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.

Thursday, March 28, 2024
City Dance
Mar 28 @ 7:30 pm
Landmark Hal

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Monday, April 1, 2024
Evolving Tales: Transforming Narratives in Conflict
Apr 1 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Story Parlor

Monday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm at Story Parlor
3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, and 4/1

Evolving Tales
Sale Price:$235.00 Original Price:$265.00
Early Bird pricing through February 18
Regular price effective February 19

Space is LIMITED to ensure an intimate experience. We recommend signing up EARLY!

Refund and Covid policies can be found here.

Quantity:
1
REGISTER
In this workshop, participants will delve into the art of leveraging conflict as a powerful tool for narrative evolution. The sessions will guide individuals in unpacking and understanding their unique conflict styles, providing them with the tools to give these conflicts characters and allow them to tell their own stories. Exploring conflict through various art mediums will give participants insights into reshaping inner and outer narratives and turning adversarial energies into creative forces.

What Participants Will Learn/Gain/Takeaway:

Techniques to leverage conflict as a catalyst for narrative transformation.

Understanding and unpacking individual conflict styles.

The ability to personify conflicts and let them express their unique stories.

Creative skills in utilizing diverse art mediums for conflict resolution and expression.

Open to participants of all artistic backgrounds.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Dark City Poets Society
Apr 2 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library
Dark City Poets Society is a completely free poetry group that is open to writers of all ages and experience levels.
Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 pm on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) feedback group.FREE. Meets in the Community Room.
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Children’s Poetry Workshop: Isn’t It a Wonder?
Apr 4 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

In celebration of National Poetry Month and the wonders of the natural world, join local poet Brit Washburn to explore and craft nature poems! Bring your five senses and an open heart! Ages 6-12.

Seed Starting
Apr 4 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Seed starting is an affordable way to start gardens for different seasons. Isaac Wyatt, Agricultural Program Assistant with Henderson County Extension, will teach the basics of seed starting.

Standup Comedy Contest
Apr 4 @ 7:00 pm
Pulp Lounge

Slice of Life Standup Comedy Contest at The Orange Peel’s Pulp
When: Thursday April 4, 2024.
7p-9p, doors at 6:30p
Where:
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge, 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $15 (available at door or The Orange Peel website https://tinyurl.com/2abjkft4)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Free snacks while availability lasts!
Hosted by Hilliary Begley, featuring professional comics.
Comedy open mic is 3-5m each, comics get in free with free snacks!
The show’s Headliner will be selected by audience in an anonymous ballet after comics perform their sets.
They will write down their favorite top comic of the evening who will be paid & brought back to headline the end of the show with a closing 10-15m set!
.
Contact Michele at [email protected] for details
Host Hilliary Begley-
Hilliary will make you cry with laughter. With her larger that life personality!! Voted repeatedly Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” In Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime. https ://youtu.be/legRwEg4j-o

Friday, April 5, 2024
Intro to Memoir Writing: a 3-session series with Cornelia Dolian
Apr 5 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
East Asheville Library

Free. Space limited. Registration required. Call 828-250-4738 or stop by the library to register.

April 5: Session 1 – Memoir Basics & Beginnings
What’s a memoir, how does it work, and where do I begin mine?
Learn the key elements of the genre, understand what a memoir is (and isn’t). Get suggestions & tips for writing a rich, compelling, standout memoir, and where to begin collecting, compiling, and nurturing what will become the foundations of your memoir.

April 12: Session 2 – Memoir Structure and Outline
How do you structure and outline a memoir that will hook, connect with, and impact your readers?
Understand how to use narrative/story structure to help your memoir “read almost like a novel”.

April 19: Session 3 –  Memoir Writing Marathon First Miles
Turning your memoir outline into a full manuscript first draft (and what even is that?) – one milestone, chapter, and day at a time.
Know what to aim for with your memoir’s first draft, what to ignore, and how to keep your inner critic from disrupting you. Consider and commit to a consistent writing schedule for your memoir.

Thursday, April 11, 2024
Weaverville WORDPLAY Poetry Workshop
Apr 11 @ 1:17 pm – 2:17 pm
Weaverville Library

Calling all Poets!  The Weaverville Library is collaborating with Weaverville WORDPLAY to host poetry workshops at the Weaverville Library. We will be working on crafting our poetry and offering feedback to writers.

