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.

Saturday, August 12, 2023
Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 12 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

Sunday, August 13, 2023
NOC Paddling School
Aug 13 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Voted “Best Place to Learn” by Outside, NOC Paddling School has taught more paddlers than anyone else, with 50 years of experience going into every class. Our commitment to the sport and to providing the best possible instruction has not waivered. So come and let us be your respected and experienced instructor.

Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 13 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

Lake Lure RACE TO THE ROCK
Aug 13 @ 6:00 am
Best View Motel

5K RUN PATH

End the race weekend on a high note, literally! Starting at the Best View Motel on the west side of Chimney Rock Village, the course takes you through the entrance of Chimney Rock State Park and climbs UP, UP, UP! the switchback road ending at the base of the Rock with a stunning 75 Mile panoramic view of the Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure.

5K PARKING

  • All parking will be in the Chimney Rock Public Parking Lot across from the Old Rock Cafe. There will be no charge to exit prior to 12 noon. After noon, there will be a $5.00 charge.

EXITING THE PARK AFTER THE RACE

  • All participants of the Race to the Rock are invited for post-race snacks and refreshments immediately following the race at the finish line. Let’s celebrate!

  • All 5K runners MUST stay on the mountain until the event is over. This is a safety precaution and no exceptions are made.

  • The event is over by 9:30 am and at that time, runners can ride the bus down. Runners are prohibited to walk back down the road.

  • After the race and awards, ALL spectators and participants will be required to exit the mountain.

  • Participants will be allowed to visit the park AT NO CHARGE when the park reopens to the public by presenting
    their race bib.

  • All trails will remain CLOSED until the park reopens.

PRICING & REGISTRATION

Avoid the line, Register online! 

On-line Registration is available until 6:30 am, Sunday, Aug. 13th, 2023

RACE TO THE ROCK 5K RUN
$30.00 Early-bird Registration until July 27th, 2023

$40.00 Standard Registration July 28 – event date

FINAL-Race-to-the-Rock-5K-Red-Shirt.jpg

Policies & Refunds
There are no refunds for this race. This event occurs rain or shine. In case of
 lightening, we will delay the start.

*** Year after year the Olympiad provides a venue for athletes to come and test their abilities. We put a lot of effort into making this a special event for all participants. In addition, the Olympiad supports many area charities and service organizations. And like most races, we have a “No Refund” policy.

Sincerely,

The Olympiad Board 

SWAG AND EXTRAS

At the finish line for Athletes:

  • Commemorative t-shirt (given out at packet pick up)

  • Iced neck towel

  • FREE post-race snacks and refreshments immediately following the race.

  • Recognition Ceremony

  • Race participants can visit Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park free of                     charge anytime after the race on Sunday by showing their race bib at the                Ticket Plaza.

Asheville Tourists vs. Hickory Crawdads — Backpack Giveaway
Aug 13 @ 1:00 pm
McCormick Field

Post Game Kids Run the Bases presented by Ingles.

Enjoy your Sunday at McCormick Field and receive a Tourists Backpack presented by Ingles.

Monday, August 14, 2023
Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 14 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

PUSH Skate Camp-Rollerskaters
Aug 14 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Asheville Skate Park

We’re offering 6 weeks of camp, ages 5-15

Monday-Thursday from 9am-12pm.

Skateboarders, sign up for one or more weeks! Dates are as follows:

August  14-17

Rollerskaters, sign up for one or more weeks! Dates are as follows:

August 14-17.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 15 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

2023 Summer Buzz Breakfast Series: Bridges: What is Already Being Done and How Can You Help?
Aug 15 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Crowne Plaza Expo Center
  • Debra Campbell, City Manager, City of Asheville
  • Jessica Hendrix or Beth Lane, Board Members, Asheville Downtown Association

All breakfasts will take place at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center. Doors open at 7:45. Breakfast and networking from 8:00 – 8:30. Program begins at 8:30 and ends at 9:45. Individual event tickets are $25, or you may purchase series tickets (all three events) for $70.

Table sponsorships are available! Individual event table sponsorships are $350, or you may purchase a series table sponsorship for $1000. Each table seats eight people. Table sponsors are recognized on all event materials and from the podium during the event.

For more information or to talk about any of these events, please email [email protected] or call 828-255-7102

PUSH Skate Camp-Rollerskaters
Aug 15 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Asheville Skate Park

We’re offering 6 weeks of camp, ages 5-15

Monday-Thursday from 9am-12pm.

Skateboarders, sign up for one or more weeks! Dates are as follows:

August  14-17

Rollerskaters, sign up for one or more weeks! Dates are as follows:

August 14-17.

Bonus Business After Hours
Aug 15 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Franny's Farmacy

Come join the Chamber for Business After Hours at Franny’s Farmacy!

Tuesday August 15th from 5:30pm to 7pm come join Franny’s Farmacy and Asheville Chamber of Commerce at 211 Merrimon Ave Asheville Suite #111 for Business After Hours! You are in for a treat as you take a tour through Franny’s Farmacy premium CBD brand and vision where Hemp and Health Merge. High Vibes, building businesses, creating invaluable community connections and having Fun while doing it! We will be enjoying music, fresh mocktails with options of CBD infusions, our bud bar, chances to win amazing door prizes and more! Top and bottom patios will be open!

