Featured upcoming happenings in Asheville, North Carolina.http://www.exploreasheville.comen-usBuncombe County Tourism Development Authorityhttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3437The Asheville Area Arts Council is pleased to announce its Strategic Partnership with local artist Jonas Gerard. On display will be abstracts and mixed media on canvas as well as ceramic tiles. Gerard’s work will be on display in the Arts Council’s Front Gallery located at 11 Biltmore Avenue and running from June through December. Join us for an opening reception June 5th, 2009 from 5-8pm.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3437http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3593Unique 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. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3593http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3369Join Grovewood Gallery on June 6 (11am – 3pm) for the opening of Sculpture for the Garden – Grovewood’s 2nd annual invitational, outdoor sculpture exhibition. This exhibit will feature large-scale, contemporary outdoor sculptures by nationally recognized artists from around the country. Sculptures will range from playful pieces suitable for the home or garden, to works for public spaces and corporate settings. This event is open to the public and free of charge. Sculpture for the Garden is sponsored by: The Cliffs, The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa, and The Grovewood Café. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3369http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3547To celebrate our valley’s heritage in the arts, the town of Black Mountain is pleased to present a “Sculpture Stroll,” running now through December 2009. Custom sculpture is showcased at various outdoor sites throughout the town, featuring artists such as Julia Burr, Julia Stout, Dan Howachyn, Tekla, Carro, Dave Taylor, and Marty Cain. The public is invited to an opening event featuring live music on Thursday June 18, 7 p.m. at Lake Tomahawk Park. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3547http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3325As part of the Museum’s 60th Anniversary Celebration, Museum staff is currently working on a new installation of the permanent collection. This exhibition will examine a variety of ways to consider art and the relationship between art and viewer. Looking Back will explore the Museum’s collection of American art of the 20th and 21st centuries with an interest in the art of the Southeast and Western North Carolina and will celebrate the generosity of collectors and community supporters who have helped build this extraordinary resource over the last six decades. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3325http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3326Cherokee Carvers: Tradition Renewed will examine different aspects of late 20th and early 21st century Cherokee carving. It will include vintage photographs, ritual objects, functional wares and pieces designed to be sold to tourists and collectors. The exhibition will include both stone and wood carvings and focuses on artists working in Western North Carolina today. Artists in Cherokee Carvers: Tradition Renewed will include Davy Arch, Ronnie Bradley, Irma and James Bradley, Bill Crowe, Jr., Gilbert Crowe, Virgil Crowe, John Dugan, John Grant, Virgil Ledford, William Lossiah, Dewey Owle, Freeman Owle, Lloyd Carl Owle, Joel Queen, Bud Smith, Stan Toon, Jr., Earl Wallace and Fred Wilnoty. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3326http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3938Come 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. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3938http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2806ometimes it's stinky. Sometimes it's crusty. And sometimes it's slimy. Explore why your body produces mushy, oozy, crusty, scaly and stinky gunk at Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body. Based on the best-selling book Grossology, this exhibit uses sophisticated animatronics and imaginative exhibits to tell you the good, the bad and the downright ugly about runny noses, body odor and other unmentionables. Learn how your snoot acts as an air filter, a smell sensor and a mucus producer. Mimic the build up of acid indigestion by causing the “Burp Machine” to release a giant belch. Climb a large-scale replica of human skin, and discover other mysterious ways your body’s biology does what it needs to do to keep you healthy. For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org or call 828-254-6373!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2806http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2963This exhibition honors recent NC Living Treasures recipients Cynthia Bringle and Norman Schulman. The award celebrates the talent of North Carolinians with distinguished careers in arts and crafts traditional to the State. Both Bringle and Schulman are potters from Penland, NC. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2963http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4049Litter cleanups create a healthy body while creating a healthy environment because of the distances walked and heavy bags carried. Join us at Pritchard Park Tuesdays at noon to join the Asheville GreenWorks Lunchtime Litter Walks. We clean a different part of downtown each time. Walks will be every Tuesday through November 24. Supplies are provided. Please contact volunteer@ashevillegreenworks.org if interested.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4049http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=39239 Week Fall Session October 14- December 18 Intermediate Wheel with Gabe Kline, Mondays 6:30-9pm Plates, Platters, Tumblers & Teacups with Emily Reason, Tuesdays 10am-12:30pm Learning to Throw with Emily Reason, Tuesdays 2-5:30pm Beginning Wheel Throwing with Lindsay Rogers, Tuesdays 6:30-9pm Handbuilding and Surface Decoration with Cynthia Lee, Wednesdays 10am-12:30pm Stoke, Stoke, Stoke: Wood and Salt Forms, Slips and Glazes with Andrew Stephenson, Wednesdays 2:30am-5pm The World of Cylinders with Becca Floyd, Wednesday 6:30-9pm Foundations of Handbuilding with Barbara Perez, Thursdays 6:30-9 Raku II with Holly de Saillan, Saturdays 10:30am-1pm http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3923http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3924Odyssey offers beginning to advanced level classes for all ages in sculptural, handbuilding, and wheel throwing. Enrollment is limited and registration begins on August 28. Visit our website at www.highwaterclays.com or contact Cara Gilpin at 828.285.0210 for more information. Kids Corner Clay Holidays, Barbara Perez, Tuesdays 4-6pm, Ages 6-12, Oct. 20-Nov. 24 Gabe’s Groovalicious Clay Games, Gabe Kline, Wed. 4-6pm, Ages 6-12, Oct. 21-Dec. 2 Afternoon Art, Holly de Saillan, Thursdays 4-6pm, Ages 7-10, October 22-Dec. 3 http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3924http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4129Western 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. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4129http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4146The f/32 Photography Group is pleased to announce an exhibit by the members of fine photography at the Deerpark on the Biltlmore Estate http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4146http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4135Grovewood 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. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4135http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3505Holidays arrive at America's largest home® in style. More than a century ago, George Vanderbilt chose this magical season as the time to unveil his new home to family and friends. On Christmas Eve 1895, he opened Biltmore House's doors for a regal yuletide celebration. This year's Christmas at Biltmore promises another beautiful celebration, complete with more than 40 Christmas trees, miles of ribbon, garland, lights and holiday music. Visit www.biltmore.com for details.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3505http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3506As daylight fades into dusk, candlelight and firelight accent Biltmore House's extravagant holiday décor, accented by live entertainment and outside illuminations. Biltmore House glows with holiday spirit, appearing much as it would have at the turn of the 19th century. Candlelight Christmas Evenings tickets are available by reservation only, and include an evening self-guided candlelight tour of Biltmore House, next-day visit to the gardens and Biltmore Estate Winery. Advance reservations are required. Visit www.biltmore.com for details.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3506http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3609Take a new holiday trolley tour to four of Asheville’s historic bed & breakfast inns, all dressed in glittering lights and classically decorated for the holiday season. Each stop will feature an elaborate gingerbread house scene telling part of the story of the beloved poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Visitors will enjoy songs of the season, holiday treats and history as Asheville’s Grey Line Trolley carries them from inn to inn. Tours are available on Saturdays, beginning Nov. 7, 2009 and ending Jan. 2, 2010. The first tour will begin at 5 p.m. and take approximately 2 ½ hours. Cost is $30.00 per person. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3609http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4231You 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. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4231http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4273Montreat College Student Theatre Production, and Professional Guest Artist Kelley Hinman perform a staged reader's theatre production of THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4273http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4169A magical gathering of American folk art buildings reveals much about culture, clever craftsmanship, and our architectural history. Houses and churches, Ferris wheels and factories, castles and carousels – more than 200 structures from the country’s largest collection made largely by anonymous persons from about 1890 until about 1950. The visually rich temporary exhibit, loaned by North Carolinians Steven Burke and Randy Campbell, shows the remarkable imagination with which Americans have rendered small the places of their community, history, or personal vision.