Bring a poem or two that you are working on and join us!

POETRY WORKSHOP WITH GLENIS REDMOND
Apr 11 @ 6:00 pm
Ramsaur Studio

This National Poetry Month, turn your sparks of inspiration into beautiful poetry in an all-new poetry workshop led by Greenville Poet Laureate Glenis Redmond. Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the world of poetry or you’ve been penning verses for a while, this workshop is tailor-made for you. From brainstorming ideas to crafting captivating lines, Glenis will guide you every step of the way. Unleash your inner wordsmith and explore the magic of poetry with a true master.

The $125 registration fee is for admission to the three-part workshop taking place at 6:00 PM on April 11, 18 and 25. Please bring paper and your preferred writing tool with you. The workshop culminates in a reading during the final session where participants can invite a guest to enjoy their poetry progress.

Sunday, April 14, 2024
Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic + Feature Comedy
Apr 14 all-day
Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co

Sunday April 14 Standup Comedy at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company hosted by Hilliary Begley with Derek Boskovich, James Rocco & Jordan Smith featuring and a professional comedy open mic. Get dinner drinks and laughs. Tickets at https://www.ashevillebrewing.com/buy-tickets

Monday, April 15, 2024
An Evening with the Cowboy Junkies
Apr 15 @ 7:30 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre
In 1988, Cowboy Junkies proved that there was an audience waiting for something quiet, beautiful and reflective. The Trinity Session was like a whisper that cut through the noise — and it was compelling. It stood out in the midst of the flash and bombast that came to define the late 80’s. The now classic recording combined folk, blues and rock in a way that had never been heard before and went on to sell more than a million copies.
Formed in Toronto in 1985 with siblings Michael Timmins on guitar, Margo Timmins on vocals, Peter Timmins on drums, and Michael’s lifelong friend Alan Anton on bass, the band has sparkled over the course of 26 albums. “I’ve known Alan longer than I’ve known Pete,” says Michael. “We were friends before Pete was born.”
Unlike most long-lasting groups, Cowboy Junkies have never had a break up or taken a sanity-saving hiatus. There’s an appreciation of each other that keeps them constantly working. “It’s that intimacy and understanding of what each one of us brings to the table,” says Michael. Cowboy Junkies’ will be performing a career-spanning show, including their new album, ‘Such Ferocious Beauty’, which was released worldwide on June 2, 2023 to universal critical acclaim.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Poetry Night
Apr 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Oak and Grist Distilling Company

 

Come on by for night of spoken word presented by Dark City Poets Society at Oak and Grist Distilling Company. Everyone is welcome to share a few poems or just sit back and drink for a good cause.

The event is free and $1 from every classic cocktail will be donated to Friends of the Black Mountain Library.

gn-ups to share will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Can’t make it to this one? This event happens the third tuesday of every month!

Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Great Smokies Writing Program | Utilizing the Visual Arts in Writing and Revising Personal Narrative
Apr 17 all-day
Story Parlor

Wednesdays, starting March 20 | Offered through the Great Smokies Writing Program, this five-week class will investigate the ways in which paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculpture inspire, collaborate with, and complement our writing process.

Thursday, April 18, 2024
THE MOTH Presents: Asheville StorySLAM – “GREEN”
Apr 18 @ 7:30 pm
The Grey Eagle
Doors Open: 6:30 PM
– PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW
– GA SEATING IN FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED 

THE MOTH

 resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….

GREEN:  Prepare a five-minute tale involving verdant fields, blades of grass, tree-huggers or leprechauns. The bubbling envy over the childhood friend whose sneakers always shone brighter than yours. The excitement of passing “GO” and collecting $200. Stories of the unripe and inexperienced. The time when nature nurtured you, or when you were lost in the forest at nightfall with no flashlight. The grass is always, well… you know.
Friday, April 19, 2024
Eco Poetry Creative Writing Event
Apr 19 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Swannanoa Library

For nature and literary lovers, ecopoetry is the perfect collaboration. Taking inspiration from your backyard, a tree you love, the bird that visits your feeder every day, and so much more, we’ll learn how to write about the things in nature that catch our eyes and hearts. Interested in some examples? Check out Drew Lanham, Mary Oliver, and Alice Walker.

