Asheville Cocktail Week Tickets NOW Available

May 4 - 8, 2016 Asheville Cocktail Week returns. Get your tickets NOW for this popular event.

Launched in 2009, ASHEVILLE FEST celebrates several signature events.  Asheville Cocktail Week brings a dozen events over an expanded week, including Cocktail Theater, Spirit Dinners, Cinco de Mayo Afterparty, Guided Cocktail Tours, a "Derby Party", and a Best Bloody Mary Contest during which 15 Asheville Bars will serve a weeks worth of their very best to claim the title of Best Bloody Mary in Asheville Fest as voted by consumers.

The Southeastern Distilling Expo is the largest gathering of Southeastern Distilleries in one location. This is an industry expo invite for owners, managers and bartenders.

ELIXIR, in its fourth year, promises to bring yet another exciting evening of collaboration between the distilleries and local bar talent. Open to the public, this event provides a fun environment for the customers to get in front of bartenders making sample drinks in a structured competition environment, supporting their current bar tenders and discovering new favorites.

SWEET offers a decadent evening of desserts on Friday, again at the Historic Grove Arcade and the GRAND TASTING on Saturday is a smorgasbord of food, wine, beer, and spirits, culinary demonstrations, and a chance to meet authors, farmers, chefs, winemakers, brewers, and much, much more. If you are interested in the the Grand Tasting VIP event, know that an entire floor has been set aside that afternoon just for you! Come sample the best food scene in the south.

Get complete details for the  
Asheville Wine and Food Festival HERE

Find Asheville NC lodging, attractions and visitor information on our Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

 

WNC Nature Center Annual Hey Day Fall Family Festival

October 10, 2015    Hey Day Fall Family Festival at the WNC Nature Center   Enjoy the 37th annual Hey Day Festival featuring live music and dance performances, special animal encounters, educational programs, arts and crafts for the kids, and delicious food from local vendors. Hey Day is the Nature Center's biggest event of the year. 

The 2015 festival will feature games, arts and crafts, educational animal programs, live music, local food vendors, and of course, a wide variety of exciting wildlife. There will also be a kick-off to the Friends' fall raffle, with the opportunity to win great items.

photo courtesy of Friends of the WNC Nature Center

Stage Schedule:
11am - Noon  Idea Factory Inc. Dance Studio
Noon-12:45pm  WNC Nature Center Wildlife Ambassadors
1 - 1:45pm  Garnet Ridge Ramblers
2 - 2:30pm  Mountain Thunder Cloggers
3 - 3:45pm  Professor Whizzpop
Animal enrichment programs will also occur during the day.

Food and refreshments will be available from Captain Dave's Pirate Dawgs, Ruth & Ranshaw, Pizza Hut and Party Blvd.  Bottled water for our Hey Day guests has been donated by Earth Fare.

Asheville Events: Brewgrass Festival this Weekend

September 19, 2015    Brewgrass Festival    Brewgrass Festival   50 American breweries gather to showcase a diverse assortment of national and regional craft beers. The live entertainment this year includes a great lineup of national and regional bluegrass musicians that includes Jeff Austin Band, Truth & Salvage Co., Big Daddy Love, and Packway Handle Band.

The Brewgrass Festival began in 1996 and is Western North Carolina’s original craft beer festival. Today, North Carolina  boasts over 100 breweries and brewpubs, and Asheville NC has become a  beer-lovers destination selected as  “Beer City USA” four years in a row.

Brewgrass  has always showcased some of the most in-demand and exciting brewers in the region. The event also features a variety of area food vendors and plenty of water. 

The beer festival is held from 1 - 7 PM at Asheville's Memorial Stadium. Get advance tickets online  HERE.

Ooh La La Curiosity Market in Asheville's Pritchard Park

August 29, 2015    Ooh La La Curiosity Market   Come enjoy this popular outdoor market in Asheville's Pritchard Park featuring works by local painters, leather smiths, jewelry makers, potters ,up-cycled crafters, and other curious delights, all beneath the colored canopies of large market umbrellas.

 In addition to the artists, the market will also feature live local music with up three musical acts performing each Saturday and will include everything from a solo saxophonist to folk, blues, acoustic, and jazz acts. 

And don't forget - Ooh La La Curiosity Market is also a fundraiser for the East Asheville Animal Shelter, a no-kill facility.

 

 

Get Tickets Now for Asheville's Feasting for FEAST

 GET TICKETS HERE

Feasting for FEAST 2015 

The Asheville Scene presents the 5th Annual Feasting for FEAST on Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 6:00 - 9:00pm at The Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Asheville NC. 

