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.

Monday, July 1, 2024
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Jul 1 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

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.

“We Come From Women” Spring Concert Womansong’s 37th anniversary
Jul 1 @ 3:00 pm
Fletcher United Methodist Church
Womansong celebrates its 37th anniversary with the spring concert, “We Come From Women.” The concert will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, One Edwin Place, Asheville 28801, on Friday, May 17 at 7 PM and Saturday, May 18 at 3 PM.

We will also have the pleasure of performing on Saturday, June 1st at 3 PM at Fletcher United Methodist Church, 50 Library Rd, Fletcher, NC 28732.

Join us for a powerful tribute to the sisterhood that binds us all.

Tickets are $25 per person, and we highly encourage ordering ahead as we have a limited amount of seats available per show! Please note, masks will be optional at this performance.

Pritchard Park Arts and Culture Series: Pickin’ in the Park
Jul 1 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Pritchard Park

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.

 

Mondays: Pickin’ in the Park

Enjoy performances by local singer-songwriters in an intimate and relaxed setting. Experience the rich musical heritage of Asheville as talented musicians share their stories and songs.

David Finckel and Wu Han in Recital
Jul 1 @ 7:30 pm
Brevard Music Center

FELIX MENDELSSOHN Cello Sonata No. 2
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor
EDVARD GRIEG Cello Sonata in A minor

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.

Tuesday, July 2, 2024
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Jul 2 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

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.

Pritchard Park Arts and Culture Series: Hoop Jam
Jul 2 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

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.

SWANNANOA GATHERING: Fiddle/Mando & Banjo Weeks Concert II
Jul 2 @ 7:30 pm
Warren Wilson College-Kittredge Theatre

The Fiddle/Mando & Banjo Weeks Concert II on Tuesday, July 2 features the wide-ranging music of mandolin virtuoso Mike Marshall, classical mandolinist Caterina Lichtenberg, progressive bluegrass from mandolinists Emory Lester and John Reischman, and banjo player Bill Evans, Irish music & more from Andrew Finn MagillAlan Murray and Liz Knowles, and old-time from the college’s own Natalya Weinstein.

All shows begin at 7:30 pm in the college’s Kittredge Theatre. Tickets are $35 per concert (during Old-Time Week, ticket price includes dances following concerts). Children under 12 are $17Limited tickets are available for check or cash only in Asheville at Malaprops Bookstore, and in Black Mountain at Acoustic Corner.

OF MONTREAL
Jul 2 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Grey Eagle
ALL AGES
STANDING ROOM ONLY 

Kevin Barnes did not believe they could ever leave Georgia. Barnes arrived in the erstwhile college-rock hub of Athens around 1996, a pop four-tracker in their early twenties with permissive images of Bowie, Prince, and Iggy Pop prancing through their head. Almost immediately, of Montreal became a signal flare for a slowly changing South. Barnes, who will answer to any pronoun you proffer, bent gender and genre through complicated and ever-delightful records, trouble and woe fueling kinetic tunes of radical incandescence. But there is only so much energy one can expend on the vanguard, living in a town that often felt like a frat house suffused with regressive notions of race, sexuality, and decency. It all exhausted Barnes.They had, however, built a life there—a home, a family, a studio, a reputation. Could Barnes ever really exit?
The new Lady On The Cusp is not only a rapturous synthesis of most everything of Montreal has ever done but also Barnes’ final transmission from Athens, as they’re now a fresh Southern expatriate delighted to be living among the snowy peaks and progressive politics of southern Vermont. Written and recorded in the months when Barnes and partner, musician Christina Schneider, prepared to leave, Lady On The Cusp combines a keen reckoning with the past with hopeful glimpses of the future, all clad in Barnes’ purposefully scattershot pop kaleidoscopes. The glittering trauma confrontation of “PI$$ PI$$,” the devotional R&B surrealist fantasy of “Soporific Cell,” the nuevo jazz lamentation of “Sea Mines That Mr Gone”: These 10 tracks—funny and sad, sexy and brooding, playful and serious—find Barnes finding new paths ahead. Barnes is moving both from situations that felt suffocating and toward musical ideas that feel evermore freeing.
Barnes and Schneider met nearly seven years ago, when of Montreal and Schneider’s Locate S,1, shared a tour. They fell in love on the road, and she relocated to Athens to begin their life together there. Barnes had certainly contemplated leaving the South but worried about the existential anxieties: Where would they go, for instance, and how would they make friends wherever that was? Easier just to stay in place, right? But the couple began visiting Vermont together, slowly seeing every season in the state where Schneider had gone to school. Barnes imagined another way to exist. What’s more, Schneider—whose own band was in part a vehicle for confronting childhood damage—encouraged Barnes to engage with the wreckage of their past, to grow beyond it in a way they admit they never had. “Christina has been extremely helpful,” Barnes says with more than a touch of relief, “in realizing that who you’ve been doesn’t make you who you are.”
Nostalgia is not Barnes’ thing, never really has been. While of Montreal’s peers from mid-’00s indie bloom have often circled back for seemingly endless reissues, reunions, and retreads, Barnes mostly hasn’t, choosing instead to press for novel ways to make the kind of jubilant but tumultuous tunes they have long loved. With its views of the past not as a crutch but as a cage, its nods to what’s next, and sounds that tinker with the idea of what it means to make  pop at all, Lady On The Cusp is a compelling reintroduction to of Montreal—a project that has never stalled but has here found and used several new wellsprings of inspiration, all at once.TELE NOVELLA

