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.
Whenever you want!
Supplies available at
2 Sulphur Springs Road
If you need to request supplies for the same or next day, please call 828-254-1776.
Organizing a litter cleanup with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other community members is easier than you may think! Asheville GreenWorks provides cleanup supplies and safety information, and will coordinate trash pick up as needed. Available supplies include safety vests, gloves, trash grabbers, trash bags, and SHARPs containers (upon request).
Review the attached guides for instructions and safety information.
Need to know
Please review the attached documents and contact [email protected] with any questions. Your supplies will be available for pickup on the date you’ve requested at Asheville GreenWorks’ office at 2 Sulphur Springs Road, Asheville, NC 28806.
All cleanups should be reported using the online form and supplies should be returned after your cleanup.
Come enjoy our most popular Asheville tour!
Duration
1 hour and 30 minutes
About
Bachelorette/Bachelor Parties are not permitted on this tour. The Fender Bender Bus is bachelorette/bachelor friendly!
Historical and hysterical, The Hey Asheville tour features outrageously entertaining tour guides, outlandish comedy skits complete with special appearances and loads of Asheville information. You’ll get to see the best of downtown Asheville and the rarely seen but stunningly beautiful Montford neighborhood, not to mention the burgeoning River Arts District! You’ve never had a ride like this. It’s like a vaudeville show on wheels!
Find out what makes Asheville so unique on LaZoom’s City Comedy Tour. It’s the perfect mix of history, comedy, and entertainment. Our guides are trained professional actors working with an original script. It’s like a theatre on wheels! The tour highlights downtown Asheville, historic neighborhoods, the South Slope, and the River Arts District.
Age Restrictions
13 and up. No exceptions.
Stops
10 minute beer & bathroom break at Green Man Brewery
What’s Included
Guided tour of Asheville on a Purple Bus
Funny actors, fun bits
Actual History about Asheville
Green Man Brewery Stop
What’s Not Included
Beer/Wine (Must be purchased from LaZoom or the Brewery Stop)
Cash! You’ll want to tip the guides for changing your life for the better.
Bullington Gardens will hold its annual holiday greenery and craft sale December 6th and 7th, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville. Fraser Fir trees in three sizes, freshly cut in the mountains of North Carolina, may be ordered online through Nov. 25 for pickup on December 6th or 7th. Unadorned wreaths (on a 12-in frame) will also be available to order online. Visit www.bullingtongardens.org to order online or call 828-698-6104 for more information.
Available at the in-person sale will be decorated wreaths and swags, locally grown plants such as cyclamen, amaryllis, and poinsettia, and handcrafted nature-themed items made by our own elves. Make your selections from ornaments, textiles, botanical beauty products and more.
There will be an online raffle of our popular evergreen gnome, a whimsical addition to your holiday décor.
Come immerse yourself in the holiday spirit at Bullington. All proceeds support our educational programs for children and adults, and our horticultural therapy for those with special needs.
Come see us Dec. 6-8 at our Holiday Gem Show! You’ll find everything from affordable treasures to the finest gems, minerals, and jewelry in the Southeast.
Admission is free and this is a fun family friendly event. Food and drink are available daily.
There’s something for everyone, from seasoned rockhounds to new collectors and jewelry lovers. You can visit over 35 locally and nationally known vendors. Our vendors enjoy sharing their expert knowledge and have top quality treasures that make great gifts.
Shop for everything you need for your rock collecting hobby: all kinds of rocks, gems, and crystals, WNC and US gemstones, minerals directly from the rockhound who collected them, sterling silver gemstone jewelry, cabochons and faceted gems, lapidary equipment, slabs, and faceting material, moldavite, tektites, meteorites, trinitite, unusual mineral specimens, polished stones, gemstone animal carvings, and so much more!
The Mountain Area Gem & Mineral Association
M.A.G.M.A. Land of Sky Holiday Gem Show 2024 hours:
December 6: 9 AM-6 PM
December 7: 9 AM-6 PM
December 8: 10 AM-4 PM
Location:
Land of the Sky Event Venue
39 Spring Cove Rd
Swannanoa, NC
28778
We host the M.A.G.M.A. Land of Sky Gem Show 4 times a year and this is an event that you can keep coming back to!