Tickets for this all inclusive event are $35 in advance ($40 on the day of), and include local food, Biltmore Wine and a FEAST beer brewed specifically for the event. “It’s a great way to try out a lot of our top chefs in one place, while supporting a good cause,” emphasizes FEAST Executive Director Kate Justen. 

This years participating restaurants: All Souls Pizza, Blue Dream Curry, Chai Pani, Cucina 24, Cúrate/Nightbell, French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Gan Shan Station, King Daddy’s, Laughing Seed, Renaissance Asheville, Rhubarb, Sunny Point Cafe, West End Bakery, Westville Pub and Wholefoods.  Silent Auction and Raffle Baskets with items from: The Biltmore Estate, The Grove Park Inn, Asheville Adventures, ALOFT Hotel, LaZoom, REI, Diamond Brand and more… Special Thanks to Our Amazing Sponsors: The Asheville Scene Mission Children’s Hospital Navitat Canopy Adventures Goldenwood Financial The Leitner Family The Schmidlin Family Town and Mountain Realty Asheville Pediatric Dentistry Lizzaralde Insurance Agency Green Home Cleaning Optix Eyecare Travis Calhoun Great Beginnings Dentistry.

Shindig on the Green this Saturday in Asheville

July 18, 2015  Shindig on the Green   Held outdoors at Pack Square Park in the heart of downtown Asheville NC, this FREE event  was voted the #1 Local Outdoor Concert in the Mountain Xpress "Best of WNC" survey for four years. Bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays. 

Performances include Long-standing house band The Stoney Creek Boys Bluegrass and Old-Time String Bands, Big Circle Mountain Dancers, Clog Dancers, Smooth Dancers, Ballad Singers and Storytellers. If you love old time Mountain music and Bluegrass this is the place to be

Special Friday Beer Tasting at Brusin' Ales

March 27, 2015 from 5 PM - 7 PM at Brusin' Ales, 66 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville NC: Lagunitas Brewing Company beer tasting. Join Lagunitas' Don Chartier who always brings fun along with the great beer.

A Lil' Sumpin' Sumpin': "A truly unique style featuring a strong hop finish on a silky body. A filtered pale wheat ale that is great for both IPA and wheat beer fans." [7.5% abv]

Lagunitas IPA: "This is our unique version of an ancient style. A style as old as the ocean trade routes of the last centuries Great Ships. Not as old as the equator they had to cross twice enroute, nor as old as the 10,000 or so miles of Di-Hydrogen Oxide and Sodium upon which they sailed, but older than the Circulithium-4 Lentloid that binds the Lupulin Quartnate onto your taste buds. Weird. Think about it. Now stop. OK, go again, now stop. Think again, and stop. But we digress. Made with 43 different hops and 65 various malts, this redolent ale will likely float your boat, whatever planet you're on." [6.2% abv]

Lagunitas Sucks: "This beer is a 'Cereal Medley' of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats. Full of complexish-ness from the four grains, and weighing in at 7.85% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor." [7.8% abv]

Maximus: "At the height of the heat in the heart of the summer, we felt that the only cure was a raging mouthful of fresh hops and malt. Caution: May remove enamel from teeth. This is Lagunitas IPA pumped up by about 30%!" [8.5% abv]

Imperial Stout with Coffee: This special release is draft-only in WNC! The big, hoppy Lagunitas Imperial Stout infused with coffee. Zing!

Annual WNC Orchid Society Show at Asheville's North Carolina Arboretum

March 28 - 29    WNC Orchid Society Show     The WNC Orchid Society will host its annual show at The North Carolina Arboretum. The popular juried plant show will also feature award-winning orchid vendors, many of whom are nationally recognized growers and hybridizers. Rare and unusual plants, specialty lighting and orchid supplies will be available for purchase.&nbsp

This year’s theme, “Orchid Shangri-La,” will be interpreted in carefully crafted displays by world-class orchid growers and regional orchid societies. Admission: Free with parking fee admission ($8 per vehicle).

Find links for lodging and other Asheville events and attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.  