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4169http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4170A sample of traditional holiday plants with interpretation on how the plants came to be associated with the winter solstice and holiday season.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4170http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4162Go behind the scenes and to the front of the lines with our newest addition to the world of gingerbread! Guides will share stories about the artists and their houses, details about the construction of unusual entries, and a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the judging, competition and display itself. These specialty tours are available Monday-Saturday throughout the display period. $10 Adults; $5 Children (12 & under). For more information or to reserve a tour space, please call 800-438-0050, ext. #4094. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4162http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4127The 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!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4127http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3974Contestants from across the country will bring their culinary masterpieces to The Grove Park Inn this holiday season. Delight in the imagination shown in these sugar-and-spice creations, strolling through the competition display is a sure way to be swept up in the holiday spirit. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3974http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4286For the fourth year, the Grove Arcade and the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa are partnering to display entries from the annual National Gingerbread House Competition. Beginning November 18 and running through January 3, the Arcade will display 35 of the whimsical entries. In a change, the houses will be displayed together in Suite 115 on the O. Henry side of the building in a winter wonderland setting. The public is invited to view the houses Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4286http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3516Flat Rock Playhouse presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The Herdmans are back! Your family will love the story of how an unruly and incorrigible bunch of siblings help everyone else rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. Onstage November 19 – 29. Evening performances are Friday through Saturday at 7:15 pm, with matinee performances Saturdays and Sundays at 2:15.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3516http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3873This will be an exhibition of sculpture by UNC-Asheville BA studnet Teresa Koch.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3873http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4272Hilarity erupts when the feisty women of Eden Falls, Georgia, rebel against their everyday routines and inspire one another to reach for their dreams, with surprising and side-splitting results.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4272http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4171Paintings of Appalachian rivers and streams by Sue Sweterlitsch.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4171http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3263This year's Parade theme is "Our Appalachian Holidays" with singer/songwriters/storytellers David Holt and Laura Boosinger as co-Grand Marshals. The Express Personnel Clydesdale horses will headlining the Parade this year as well. Previous Parades have had 100 entries and lots to do with the family afterwards. Parade produced by the Asheville Downtown Association and Co-sponsored by The City of Asheville and the Asheville Merchants Corporation.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3263http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4244Experiment with science during Super Science Saturdays! Featuring hands-on activities led by our museum facilitators, these programs are sure to be fun for all ages! For specific activity descriptions or for more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4244http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4095Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is the top KID HOP artist performing today. What is KID HOP you ask? That's where kids are introduced to hip hop without compromising either one! 23 Skidoo combines a love and understanding for child mentality with a deep respect for hip hop culture, resulting in music that bumps up both the volume and the self esteem. With funk, reggae, bluegrass and classic breaks laying out a landscape populated by witty stories about dragons, mermaids, and flying fish plus a load of positive party rhymes, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo raises the bar for this genre higher than the cookie jar on top of the fridge. With a #1 hit on XMRadio and shows at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and the Smithsonian, 23 Skidoo won't remain secret for long! Check out www.secretagent23skidoo.com for songs and videos. Especially appropriate for kids age 3-13.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4095http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4096Rusted Root released Stereo Rodeo, their first studio album in 7 years, on May 5, 2009. On March 13, 2009 the album became available online. "We named our record Stereo Rodeo after a song that I started writing back when we were recording our last studio record. It’s really just a great name,” says band founder/leader Michael Glabicki. “We were all just so into the music,” says vocalist/percussionist Liz Berlin about the recording process, “the synergy and excitement on this album is so fresh and energizing.” “It is one of the most powerful albums we have ever recorded,” agrees bassist/vocalist Patrick Norman. “[Stereo Rodeo] is filled with all the different styles you’ve come to expect from Rusted Root, definitely having all the elements you want. From the energetic dance euphoria that Dance in the Middle evokes to the powerful epic sound of Weary Bones,” writes Evan Levy (CBS Radio), of the long awaited eleven-song collection. “We are getting a lot of positive feedback from fans,” says vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter, Michael Glabicki, “We are definitely heading in a lot of different directions with this new CD.” http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4096http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4215Back by popular demand, "Third Day" will be in concert at the Asheville Civic Center on November 21, 2009. For further information, call (252) 482-2297.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4215http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4225Canton 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 http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4225http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4060Grammy Award-winning George Winston brings his signature style to the Diana Wortham Theatre for a concert on the theatre's Hamburg Steinway.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4060http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4224Food 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 http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4224http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4210The Idiotarod is a legendary event that pits teams of 5 against each other for a 5k shopping cart race that is filled with trickery, challenge and some of the dumbest/coolest/most amazing costumes you have ever seen in your entire life. . . ever! The Idiotarod is a lot like the legendary Alaskan Sled Dog Race called the IdiDarod, which is a dog sled competition that spans over 1150 miles of Alaska’s roughest, most beautiful terrain that Mother Nature has to offer. The Idiotarod is essentially the same thing except we’ll cover 5 kilometers and instead of dogs we use people (idiots) and instead of sleds we use shopping carts (super pods of wonder). Participants usually adopt a theme for their team and decorate themselves and their cart accordingly. Teams will travel together with their cart for the entire 5k, but it’s not that easy. Teams will also have to complete community project based challenges that will help benefit MANNA, a community garden and a community building recycling program. Fun trickery also comes into play as participants compete for one of six awards including: The Hoff Award, The Chuck Norris Award, The Richard Simmons Award, The Picasso Award, The ‘I Piddy Da Fool Award’ and The Zoolander. Some of the awards are being hand made by local galleries in the River Arts District. Live music by Levi Douglas and Zach Blew at the Wedge After Bash!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4210http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4142Annual Fall concert for singers in 4th-8th gradeshttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4142http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4226Asheville 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. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4226http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3573Our Thanksgiving Celebration is a show-stopper, including an elegant and lavish buffet filled with all of your family’s favorites. Other weekend highlights include the National Gingerbread House Competition display, live music throughout the resort, football games and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, holiday portraits, history tours and a tree-lighting ceremony. Bring your family and friends and enjoy a truly classic holiday weekend at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spahttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3573http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4315Celebrate the National Gingerbread House Competition at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa with a new “Stories of Gingerbread” tour for 2009. Each year, gingerbread artists from around the country compete in the annual competition. Now for the first time, guests will be taken behind the scenes of the popular holiday event to learn how the intricate homes are constructed, what materials were used in the designs, and other special tidbits that make the National Gingerbread House Competition a treat for people of all ages.