Located within the wildly-popular and botanically beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails that connect to many other area attractions such as Lake Powhatan, the Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors of all ages and abilities can enjoy their hiking experience at the Arboretum as trail options include easy, moderate, and difficult challenge levels. All trails are dog-friendly and visitors are asked to adhere to the proper waste disposing procedures for pets.
Part of a running group that would like to use the Arboretum as a starting point or parking location? Please review our Running Group Guidance and email [email protected] with any questions.
The first Friday of each month Manna Food Bank and other service providers will be at Fairview Public Library, 1 Taylor Rd.
Rising grocery prices, along with rising housing, gas, and other costs are putting the pressure on Buncombe households. For many in our community, no-cost healthy meals and information about County and partner services and resources are a valuable lifeline.
Buncombe County’s Community Engagement Markets offer free food, medical services, and information about mortgage, rental, and weatherization assistance, as well other resources directly to those most in need by meeting them in their neighborhoods.
Mark your calendar and bring your questions!
Enjoy a uniquely elevated holiday experience created by the partnership of Greenville Convention Center’s Annual Holiday Fair and Rotary Club of Greenville’s Kringle Holiday Village.
Holiday Fair & Kringle Village will delight locals and draw visitors to the Upstate for three days of holiday fun December 5-7, 2024, at the Greenville Convention Center.
Greenville Convention Center will transform into a Winter Wonderland featuring a massive vendor market, roving performers, a European Bier Garden, the North Pole children’s play area, Santa’s Workshop, The Enchanted Tea Party, Little Miss Kringle Pageant, holiday movie night, snowball fights, main stage entertainment, the Grand Carousel, visits with Santa and more!
Find the perfect gift this holiday season for everyone on your list at the 10th annual 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗽 𝗨𝗽 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽! Shop local, shop small and support local artists, makers, and vintage collectors.
We’ve decked the halls of the Ideation Lab inside the Center for Craft in Downtown Asheville. Shop over 100 vendors; housewares, handmade jewelry, ceramics, apparel, vintage clothes, ornaments, candles, gifts for our furry friends and more.
WHEN:
Open Nov 29 through Dec 24
10am-8pm daily
WHERE:
The Ideation Lab inside the Center for Craft
67 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801
Pieces made from nylon fabric ripstop, which keeps tears from spreading, invite viewers into created, fantastical worlds, only to highlight the complex—even impossible—architectures of their construction. Before the pandemic, Adrian primarily focused on personal experiences and interrogations of queerness, identity, and sexuality. Since then, the work has zoomed out in its scope, still centering identity but placed in larger infrastructure and surveillance systems that mediate, manipulate, and control desire.
Adrian counts queer fiber art, BDSM and kink culture, theatre, camp horror, puppetry, and drag among his many influences. Works in RIPSTOP, like the modernist bounce house sculpture A Fallible Complex (2021), evoke spaces for play, beckoning visitors in through their alluring aesthetic and then blocking their entrance or revealing structural instabilities, like missing floors. Others, like The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines (2017-19), use sensual materials, like faux fur, spandex, and pleather, which connect to theatrical performance and counterculture. The materials “play on people’s initial associations and serve as a gateway into greater conversations about identity construction, performance, desire, and technology,” he shares.Pieces also nod to the history of quilting, including the AIDS Memorial Quilt, another influence on Adrian’s work. “Even when pieces aren’t explicitly making quilt references, I want the history of quilting and sewing-based craft to be part of the conversation of the work,” he says. “Craft is so much about the processes and histories behind materials. It’s about connecting with communities of people who practice those techniques. It’s about material and technique being a doorway into a greater relationship with an object.”
Themes of transformation—of structures, identities, and bodies—run throughout the show. “What I love about drag and puppetry is the sense of transformation and play, specifically with bodies,” Adrian says. “Within these art forms, a body can become mutable and capable of performing and becoming in unexpected states.” The sculptures also transform throughout viewers’ experiences, going through stages of inflation and deflation and existing in many different states.