Bring a favorite pen and we will have projected images to help your imagination.

A little clip about me:

Donnie Henry is a Creative Writing student at Warren Wilson College. They are a poet, painter, avid reader, river lover, and a fan of all amphibians. They work in their college Herbarium and love talking about it!

Poetry as Prayer
Apr 19 @ 6:00 pm
Asheville Salt Cave | Massage & Salt Spa Therapy
Together we will create a gentle space to nurture ourselves forward this season using breath, slow flow movement, and poetry. No writing experience is necessary, just an open heart, body, mind.
February 23 & April 19th @ 6pm Let’s come together during this full moon with intentions of slowing-in to the senses, nourishing our bodies with gentle sensuous movement and poetry as prayer. Poet, Doula, and Women’s Counselor Tiffany Narron will guide us along in a heart-warming circle to sink into our parasympathetic nervous systems with breath and somatic movement and explore reading and writing poetry as prayer. Together we will move to the rhythm of our breath and explore the language of our bodies in a warm, nourishing flow, reading excerpts of poetry centered on enchantment and the senses to then share and write in response as you feel called, leaving with an intentional poetic prayer of your own for this season. No writing experience is necessary, just an open heart, body, mind. Come as you are, share as you’re comfortable. Nourish your body and harvest your poetic prayer for the season. Reserve your space below. Space is limited.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
How it Feels to be a Mother – FREE Mother’s Day Photos! – Pre-launch Party
Apr 20 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Mojo Coworking Asheville

The “How it Feels to be a Mother” Movement is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to embracing the emotional complexity of motherhood. We provide a supportive platform for mothers to share their authentic experiences, free from judgment. Join us for insightful conversations and connections with mothers of all ages and stages of parenting.

Main Sponsors: Foxy Media and Marketing, Mojo Coworking, Asheville Video Marketing

Supporters: Flaming Lily Studios, Hone Creative Studio

Experience an array of vendors and interactive stations, including:
Temple Chiropractic
The Babywearing OT
Everyday Orthodontics
Hornsby Creative Group
AND MORE!!

Doors open at 1PM to sign up for photos.
Photos will start after a brief presentation.
Photos are first come first serve by signing up at the event.
flaminglilystudios.com

For more information, visit howitfeelstobeamother.com.
Join the conversation.

Canna Comic Cuisine?–Infused Dessert Show
Apr 20 @ 9:30 pm
Rezonanance

Rezonance & Slice of Life Comedy present **Canna Comic Cuisine —4.20 Infused Dessert Comedy Show**! Get ready for a night of laughter, delicious food, and a touch of cannabis-infused fun. Join us on **Sat Apr 20 2024** at **9:30 PM** for a unique experience that combines comedy with a gourmet dinner featuring cannabis-infused dishes. Our talented comedians will keep you entertained throughout the evening, while our chefs prepare a mouthwatering dessert that will tantalize your taste buds. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind event that promises to be a memorable and hilarious night out!

Saturday 4.20.24

Held at a secret location in downtown Asheville, 21+

Your $42 ticket includes infused dessert and a canned drink. Location given out with ticket purchase. Tickets are very limited so book this date now.

Standup Comedy Hosted by Hilliary Begley (netflix Amazon Prime, Votedt Avl Best Comic 5+) featuring Cayla Clark, Miranda Allison & Cody Hughes

Your Comedy Host Hilliary Begley-

Hilliary will make you cry with laughter with her larger than life personality!! Voted repeatedly Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress, Hilliary’s reach goes well beyond the city to all over the country. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” and in Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime. https ://youtu.be/legRwEg4j-o

Featuring Cayla Clark-

a California native (through no fault of her own), moved to Asheville three years ago and quickly fell in love with the local comedy scene. She created and co-produces Blind Date Live, a quarterly comedic dating show, Bad Date Mic, and several other dating-related events around town. She is also a playwright, and has had original works in the Fringe Festival for the past three years.