Wednesday, July 3, 2024
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Jul 3 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

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.

OLD-TIME JAM Old-Time Mountain + Folk Music
Jul 3 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Jack of the Wood


Grab some dinner and a pint while enjoying our long-running Old-Time jam! Featuring many talented musicians from the local WNC area, our traditional Appalachian mountain music jam runs from 5-9pm every Wednesday night at Jack of the Wood!

OUTPOST: Bluegrass Jam with Sam Wharton FREE SHOW
Jul 3 @ 6:00 pm
The Outpost
Doors Open: 5:00 PM
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE
 
Sam Wharton is a founding member of the SFTRB with one of the best voices in bluegrass. He is the ultimate ambassador for the music.  Along with developing his own unique style of rhythm guitar, he is one of the finest harmony singers in the world! He grew up singing barbershop quartet in Alabama. He honed his chops in Telluride, but now calls Western North Carolina his home!

Free show! Sit ins are encouraged at this open Bluegrass jam.

Sing Your Heart Out
Jul 3 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

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
Jul 3 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Hickory Tavern

Karaoke Night at Hickory Tavern

Music to Your Ears Discussion Series: ARTHUR by The Kinks
Jul 3 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Asheville Guitar Bar

Legendary British rock band The Kinks are revered for their early
classics: proto-garage rockers like “All Day and all of the Night” and “You
Really Got Me.” Their hits continued into the ‘70s (“Lola”) and even the
1980s (“Come Dancing”), and the group was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Primary songwriter Ray Davies has always displayed a distinctly English
perspective. The group’s seventh studio album, 1969’s Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British
Empire) is today held in high esteem among critics.
The Kinks turned out many critically-acclaimed and popular records, but they were about more that hit songs.
Ray Davies crafted many conceptually-oriented, rock-opera type albums. Arthur is among his best.
As originally conceived, Arthur was planned as the soundtrack for a TV special set to air in late 1969. Beset by
scheduling and financing challenges, the TV special was never completed nor aired. But the conceptually-
oriented Arthur LP arrived in shops in October 1969, and a single from the record, “Victoria” made it onto the
UK charts.

More than a half century later, Asheville-based
musician and songwriter Chris Tullar has drawn
upon Arthur to create a wholly new work, one
that is also a concept album, Not Arthur. For this month’s Music to Your Ears, Chris will join Bill to discuss the
influential Kinks album and talk about how he found inspiration within it.
Join us for live music and lively discussion as we explore The Kinks’ Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the
British Empire). Music to Your Ears takes place on Wednesday, July 3 at 7pm at the Asheville Guitar Bar in the
historic River Arts District.

