Outdoor | Art | Family | Historic | Free Events
You don't have to spend a lot of money to have an enriching vacation experience in the Asheville area. In fact, you can enjoy time with your family and friends at many area attractions without spending a penny. Below are some ways to stretch of your Asheville vacation dollars no matter whether you're into history, outdoor activities or artsy experiences.
Free Outdoor Adventures
Almost free outdoor adventures: The North Carolina Arboretum is home to great hiking trails, beautifully landscaped gardens and the largest Bonsai collection in the Southeast. A parking fee of $6 is all that is charged and that fee is waived on Tuesdays.
Free Fun for Art Lovers
Almost free art fun: Check out the Folk Art Center. But once you see the amazing art and craftspeople that call our area home, be warned that you may not leave empty-handed.
Free Family Fun
Almost free family fun: The Mast General Store in downtown Asheville is a must visit while on vacation in Asheville. In the store, kids (and adults) flock to the old fashioned candy in the candy barrels. Candy is available by the piece and the pound.
Free Stuff for History Buffs
- Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site
- Riverside Cemetery
- National Historic Site
- Asheville Urban Trail
- Swannanoa Valley Museum
Almost free activity for history buffs: Visit the boyhood home of author Thomas Wolfe at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site in downtown Asheville. A tour of the home is $1 for adults and $0.50 for students.
Free Events Happening in Asheville
Asheville is a city where the fun never stops. A vibrant community culture means there is always an array of seasonal events and activities. Whether you like music, theatre or family fun, Asheville has something for everyone. Get help planning your trip by ordering your free copy of the Asheville Visitors Guide.
Your search returned 39 events:
2nd Annual Sculpture for the Garden Exhibition
Unique garden sculptures compliment the beautiful natural setting of the eleven acres that surround Grovewood Gallery. During June through December, Grovewood hosts their annual Sculpture for the Garden exhibition. Nationally recognized artists display large-scale, contemporary outdoor sculptures of various mediums. Sculptures range from playful pieces suitable for the home or garden, to works for public spaces and corporate settings. This invitational exhibition attracts art lovers and collectors from around the country.
Event date(s):
Jun 06, 2009 to Dec 31, 2009
Guilt Free Holiday Hors d'oeuvres
Come join Certified Health Counselors, Wendy Tran and Penina Bareket and learn how to make holiday treats that not only taste great but are also good for you! This class will demo healthy hors d'oeuvres for you to share with your family and friends this holiday season and for years to come. Menu: popcorn cauliflower, mini crab cakes, spiced pecans. Classes are approximately 90 minutes and include hearty samplings. Seats are limited, to register call Janice at 828-210-0100.
Event date(s):
Sep 07, 2009 to Dec 07, 2009
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt
Western North Carolina AIDS Project will be displaying portions of the AIDS Quilt from November 23 through December 2 in Pack Place. The Asheville Art Museum will screen Rob Epstein's Oscar-winning documentary which profiles six people who subsequently died of AIDS. Using the AIDS Memorial Quilt as his starting point, this film humanizes the disease and illustrates its carnage, showing how it devastates families and communities. Narrated by Dustin Hoffman. The film will screen continuously throughout the day and is free to Museum Members and the public.
Event date(s):
Nov 01, 2009 to Nov 28, 2009
New Works by L.I.N.T.
Grovewood Gallery will display fiber-art wall hangings by LINT (Ladies in New Textiles) starting Friday, November 6 in their downstairs Spotlight Gallery. An artists’ reception will be held in the gallery on Saturday, November 7 from 11am - 3pm. Light refreshment will be served. The exhibition and reception are free of charge and open to the public. Featuring Works By: Norma Bradley, Peggy Debell, Diana Denardis, Sondra Dorn, Vicki Essig, Suzanne Gernandt, Susan Webb Lee, Janice Maddox, Bernie Rowell, Judy Simmons, Kathy Spencer, Jude Stuecker and Jen Swearington.
