, 2019
- Aila Wildman, first place winner in Old Time Fiddle and Best All Around Performer at the 83rd annual Galax Old Fiddlers convention in 2018
- Victor Furtado, winner of the 2019 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo, and first place Old Time Banjo at Galax 2015, 2016 and 2019
The group has appeared on stages large and small, performing in festivals such as Red Wing Roots, Chantilly Farm’s Bluegrass and BBQ festival, Grey Fox Bluegrass, Floyd Fest, and The Steep Canyon Rangers’ Mountain Song Festival. They also regularly represent young talent along the Crooked Road in regional fiddler’s conventions. Having shared the stage with talents such as Bela Fleck, The Steep Canyon Rangers, The Steel Wheels, Danny Knicely, Sammy Shelor, Sierra Hull, Billy Strings, and more., these young musicians are making their way in the American stringband scene.
ACT welcomes Buncombe Turnpike for two nights of songs and stories on the Mainstage. As part of the concert, Buncombe Turnpike will celebrate the release of their latest album, “Good Measure”.
Buncombe Turnpike was founded in 1997 and is known for playing traditional and contemporary bluegrass, gospel tunes, and original compositions across Western North Carolina. The band members include Don Lewis, David Hyatt, Korey Warren, Tom Godleski, and George Buckner.
ACT audiences will remember Godleski as the creator of “Snowbound” – the “mountain play with mountain music”, produced by ACT in 2016 and 2018.
The award-winning Jasper String Quartet returns to Parker Concert Hall in a program both intimate and profound, with music that gives voice to the presence of the sublime within the human experience. Golijov’s commemoration of three young Holocaust victims, Esmail’s meditation on Indian ragas, and Beethoven’s transcendent quartet take the audience on a journey in search of spiritual nourishment in our everyday lives.
PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS
Jasper String Quartet
J Freivogel and Karen Kim, violins
Andrew Gonzalez, viola
Rachel Henderson Freivogel, cello
OSVALDO GOLIJOV Yiddishbbuk
REENA ESMAIL Ragamala
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132
Auditorium seating is reserved.
Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.
We invite you to join us.
This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.
July 9-15: Celtic Week
July 16-22: Old-Time Week
July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week
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Put on your dancing shoes and get ready for a ‘When in Egypt’ celebration for the ages at our 20th Anniversary Bash! This celebratory event will feature:
This historic event will be at the Grove Arcade in Asheville on July 12, from 6-9 pm. Tickets are $50 per person or $75 for two people. 20 year anniversaries don’t happen every day… make sure to get your tickets below! |
The music of Andrew Wooten & Caroline’s Roost feels like a pine-covered moonshine still on a foggy mountainside somewhere in the Carolinas. Writing from the heart Andrew seamlessly blends ear-catching vocals and genuine lyrics into a song that will leave you wanting more. This last year has seen Andrew’s career kick into gear as he has signed with Roadside Music Management, was nominated for two Upstate Music Awards in South Carolina, and performed live on Charlotte Today.
The traditional music of the mountains of North Carolina traces its roots back to the Celtic music of Ireland and Scotland. Traditional Celtic music is still played on the porches and in the pubs of the Celtic lands… and also throughout the southern Appalachian mountains.
In true pub fashion, White Horse Black Mountain hosts a traditional Irish style session twice a month, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, starting at 7pm….
……..and there is NO COVER CHARGE.
Sessions are in many ways the heart and soul of Irish traditional music, a place for players to share tunes and socialize. It’s not a performance, but rather an informal situation in which listeners are welcome to participate, whether offering encouragement, singing along on a chorus, or asking questions about the music and instruments. White Horse sessions regularly draws players from as far away as Waynesville, Cullowhee, Rutherfordton and even Clayton, Georgia.
The sessions are hosted by Richard and Melinda Halford.
Drop by for a beer or a cup of tea and get uplifted by some great traditional tunes and a few new songs.
Come join us in a long musical tradition spanning hundreds of years.
The Jasper String Quartet collaborates with BMC Artist Faculty in a program of chamber music delights by composers who span two centuries of mastery. Jesse Mongomery’s playful Strum gives way to Florence Price’s epic string quartet. Mendelssohn’s youthful quintet illustrates the brilliance of the teenage phenom – only 17 years old when he started composing this gem
PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS
Jasper String Quartet
with BMC Artist Faculty
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Strum
FLORENCE PRICE String Quartet No. 2 in A minor
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Viola Quintet No. 1 in A major
Auditorium seating is reserved.
ACT welcomes Buncombe Turnpike for two nights of songs and stories on the Mainstage. As part of the concert, Buncombe Turnpike will celebrate the release of their latest album, “Good Measure”.
Buncombe Turnpike was founded in 1997 and is known for playing traditional and contemporary bluegrass, gospel tunes, and original compositions across Western North Carolina. The band members include Don Lewis, David Hyatt, Korey Warren, Tom Godleski, and George Buckner.
ACT audiences will remember Godleski as the creator of “Snowbound” – the “mountain play with mountain music”, produced by ACT in 2016 and 2018.
Founded in 1991, we are Warren Wilson College’s educational program of summer folk arts workshops held on our campus in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Each year, we offer a variety of week-long programs in various forms of folk music and dance over a five-week period in July and August, taught by some of the finest folk artists and instructors in the world.
We invite you to join us.
This month-long Celtic music festival takes place on the campus of Warren Wilson College. The festival’s workshops and public performances are joyous celebrations of Scots-Irish music and dance and the many musical forms they have inspired. Check website for programs, location, dates and time.
July 9-15: Celtic Week
July 16-22: Old-Time Week
July 23-29: Contemporary Folk Week
– ALL AGES
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
THE KRICKETS
What happens when the world turns upside down and a quarantine benches a band’s tour? Something magical. They learn to write and record remotely, self-produce some music and then….release it – bells and whistles be damned. With new single, These Games, The Krickets offer a raw, Americana harmony bath with a retro feel. Described as “powerful and emotive” by American Songwriter, the release is a small part of a big message from a beloved musical community that nothing’s gonna stop the music.
The Krickets are a female Americana group from the gulf coast who’s music is what Paste Magazine called a “a truly stunning, one-of-a-kind sound.” Two-time winner of a 2016 and 2019 Independent Music Award for Song of the Year in both Folk and Alt Country categories, the band’s music is a genre-bending Americana cocktail steeped in their signature folk harmony. Muscles Shaols producer Ben Tanner of Single Lock Records helped them find this sound on their 2016 debut Spanish Moss Sirens and Nashville’s Sam Ashworth (Joy Williams, Lone Bellow), helped them dive further into it on their 2018 sophomore LP, Redbird. New single, These Games, is a true first for them, fully self-produced and dropped June 5th, 2020.
A portion of proceeds from every album sale benefits the Sacred heart Hospital Guild’s “Cricket Fund” in honor of Cricket Russell (namesake of the band) providing screenings to the uninsured in rural north Florida. The “K” was interchanged to give space to Buddy Holly’s fabulous Crickets.
“The Krickets send chills down your spine and lift you sky high…” No Depression
- Live Music, 6:00 p.m. and $8 specialty martinis all day at Leo’s Italian Social
For this year’s Pritchard Park Songwriter Series, the Asheville Association is teaming up with Paloma Madre who are best known for bringing Asheville the wildly successful, international concept, Open Folk. Each week will feature two world class songwriters from our community playing introspective and honest tunes about life in the 21st century. Pritchard Park will once again be filled with the sweet sounding songs of heartbreak, true love, heavy loss, and lots and lots of goofin. It’s a guaranteed good time that won’t cost you a dime!!