RIPSTOP’s constant interplay between surface and depth, assumption and reality, are all a part of what Adrian describes as “looking behind the curtain,” which they trace back to the theatre. “When I’m thinking about systems, and the systems desire fits into, I’m thinking of stage construction, the backstage, the things that go on behind the show, and performance of our desires,” they explain.
As a craft artist, Adrian’s philosophy “comes down to having an intentional relationship with material, process, and technique,” he says. “Those aspects of art making are just as – if not more – important than an intellectualized concept being illustrated by an artwork.”
“Broadened definitions of craft that highlight communities of practice are foundational for the Center for Craft’s new strategic direction,” explains Executive Director Stephanie Moore. “Max Adrian’s work in RIPSTOP exemplifies the expansive and meaningful forms craft can take.” The Center for Craft is an institution Adrian credits for their professional growth. “The Center for Craft has felt like such a supporting institution for me specifically and for so many other craft artists I know,” they note. “To be able to bring this amount of work to Asheville is pretty cool.”
See Max Adrian: RIPSTOP at the Center for Craft Beginning July 26. A reception will be held on August 15. RIPSTOP is organized by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and curated by Sarah Darro.
These early literacy programs for kids and their caregivers are designed to develop a joy for learning through books, songs, and activities.
Story time takes place in our library community room. This is not a ticketed event.
American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection features more than 100 works of art by renowned American artists. The exhibition beautifully illustrates distinctive styles and thought-provoking art explored by American artists over the past two centuries. Though many objects from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection have been on view at other museums, ranging from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and Saint Louis Art Museum, this exhibition features the best of the collection brought together in one location. The exhibition begins with Colonial-era portraits by masters, such as Benjamin West, Thomas Sully, and Sarah Miriam Peale, and then moves on to highlight the development of mid-19th-century landscape painting. Viewers will discover works depicting the United States from coast to coast by artists, including Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Jasper Francis Copsey, and even a monumental arctic scene by William Bradford.
Bill Viola’s Moving Stillness: Mount Rainier, 1979 on loan from Art Bridges is an immersive experience that explores the ideas of death and regeneration in nature. In a darkened room, sounds from nature envelop the viewer, as a placid pool of water reflects a projected image of Mount Rainier onto a screen. The water is periodically disturbed, causing the image to dissolve and slowly recompose as the pool settles. As an active volcano at rest, Mount Rainier embodies both quiet beauty and dramatic violence. Using time as both a tool and a theme in his work, Viola visualizes the dualities of nature’s rhythms of renewal, which include moments of both fragility and strength.
Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present “The Boys Will Get Hungry if They See Fruit,” an exhibition of new paintings and soft sculptures by multidisciplinary artist Carly Owens Weiss. This is Weiss’ first solo exhibition with the gallery. A reception for the artist will be held Friday, November 15 from 6-8PM.
Regular gallery hours are Wed- Sat 11am-5pm
Ceramic artists throughout history have become masters of all four elements—creating clay from a mixture of earth and water to shape their work, drying it in air, and hardening it in fire. Throughout this process, the artist decides which aspects of the work will be tightly controlled, and when the elements can step in to leave nature’s mark. This exhibition traces the historical, stylistic, and conceptual origins of work that either embraces or refuses the element of chance in ceramics, looking at modern and contemporary work made in Western North Carolina.
The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to present Ginny Ruffner’s Reforestation of the Imagination, organized and toured by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The exhibition imagines an apocalyptic landscape of withered plant forms that come to life when activated with augmented reality. In collaboration with animator and media artist Grant Kirkpatrick, Ruffner illuminates the delicate balance between nature and the artificial human-built world around us, putting forth an optimistic hope for the future: that technology can be a means to understand and help save the earth from environmental devastation. Visitors can download the free app “Reforestation” on their phones or use the iPads in the gallery to bring this second reality to life. When the tree rings of a stump are viewed through a device’s camera lens, a hologram of a fictional plant appears to sprout from the sculpture. These imagined fruits and flowers have evolved from existing flora, developing dramatic appendages and skills necessary to flourish in this radically different environment. In Ruffner’s fantastical reality, tulips develop stem flexibility, pears contain windows to the outside world, and flowers take on the form of birds. The installation includes Ruffner’s tongue-in-cheek descriptions of her surreal flora and their remarkable, sometimes humorous adaptations. Used as inspiration for the AR images, 19 original drawings by the artist will also be on view.
