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=1703An outdoor sculpture exhibit embracing the opportunity to see things of beautiful form, pattern and change. Just as the kaleidoscope - a favorite childhood toy - offers a changeable scene when looking throught the morrored tube, outdoor sculpture can change the view of a landscape by its presence and our position in relation to the piece.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1703http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1384Experience the mystery and beauty of nature in this photography exhibit showcasing flowers and insects. Local artist Cynthia Walker exposes the hidden simplicity that exists within the complexity of natures patterns and light.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1384http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1804Grovewood's first annual invitational, outdoor sculpture exhibition. This exhibit will feature the works of 15 nationally recognized artists, with sculptures ranging from small, playful pieces suitable for the home or garden, to works for public spaces and corporate settings. Bring your friends and family to spend the day with us and have the opportunity to meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments in the beautiful setting of Grovewood Gardens.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1804http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2028This summer, the Asheville Art Museum invites you to partake in Pleasant Journeys and Good Eats Along the Way: A Retrospective of Paintings by John Baeder, an exhibition of the artists work that showcases his 35-year obsession with roadside architecture and focuses on Americas diners.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2028http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2254This fall, the Asheville Art Museum is delighted to present works from all eight artists, celebrating the centennial anniversary of the 1908 show at the Macbeth Gallery. The exhibition showcases the collection of Mina and Stephen Weiner whose great affection for the group has fueled over forty years of collecting. Opening reception: September 13, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2254http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2460Work by Chinese students in fashion, graphic, environmental, industrial, and animation design. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2460http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2255This exhibition features the work of artists influenced by The Eight’s emphasis on scenes of contemporary urban life. The exhibition will include works by Robert Brackman, Alexander Kruse, Reginald Marsh, Elizabeth Olds, Walter Pack, Raphael Soyer, Eugene Thomason and others. These works will be drawn from the collection of the Asheville Art Museum.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2255http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2513The exhibition will feature forty works of art. F/32 is a diversified group of photographers from the Asheville area that share an appreciation and love of photography. The members vary in age and experience level from amateurs to advanced practitioners and produce work using a wide range of equipment to produce images, including traditional film cameras, digital cameras and flatbed scanners. Each month the group meets to share work and receive criticism and input from peers, to learn new methods and techniques and to keep abreast on the latest industry news and equipment. Throughout the year f/32 shows work locally at various galleries and other venues, offers workshops and hosts guest speakers. The group is open to anyone with an interest photography. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2513http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2427Showcasing outdoor contemporary works by our best regional sculptors. Thirty sculptures in a variety of media will be displayed over 24 acres of Reynolds Village, the site of the soon-to-be-built downtown Woodfin. In addition a series of special events on October weekends integrates kids art, music, dance and theater with the sculpture. Field trips from all school levels are encouraged and guided group tours can be arranged for the public. For times and dates, please visit www.riversculpture.comhttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2427http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1857Fall leaf-viewing trains. Western North Carolina Mountains are ablaze with brilliant fall foliage. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1857http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1620The exhibit is based on the beloved Curious George books and the new Curious George PBS Kids series from WGBH Boston. With 2,500 square feet of fun and meaningful activities, the exhibit will pique visitors curiosity and engage children in key math, science, and engineering experiences. Like George, visitors will let inquiry and curiosity be their guides as they explore and experiment with new ideas, challenges, and materials. Exhibit messages will emphasize the critical role parents and caregivers play in supporting childrens early learning. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1620http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1800A sportswriter gets coached in the game of life in this stage adaptation of the bestselling book. A constant on The New York Times Bestseller List for more than four years with more than five million copies sold and an Emmy-winning television film presented by Oprah Winfrey, Tuesdays With Morrie is a Master Class on a life well lived.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1800http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2420Romance novelist Paul Sheldon is driving to Colorado to work on his latest novel when he crashes on a snowy road. His rescuer is Annie Wilkes, the “number one fan” of his fictional heroine, Misery Chastain. On top of being a retired nurse, Annie is also psychotic and she torments Paul into writing a new book. When Paul rebels or sets off one of Annie's many emotional triggers, she teaches him the true meaning of misery all over again, in increasingly horrifying ways.