Feature Cody Hughes-

Cody is a comedian from Asheville NC. He’s lived in a few different big cities and a lot of comedians like him and a lot of other comedians have heard good things about him from the comedians who like him. A few comedians don’t like him and he can’t do anything about that. Oh well. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver, Maria Bamford, and many others

Feature Miranda Allison-

Sweet but sassy, Miranda Allison is an up and coming stand up comedian with a timid, yet audacious sense of humor. From right here in Asheville, NC, Miranda is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the comedy scene. You can find her co-hosting The Hot Seat on Mondays and at other comedy shows in the area.

Sunday, April 21, 2024
Tail Chaser 250
Apr 21 all-day
Deerwoode Reserve

Get revved up for best weekend of the year! Join us for the Tail Chaser 250, where you will experience an epic “ride at your own pace” dual sport adventure ride on the best scenic paved, gravel, and back roads in the Southeast. This in-person event is an absolute must for anyone who loves being on the motorcycle, hanging out with good people, and enjoying the beauty of the open road.

We’ll be returning to Deerwoode Reserve, situated along the French Broad River, just outside Brevard, NC, where we’ll gather for meals together in their new event pavilion, enjoy the property’s beauty, and stay both Friday and Saturday nights. We’ll be able to spread out in wide open fields for camping and cabins available for rent, and enjoy the view beyond.

Join Eurosport Asheville and the entire adventure motorcycle community to help raise essential funds for Muddy Sneakers and the Veterans Healing Farm. It’s an honor to donate 100% of the proceeds of Tail Chaser 250 to these organizations doing important work in our communities. We really appreciate your support!

So mark your calendars, gather your friends, and get ready to immerse yourself in a weekend of adventure and being a part of the motorcycle community. The Tail Chaser 250 is waiting for you – suit up and prepare for the best weekend of the year!

Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Dark City Poets Society Publishing Workshop
Apr 23 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Black Mountain Library

Join the Dark City Poets Society for a free publishing workshop from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at the Black Mountain Library,105 N. Dougherty Street, Black Mountain, NC 28711. This workshop will be led by John Himmelheber, editor of Smoky Blue Literary and Arts Magazine, along with Ivy Rosen, editor of Black Mountain Press. Learn tips and tricks on how to get published and what the best practices are for submitting your work for consideration. This workshop is open to all ages, and no registration is required.

Thursday, April 25, 2024
Building Bridges Community Talkback
Apr 25 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Franklin School of Innovation

Building Bridges of Asheville invites you to a screening and talkback session of the film, “13th”.

In this thought-provoking documentary scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom.

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation’s prisons are disproportionately filled with African Americans.

The film will be followed by a guided conversation facilitated by Building Bridges board members and Niconda Garcia & Nex Millen.

Building Bridges fosters antiracism by educating people on how to intentionally engage in dialogues on racism. BBAVL.org

You have a part to play in this work, and this event is a great point of entry.

City Dance
Apr 25 @ 7:30 pm
Landmark Hal

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Friday, April 26, 2024
Free Healthy Workplace Culture Workshop
Apr 26 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Continuum Art

A healthy workplace culture can be the difference between hitting your goals and missing the mark. It can be a determining benefit that supports strong retention rates and serves as a competitive advantage.

But what is culture and how do you build it? We’ll cover this and much more!

Join us on April 26, 2024, for an interactive workshop at Continuum in downtown Hendersonville, NC from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Sign up now to reserve your seat and receive the full event details.

Saturday, April 27, 2024
Breakthrough Breathwork Meditation Workshop with Sound Baths
Apr 27 @ 10:00 am
Magictown Movement Studio

Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and inner healing through our groundbreaking Breathwork Meditation Workshop including 2 Sound Baths! During this immersive experience you will be guided through a powerful Breathwork practice to help you massively release stress, heal past wounds and traumas, access deeper levels of awareness, and connect more profoundly to Source.

Led by two professional highly experienced facilitators with over 50 years experience between them, this workshop will
deepen your connection with your breath and unlock its incredible potential for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Join a group of like-minded individuals on the path to self-discovery in a supportive nurturing environment on the beautiful island in Marshall on one of the world’s oldest rivers.