Event date(s):
Nov 06, 2009 to Dec 31, 2009
Asheville's Best Free Beer & Wine Tasting
Asheville's Best Free Wine & Beer Tasting, Saturdays 11-3 and 4-8
Event date(s):
Nov 07, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Meet the Maker – Doll Maker Charlie Patricolo at Grovewood Gallery
November 7 & 8 (11am – 3pm) Long time doll maker, Charlie Patricolo, will be at Grovewood Gallery demonstrating her techniques on dolls in various stages of completion. Have a chance to meet Charlie, ask questions about her work, and be inspired by her wonderful creations.
Event date(s):
Nov 07, 2009 to Nov 08, 2009
The Scientific World View and Meditation
During the 20th century, revolutions in physics and biology transformed our vision of the world and of ourselves, creating increased insight into the scientific basis for Vipassana Meditation practice. Meditation has gone from unknown, to wildly popular in the Western Hemisphere in only about thirty years. (In contrast, it has been well known in India for about two thousand five hundred years.) This has led to confusion about what meditation really is, how it works, and in what ways it helps people.
Event date(s):
Nov 07, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Laura Hope-Gill and John Fletcher, Jr. Presentation
Asheville author and Wordfest Director Laura Hope-Gill and local photographer John Fletcher, Jr. will share their new book, The Soul Tree: Poems and Photographs of the Southern Appalachians. Fletcher’s photography beautifully compliments Hope-Gill’s poems and reinforces the vision of poetry as a conversation between inner and outer worlds. Laura Hope-Gill, who is also the marketing director for Grateful Steps Publishing, is an avid proponent of poetic therapy and works to illustrate poetry’s relevance in everyday life.
Event date(s):
Nov 07, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Meet the Maker: Suzanne Ramljak
UNC Asheville’s Craft Campus welcomes Suzanne Ramljak, a writer, art historian, and curator, and current editor of Metalsmith magazine. Ramljak will speak about the UNC Center for Craft Creativity and Design exhibition Different Tempers: Jewelry & Blacksmithing, curated by Ramljak. Lecture will be held in the Owen Conference Center, 3rd floor of Owen Hall, UNC Asheville.
Event date(s):
Nov 12, 2009 at 06:00 PM
Booksigning - debut novelist Jennifer Elizabeth Daigle, "The Knowing"
Don't miss this evening of intrigue and fantasy with debut Novelist Jennifer Elizabeth Daigle on November 12th at Malaprop's Bookstore, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. The evening begins with a reading from her book “The Knowing” at 7:00pm, followed by Q & A and booksigning . A brief Review: It's hard to find such a unique read as Daigle’s, “The Knowing,” with characters that you truly miss when you finish the book, a plot that is extremely intelligent without being exhausting, and writing that feels like actual literature. The sensual descriptions, from deep forest night to the landscape of a mafia-type underground, pull you in, and the heroine stands out with a vibrant, unique wit that evokes the author’s Southern roots. Also, "The Knowing" doesn't use the same old trite fantasy characters, but reintroduces classic figures in a completely new way with a modernistic portrayal of “magic” as science. Very, very smart. Excellent dialogue - I love the unexpected humor, sarcasm, and cheeky one-liners. Brilliant debut in fantasy and in literature! Highly recommended!!!
Event date(s):
Nov 12, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Local Author Jennifer Daigle
Asheville author Jennifer Elizabeth Daigle will read from and sign her debut novel, The Knowing, in which a young healer must enter the darker side of the city-and her own mind-to unravel the mystery behind her mentor’s disappearance. Daigle draws upon her experience as a psychotherapist to create vivid characters and realistic tensions. “The Knowing is a sophisticated and insightful venture, replete with well-crafted scenes, engaging characters, and a plot intricate enough to keep you guessing through most of the book.” –author Terry Mancour
Event date(s):
Nov 12, 2009 at 07:00 PM
"Resident Clay"
You are invited to Odyssey Gallery’s “Resident Clay” show featuring work by Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts Resident Artists Jaclyn Jednak, Leslie Hinton, Alex Irvine, Patty Bilbro, Beth Bond, and Amanda Humphreys. The show opens with an Artists’ Reception on Friday, November 13, from 5-8pm, and runs through December 24.