ABOUT THE DISCUSSION SERIES
Music to Your Ears is Bill Kopp’s monthly discussion series hosted by Asheville Guitar Bar and co-sponsored
by AshevilleFM. On the first Wednesday of each month, music enthusiasts gather to discuss an important
album, artist or musical movement. An interactive evening, MTYE isn’t a lecture; it’s a discussion – and live
music performance – led by experts and designed to enrich the listening experience.

ABOUT BILL KOPP (blog.musoscribe.com)
With over 500 bylines in regional publications (Mountain Xpress, Bold Life, WNC Magazine and more),
Asheville-based speaker, author and music journalist is an acknowledged expert on popular music. Author of
two books – Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon and Disturbing the
Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave – Bill Kopp writes for publications across the country and
abroad. A contributing editor at Goldmine Magazine, he has authored more than 30 album liner note essays
and conducted more than 1100 interviews. He regularly hosts discussions on artists and albums of historical
importance, and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts.

“This Land” with Pianist Lara Downes
Jul 3 @ 7:30 pm
Brevard Music Center

Iconoclastic pianist and cultural visionary Lara Downes presents THIS LAND, a musical reflection on American imagination, transformation, migration, and innovation, the cycles of our history, the power of resilience and resistance, and the beauty that grows at the crossroads of our American journeys. Music by Copland, Ellington, Bonds, Still, Joplin, and many, many more.

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.

SWANNANOA GATHERING: Fiddle/Mando + Banjo Weeks Concert III
Jul 3 @ 7:30 pm
Warren Wilson College --Kittredge Theatre

On Wednesday, July 3, the Fiddle/Mando & Banjo Weeks Concert III will highlight an extraordinary lineup of great players featuring jazz violinists Sara Caswell and Evan Price and swing mandolinist Joe K. Walsh, bluegrass mandolinists Matt Flinner and Alan Bibey, bassist Kevin Kehrberg and guitarists Ed Dodson and Greg Ruby.

All shows begin at 7:30 pm in the college’s Kittredge Theatre. Tickets are $35 per concert (during Old-Time Week, ticket price includes dances following concerts). Children under 12 are $17Limited tickets are available for check or cash only in Asheville at Malaprops Bookstore, and in Black Mountain at Acoustic Corner.

Fifty Year Flood w/ Solvivor Fifty Year Flood w/ Solvivor
Jul 3 @ 8:00 pm
The Pulp
Ages 18+

A fifty-year flood is a remarkable and unforgettable event that lingers in the mind long after the floodwaters have receded. The same can be said of Asheville, NC rock band Fifty Year Flood – their infectious grooves and powerful live show exceed all expectations and leave witnesses dumbstruck.

From the sexy, soulful vocals of lead singer Elise Jones, to the double-threat guitar work of Ken Jones and Chris Stivers, and the indelible groove of drummer Jon Gott and bassist Greg Terhune – their passion for their music rises, crests, and breaks on the shores of all who bear witness, leaving a joyous flotsam in their wake.

Founded by Ken and Elise Jones, Fifty Year Flood’s original sound is hard rocking, hook-laden and soulful – their songs tell stories of joy, desire, and armageddon, of blue-eyed desperation and ecstasy, of guaranteed exits and the healing power of rain.

The band has truly evolved from a husband and wife project into a great fellowship of friends, all contributing their passion and talents to something much greater than themselves. Chris Stivers has evolved into a strong creative voice of the band, with his unique, swampy guitar work brought to the foreground of the band’s new material, while Greg has breathed new life into the rhythmic foundations of FYF’s sound. Newest member, Jon, is proving himself to be the missing piece of the FYF puzzle, elevating the band to new sonic levels with his tight yet fluid grooves.

The band is in high gear, writing their best material to date, so look for them performing at a venue near you. The Flood cometh…”

KILLER QUEEN – A TRIBUTE TO QUEEN
Jul 3 @ 8:00 pm
Salvage Station

Killer Queen’s first public shows were at London University, following in the footsteps of the real
Queen who had played their first shows there decades earlier.
Killer Queen’s UK popularity grew to such an extent they soon secured a residency in London’s
Strand Theatre attracting nationwide BBC coverage – the first tribute to have a show in the West
End .