The Western Front, Christmas, 1914. Out of the violence a silence, then a song. A German soldier steps into No Man’s Land singing “Stille Nacht.” Thus begins an extraordinary time of camaraderie, music, and peace. A remarkable true story, told in the words and songs of the men who lived it.
Performances of All is Calm will be held on the days and times listed below. The lobby and concessions area will open one hour prior to showtime. Concessions may be taken into the theatre during the performance.
November 21 – December 15, 2024
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30
Sundays at 2pm
Friday 11/22 and 11/29 at 7:30pm
Friday 12/6 and 12/13 at 2pm
Plan to collaborate with other musicians at Sideways Farm & Brewery in Etowah. Bring your instruments and voices and enjoy making music and networking with other artists, while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Food truck is on site and beverages available for purchase from Sideways (small
batch craft beers, hard jun, ciders, wine, and non alcoholic drinks). Family, fans, friends, and leashed dogs are all welcome!
During winter months enjoy playing under the covered, sheltered, heated porch! And during the summer months enjoy
collaborating in the fields, on the stage, or under the patio
Sippin’ Santa at The Tiki Easy Bar is back from Nov. 18 through Dec. 31. We’re throwing a tropical island-themed holiday party every single day—don’t miss the fun! Along with a curated menu of expertly crafted cocktails and over-the-top holiday decor, Sippin’ Santa’s much sought-after custom mugs and glassware will be available for purchase while supplies last.
Reservations are not required, but if you’d like to book our private room “Cynamon Cove” for 6-10 people, visit: tiki-easy-at-hi-wire-brewing.resos.com/booking.
Throwing a holiday party or a larger gathering? Email [email protected] to inquire.
Monday-Thursday 4-9pm
Friday & Saturday 3-10pm
Sunday 3-9pm
The Tiki Easy Bar is a hidden tropical oasis behind Hi-Wire’s South Slope tap room.
Official Menu: sippinsantapopup.com/menu
Mocktails, Frozen Drinks, & Spirits: bit.ly/tikieasysippinsantamenu
For December, the Asheville Gallery of Art proudly presents “Wild at Heart,” an exhibition of wildlife paintings by nationally recognized pastelist Zoe F. Schumaker. The exhibit will benefit the WNC Nature Center, which was significantly impacted by Helene. Schumaker is donating 50% of sales proceeds to help with the center’s recovery efforts. The gallery will host an opening reception on Friday, December 6, from 5–7:30 p.m.
Holiday Lights & Cozy Movie Night – December 6, 6-8pm
Burton Street Community Center (134 Burton St.)
FREE | All ages
Take a stroll under festive lights and enjoy a movie on the big screen with popcorn and holiday refreshments.
Celebrate the magic of winter at the 4th annual Winter Wonder Walk, an immersive outdoor story-walk that combines the excitement of live theater with a scenic walk in the woods. This festive adventure takes guests through the kingdom of Winterland as each page is brought to life by many delightful characters along the way. Created by Asheville Plays and hosted by the Adventure Center of Asheville, the event includes a heated tent with a holiday market featuring many local businesses, a kids’ play area, tasty concessions, and Venezuelan cuisine from Delish Food Truck. Guests can also enjoy the Treetops Adventure Park Glow Trail, open to guests aged 4 and older, illuminated with thousands of lights. Kids can earn a free general admission ticket by participating in the S’Mitten With Books program. Festivities start at 6 PM, with the Winter Wonder Walk opening at 6:30 PM. Each ticket purchased supports the community by donating to Manna Foodbank, making this a wonderful way to celebrate the season with loved ones! There are six opportunities to experience this enchanting memory; Nov 29,30, & Dec 6,7,13,14. Please check our website for more information, FAQs, and to purchase your tickets! www.winterwonderwalk.com.
Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.
Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Ages 6-17 years old with an adult
Fee: $5
Registration Required
Join us for an evening of climbing on the Montford Wall. No experience required! The climbing wall will be lit with black lights, so we suggest participants wear white or neon colors.