 

We will have parking in our main lot and a big thank you to the other local businesses for opening up their lots to us:

Brown Haven Homes Parking Lot – 219 Merrimon Ave Suite #111

Across the Street from Franny’s Sachi Spa – 210 Merrimon Ave, Asheville

Across the Street Monitto Chiropractic – 206 Merrimon Ave, Asheville

 

Extra Parking available in the Enmarket Gas station on the curb closest to Franny’s, not blocking any pumps of air meter.

 

This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership. We welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Member Development Specialist, at [email protected] if you’re considering a Chamber membership.

Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 16 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

PUSH Skate Camp-Rollerskaters
Aug 16 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Asheville Skate Park

We’re offering 6 weeks of camp, ages 5-15

Monday-Thursday from 9am-12pm.

Skateboarders, sign up for one or more weeks! Dates are as follows:

August  14-17

Rollerskaters, sign up for one or more weeks! Dates are as follows:

August 14-17.

Ribbon Cutting for PHYSIO Physical Therapy and Wellness WEST
Aug 16 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
PHYSIO Therapy & Wellness West

Locally owned and operated Physical Therapy Practice, Physio Physical Therapy and Wellness has been steadily growing in the last few years, including opening a second location in West Asheville. A four-time Sky High Growth Award winner, Physio focuses on providing excellent customer service and has been voted the Best Physical Therapy Clinic in Asheville for 10 consecutive years.

Grand Opening celebration for the West Asheville office. They will have drinks, snacks and fingerfoods. Giveaways and a raffle will also take place.

Wednesday Pub Run
Aug 16 @ 6:15 pm
Archetype Brewing

Wednesday Pub Run

Join us every Wednesday at 6:15pm at Archetype Brewing – West off of Haywood, for a fun pub run featuring two different routes!

Follow us on social media to stay up to date on when we have special guests, shoe demos, and giveaway nights!

Thursday, August 17, 2023
Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 17 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

Joint Leads Breakfast
Aug 17 @ 7:45 am – 9:30 am
Cascades Mountain Resort
Every business wants new customers, but networking often takes a lot of time. Whether you’re a small one-man shop or a corporate giant, one of the challenges facing all businesses is continually acquiring new clients or reaching new markets with their goods and services. What if you could get a weekly review of local business happenings from 20+ professionals during a casual one-hour meeting? Guess what? YOU CAN!
       The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce offers three Leads Groups and now is your chance to see what these groups have to offer you and your business! Join us for this joint networking event and see if your industry is represented. Find out from participating members that have been there from the start, all the benefits from increasing your sales efforts to developing personal friendships.
PUSH Skate Camp-Rollerskaters
Aug 17 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Asheville Skate Park

We’re offering 6 weeks of camp, ages 5-15

Monday-Thursday from 9am-12pm.

Skateboarders, sign up for one or more weeks! Dates are as follows:

August  14-17

Rollerskaters, sign up for one or more weeks! Dates are as follows:

August 14-17.

Ribbon Cutting for Thrive Coworking
Aug 17 @ 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
THRIVE Coworking

THRIVE | Coworking provides a purpose-driven, socially engaged environment for freelancers, entrepreneurs and enterprises of all sizes, combining design-forward style and thoughtful amenities with philanthropy and community involvement. It’s a remote workspace for the contemporary, hybrid workforce set in vibrant, walkable neighborhoods and offering a curated culture that features scheduled events, 24/7/365 access, and monthly catered breakfasts, lunches and happy hours. Members have access to all THRIVE locations around the Southeast and Midwest, as well as workspaces around the country and internationally through reciprocal use of LExC coworking spaces. And THRIVE is on track to open 500 locations throughout North America in the next five years.

 

THRIVE | Coworking, a stylish, community-focused workspace for freelancers, entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes, is celebrating its Grove Arcade Grand Opening! Join in the festivities on August 17th — there will be plenty of food, catered by Huli Sue’s, as well as drinks, including the Grove Tonic, a cocktail created just for THRIVE’s opening in honor of Grove Arcade Founder E.W. Grove and his namesake “Chill Tonic.” You will also be able to tour the space and get a first-hand peek at this hybrid-work operation, which features private offices as well as shared workspaces, and have the opportunity to win some great prizes, too. We are also running a special deal for attendees on membership! THRIVE offers a curated workplace experience for a healthier work/life balance, featuring monthly events and networking opportunities, including monthly catered breakfasts, lunches and happy hours. Come check it out! If you’re tired of a long commute or working from a cramped kitchen table … this is your working solution.

The event is located in suite 280 on the 2nd floor of the Grove Arcade. The elevators are located at the center of the building. Parking is limited to around the Grove Arcade + nearby streets.