Event date(s):
Nov 13, 2009 to Dec 24, 2009
Blue Ridge Parkway 75th Anniversary Baton Passing
Media event to ceremonially pass a baton from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 75th Anniversary to the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th Anniversary. Both park superintendents will be on hand along with the Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians.
Event date(s):
Nov 13, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Fred Chappell Short Story Reading and Reception
Malaprop’s is honored to welcome former North Carolina Poet Laureate and 2005 Thomas Wolfe Prize winner Fred Chappell, who will read from his book, Ancestors and Others: New and Selected Stories. Chappell, who was born in nearby Canton, is acclaimed for both his fiction and his numerous essays and works of poetry, and is a master of rendering Southern society and tradition. Come early to get a good seat! The reading will be followed by a wine and cheese reception. “Anybody who knows anything about Southern writing knows that Fred Chappell is our resident genius, our shining light, the one truly great writer we have among us." -Author Lee Smith
Event date(s):
Nov 13, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Visualizing Human Rights Anti-Conference
Put a human face on human rights by viewing these issues from an artist's standpoint through performances, exhibits, film and more. Most events will take place in the Highsmith Union Grotto, but look for events all over campus. Presented in partnership with many UNC Asheville departments and groups
Event date(s):
Nov 14, 2009 at 09:00 AM
River Arts District Studio Stroll
The Bi-Annual Studio Stroll is your chance to tour the studios, meet with the artists and purchase artwork. Within just a few blocks you will find an eclectic mix of creative artists - from traditional to cutting-edge. Near downtown Asheville. Free.
Event date(s):
Nov 14, 2009 to Nov 15, 2009
Asheville Pregnancy Support Services Fundraising Gala
On November 14th Asheville Pregnancy Support Services will host their 5th Annual Fundraising Gala Banquet at the new Crowne Plaza Expo Center. The event begins at 6:00 PM and it will be an evening of celebrating God’s continued blessings even in the midst of challenging economic times.The Gala banquet is critical to the ongoing support of this life-saving ministry. Local Businesses and churches have underwritten the cost of this event so that all donations made that night will come directly to support the ministry of Asheville Pregnancy Support Services.Tickets are complementary but reservations are required. Call 828-252-1306 to make your reservations today.
Event date(s):
Nov 14, 2009 at 06:00 PM
Author Jennifer Niven
Join us in welcoming author Jennifer Niven, who will present her first work of fiction, Velva Jean Learns to Drive. Set in Appalachia before World War II, it tells the story Velva Jean Hart, a spirited girl whose tumultuous romance with delinquent-turned-preacher Harley Bright forces her to choose between her new life and her dreams. Niven’s first work, The Ice Master, was an Entertainment Weekly top ten nonfiction book of the year and was featured in documentaries on the History Channel and Discovery Channel.
Event date(s):
Nov 14, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Holiday Shopping Extravaganza
The Asheville Art Museum is holding its annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza in the Pack Place Community Gallery. The Museum will offer 20% off all sales for our Members Friday, November 20. Buy local art for everyone on your holiday list!
Event date(s):
Nov 17, 2009 to Nov 22, 2009
Smoky Mountain Magic: Horace Kephart's Lost Novel
Local historian George Ellison and his wife, watercolorist Elizabeth Ellison, will present Horace Kephart’s “lost” novel Smoky Mountain Magic, now in print for the first time 80 years after its completion. Kephart is the author of several classic regional books, including Our Southern Highlanders and Camping and Woodcraft. He, along with friend George Masa, was instrumental in establishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Event date(s):
Nov 20, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Canton Author George Ivey
Canton author George Ivey will read from and sign his book, Up River: A Novel of Attempted Restoration. Up River explores themes of loss, recovery, and renewal through protagonist Peter Bailey’s struggle to save the endangered Akwanee River. “Up River shows what it is like to go against the stream in a good cause. George Ivey gives us a fascinating story, filled with folks friendly and threatening, cheery and cranky. The subjects this fast-paced novel addresses are as important as they are plentiful. Everyone who has ever been a stranger in a new place will sympathize with Peter Bailey; everyone who has tried to beat long odds will cheer for him. And anyone who reads Up River will learn how perilous is the balance of nature—and human nature. Entrancing.” -Fred Chappell
Event date(s):
Nov 21, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Lee Bros. Cookbook Signing
Food and travel journalists Matt and Ted Lee will sign copies of their new cookbook, Simple Fresh Southern. The siblings are founders of the Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, a mail-order catalogue featuring Southern pantry staples like stone-ground grits, fig preserves, and, of course, boiled peanuts. “These two boys are not only great cooks, I consider them the modern-day Lewis and Clark of Southern cuisine.”- Paula Deen
Event date(s):
Nov 22, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Aheville Author Peggy Tabor Millin
Asheville author, speaker, and teacher Peggy Tabor Millin will present her book, Women, Writing, and Soul-Making: Creativity and the Sacred Feminine. Millin’s book explores writing as a spiritual process and, though it focuses on the unique challenges to creativity that women face in the modern world, Women, Writing, and Soul-Making offers techniques and encouragement to anyone seeking to unlock their creative inner selves.
