The Asheville Downtown Association is thrilled to announce the return of the beloved Pritchard Park Arts and Culture Series, made possible through a generous partnership with the Trina Mullen Foundation, City of Asheville Parks and Recreation, ArtsAVL, and Explore Asheville. This summer series will run from May 28 through August 30, featuring exciting activations every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.

Tuesdays: Hoop Jam

Join the fun with hula hoops and a live DJ. Whether you’re a seasoned hooper or a beginner, this vibrant event invites everyone to dance, spin, and groove to the music in a welcoming and energetic atmosphere.

Sing songs that celebrate Peace & Community, with Resident Teaching Artist Melissa McKinney. Sing, play, drum, and dance while learning songs from the Justice Choir Songbook.

Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
$15 drop-in class
All ages welcome.

Karaoke Night at Hickory Tavern

“‘A La Sala,’ I used to scream it around my house when I was a little girl, to get everybody in the living room; to get my family together. That’s kind of what recording the new album felt like. Emotionally there was a desire to get back to square-one between the three of us, to where we came from–in sonics and in feeling. Let’s get back there.”  – Laura Lee Ochoa

The title makes it clear. A La Sala (“To the Room” in Spanish), the fourth studio album by Khruangbin, is an exercise in returning in order to go further, and do so on your own terms. It extends the air of mystery and sanctity that’s key to how bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, Jr. and guitarist Mark “Marko” Speer approach music. Yet if 2020’s Mordechai, the last studio album Khruangbin made without collaborators, was a party record whose ensuing post-lockdown tour enhanced the band’s musical reputation far and wide, A La Sala is the measured morning after. It’s a gorgeously airy album made only in the company of the group’s longtime engineer Steve Christensen, with minimal overdubs. It is a porthole onto the bounties powering Khruangbin’s vision, a reimagining and refueling for the long haul ahead. A La Sala scales Khruangbin down to scale up, a creative strategy with the future in mind.

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!!

JAZZ Jam is a special part of the LEAF Community. Meet us every Thursday at LEAF Global Arts from 7-10 P.M. for a night of smooth jazz that you can participate in or simply enjoy.

Classical guitarist Adam Holzman takes center stage alongside the lyrical playing and remarkable technique of Andrew Zohn and René Izquierdo in a program of classical guitar favorites that span the centuries.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on May 1. To receive early access to tickets for this event, become a donor today! Donor presale begins March 25.

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

The beats of the Friday Night Drum Circle have been rocking Pritchard Park for decades and the circle has become so popular that it is featured in magazines and TV commercials.

The Asheville Downtown Association is thrilled to announce the return of the beloved Pritchard Park Arts and Culture Series, made possible through a generous partnership with the Trina Mullen Foundation, City of Asheville Parks and Recreation, ArtsAVL, and Explore Asheville. This summer series will run from May 28 through August 30, featuring exciting activations every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.

Drum Circle

The Asheville Downtown Association is proud to facilitate the return of Asheville’s iconic Drum Circle. Feel the rhythm and join the beat as the community comes together for an evening of drumming, dancing, and camaraderie.

Get ready for an electrifying debut performance by Jupiter, a new trio with John English on guitar, Kris Gruda on guitar, and Jeff Arnal on percussion.

This highly anticipated event will take place at Little Animals in downtown Asheville on Friday, June 14, 2024, at 8pm. A $10 suggested donation to support the artists is encouraged.