YPA Professional Development: The Story of Pratt + Whitney’s Choice for an Asheville Plant
Aug 17 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
YPA Professional Development: The Story of Pratt & Whitney's Choice for an Asheville Plant

 

Members of YPA are invited to this professional development session to walk through a case study of the recruitment of the Fortune 10 Jet Engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney. A panel discussion will give us a closer look at the tranformative $650M investment and innovative jet engine technologies being developed in Asheville and the wages and skills required to staff the 800 new jobs in our region. Discussion will focus on what factors drove the selection of our community and the role of the Chamber, Economic Development Coalition, County and State government and land developers in winning the largest economic development commitment in the history of WNC.

Panelists Include:

Dan Field, Asheville Site Leader, Pratt & Whitney

Tim Love, Buncombe County

Ben Teague, Senior Vice President for Strategic Develoment, Biltmore Farms

Clark Duncan, Senior Vice President for Economic Development

 

5:30-6:30 – Social Hour (snacks and beverages provided)

6:30-7:30 – PD Session

 

Please register for this event in order to help us plan accordingly.

The Young Professionals of Asheville (YPA) provides outstanding professional leadership development opportunities through educational seminars, service opportunities and networking for Asheville professionals between the ages of 21 and 40. For more information or to join, please visit Young Professionals

Friday, August 18, 2023
NOC Paddling School
Aug 18 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Voted “Best Place to Learn” by Outside, NOC Paddling School has taught more paddlers than anyone else, with 50 years of experience going into every class. Our commitment to the sport and to providing the best possible instruction has not waivered. So come and let us be your respected and experienced instructor.

Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 18 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

Saturday, August 19, 2023
Midnight Basketball Summer Slam
Aug 19 all-day
Carrier Park

Midnight basketball returns this summer outside at Carrier Park! Come out for open play with your squad and experience some amazing local food trucks and have some fun! All for FREE!

¡Sal a ENCESTAR! ¡El baloncesto de medianoche regresa este verano al aire libre en el Parque Carrier! ¡Ven a jugar libremente con tu equipo y disfruta de increíbles camiones de comida local y diviértete! ¡Todo gratis!

NOC Paddling School
Aug 19 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Voted “Best Place to Learn” by Outside, NOC Paddling School has taught more paddlers than anyone else, with 50 years of experience going into every class. Our commitment to the sport and to providing the best possible instruction has not waivered. So come and let us be your respected and experienced instructor.

Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 19 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

Summer Cycle Riding in Color: BIPOC + Asheville on Bikes
Aug 19 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
New Belgium Brewing Company

Summer Cycle Schedule

Riding in Color: BIPOC Affinity Schedule

10:00 AM:
Summer Cycle Check In

10:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Begins

11:30 AM:
Summer Cycle Returns

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
Pop-Up Bike Park

Asheville on Bikes: Open Afternoon Schedule

2:00 PM – 7:00 PM:
Pop-Up Bicycle Park

3:00 PM:
Summer Cycle Check In

3:30 PM:
Summer Cycle Begins

4:30 PM – 7:00 PM:
Post Ride Silliness & Pop-Up Bicycle Park

*The morning affinity program is for individuals and families that identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.

The Summer Cycle includes the pop-up bike park sponsored by Kid Cycle Club and three route options which can be previewed and downloaded to your device via the Summer Cycle Ride With GPS Event Page. Each route features an infrastructure project that AoB is influencing.

The Routes:

  1. Cruiser: (4 miles) A mostly level tour of the River Arts District featuring the Wilma Dykeman Greenway, protected and traditional bike lanes. The route rolls by the French Broad River West: AVL Unpaved project area.
  2. Main Ride: (13 miles) Includes the Cruiser plus active city and slow neighborhood streets. The route rolls by both the Bacoate Branch: AVL Unpaved & College Patton Complete Street project areas.
  3. Ride More: (17 miles) Includes the Main Ride and features a climb through North Asheville before descending back into the River Arts District. The route rolls along the new Merrimon Ave bike lanes and street calming project.
AMCHC Health Fair + Ribbon Cutting for New Dale Fell Office
Aug 19 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
AMCHC

To Celebrate Community Health Center Week and the Official Ribbon Cutting for our New Dale Fell Center, AMCHC is holding a Health Fair on 08/19 from 11AM to 3PM. Please join us for an afternoon of entertainment, education, and food to help introduce our new health center to the Asheville community.

Sunday, August 20, 2023
NOC Paddling School
Aug 20 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

Voted “Best Place to Learn” by Outside, NOC Paddling School has taught more paddlers than anyone else, with 50 years of experience going into every class. Our commitment to the sport and to providing the best possible instruction has not waivered. So come and let us be your respected and experienced instructor.

Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 20 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)

Monday, August 21, 2023
Special Olympics Fall Sports Registration is OPEN
Aug 21 all-day
online

Special Olympics Fall sports registration is now OPEN!

Choose your sport and join the fun! Athletes can pick from soccer, bocce, basketball, and tennis. For any questions, please email [email protected]!

Register here!    

Special Olympics Fall Sports Interest Form (office.com)