Event date(s):
Nov 22, 2009 at 03:00 PM
Asheville City Market Holiday Bash
This week featuring live music from Woody Pines & the Delta Blues Trio - enjoy the downtown festivities as the Asheville City Market continues into the holiday season. Find local Christmas trees, wreaths and arrangements, baked goods, farmstead and artisan goat cheeses, handmade jewelry, candles, quilts, knitware and woodworking, local produce, trout, meat and eggs, gift soaps, preserves, handmade pasta, local honey and spicy mustards.
Event date(s):
Nov 28, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Museum Open Free To the Public 3-5 p.m.
Every First Wednesday of the month from 3:00- 5:00 p.m. The Asheville Art Museum is free to the Public!
Event date(s):
Dec 02, 2009 at 03:00 PM
Free Wednesday
Join us on the first Wednesday of every month from 3-5 p.m. for a special free admission experience! This is a great way to enjoy the museum with friends and family! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.
Event date(s):
Dec 02, 2009 at 03:00 PM
New Works by Shelley Schenker - Magazine Mosaics
Kick off the holiday season with good food, drink and art while making a difference in Buncombe County. Local celebrity artist, Shelley Schenker, most recently known for her unique design of the 2009 Bele Chere Festival art, will be adding several new pieces to the large selection of her works that are regularly on display at Brixx. Shelley’s work creates quite a stir for patrons of the restaurant. From afar they are interesting compositions of animals – everything from frogs and fish to owls and pelicans – come in for a closer look and you will see that these pieces are actually made of pieces – yes, pieces of torn magazine pages – thousands of them in some cases! For this one evening event there will be signed art prints, notecards and holiday cards for sale at the restaurant. Appetisers will be provided in the cocktail area. The first 100 event attendees will receive a FREE gift from the artist and special value coupons will be offered by Fast Frames. 10% of all art sales from this event will be donated to Asheville Greenworks. Asheville GreenWorks, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, is a volunteer- based organization working to achieve a clean and green Asheville and Buncombe County through community organizing, educating and environmental stewardship since 1974. The artist's work can be viewed at www.magazinemosaics.com.
Event date(s):
Dec 03, 2009 at 05:00 PM
Asheville City Market Holiday Bash
This week featuring live music from Sherri Lynn & Mountain Friends and the Evergreen Community Charter School Marimba Band - enjoy the downtown festivities as the Asheville City Market continues into the holiday season. Find local Christmas trees, wreaths and arrangements, baked goods, farmstead and artisan goat cheeses, handmade jewelry, candles, quilts, knitware and woodworking, local produce, trout, meat and eggs, gift soaps, preserves, handmade pasta, local honey and spicy mustards.
Event date(s):
Dec 05, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Seasonal Sizzle at Seven Fireworks
Celebrate the holiday season in Asheville! Fireworks light up downtown at 7pm.
Event date(s):
Dec 05, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Seasonal Sizzle After Party: Facebook & Twitter Party
Mark December 5th at 8pm down for a great holiday evening at the Grove Park in at Elaine's Piano in Asheville. No Cover Charge at all! Have an awesome VIP experience with lots of companies represented, people, and friends coming together to network and have a great time. Music, drink specials (water, beer, pepsi, wine, cocktails), meet people, prizes, and so so much fun fun fun for everyone! This is not your average Piano Bar either. These are dueling (fighting) grand pianos and the team gets wild and crazy! Rock, Blues, Karaoke, Hip Hop, Everything!