For more information, contact Grace Whitaker at [email protected]
Join us for Under the Stars 2024, a fundraiser for AMOS and the communities in our orbit.
The Asheville Museum of Science invites you to join us for a night at the museum on December 6th, 2024 from 6:30pm – 9:30pm with a VIP reception from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. This year’s Under the Stars fundraiser, rescheduled from October, will include an expanded purpose, with proceeds supporting both our programs and critical community needs. We look forward to hosting you at the museum for a night of coming together and imagining how we can transform this space together.
Non-member tickets: $70
Member tickets: $65
VIP tickets: $80
Featuring delicious dinner by Sage and Spice Catering!
Your Greenville Symphony pulls out all the festive stops to ring in the season. You’d never guess Holiday at Peace has been going strong for decades, because she’s as fresh as ever with nationally renowned soloists and a joyful showcase of the best local talent. The orchestra, vocalists, and dancers weave a narrative celebrating the magic of the season.
Is it even Christmastime if you haven’t seen Holiday at Peace?
GUESTS
Siri Howard, vocalist
International Ballet
*perfect for ages 7 to infinity!
Tis the season to be jolly! The tradition continues with the same great holiday cheer to put you in the Christmas spirit. All new renditions of your holiday favorites will help you get those sleigh bells jinglin,’ and chestnuts roasting! There is truly no better way to kick off your holiday season. So, hurry on over with your family, friends, and loved ones to share in the joy and excitement of this seasonal spectacular that will have you feeling merry and bright! Ring-a-ling-a-ding-dong-ding, y’all!
The Western Front, Christmas, 1914. Out of the violence a silence, then a song. A German soldier steps into No Man’s Land singing “Stille Nacht.” Thus begins an extraordinary time of camaraderie, music, and peace in a spontaneous ceasefire during World War 1. A remarkable true story, told in the words and songs of the men who lived it.
“A beautiful musical retelling of a World War I ceasefire
with gifts of music, poetry, and melody.”
-New York Times
Frank Capra’s beloved American holiday classic film is reimagined as a live 1940s radio broadcast. Set in Studio A at WBFR in Manhattan on Christmas Eve 1946, this hilarious re-enactment, with the help of a live Foley and a talented small ensemble, brings the entire town of Bedford Falls to life on stage. Small-town everyman George Bailey is having a Christmas Eve that can only be saved by a miracle. Enter George’s guardian angel, Clarence, who takes him on a heartwarming journey of redemption proving that “no one is a failure who has friends.”
Frank Capra’s beloved American holiday classic film is reimagined as a live 1940s radio broadcast. Set in Studio A at WBFR in Manhattan on Christmas Eve 1946, this hilarious re-enactment, with the help of a live Foley and a talented small ensemble, brings the entire town of Bedford Falls to life on stage. Small-town everyman George Bailey is having a Christmas Eve that can only be saved by a miracle. Enter George’s guardian angel, Clarence, who takes him on a heartwarming journey of redemption, proving that “no one is a failure who has friends.”
The nation’s largest comedy club network is back! After a popular run in Tina McGuire Theatre the past two seasons, this hilarious collective returns, bringing top-notch comedians for four weekends of laughter. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today — seen in specials on Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Hulu and more — deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines, and hysterical anecdotes that you’ll never forget. Contains adult content.
With over 3,500 career performances, Andy Beningo has established himself as one of the most in demand comedians working today. Hailed for his clean and “every man” style, Andy has been named one of the 40 Best Up and Coming Comedians in the country, as well as “Best Comedian” by both the Detroit Metro Times and Detroit Hour magazine. Andy has appeared on AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live, CMT’s Next Big Comic, and on Dry bar Comedy- where his special, ‘Adorable Tough Guy’ generated over six million views on social media. Andy has been heard on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom radio show and was a special guest on Larry the Cable Guy’s ‘Weekly Round Up’ on Sirius XM radio. His first comedy album, ‘Quiet Coyote’ regularly plays on Laugh USA. His rare ability to find humor in subjects like growing up a middle child, his short-lived career as a middle school teacher and our society’s obsession with technology has made him a crowd favorite in audiences worldwide.