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4315http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4282Help us celebrate the International Year of Astronomy with unprecedented images of center of the Milky Way! The Health Adventure has been selected as one of only 150 locations to display these mural-sized images of the Milky Way’s core as seen by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-Ray Observatory. For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4282http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4233Is your child about to become an older brother or sister? Help them prepare for the new baby’s arrival with our My Mom is Having a Baby class. Children will learn what to expect when mom goes into labor, how to hold the new baby, and will even make a special present to hang over the new sibling’s bed! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4233http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4277Stuff your family on the LaZoom Bus for our Gobblin' Good Thanksgiving Tour! A sweet and savory two hour family adventure, with all the fixin's! Come along on a hysterical tour of Asheville complete with a costumed tour guide, LIVE local music and surprise characters. Get all the facts with all the fun! All ages welcome. $22 per ticket. $15 for kids 5-12 and children 4 and under ride for free. Beer and wine allowed on board for passengers 21 years and up. Group seating sells out fast! Make your family proud. Reserve your tickets online at www.lazoomtours.com or call 828-225-6932!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4277http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4051Playing Asheville Civic Center November 25th - 29th, 2009! $12 - $42 - Purchase your tickets at DisneyOnIce.com Join the ocean-sized adventure of the curious clownfish Nemo, his overprotective father Marlin and their absent-minded yet lovable pal Dory as Disney On Ice immerses you in a vibrant aquatic world in Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo. Follow alongside Marlin and Dory on a daring search of the big blue. Ride the current with "super-dude" turtle Crush and make waves with Nemo's new friends – the Tank Gang – as they plot an escape from the dentist's aquarium in this whale of a tale full of laughter and fun! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4051http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4305Thanksgiving break is a perfect time to renew your senses at the Arboretum. A popular destination for visiting families and post-meal hikes, the Arboretum's 434 acres will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27. While all buildings and the Bonsai Exhibition Garden will be closed, more than 10 miles of hiking and biking trails and 65 acres of cultivated gardens await. No parking fee is in effect.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4305http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4253It’s all about the little ones! Join us for interactive fun just for preschoolers led by museum facilitators. Your preschooler will have a blast in this special program! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4253http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4274A team of intrepid radio actors brings you the perfect holiday antidote to rampant cynicism and commercialism. Rediscover this classic story of friendship, love and sacrifice in times of financial struggle. Since 2006, North Carolina Stage Company and Immediate Theatre Project have produced a delightful radio play version of It's a Wonderful Life. The show has been a hit in Asheville every year, earning raves from critics and audiences. This year, we are pleased to present a brand new adaptation that restores several much beloved scenes from the original movie including the Charleston dance contest scene and gives a richer life to the hard-working radio actors struggling to bring you this classic tale of friendship, family, and the power of community in the face of hard times.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4274http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4045Blending equal parts folk, soul and rock, platinum-selling singer/songwriter Edwin McCain has signed with Vanguard Records and will release a new studio album next spring. Currently in the new OMG Studios, which he co-owns, in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina, McCain is working with producer Noel Golden (Messenger, Scream and Whisper) and band members Craig Shields (keys, sax); Larry Chaney (lead guitar); Pete Riley (guitar, vocals); Dave Harrison (drums); and Lee Hendricks (bass). Since his 1993 debut, McCain has garnered the attention of millions with the top 10 smash "I'll Be," and the Diane Warren-penned top 40 hit "I Could Not Ask For More," and as a tireless troubadour whose rapturous live performances regularly sell-out. In May 2005, McCain performed "I'll Be" on The Dr. Phil Show, which was voted the "Best Wedding Song" by over one million viewers. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4045http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4262This 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.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4262http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4275Award winning puppeteer Hobey Ford performs a stunning shadow puppet show in three parts: "The Rainbow Bridge" (Chumash Indian folk tale) "El Coqui" ( from Puerto Rico) and "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" (Nordic origin)http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4275http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4245Experiment with science during Super Science Saturdays! Featuring hands-on activities led by our museum facilitators, these programs are sure to be fun for all ages! For specific activity descriptions or for more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4245http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4190Acoustic Syndicate’s sound has always been characterized by growth and evolution. Since the band officially formed in the early 1990s, they have continued to challenge themselves to grow as a band with the same earnest intensity that permeates their music. This evolution is never more strikingly apparent than on Long Way Round, their second release for roots label Sugar Hill and their first foray into injecting a studio project with the drive and passion that typifies their live shows. The band did a lot of things different this time around…Perhaps it was the addition of Texas music legend and producer Lloyd Maines into Acoustic Syndicate’s mix that propelled the band to create what they consider their “best project ever.” Or perhaps it had something to do with saxophonist Jeremy Saunders joining the band, after having been long thought of by the other members as their unofficial fifth member. Front man Steve McMurry would venture to say that the change of the band’s sound from gentle and melodic to bold and live was a natural progression.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4190http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4191Acony Records is proud to announce the November 17 release of the Dave Rawlings Machine record, A Friend Of A Friend. The album features members of Old Crow Medicine Show, Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers, Karl Himmel, Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes, and of course, Gillian Welch. Dave Rawlings Machine is hitting the road in November and December to play shows and visit some of the finest indie record stores in the Southeast and Mideast. The Machine will include Dave and Gillian along with Ketch Secor, Willie Watson and Morgan Jahnig of Old Crow Medicine Show.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4191http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4184Dave Rawlings Machinehttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4184http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3518Flat Rock Playhouse presents Romance of the Christmas Card. When a minister's wife is inspired to design and put verse to a Christmas card, her actions set off a series of strange coincidences that ultimately lead to familial reunions and redemption in this light hearted story. Onstage December 2 – 20. Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:15 pm, with matinee performances most Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:15.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3518http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4130Every First Wednesday of the month from 3:00- 5:00 p.m. The Asheville Art Museum is free to the Public! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4130http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4259Join 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.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4259http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4254It’s all about the little ones! Join us for interactive fun just for preschoolers led by museum facilitators. Your preschooler will have a blast in this special program! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4254http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4167Give the gift of health this season. Herbs such as frankincense and myrrh enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Learn to make easy, affordable gifts from healing herbs and show your loved ones how much you care. Students will take home a gift created in class.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4167http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4227Kick 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. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4227http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3283featuring vegetarian, vegan and raw foods. favoring local, organic and wild food sources.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3283http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4230The 33rd Annual Presentation of Charles Dickens' timeless tale of greed and redemption will be presented at the Asheville Arts Center, 308 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville, Dec. 3 , 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 &13 at 7:30 pm with a matinee on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 pm.