Event date(s):
Dec 05, 2009 to Dec 06, 2009
Big Crafty Holiday
The Big Crafty, hosted again by the Asheville Art Museum, is an independent craft fair with over 100 artists and crafters in a range of media. Artists will have work on display and for sale for one day only, so plan your holiday shopping and support local artists. For more information, visit www.thebigcrafty.com or www.ashevilleart.org. Stop by the Museum Shop for great gift items and be sure to visit the galleries!
Event date(s):
Dec 06, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Asheville City Market Holiday Bash
This week featuring live music from Galen Kipar and a cooking demo by Chef Tres from The Lobster Trap - enjoy the downtown festivities as the Asheville City Market continues into the holiday season. Find local Christmas trees, wreaths and arrangements, baked goods, farmstead and artisan goat cheeses, handmade jewelry, candles, quilts, knitware and woodworking, local produce, trout, meat and eggs, gift soaps, preserves, handmade pasta, local honey and spicy mustards.
Event date(s):
Dec 12, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Seasonal Sizzle at Seven Fireworks
Celebrate the holiday season in Asheville! Fireworks light up downtown at 7pm.
Event date(s):
Dec 12, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Asheville City Market Holiday Bash
This week featuring live music from Rickie Castrillo - enjoy the downtown festivities as the Asheville City Market continues into the holiday season. Find local Christmas trees, wreaths and arrangements, baked goods, farmstead and artisan goat cheeses, handmade jewelry, candles, quilts, knitware and woodworking, local produce, trout, meat and eggs, gift soaps, preserves, handmade pasta, local honey and spicy mustards.
Event date(s):
Dec 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Seasonal Sizzle at Seven Fireworks
Celebrate the holiday season in Asheville! Fireworks light up downtown at 7pm.
Event date(s):
Dec 19, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Free Wednesday
Join us on the first Wednesday of every month from 3-5 p.m. for a special free admission experience! This is a great way to enjoy the museum with friends and family! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.
Event date(s):
Jan 06, 2010 at 03:00 PM
Poetry on the Porch of the Old Kentucky Home
Poet Keith Flynn will open the second season of Poetry on the Porch of the Old Kentucky Home, at the Thomas Wolfe House Memorial, on Friday, May 21, 2010, from Noon until 1 p.m. The series continues with: Annette Clapsaddle on Friday, June 18, 2010 Laura Hope-Gill on Friday, July 16, 2010 Deborah Foerst on Friday, August 20, 2010 Thomas Rain Crowe on Friday, September 17, 2010 Sebastian Matthews on Friday, October 15, 2010 All programs are free and open to the public, so join us at the boyhood home of Asheville author Thomas Wolfe.
Event date(s):
May 01, 2010 to Oct 01, 2010
Pickin' on the Porch of the Old Kentucky Home
Brooke and George Buckner will kick off the third season of Pickin' on the Porch of the Old Kentucky Home with their distinct blend of old time ballads, blue grass and country standards, on Friday, May 7, 2010, from Noon until 2 p.m., on the front porch of the boyhood home of noted Asheville author Thomas Wolfe. The series will continue with: Buddy Davis on Fri., June 4, 2010 Don Humphries on Fri., July 2, 2010 Don Lewis on Fri., August 6, 2010 Carol Rifkin/Paul's Creek Band on Fri., Sept. 3, 2010 Roger Howell & Friends on Fri., Oct. 1, 2010
Event date(s):
May 07, 2010 to Oct 01, 2010
7th Annual Montford Music and Arts Festival
The annual Montford Music and Art Festival will take place in the NPS-designated Montford Area Historic District on May 15. The festival celebrates the rich musical and artistic heritage found in Montford, Asheville, and the region with approximately 4,000 annual attendees. All musical acts have some connection to Montford and a number of the vendors do as well. The festival is promoted in celebration of Preservation Month by the Buncombe County Historic Resources Commission.
Event date(s):
May 22, 2010 at 11:00 AM
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