You may come to the full day (10am-4.30pm, $120 ) which includes two Breathwork Meditation Sessions with sound baths and a session of Self-discovery. You may also come to the first Breathwork Meditation Session with sound bath only (10am-1pm, $60) or the second Breathwork Session with sound bath only (1.30pm-4.30pm, $60).
Register at www.breakthroughbreathwork.com/events

Food Box Delivery volunteers needed!
Apr 27 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

WNCAP (Western North Carolina AIDS Project) Dedicated to preventing new cases of HIV/AIDS and promoting self-sufficiency in people living with HIV. WNCAP provides HIV-related client support, prevention, education and advocacy activities guided by the belief that all people are entitled to equal access to health care and disease prevention.
WNCAP needs volunteers for the 2nd & 4th Saturday morning Food Box Delivery: 10am-noon. Ride with another team member and deliver pre-packed boxes of food to home-bound, food insecure families living in the Asheville/ Buncombe area. Requires ability to lift 50 pounds, good driving record, and confidentiality. More info at [email protected] , 828-252-7489 ext. 315.

Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Love is Like a Butterfly: A Dolly Parton Poetry Workshop
Apr 30 @ 6:30 pm
Fairview Library

Start off Poetry Month at the Library with a celebration of Dolly Parton’s lyrics at the Fairview Library.

What could the songs of legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton teach us about writing, craft, and perspectives in poetry? In this in-person workshop, poet Dustin Brookshire guides participants through exploring the discography and cultural impact of Dolly Parton. We’ll use this as inspiration for writing new poems via thematic prompts.

This free workshop will be Tuesday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fairview Library.

Our facilitator, Dustin Brookshire is the recipient of the 2024 Jon Tribble Editors Fellowship awarded by Poetry at the Sea and is the co-editor of Let Me Say This: A Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology (Madville Publishing, 2023), which was named to the 2024 Books All Georgians Should Read list by the Georgia Center for the Book.

Thursday, May 2, 2024
Ephemerals, Mosses, + Ferns
May 2 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Bullington Gardens

Want to learn more about mosses and ferns? What are the most common spring ephemeral plants?, their pollinators and some of the interesting history of these special plants. Henderson County Extension Agent and host of the Gardening in the Mountains Radio Show Steve Pettis will discuss the many flowers that grow in the Spring time in the forests of Western North Carolina.

PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES – LINOCUT ART DEMO AT SPECIAL OPEN MIC
May 2 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Flood Gallery Fine Art Center

Printmaker Janette Hopper will be giving a digital presentation on her art of linocut printmaking this Thursday, May 2, 6:30-7pm. She will also demonstrate some of the tools and materials she uses in her process, and be available for Q&A. Afterwards, stay for the gallery’s True Home Open Mic, where performers of all skills and genres (poetry, storytelling, music, song, comedy, etc.) share their art. Janette herself will be getting up on stage again to share some of her poetry! Or stay to browse more of her print artwork: her current exhibit at Flood Gallery, “Agony and Ecstasy: Images of Conscience” which is comprised of more than 60 pieces, all for sale, and will show through June 2.

Sunday, May 5, 2024
Harmonies and Honky-Tonk 101 workshop
May 5 all-day
Highland Lake Cove
Harmonies and Honky-Tonk 101
Kari Sickenberger is leading a workshop from May 3-5. retreat at
at Highland Lake Cove, a beautiful, rustic mountain setting,
ideal for rest, rejuvenation, relaxation, singing and fun!
Deadline for Registration is 4/15/24
www.KariSickenberger.com

The event is occuring at Mountain Magic, a new collaborative venture with Highland Lake Cove in Flat Rock, NC. They are developing a performance and participatory arts venue initially focusing on mountain music, dance, and storytelling traditions. 

Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Virtual Lunch + Learn: Made X Mountains
May 7 @ 12:00 pm
online

 

The MADE X MTNS (Made By Mountains) Partnership is working to expand the outdoor industry and economy across North Carolina’s Appalachian region and catalyze rural development by building vibrant outdoor communities, growing outdoor businesses, and amplifying outdoor culture. This work is funded by Appalachian Regional Commission, Dogwood Health Trust, and Mountain BizWorks. Join the Building Outdoor Communities Program Specialist, Bradley Spiegel to learn about the 7-month capacity building program that 19 WNC counties have completed to holistically and proactively plan for outdoor assets that balance conservation and community development. FREE virtual presentation.