The band’s reputation continued to grow both in the UK and abroad leading to an awards ceremony
in Leicester Square, hosted by Suggs from Madness who presented them with the award for
“Worldwide Best Tribute Band”. They also scored a number one hit when they they were asked to
recreate Queen’s harmonies for “The Real Life” with Fatboy Slim.

By now they were in demand in European arenas playing Ahoy, where the now reformed Queen
would be performing only a few months later. They were delighted to sell out Forest National Arena
where Queen filmed the concert set piece videos such as Hammer To Fall and Don’t Stop Me Now.
Killer Queen then joined forces with Bjorn Again and The Bootleg Beatles for a Waverley
Stadium show in Edinburgh. It was this performance that led to the band being selected to represent
Queen in a re-staged tribute LiveAid concert held by Sir Bob Geldof. They performed with him at
his arena charity concert to raise funds for the homeless.

In 2016 Killer Queen set their sights on America including the awe inspiring Red Rocks Arena in
Colorado – one of the countries most prestigious venues. The Beatles, Springsteen, U2 have all
played there and the band are delighted it’s become a regular fixture on Killer Queen’s tour sheet.
By 2020 the band were pulling huge arena audiences in Cardiff Motorpoint, Liverpool and
Nottingham. 2021 sees them back on the road ready to delight huge audiences the world over.

Thursday, July 4, 2024
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Jul 4 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

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.

Pendergrast Family Patriotic Pops
Jul 4 @ 2:00 pm
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium

 

Celebrate Independence Day with Patriotic Pops at Brevard Music Center. Hear the Brevard Symphonic Winds joined by members of the Janiec Opera Company, as they perform inspirational American music, traditional Sousa marches, and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture complete with the sounds of live cannon!

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.

4th of July at The Horse Shoe Farm | The Silo Cookhouse x Root & Bone
Jul 4 @ 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm
The Horse Shoe Farm

Join us for our annual 4th of July Celebration! A Low Country Boil with The Silo Cookhouse & Root & Bone + Live Music + FIREWORKS!

Pritchard Park Summer Series: Singer/Songwriter Series
Jul 4 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Pritchard Park

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!!

BLUEGRASS JAM Hosted by Drew Matulich
Jul 4 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

BLUEGRASS JAM

Hosted by Drew Matulich


Don’t miss your chance to check out some of the best pickers from all over WNC at our amazing Bluegrass Jam curated by the talented Drew Matulich — every Thursday starting at 7:00 pm! A real show-stopping performance only at Jack of the Wood! Open jam starts at 9:30 pm.

JAZZ JAM
Jul 4 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
LEAF Global Arts

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.

Friday, July 5, 2024
NC Arboretum Hiking Trails
Jul 5 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
NC Arboretum

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.

Acoustic Jam Session
Jul 5 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Sideways Farm & Brewery

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

Drum Circle
Jul 5 @ 5:00 pm – 9:45 pm
Pritchard Park

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.

Juan Holladay + ResoNate + Isa Ibn Wali
Jul 5 @ 5:00 pm – Jul 6 @ 12:00 am
The Getaway River Bar

FOMO Collective presents – Juan Holladay + Resonate + Isa Ibn Wali Featuring DJ Sporelax Visuals by Littlest_Hex

Tickets will be $10 at the door, there is NO presale. This event is 21+

An evening of rap, R&B, and artistry! On Friday July 5th visit our art market at The Getaway on the River Bar accompanied by live painters, a visual installations, and smooth, hard hitting music.Art vendor spaces available – message [email protected] or @fomomusicandart for sign up and more information.

Musicians include locals –
Juan Holladay(@juanholladay) https://www.youtube.com/@juanholladay
Isa Ibn Wali – (@isawhitaker) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBcF8q0ay8DxOn9QEfynJGg
ResoNate. – (@resonate_nc) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfkm_I5vJEOhEF4nPEf3-JQ?view_as=subscriber.

Pritchard Park Arts and Culture Series: Drum Circle
Jul 5 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Pritchard Park

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.

Dvořák Symphony No. 6
Jul 5 @ 7:30 pm
Brevard Music Center

Brevard Sinfonia
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Lara Downes, piano

GEORGE ENESCU Romanian Rhapsody No. 1
QUINN MASON Piano Concerto (world premiere)
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 6

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.