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4230http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3986If there's ever been a way to describe David Allan Coe, it has got to be his ability to defy categorization. He has been his own man since he was a child. He was basically in several of Ohio’s correctional institutions from the age of 9. By the time he emerged a fully formed adult who had taught himself guitar and left for the free world, DAC had a clear eye on what his future was to be. He decided to take the country music world by storm. And though he had to claw, hype and charm his way up the ladder, his talent pulled him through. And his ability to feed the press juicy stories and tales of his misdeeds didn’t hurt either. DAC has regaled writers with tales of his misadventures.With nearly three decades of following his musical muse wherever it's led, this outlaw has crossed the panorama of American roots music. As well as being a singer, songwriter, guitarist, David is also a magician, deep sea treasure hunter and movie star. His movies include "Stagecoach", "The Last Days of Frank and Jessie James", "Lady Grey", "Buckstone County Prison" and "Take This Job and Shove It" to mention a few. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3986http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3874This will be an exhibition of UNC-Asheville BA student Sam Owen's sculpture.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3874http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4291Shoppers will find unique gifts including 18th and 19th century European and American furniture and collectibles from Village Antiques; women’s clothing from Constance Boutique and Ad Lib; handmade jewelry from Kathleen Cook and Nathalie Mornu; fair trade Peruvian imports and Mexican silver jewelry; Cambodian silk scarves; handmade soaps, candles and salves; books from Malaprops; Lusty Monk Mustard, pottery from Maria Andrade Troya and much more.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4291http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4131Join an informative member of the Asheville Art Museum's Docents on a guided tour of the exciting exhibition; Cherokee Carvers: Tradition Renewed. Cherokee Carvers: Tradition Renewed examines the work of 15 living Cherokee carvers along with the work of Amanda Crowe, the noted Cherokee carver who taught many of these artists. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4131http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4175Downtown Black Mountain Holiday Celebration – Shops stay open late, refreshments, street music, entertainment and Santa Claus. Black Mountain Merchants Association, 669-1961.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4175http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4285Located just outside of Biltmore Estate, historic Biltmore Village transforms into a quaint Victorian village on the first weekend of December. Horse-drawn carriages will trot along classically decorated cobblestone streets as carolers, storytellers and instrumentalists stroll the village in period costumes. Enjoy fresh-roasted chestnuts, live music performances and excerpts from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol performed by the Montford Park Players.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4285http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4287The popular downtown series, First Friday, stages its holiday concert at the Grove Arcade on December 4 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. with a mix of jazz and R & B standards from Chris Rhodes. The historic halls are decked out for the holidays and Arcade restaurants are serving up delicious hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The talented Chris Rhodes is a "one man band," a vocalist and guitarist whose repertoire includes original and cover versions of R&B, blues, jazz and pop tunes.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4287http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4306To celebrate Appalachian Christmas traditions, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site will present storyteller Marilyn McMinn-McCreadie Friday, December 4 at 6:30. Tickets are $6 a person and may be picked up at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Visitor Center.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4306http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4212Rarely does a rock band combine explosive guitars with an intense longing for meaning. Jon Foreman and Switchfoot, however, yearn for something more than what pop-culture is selling. "If I'm content as an artist to write a hit song or have a platinum record, then I'll have failed a lot of my fellow human beings," says Foreman. "We have the best jobs in the world because we play music for a living and love doing it, but we didn't get into this to try and sell something. For us, it's about communicating and connecting with people on a different level."http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4212http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4263This 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.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4263http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2957Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild are on hand to sell their discontinued styles, seconds and overstocks, 10-50% off retail prices-all just in time for holiday shopping. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2957http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4228To ready himself for clambering down chimneys across the world, Santa will practice on 315’ Chimney Rock. He’ll rappel down the 535 million-year-old rock face, then head back to the top and do it all over again. Last year, USA Today named “Santa on the Chimney” one of the top 10 places to see Santa in the U.S.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4228http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4246Experiment with science during Super Science Saturdays! Featuring hands-on activities led by our museum facilitators, these programs are sure to be fun for all ages! For specific activity descriptions or for more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4246http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4132This 1992 romantic epic film starring Daniel Day-Lewis takes place during the French and Indian War. It was partly filmed in Western North Carolina's Chimney Rock Park and many Cherokee residents were extras in the film. Based on James Fenimore Cooper's 1826 novel, it's a classic! Held in conjunction with the exhibition Cherokee Carvers: Tradition Renewed. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4132http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4172Celebrate the holiday season in Asheville! Fireworks light up downtown at 7pm.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4172http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4220Join contemporary Christian artist Selah for “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Saturday, December 5th, 2009 @ 7:00 pm. This will be an intimate evening of praise and worship music mixed with your favorite holiday medleys. Selah is known for great hits like, “Hiding Place” and their remake of “You Raise Me Up.” Tickets are: $20 – Gold Seats, $15 – Artist Circle, $10 – General Admission, and $7.00 for all groups of 10 or. This will be an amazing event sure to get you in the holiday spirit. Bring yourself, your friends, your family, and even your church group. This would be a wonderful activity for small groups, youth groups, or prayer groups looking to get together for the holidays. To purchase tickets go to www.ccauthority.com or call 1.877.777.4TIX. For information call 828.216.0938. Event produced by Peek Mountain Productions. WWW.PEEKMOUNTAINPRODUCTIONS.COMhttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4220http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3987It becomes fitting, upon listening to Pelican's music, that the band hails from Chicago. When Tortoise and their contemporaries ushered in a new wave of instrumental music over a decade ago from the Windy City, it was a pastiche of genre-defying sound, simultaneously cohesive and expansive in influence. Similarly, Pelican's songs touch on so much from the canon of rock music. Yet they have refined their own sound over the course of their career. In 2009, Pelican has shifted gears once again. This year sees them on a new label, Southern Lord, and headed musically to regions as yet unexplored. As always, experimentation and discovery never see them straying too far from their roots. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3987http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4266You may have heard about this VIP party on social network sites like Facebook and Twitter, but ALL are welcome at the first Seasonal Sizzle After Party at Elaine’s Piano Bar located in historic Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. After you’ve enjoyed the festive atmosphere downtown and stood in awe of the holiday firework displays, keep the party going at Asheville’s dueling piano bar with sizzle drink specials and prizes. Don’t forget to sing along! No cover charge.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4266http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4193The 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! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4193http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4133This 1992 romantic epic film starring Daniel Day-Lewis takes place during the French and Indian War. It was partly filmed in Western North Carolina's Chimney Rock Park and many Cherokee residents were extras in the film. Based on James Fenimore Cooper's 1826 novel, it's a classic! Held in conjunction with the exhibition Cherokee Carvers: Tradition Renewed. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4133http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3746Share some holiday cheer with friends and family as Major Bear hosts a party! Create an ornament for your tree, get your face painted, and do the hokey-pokey with the bear himself. And don't forget about the food! Holiday stations will provide themed food sure to satisfy both kids and adults. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3746http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4197Pop into our monthly book discussion as we read and discuss books that relate to artwork in our galleries. This month is Collections of Nothing by William Davies King. King is a theater professor who, over 50 years, has gathered a vast collection of things nobody else wants: cat-food labels, chain letters, cereal boxes, chopstick wrappers and more. A fascinating look at collections and obsessions. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4197http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4240Experience educational programming The Health Adventure way with our monthly Home School Happenings! Held monthly on second Wednesdays throughout the school year, programs are available for various grade levels. For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4240http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4237From simple designs to complex creations, join us to learn about the Japanese art of paper-folding! Folding Frenzies occur on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 4:00 and are included with museum admission. For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4237http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4255It’s all about the little ones! Join us for interactive fun just for preschoolers led by museum facilitators. Your preschooler will have a blast in this special program! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4255http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4192To benefit Eliada Homes for Children & Manna Food Bank with The Mike Barnes Group, Marc Keller Band, Mother Soul, A Social Function, Sons of Ralph, Lewis, & The Native Sway plus Peggy Ratusz, Aaron LaFalce, Marsha Morgan, Jack and Jim Mascari Thursday, December 10th 8:00 PM (7:30 PM doors) $10.00 + voluntary donation of one canned food All Ages http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4192http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3827Holiday Pops Concert Our state symphony celebrates the winter holidays, featuring soprano Rozlyn Sorrellhttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3827http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4151GRAMMY® Award-winning Guitarist ED GERHARD and BILL MIZE Join for Holiday Tradition Guitarists Ed Gerhard and Bill Mize join together for their Fourteenth Annual Christmas Guitar Concert on Friday, December 11 at Jubilee!, 46 Wall St., Asheville. Showtime is 8 pm. Tickets are $18.00 and are available at Malaprops and Jubilee! Call (828) 252-5335 for info. Ed Gerhard's music has touched concert audiences all over the world, from sold out tours of Japan to festivals in Italy, and venues across the US. Acoustic Guitar Magazine writes "...his recordings and live performances have established him as one of the most exciting of the guitarist-composers." His guitar work can be heard on CDs by Arlo Guthrie, Jorma Kaukonen and in Ken Burn's documentaries. Gerhard won a GRAMMY® Award for his inclusion on the CD “Henry Mancini; Pink Guitar. " Mize’s music is applauded for its craft and beauty. His fourth CD, Joyful Noise, Vintage Guitar Magazine called “... 10 songs of pure joy.” Acoustic Guitar Magazine says, “Mize’s technique is state-of-the-art and his tone is lovely...always mesmerizing.” He is the past winner of the National Fingerstyle Championship held in Winfield, Kansas. Jazziz Magazine writes "...Mize's touch is magic and his execution remains flawless." Join us for this very special evening with two of the country's finest acoustic guitarists. The two will join together to perform Christmas favorites, as well as selected solo pieces of their own. Fans of guitar music and Christmas alike will want to be a part of this memorable show. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4151http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4264This 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.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4264http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2958Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild are on hand to sell their discontinued styles, seconds and overruns at 10-50% off retail prices just in time for holiday shopping.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2958http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4229To ready himself for clambering down chimneys across the world, Santa will practice on 315’ Chimney Rock. He’ll rappel down the 535 million-year-old rock face, then head back to the top and do it all over again. Last year, USA Today named “Santa on the Chimney” one of the top 10 places to see Santa in the U.S.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4229http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4247Experiment with science during Super Science Saturdays! Featuring hands-on activities led by our museum facilitators, these programs are sure to be fun for all ages! For specific activity descriptions or for more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4247http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4308Come Shop West Asheville on Saturday, December 12th from 12 noon until 8 pm. There will be sales and specials at West Asheville businesses along with artists markets with local art and crafts. Live music, carolers and Santa will be in West Asheville during the day as well. For up to date information go to www.shopwestasheville.com http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4308http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4307Downtown Cherokee Cherokee Christmas Parade - December 12 at 5:30 p.m. The parade will take place in downtown Cherokee, starting by the Cherokee Bear Zoo and going down Main St. to 441 N., and then ending by the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. This year’s parade theme is “The Gift.” Cash prizes awarded for 1st and 2nd place floats that best demonstrate the holiday theme. Don’t miss Santa, dozens of holiday floats, music, and lots of fun for the whole family. For more information, please contact the Cherokee Welcome Center at 800-438-1601.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4307http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4173Celebrate the holiday season in Asheville! Fireworks light up downtown at 7pm.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4173http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4148Featuring Counting Crows, Ani DiFranco, Gov't Mule and moe, with special guests Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, DJ Logic, Audley Freed, Jackie Greene, Col. Bruce Hampton, Robert Kearns, Kevn Kinney and Eric Krasno.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4148http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4290All are welcome at the Seasonal Sizzle After Party at Elaine’s Piano Bar located in historic Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. After you’ve enjoyed the festive atmosphere downtown and stood in awe of the holiday firework displays, keep the party going at Asheville’s dueling piano bar with sizzle drink specials and prizes. Don’t forget to sing along! No cover charge.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4290http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4270The Asheville Choral Society performs "Ring in the Holidays!" at Central United Methodist Church. Led by music director Lenora Thom, the choir is accompanied by an orchestra, with songs to include beloved carols of the season with candlelight procession. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4270http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4283Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe & the UNCA Athletics Department present a booksigning with UNC Tar Heels Men's Basketball Coach Roy Williams! UNC Tar Heels Men's Basketball Coach Roy Williams will sign copies of his new book, HARD WORK: My Life On and Off the Court on Sunday, December 13th from 1:30-2:30 at UNCA’s Justice Gym. The booksigning is first come, first served, and because Malaprop's is donating a portion of sales to UNCA's Athletics Department, the Coach is only signing copies of Hard Work with a receipt from Malaprop's. The Coach needs to leave at 2:30 so come early for a good place in the signing line! Can't make it to the signing? We have a limited number of pre-signed first editions on hand! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4283http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4194Join us for the opening Reception of Lorna Blaine Halper: The Space Between exhibition, Sunday, December 13 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Holden Community Gallery. The work of Lorna Blaine Halper (1924 - ), who studied at Black Mountain College, is featured in this solo exhibition. Evident in her earliest work is the indelible influence of Josef Albers. She went on to develop a highly unique approach that combined the principles of Albers's teaching with her own individualized style. Adept in a wide variety of media including drawing, sculpture and painting, Halper's work displays a masterful exploration of the descriptive qualities of line as well as a thoughtful examination of the relationship of line to the space between, echoing Albers's directive to "see things in context."http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4194http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4271The Asheville Choral Society performs "Ring in the Holidays!" at Central United Methodist Church. Led by music director Lenora Thom, the choir is accompanied by an orchestra, with songs to include beloved carols of the season with candlelight procession. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4271http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4234Is your child about to become an older brother or sister? Help them prepare for the new baby’s arrival with our My Mom is Having a Baby class. Children will learn what to expect when mom goes into labor, how to hold the new baby, and will even make a special present to hang over the new sibling’s bed! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4234http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4256It’s all about the little ones! Join us for interactive fun just for preschoolers led by museum facilitators. Your preschooler will have a blast in this special program! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4256http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4143National touring company Acts of Renewal principles Jim and Carol Anderson Shores engage the audience with a series of vignettes that invite young and old to step anew into the wonder, the hilarity, the joy of the season.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4143http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4265This 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.