Abraham.In.Motion Performs at the Diana Wortham Theatre

March 24 - 25, 2015   When the Wolves Came In,  performed by Kyle Abraham’s New York-based dance company, Abraham.In.Motion at the Diana Wortham Theatre. Timely and relevant to the current national spotlight on race and equality, Abraham.In.Motion’s When the Wolves Came In takes its inspiration from jazz legend Max Roach’s iconic 1960 protest album, We Insist: Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suit

Asheville Amadeus Festival 2015 Begins Tomorrow

March 17 - 22, 2015   Asheville Amadeus Festival 2015  Enjoy a week-long festival celebrating and exploring the life and works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Asheville Symphony Orchestra will be joined by world renowned pianist Emanuel Ax, the Brentano Quartet with Hsin-Yun Huang, the Asheville Lyric Opera and more extraordinary musicians and performers for this remarkable week of Mozart. 

Concerts and events include: Opening night with the Brentano Quartet; Deconstructing Mozart combining a plated lunch inspired by Mozart’s home country of Austria and prepared by Isa’s executive chef with Mozart’s iconic Serenade No. 13 and exploration of Asheville Symphony Executive Director David Whitehill collection of music letters; Mozart’s The Impresario performed by the Asheville Lyric Opera (debut); Pianoforte: Homages to Mozart; Emanuel Ax in Recital; Mozart Family Concert featuring the Blue Ridge Orchestra; "Amadeus" performed by NC Stage and Asheville Community Theatre;Asheville Amadeus Finale Concert with the Asheville Symphony.

Festival events are performed at a variety of venues and times. Check the website for details. 

SOCON Begins this Week in Asheville

March 5 - 9, 2015   2015 Southern Conference Basketball Tournament   Downtown will be filled with 50,000+ basketball fans, all enjoying Asheville's shopping, dining and drinking during the course of the tournament. Men and women's games will be played at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena and Kimmel Arena on the UNCA campus. Visit website or call for game days and times. 

Need lodging in Asheville for this event? Visit the Asheville NC Visitor Guide

aSHEville Museum Celebrates Valentines with Local Women Artists

February 11, 2015   Valentine's Celebration with She Artristy at aSHEville Museum   Meet the women artists and artisans showcased at aSHEville Museum, including painters, jewelers, photographers, candle makers, and crafters. Support Asheville's women at this local artist meet and greet.

Get links for lodging, dining and area attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

 aSHEville Museum is a women’s cultural museum with a mission to contribute to the creation of more just and equitable world through its collection of intimate exhibits which range from historic to contemporary in scope, and local to global. Core exhibits include: Appalachian Women, 100 Years of Sexism in Advertising, and A History of Hysteria. 

aSHEville Museum also houses a variety of rotating exhibits. The Museum gift shop offers art, crafts, and gift items made by talented local and regional women artists and fair-trade women-made items supporting women's organizations. The Museum is located at 35 Wall Street in downtown Asheville NC.

2015 All the Jazz Weekend at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville

January 23 - 25, 2015  Annual All That Jazz Weekend at the Omni Grove Park Inn. Another spectacular weekend of "All Things Jazz". This year Billy the Kid plays alongside Rockell Scott on Friday and Grammy Nominated Jazz Artist, Gerald Albright takes the stage on Saturday. 

This event has earned national recognition as one of the premiere jazz festivals of the Southeast. Evening and afternoon concerts in the Grand Ballroom along with fun activities and live music throughout the rest of the resort make this a weekend that will satisfy even the most discriminating jazz enthusiast. 

The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa - Renowned spa, scenic golf course, sports complex with pool, tennis, racquetball, training. Onsite restaurants, lounge, bars. A large variety of rooms and suites, varying stages of updates with some original Inn antiques.     Get current rates, availability or book online.

 

Asheville Fringe Arts Festival this Weekend

January 11 - 25, 2014 - Asheville's Fringe Art Festival  serves patrons of art from Asheville and beyond by facilitating the creation and production of avant garde work that may otherwise not find a venue. In past years the artistic mix has included actors, dancers, singers, videographers, painters and musicians, presenting a varied range of interesting work including cross-genre improvisation, Butoh dance, sketch theatre, modern dance, and multi-media performance art. 

The Fringe 2015 schedule is packed with new voices and new work by local and imported artists. All the artists have been confirmed and the Fringe organizers, through the Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre, are proud to share some of the highlights for the upcoming 2015 incarnation of the Fringe.

With so many shows to choose from, it is essential to plan ahead. Most shows will be performed at least twice during the four days of the festival. The full schedule of shows is on the website and in the program guide. Tickets are available online.