Listen to Jupiter here: https://jupiter-nc.bandcamp.com/track/keyhole-darkly

Event Details:

• What: Debut performance of Jupiter
• When: Friday, June 14, 2024. Doors at 7pm / music at 8pm
• Where: Little Animals, 31 Carolina Lane (down the alley from 5 Walnut Bar), Asheville, NC
• Admission: $10 suggested donation

About the Artists:

John English is a guitarist, improviser, and photographer from Black Mountain, North Carolina. Kris Gruda is an avant-garde guitarist, sound experimenter, and songwriter based in western North Carolina. He plays in solo and group contexts on electric or acoustic guitar with or without electronics. His guitar-in-car album, Kris Gruda Plays for You, was released on Palilalia Records in 2023. Jeff Arnal is an accomplished percussionist and the Executive Director of the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center in Asheville, NC. Some of his recent projects include collaborations with Ken Vandermark and Bonnie Jones on Catalyst Sound and Drum Major Instinct with Curt Cloninger on Mahakala Music. He recently appeared at the 2024 Big Ears Festival.

Jupiter’s debut promises an evening of experimental sounds and captivating improvisations. Don’t miss the chance to experience this groundbreaking performance in the intimate setting of Little Animals.

About Little Animals: Little Animals is a unique exhibition space in downtown Asheville dedicated to showcasing art. Tucked away on Carolina Lane, the venue offers an intimate atmosphere perfect for an immersive musical experience

Second Gear Celebrates 20 Years of Community and Consigned Outdoor Gear + Apparel on Saturday June 15th with an all day MEGA SALE (biggest of the year!) and a celebratory 20th Anniversary Block Party from Noon-5pm with exciting Raffles, Free Kids Activities, Local Makers, Outdoor Vendors + Educators, Sweet + Savory Treats, Puppy Adoptions and more… Stop by for the savings and stay for the fun as Second Gear says THANK YOU to their beloved WNC community for all the support in making it to this amazing milestone!

Visit LEAF Global Arts every Saturday for an in-house cultural exchange with Adama Dembele. Experience the Ivory Coast with our Culture Keeper from the House of Djembe.

A night of music and art…experimental collage artist & accomplished guitarist “Taumi Swami” Tom Johanson will exhibit repurposed & altered collages and mandalas & play original psychedelic rock!
Taumi Swami, aka Tom Johanson, “paints” with paper, combining imagery and messages from print media into intricate mystical and personal compositions. As of late, he’s been channeling themes like Utopian landscapes and fairy realms, real world scenes with odd characters, the mystical woman, alien goddesses, as well as Dystopian and Paleolithic themes due to the regressive politics of the moment, and heroic themes of good, struggling with darkness. Most of his materials and frames have been found, recovered, or “thrift-stored”.

Johanson has written and recorded 100 songs on his Apple computer and created 500 unique collage album covers for them, and some 50 colored ink covers as well.

Johanson began his musical career in the early 60s playing guitar with Jimi Hendrix, Paul Butterfield, Jose Feliciano, Richie Havens, and many other inhabitants of the East Village in NYC. His band, The Fugitives, was the first rock band signed to Columbia Records, and they had several hits on the charts in NY in the 1960s.

His influences stretch out from the fifties, Little Richard, Elvis, Moody Blues, Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Santana, Van Halen, and many more. Also jazz and blues artists, like Coltrane, The Blues Project, Charlie Mingus, Paul Butterfield, and dozens of others since, like Jason Mraz.

Johanson lives in East Asheville with his wife Hannah and his cat Lucky.

Doors open at 5:30. Artist reception and live music 6-9pm.
Showing through August 3.

Like all events at the Flood Gallery, this exhibition is free and open to the public. Light refreshments and food will be available. Flood Gallery Fine Art Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, and educates, encourages, challenges and inspires the community through music, film, literary, and contemporary art.

Join us for this very special evening with “Acoustic Guitarist of the Year” and award winning singer/songwriter Christie Lenée! Christie is more than a musician – she’s an experience. Symphonic compositions flow from her fingertips effortlessly, with sound ranging from transcendental folk-pop to virtuosic instrumentals. Lenee’s newly released album Coming Alive reminds devout listeners of her spiritual and sublime songwriting, inspirational lyrics, and of course, sensational guitar playing. This is going to be an inspiring experience in every way, and we invite you to join us!