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4265http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4248Experiment with science during Super Science Saturdays! Featuring hands-on activities led by our museum facilitators, these programs are sure to be fun for all ages! For specific activity descriptions or for more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4248http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4174Celebrate the holiday season in Asheville! Fireworks light up downtown at 7pm.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4174http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4267All are welcome at the Seasonal Sizzle After Party at Elaine’s Piano Bar located in historic Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. After you’ve enjoyed the festive atmosphere downtown and stood in awe of the holiday firework displays, keep the party going at Asheville’s dueling piano bar with sizzle drink specials and prizes. Don’t forget to sing along! No cover charge.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4267http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4061Asheville’s new Conservatory makes it’s debut with a beautiful rendition of this timeless holiday classic. Performances at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4061http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4062Asheville’s new Conservatory makes it’s debut with a beautiful rendition of this timeless holiday classic. Performances at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4062http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3574Christmas buffets, live holiday music, festive decorations, the National Gingerbread House Competition display and our historic ambiance (think roaring fires and carols) combine to make a wonderful family Christmas. Activities include visits from Major Bear and Santa Claus, history tours, a scavenger hunt, caroling around the fireplace, a yule log lighting ceremony and much more! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3574http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4257It’s all about the little ones! Join us for interactive fun just for preschoolers led by museum facilitators. Your preschooler will have a blast in this special program! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4257http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4249Experiment with science during Super Science Saturdays! Featuring hands-on activities led by our museum facilitators, these programs are sure to be fun for all ages! For specific activity descriptions or for more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4249http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4189Jitterbugs from around the globe converge yearly on Asheville for a five day swing dance party culminating in a New Year's Eve extravaganza. All week long international champion swing dancers teach workshops in the original American social dance-- The Lindy Hop -- to hundreds of would-be swingers from every walk of life. The workshops and the event celebrate under the moniker Lindy Focus and every year, the top artists in the swing dance field spend one week focusing on many consider to be the true golden age of American pop culture: the Swing Era. The entire event is open to the public and come New Year's Eve, you will find the happiest feet in town tearing up the dance floor in Asheville's Crowne Plaza Resort, host of the event.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4189http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4235Is your child about to become an older brother or sister? Help them prepare for the new baby’s arrival with our My Mom is Having a Baby class. Children will learn what to expect when mom goes into labor, how to hold the new baby, and will even make a special present to hang over the new sibling’s bed! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4235http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4213Blending American and West African influences into a sound all its own, Toubab Krewe has set "a new standard for fusions of rock 'n' roll and West African music" (Afropop Worlwide). Since forming in 2005, the magnetic instrumental quintet has won a diverse and devoted following at performances everywhere from Bonnaroo to the legendary Festival of the Desert in Essakane, Mali, known as the most remote festival in the world. They developed their unique sound over the course of numerous extended trips to Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied and performed with luminaries. But the group has its roots in Asheville, NC, where many of its members were childhood friends and long-term musical collaborators. And it was there, at home in the Appalachians, where the band chose to record Their sophomore album is Live at the Orange Peel. The new album captures their outstanding 2008 New Year's run at the Orange Peel in their hometown. All of the songs are previously unreleased and continue to mix American rock 'n' roll with the West African musical traditions the band fell in love with on their travels. Along the way, they explore the worlds of surf and zydeco, fusing it all together into what the Village Voice describes as "a futuristic, psychedelic, neo-griot frenzy" and Honest Tune hails as "one of the most innovative voices in music today." The new release features collaborations with legendary spoken word artist Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets and fiddler Rayna Gellert of Uncle Earl. It was produced by Grammy winning producer Steven Heller, who also produced the band's debut. The band is preparing to release the album as it continues an extensive North American Fall Tour.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4213http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3975Celebrate a New Year as package holders enjoy a dinner designed by our resident Executive Chef, an open bar, lavish decorations, a midnight New Year's toast and party favors. You’ll start the year off right with our Brand New Year Breakfast Buffet and a late checkout. What better way to start a new year than with laughter? Weekend resort guests will receive complimentary tickets to a comedy show featuring Tammy Pescatelli on Saturday night. Other activities include guided history tours, live music throughout the resort and more. New Year’s package holders will be treated to a fantastic night of dancing with two incredible bands—The Scat Springs Band and The Doug Burns Band—after dining on a lavish dinner. The celebration lasts into the new year with an open bar, a midnight champagne toast, and party favors. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3975http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4258It’s all about the little ones! Join us for interactive fun just for preschoolers led by museum facilitators. Your preschooler will have a blast in this special program! For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4258http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4109Thurday, December 31, 2009
Camp Rockmont, near Asheville, NC $25/person $50 w/dorm bed plus New Year’s Day Brunch (Private motel rooms also available at $50/night per room. Non-alcoholic and family-friendly. Children under 12 are free. ) http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4109http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4209Conscious New Year's Eve Party at Camp Rockmont with reggae bands Chalwa and Satta Lions, midnight fireworks and vegetarian pot-luck and late nite drumming circle. Intoxication-free and children under 12 are free. $25. Bring pot-luck dish. Reservations suggested as space is limited to 150. Hosted by One Love authors Julia and Robert Roskind. Also New Year's Gathering of the Peacemakers on Jan 1 & 2 at Camp Rockmont. See details at site.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4209http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4214Blending American and West African influences into a sound all its own, Toubab Krewe has set "a new standard for fusions of rock 'n' roll and West African music" (Afropop Worlwide). Since forming in 2005, the magnetic instrumental quintet has won a diverse and devoted following at performances everywhere from Bonnaroo to the legendary Festival of the Desert in Essakane, Mali, known as the most remote festival in the world. They developed their unique sound over the course of numerous extended trips to Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied and performed with luminaries. But the group has its roots in Asheville, NC, where many of its members were childhood friends and long-term musical collaborators. And it was there, at home in the Appalachians, where the band chose to record Their sophomore album is Live at the Orange Peel. The new album captures their outstanding 2008 New Year's run at the Orange Peel in their hometown. All of the songs are previously unreleased and continue to mix American rock 'n' roll with the West African musical traditions the band fell in love with on their travels. Along the way, they explore the worlds of surf and zydeco, fusing it all together into what the Village Voice describes as "a futuristic, psychedelic, neo-griot frenzy" and Honest Tune hails as "one of the most innovative voices in music today." The new release features collaborations with legendary spoken word artist Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets and fiddler Rayna Gellert of Uncle Earl. It was produced by Grammy winning producer Steven Heller, who also produced the band's debut. The band is preparing to release the album as it continues an extensive North American Fall Tour.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4214http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4188Spend your New Year's Eve at the Crowne Plaza Resort where you can be taken back to the 1930's with live big band music, beginner swing dance lesson and performances by international dance champions. The headlining musical act for the evening will be a local favorite, the Nouveau Passe Orchestra showcasing it's 1930's style classy big band sounds. The energy will only be further ignited by the participation of hundreds of jitterbugs reacting to the orchestra's vintage rhythms. The evening climaxes in a Lindy Hop Dance Show featuring the event's top talent - instructors and performers showcasing thrilling and eye-popping dance routines. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4188http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=39302010 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Join an extraordinary journey through the stories of this remarkable route and the region through which it passes. Discover the opportunities the 75th Anniversary presents! This yearlong celebration will include events all along the 469-miles of the parkway, from Virginia to North Carolina. Check the Web site often as new events are added.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3930http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4260Join 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.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4260http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4074presented by Asheville Chamber Musichttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4074http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4241Experience educational programming The Health Adventure way with our monthly Home School Happenings! Held monthly on second Wednesdays throughout the school year, programs are available for various grade levels. For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4241http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4238From simple designs to complex creations, join us to learn about the Japanese art of paper-folding! Folding Frenzies occur on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 4:00 and are included with museum admission. For more information, please visit www.thehealthadventure.org.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4238http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4065A father's expectations. A son's dream. A brother's rivalry. Bo Eason's powerful solo play, soon to be a major motion picture, is a semiautobiographical account of the former Houston Oiler’s extraordinary life and career as a defensive back for the Oilers and his personal triumphs despite volatile family dynamics.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4065http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4066A father's expectations. A son's dream. A brother's rivalry. Bo Eason's powerful solo play, soon to be a major motion picture, is a semiautobiographical account of the former Houston Oiler’s extraordinary life and career as a defensive back for the Oilers and his personal triumphs despite volatile family dynamics.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4066http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3829Renowned author and environmentalist. Called the "father of environmental justice." Ware Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center, Clark Atlanta Universityhttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3829http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4289The annual multi-day and multiple venue performing extravaganza that ask artists of all types of genres and media to push their own boundaries and presents original and innovative performance art to a culturally adventurous audience.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4289http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3976Bring your dancing shoes and hit the dance floor for a weekend of great Big Band & Swing Dance music! Event activities include dance instruction and workshops, an afternoon tea dance, a special reception for package holders, and two fantastic nights of dancing with amazing music groups—The Charles Goodwin Orchestra and The Glenn Miller Orchestra. This weekend contains enough melodies and music to satisfy any Big Band & Swing Dance lover! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3976http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4201“The Scoop on Poop” is a new interactive zoological exhibit based on the popular book by science writer Dr. Wayne Lynch. The exhibit leads visitors on an investigation of what poop is and how animals use it – to build homes, hide from enemies, attract mates, send messages, cool off and yes, some even eat it! The exhibit also explores the ways veterinarians, paleontologists, field biologists, farmers, Maasai tribesmen, and power companies make use of animal waste. Visitors are invited to: * Listen to the fascination sounds of a bear’s digestive system; * Learn the language of poop in countries around the world; * Examine fecal samples in a veterinarian’s lab; * Compete in dung beetle races and track wild animals by clues left in scat; * Explore how long it takes an elephant to poop their body weight; and * Meet a dinosaur dung detective. “The Scoop on Poop” exhibit treats the subject with a tactful blend of good science and fun. The Baker Exhibit Center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays from Noon to 5 p.m. Exhibit admission is in addition to the parking fee: $3 for adults, $2 dollars for children ages 5 to 18, members and children 4 and under free. School group exhibit admission $2 per child with or without additional guided program – adult chaperones are free – all groups must pre-register. For more information, call (828) 665-2492 or visit www.ncarboretum.org. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4201http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4067One of Hollywood's most versatile leading men, Jeff Daniels is known as a brilliant stage and screen actor. But a lesser known phenomenon: he is also an incredibly talented musician and vocalist who has been writing songs for more than 30 years.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4067http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3830Join us for a special blow-out day and night of Swing Dance music. Our one-night package features a workshop with Michael Gamble and Jaya Dorf, an evening dance and concert with The Russ Wilson Orchestra and breakfast for two adults. Dancers will not want to miss this wonderful day filled with the best of music and the opportunity to enjoy our large dance floor supplemented by two auxiliary floors. Come join us and be a part of the inaugural Swing Dance Sunday at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa! Swing Dance Sunday line-up: Sunday: Dance instruction, dance and concert with The Russ Wilson Orchestra and DJ Michael Gamblehttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3830http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3631Donizetti’s comic tale of true love will win the audience’s hearts in Asheville Lyric Opera’s presentation of "Don Pasquale."http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3631http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3977Our All That Jazz weekend has earned national recognition as one of the premiere jazz festivals of the southeast. Join us for performances from the always popular John Pizzarelli and from GRAMMY-award winner David Sanborn. Evening and afternoon concerts in our Grand Ballroom, numerous jazz performers in our Great Hall all weekend long, "Meet the Artists" receptions, and a Saturday morning jazz clinic all combine to make this weekend so rich, it will satisfy even the most discriminating jazz enthusiast. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3977http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3632Donizetti’s comic tale of true love will win the audience’s hearts in Asheville Lyric Opera’s presentation of Don Pasquale.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3632http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3633Donizetti’s comic tale of true love will win the audience’s hearts in Asheville Lyric Opera’s presentation of Don Pasquale.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3633http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4068Two of the world's most celebrated fiddlers are married, and both have graced the stage at Diana Wortham Theatre to stunned audiences. Now for the first time in Asheville, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy appear together for a whirlwind evening of fiddle-driven music, dance and song, all from diverse musical influences.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4068http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4069Two of the world's most celebrated fiddlers are married, and both have graced the stage at Diana Wortham Theatre to stunned audiences. Now for the first time in Asheville, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy appear together for a whirlwind evening of fiddle-driven music, dance and song, all from diverse musical influences.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4069http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3978Passion and artistry collide during this dream weekend for lovers of all things Celtic. Join us as we celebrate the Scots-Irish heritage of Western North Carolina with the finest in dance, literature, food, drink and music! Weekend concerts showcase some of the best and brightest talents in Celtic music including Gaelic Storm. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3978http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4070Aquila's thrilling new production of this Ibsen classic explores the impact of severe eco-issues on a small town and the consequences to one man of uncovering the truth.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4070http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4195This film about the inveterate collector and gallery owner Allan Stone allows us a glimpse into the eclectic collections of Stone, as depicted by the director Olympia Stone, his daughter. Matt Zoller Seitz writing for the New York Times said, "Ms. Stone takes her camera through Mr. Stone's home, so packed with notable items that it might be a secret annex of the Smithsonian." Held in conjunction with Looking Back: Celebrating 60 Years of Collecting at the Asheville Art Museum and Looking Forward: Celebrating New Art and New Directions for the Permanent Collection. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4195http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4071Aquila Theatre presents Shakespeare's As You Like It, the story of power hungry men exiling their brothers, girls playing guys, and finding love in unexpected places.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4071http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4196This film about the inveterate collector and gallery owner Allan Stone allows us a glimpse into the eclectic collections of Stone, as depicted by the director Olympia Stone, his daughter. Matt Zoller Seitz writing for the New York Times said, "Ms. Stone takes her camera through Mr. Stone's home, so packed with notable items that it might be a secret annex of the Smithsonian." Held in conjunction with Looking Back: Celebrating 60 Years of Collecting at the Asheville Art Museum and Looking Forward: Celebrating New Art and New Directions for the Permanent Collection. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4196http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4075presented by Keowee Chamber Musichttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4075http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4076From Canada, this classical crossover sensation provides the perfect entertainment to kick off the Valentine's Weekend. Pop with an opera flair, Destino enthralls by combining the romance of opera with pop, gospel, and soul selections delivered via its award-winning, classically trained professional tenors.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4076http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4089Eugenia Zuckerman, flute and Claire Bloom, voicehttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4089http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4077Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile never stops. Now he's at it again with a new band; The Punch Brothers' five young and fiercely talented musicians are playing to sold-out crowds around the world and have captured music lovers across many genres.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4077http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4078Slow and sensual, insistent and intertwined, athletic and aware, Nicholas Leichter's dance pieces are filled with provocative pairings set to musical selections from a wide gamut. Leichter and his passionate company of seven dancers fuse style and substance into cultural narratives in which movement tells the story.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4078http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4079Slow and sensual, insistent and intertwined, athletic and aware, Nicholas Leichter's dance pieces are filled with provocative pairings set to musical selections from a wide gamut. Leichter and his passionate company of seven dancers fuse style and substance into cultural narratives in which movement tells the story.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4079http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3828Best-selling multilingual jazz bassist, vocalist, composer with her ensemble. Youngest-ever professor at Berklee College of Music.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3828http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4080Arlo Guthrie and the family's current tour officially introduces the fourth generation of Guthries to the stage, Woody's great-grandchildren. The entire clan performs the songs that they've written and learned together, all performed in the family tradition generations have come to love.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4080http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4081Arlo Guthrie and the family's current tour officially introduces the fourth generation of Guthries to the stage, Woody's great-grandchildren. The entire clan performs the songs that they've written and learned together, all performed in the family tradition generations have come to love.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4081http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3761A Shayna Maidel by Barbara Lebow. The Autumn Players presents a Reader's Theatre Showcase, in memory of Bernie Hauserman. The Autumn Players is a troupe of seasoned actors dedicated to taking the theatre experience into the community. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3761http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4082Founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson and their New York City company of dance thoroughbreds, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, have awakened audiences to a new, exciting genre that combines the best of athleticism, lyricism, technical training and experience.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4082http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4083Founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson and their New York City company of dance thoroughbreds, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, have awakened audiences to a new, exciting genre that combines the best of athleticism, lyricism, technical training and experience.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4083http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4084Under their banner 'Forward with Scotland’s Past', Battlefield Band have been performing on the international scene for more than three decades, inspired by their rich heritage of Celtic music and fired by the strength of the modern Scottish cultural scene.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4084http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4278Sponsored by 15 local, artisan bakeries, this festival is a celebration of the art and craft of bread baking. In the morning the 'bakers showcase' attendees can sample bread from all the bakeries and talk to the bakers. The afternoon features hands-on workshops, lectures, and demonstrations of all aspects of bread baking.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4278http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4091presented by Asheville Chamber Musichttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4091http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4085Four-time Grammy winner, musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer, Asheville’s own David Holt is a national folk icon dedicated to performing and preserving traditional American music and stories.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4085http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3634Join Asheville Lyric Opera on a trip to Spain where midst gypsy dances and bullfights Carmen meets her fate.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3634http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3635Join Asheville Lyric Opera on a trip to Spain where midst gypsy dances and bullfights Carmen meets her fate.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3635http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3636Join Asheville Lyric Opera on a trip to Spain where midst gypsy dances and bullfights Carmen meets her fate.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3636http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4086Called an “Irish music dream team” (Folk Roots) and “the new Celtic royalty” (Boston Herald), Lúnasa redefines Irish music by going right to the heart of its rhythms.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4086http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4268This annual festival has grown steadily from a one night benefit party on the banks of the French Broad to an all weekend family festival featuring some of the best music in the area and a number of outdoor events in celebration of this beautiful river and setting. The 13th annual festival is set for April 30 – May 2, 2019 where the French Broad River meets the Appalachian Trail at the beautiful Hot Springs Campground & Spa (www.camp.nchotsprings.com ). Festival begins at 4:00 on Friday, April 30 and ends Sunday, May 2. Visit our website www.frenchbroadriverfestival.com for details or call 828-253-1240. Proceeds from the festival will be donated to American Whitewater and the new Hot Springs Community Learning Center. $5000 was donated to American Whitewater and $5000 to the Hot Springs Community Learning Center. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4268http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4053The American Rhododendron Society’s Southeastern Chapter will host its annual show at The North Carolina Arboretum. Hundreds of blooms will be displayed at the Education Center during the show, including many favorite mountain plants. Azaleas as well as spring and summer blooming rhododendrons are among the most popular. Trail Walks to the National Native Azalea Repository will be offered. Free with parking fee ($6 per personal motor vehicle). http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4053http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4186Poet 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.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4186http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4185Brooke 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 http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4185http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4087One of the most influential voices in Irish and American folk music, Karan Casey is a natural innovator who proves that the ancient and the modern make excellent bedfellows.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4087http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4269On Saturday, May 15, 2010, Asheville, NC will play host to Fanaticon, a convention for fans of comic books, science-fiction, fantasy, gaming and collectibles. The event will take place at the Asheville Art Museum and will feature local comic book vendors, artists, panel discussions, costume contests and special guests from the comic book industry. Fanaticon is suitable for the whole family. For more information, please visit http://www.Fanaticon.orghttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4269http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4054The 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.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4054http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4088A quintet comprised of some of America’s most talented, young traditional musicians and a remarkable young vocalist, Bua have been described by Irish Music Magazine as “the essence of a superb band.”http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=4088http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3639Asheville Lyric Opera’s 2nd Annual Taste of Opera, back by popular demand, features a night of incredible food from Asheville’s most delicious restaurants and music performed by Asheville’s biggest stars.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3639http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3571The North Carolina Arboretum hosts the Asheville Quilt Guild’s popular annual show, a juried event featuring more than 250 quilts of exceptional craftsmanship from across the U.S. and worldwide. The three-day show offers live demonstrations, a merchant’s mall and more!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=3571