FREE Oskar Blues Tasting at Asheville's Brusin' Ales

January 15 from 5-7 PM at Brusin' Ales, 66 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville NC - Oskar Blues Tasting.  The first tasting at Brusin' Ales of 2015 is with Amy Rubin of Oskar Blues. Come to the wee tasting room from 5:00-7:00 for a free beer flight:

Pinner Throwback IPA: "How do you cram as much hop & malt flavor and aroma as possible into a beer but make it crushable too? That's the challenge we answered with PINNER Throwback IPA. At 4.9% ABV and 35 IBUs, this drinkable IPA uses several varieties of hops to target the ever-evolving flavor. With tropical fruits, citrus juices, pineapple and spice berry up front in the aroma and flavor, the biscuit & toasted bread at the back balance out all the hops and make a great finish to go on to your next can of PINNER. It's the perfect beer for a little sip, sip, give."

G'Knight: "Our 'Velvet M-80' is a hefty, dry hopped double-red ipa with a nose full of aroma, a sticky mouthfeel, a malty middle and unctuous hop flavors. G'Knight sports a surprisingly sensuous finish for a beer of its size (8.7% ABV, 60 IBUs). It's brewed in tribute to a fellow Colorado craft beer pioneer and Vietnam vet who died fighting a 2002 wild fire outside of our Lyons hometown.

Deviant Dale's: "Deviant Dale's IPA (8 percent ABV, 85 IBUs) was born at the crossroads, in a juke joint, as if Dale's Pale Ale sold its soul to balance Deviant's foreboding aromas of citrus, grapefruit rind and piney resins, its copper ball-of-fire color and inscrutable flavor-intense finish. Deviant is the Devil incarnate with untold amounts of malt and hedonistic Columbus dry-hopping. Oskar Blues delivers this boundary-buster in the brewery's first 16-ounce tallboy can."

Ten Fidy: "This titanic, immensely viscous stout is loaded with inimitable flavors of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee and hides a hefty 98 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt. Ten FIDY (10.5% ABV) is made with enormous amounts of two-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Ten FIDY is the ultimate celebration of dark malts and boundary-stretching beer."

Lunchtime Art Break at the Asheville Art Museum

November 14,  12:00 - 1:00 PM at the Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square in downtown Asheville NC.  X, Y + Z: Dimensions in Sculpture   This event is FREE with membership or Museum admission.   Luiza de Camargo, Curatorial Assistant.

The Museum presents Lunchtime Art Breaks, a series of gallery talks and presentations designed to inform and engage you in dialogue with members of our curatorial and education departments, docents and special guests.

Taste of Asheville

November 20, 2014   Taste of Asheville   An evening of food, wine and beer tasting with 40+ AIR (Asheville Independent Restaurants) restaurants, wine sponsors and local brewers. This sold-out event is a fundraiser for AIR and it's programs, including the "Chef's of Tomorrow" Scholarship at AB Tech and GO! Kitchen Ready.

Find more Asheville events on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

 

Asheville Cinema Festival this Weekend

November 6 - 9, 2014   Asheville Cinema Festival   The 4th annual festival with 40 films including a mix of feature-length movies and shorts. Downtown Asheville viewing venues are the Asheville Community Theatre and the Masonic Temple theater. 

Opening Night Film Thursday Screening: “The Imitation Game” - $25 (Price includes the after party located at the Century Room of Pack’s Tavern where you will receive complimentary appetizers and a cash bar and Previews of the slate of films with be shown) Additionally, there will be a stand up performance by Tom DiMenna, one of the filmmakers whose film, “Bologna Warrior” is included in the line-up. 

Closing Night Film: Sunday Screening “The Face of Love” - $10. All other screening tickets are $8, $5 for students. VIP passes available.

Find links for Asheville hotels, vacation rentals and attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.  

Asheville Weekend Events: Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair

October 24 - 26, 2014    Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair    Hosted by the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, in the McGough Arena, the event includes 100’s of animals, crafters, workshops and demonstrations, See spinning, knitting, weaving, felting and much more!

Join a workshop class to improve your skills or just enjoy browsing and shopping the beautiful and unique apparel and wearable art at SAFF! Fri. and Sat. 9:00AM-6:00PM, Sun. 9:00AM-4:00PM, Admission $3/person, Youth under 13 yrs. old free.

Get complete visitor information on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide. 

 

Fall Harvest Days Antique Engine and Tractor Show in Asheville NC

October 23 - 25, 2014    Fall Harvest Days 27th Annual Antique Engine and Tractor Show    This event is held each year at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center. This is the largest show in Western NC featuring crafters, demonstrations, farm tools, antique engines, antique tractor pulls & swap meet. The event will be held rain or shine, 8:00AM-5:00PM, Admission $8/day, Children under 12 free with paid adult.