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2420http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2428Nationally known abstract artist, Jonas Gerard, continues the development of his abstracted impressions of the majestic peaks surrounding Asheville with a new body of work. On Friday, October 3, 2008 Beyond Landscape will open at Jonas Gerard Fine Art in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC. An opening reception follows on Friday, October 10th from 5 to 7 pm. The next day, Saturday, October 11, 2008, Gerard will be painting live in his studio adjoining the Gallery at 2:00 p.m. As a token of appreciation for the continued success of his Asheville Gallery, Jonas will be donating 20 percent of the sales that occur at the opening reception to Arts for Life. This organization brings art healing programs to children with serious illnesses in North Carolina hospitals. Going deeper in to the very soul of the land, his impressions can open the deepest senses and emotions. Without struggle Jonas transforms his powerful yet delicate abstract force through unusual compositions of trees, mountains and lakes. His freedom of expression creates movement that pulses in every colorful brush stroke. It’s a whole new approach to painting and often people get that strange feeling when they look at it. . . . That’s when it begins. When the painting touches someone’s heart beyond the visual there is a soul to soul communication. Connecting to the experience, one’s eyes and imagination cannot stop at just what is seen. You will then go beyond the landscape.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2428http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1115Its safe, scary fun for the whole family! Visit the Haunted House or step into another world in the 3-D Maze and the Black Hole. Kids will enjoy the Halloween shows and trick-or-treating. And take a chilling journey into the night on the Ghost Train if you dare! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1115http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1567All members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild were invited to showcase their creative interpretation of cabinetmaking in this exhibition. The show provides visitors the opportunity to experience the talent of this juried membership organization as participants stretch their boundaries and create new traditions.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1567http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2135Photography of Walden Woods is combined with a display of life-like dioramas and interactive components to show how ecological relationships bind all life forms together. In conjunction, Our Weakening Web encourages visitors to understand the process of extinction as a natural occurrence over millions of years. The exhibit conveys what is happening in the world today and why environmental conservation is so important.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2135http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2368The Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild (a non-profit organization), whose membership spans NC, SC, TN and GA is sponsoring the Blue Ridge Handweaving Show October 6-31, 2008. This biennial show which enjoys international participation encourages and supports both amateur and professional handloom weavers at all levels. . Weaving and spinning demonstrations will be held in the lobby of Crawford Gallery on Wednesday, October 15, 22, 29, 10AM-4PM. Opening reception is Saturday, October 11 @ 2:30PM. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2368http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2242In this class we will start at the very beginning. What is wood, how does it work, how does it go from being a tree to lumber I can make stuff out of? From there we will take on sharpening and learn about handtools. You will learn how to operate machines, to measure and mark, cut tapers, chisel and pare, and learn about the finesse and precision of a woodworker.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2242http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1490Each year the fair offers an opening parade, midway, fireworks, traditional Cherokee food and competitions that bring out the best of the Eastern Bands basket makers, carvers, quilters, gardeners and more. The fair also attracts high-quality entertainment to perform each evening in the amphitheater. The fair began as a way for members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to showcase their arts and crafts and invite neighboring communities to the Qualla Boundary, the tribes traditional homeland. The fair has grown since its early days, but its original focus remains. This is a hugely popular event among Eastern Band members and a great opportunity for visitors to experience the fun, welcoming qualities of the Cherokee culture. Gates open 10 a.m. daily with Nightly shows.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1490http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2438And Then They Came for Me is a unique theatrical experience: a multimedia play that combines videotaped interviews with Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II. Part oral history, part dramatic action, part direct address, part remembrance, the ensemble-driven And Then They Came for Me breaks new ground and has been acclaimed by audiences and critics in world-wide productions.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2438http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2223This monthly walk focuses on various seasonal features of the Arboretum's cultivated and wild plant collections. All walks leave at 1 p.m. from the Baker Exhibit Center Lobby, and participants should wear sturdy shoes and dress in layers.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2223http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2501Arriving in his grease-fueled Mercedes, Greg Melville will discuss his new book, Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future. Audobon Magazine says, “Melville, who has written for Outside and Men’s Journal, has a breezy, unpretentious style as well as the ability to work in the occasional edifying digression—a brief history of wind power, for instance, or a discussion with a professor about cellulosic ethanol—without disrupting the book’s brisk, novelistic pace.” Please join us as the Asheville-based author shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of driving on grease. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2501http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2510There are so many terrific, interesting Spanish blends in the market. They are great with a wide selection of food and the quality of the wine for the money is hard to match. Find a new favorite red for the cool weather to come. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2510http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2378Sample one of the Blue Ridge Naturalist’s core programs in this one-meeting class on local reptiles. Study local species, their habitat requirements, reproductive strategies, and life histories. This classroom presentation by naturalist Carlton Burke will include live animals as "guests".http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2378http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2339Southern Appalachian foods and foodways cooking classes will be offered in the Stecoah Valley Food Ventures commercial kitchen and outdoor classroom settings. The Heritage Food series will cover a variety of subjects including corn grinding, bread making, syrups, Appalachian desserts, chutney, pie fillings and much more. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2339http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2542Come enjoy a free showing of the wonderful film "Chocolat". Chocolates and fudge donated by Kilwin’s and the French Broad Chocolate Lounge.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2542http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2479Invitational exhibition of the best WNC wood-firing clay artists and members of the Southern Appalachian Photographers Guild. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2479http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2276EAA is offering historic flight experiences in its beautifully restored B-17G Flying Fortress “Aluminum Overcast.” One of only 14 Fortress's still flying, this aircraft is an icon of the Allied strategic bombing effort that helped turn the tide of battle in World War II. Unlike reading a history book, you can actually fly a mission back in time and feel the might of this magnificent machine, just as those brave young men did more than 60 years ago.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2276http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1859Meet Charlie Brown, Lucy & Snoopy and select your own pumpkin. Enjoy hayrides, live musical entertainment, story telling, hay bale maze, bouncy house, apple cider, peanuts gift shop, face painting, petting zoo and trick or treating! And kids, don't forget to wear your costumes!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1859http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2433You are invited to attend a precious exhibition of sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha and other Buddhist Masters. These crystal-like objects have been found post-cremation in the ashes of holy beings such as the historical Buddha, his disciples, lineage founders, and modern-day lamas. This unique collection of holy relics has been gathered by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, a student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Spiritual Director of the Maitreya Project. “This [Maitreya] Project is really wonderful and is the result of great courage and determination, and from the depths of my heart I appreciate and applaud it. You should realize that this is a really holy and sacred project.” says His Holiness the Dalai Lama. “The very name ’Maitri,’ is loving-kindness. Now, in today’s world, we really need the promotion of loving-kindness.” The Significance of Seeing the Relics: “These relics of the Buddha are manifestations of the Buddha himself. The only karma we have is to see the Buddha in the form of relics, so that is how the Buddha still guides us. Buddha manifests in the form of relics so that we can develop devotion, purify our negative karma and collect extensive merit, and in this way he brings us sentient beings to enlightenment.” Individual Blessings with Shakyamuni Buddha’s Relics Individual blessings will be offered each day to people and their pets. During the blessing, some of the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha are placed upon the crown of the head. Thus, it is said that the Buddha himself is touching you and blessing you.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2433http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2181This is a 12-hour hands-on workshop with Joe Ruminski, former president of the country's largest woodturning club, the Carolina Mountain Woodturners Club. Max. enrollment 8 students; one lathe per student. Fri.: 2-6pm; Sat.: 9am-6pm.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2181http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2502Mary Ellen Korman will read from her biography of Ethel Merston, based on Merston’s diaries and recollections: A Woman’s Work. A meeting with G.I. Gurdjieff in 1922 changed the orientation of Merston’s life, taking her to his institute near Paris, then to India in 1934 and the spiritual teachings of other great sages of the last century. For seven years she lived and worked in a rural village near Benares, before settling at the ashram of Ramana Maharshi where she died in 1967 at the age of 84, having often traveled to countries around the world into her late 70s. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2502http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2439The Blue Ridge Orchestra, will open the orchestra’s 2008-2009 season with A Night at the Opera II, Celebrated Tenor Arias and Opera Overtures, featuring tenor soloist William Martin. This concert is dedicated to the memory of the legendary Luciano Pavarotti, who passed a year ago. Along with famous arias from such opera favorites as La Traviata, Lohengrin, and Tosca, Pavarotti’s signature piece, Nessun Dorma, will be performed. The orchestra will be performing some of opera’s greatest overtures, including Rossini’s La Gazza Ladra, Verdi’s Nabucco and Wagner’s Die Meistersinger in addition to accompanying Mr. Martin in his renditions of opera’s greatest tenor arias.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2439http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1392Experience autumn in miniature during the southeasts premier annual Bonsai Expo, now in its 13th year. The Expo features the Arboretums world-class bonsai collection housed in the Bonsai Exhibition Garden. Vendors will come from around the region to sell plants and hard-to-find bonsai tools. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1392http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2366Visit old and diverse forests that reside at the cool mountain headwaters of the Blue Ridge region. Take in the smells, sounds, and green shade that make these forest communities so unique. Recommended equipment: small backpack with lunch, water, and snacks, binoculars, walking stick, and hiking boots with ankle support. On the Mountains to Sea Trail. Moderately difficult, follows a ridge trail with some elevation differentials, 4 to 5 miles round trip. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2366http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2386Everything you need to know to kick the petroleum habit and use biofuels today. Workshop includes history of biofuels, availability, emissions, health, environmental benefits and problems, national trends, tax issues and incentives, SVO fuel versus biodiesel, vehicle conversion options for SVO, comparison of all alternatively fueled vehicles, and more. Workshop includes viewing of a SVO converted vehicle.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2386http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2350Walking through the changing forest we’ll cover the basics of tree identification, discuss the changes the trees are undergoing and why they are doing so, and just generally enjoy the beauty and cooler temperatures of an Appalachian autumn.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2350http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1994This new event is solely focused on families and children! The event will consists of 75+ vendors offering uncountable kids' activities, while also being available to the parents with products/services/information. The arena will be filled with awesome kids' & family activities, including Bounce House, Animals, crafts, activities, demonstrations, and local photographers! This is going to be the place to be if you have a family!! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1994http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2610A fun, Fall Nature Center event for both young and old! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2610http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2308Two priceless performances by superstars of traditional American folk music, legendary performer Doc Watson and Grammy-winning musician and folklorist David Holt.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2308http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2503Offering a full-blown beginning program in both bluegrass and old-time banjo, along with advanced workshops by banjo superheroes like Pete Seeger, David Holt, Tony Trischka, Bob Carlin, Bill Keith, Brad Leftwich, John Herrmann, Pete Wernick, Janet Davis, Geoff Hohwald and dozens of others, Senyak’s visit and book, Banjo Camp!: Learning, Picking & Jamming with Bluegrass & Old-Time Greats, is something music lovers won’t want to miss! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2503http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2595The acclaimed touring showcase of odd and hilarious found videos, will make a one-night-only appearance in Asheville next month as part of its 2008 North American tour. Hosts Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, whose credits include The Onion and the Late Show with David Letterman, are excited to present their unique blend of video clips and live comedy in two big shows. The shows are being sponsored locally by the Media Arts Project (The MAP) and OrbitDVD. This one-of-a-kind event compiles more than an hour’s worth of footage from videos that were found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters throughout the country. Curators Pickett and Prueher host each screening in-person and provide their unique observations and commentary on these found video obscurities. From the curiously-produced industrial training video to the forsaken home movie donated to Goodwill, the Found Footage Festival resurrects these forgotten treasures and serves them up in a lively celebration of all things found. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2595http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2051Come Join Us this fall for Gospel Sundays at Ghost Town in the Sky, featuring the founding fathers of The Hall of Fame Legends Tour. The toe-tappin live entertainment and singing from the nationally-recognized gospel bands is included in the price of a daily admission ticket to Ghost Town. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2051http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2504Don’t miss this opportunity to meet the author of favorites One Foot in Eden and Saints at the River, Ron Rash, as he reads from his latest novel, Serena. According to Julia Glass (author of Three Junes), “[Rash] has outdone himself. The story of this brilliant, ambitious, seductive woman is a searing tragedy of Shakespearean proportions—or, in simpler terms, a damn good book that will keep you awake far too late and, well after you’ve finished it, haunt your dreams.” A professor at Western Carolina University and native Carolinian, Rash is often lauded for his ability to portray our slice of the countryhttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2504http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2202The Asheville Choral Socity (Lenora Thoms, Music Director), one of Western N.C.'s premiere performing arts organizations, will perform Sir Paul McCartney's oratorio Ecce cor Meum (Behold my Heart)--the first performance in the Southeast and only the second performance in the U.S. since its Carnegie Hall debut.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2202http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2524The Prama Institute presents Grammy nominated world musician and kirtan singer Jai Uttal for a concert in Asheville. Uttal will be joined by his long time friend and tabla virtuoso Daniel Paul for a celebration of music and chanting. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2524http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2372Find out the in-depth story of the Burke-McDowell Company Tract which was the first purchase of national forest land in the eastern United States. Presentation on the history of this track as well as field work efforts. A hike into parts of Hickory Branch from the Curtis Creek Campground will follow.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2372http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2340Southern Appalachian foods and foodways cooking classes will be offered in the Stecoah Valley Food Ventures commercial kitchen and outdoor classroom settings. The Heritage Food series will cover a variety of subjects including corn grinding, bread making, syrups, Appalachian desserts, chutney, pie fillings and much more. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2340http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2593The Western Region of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina will host a daylong “Paint Out” at The North Carolina Arboretum. More than 15 regional watercolor artists will be at work on the Arboretum grounds recording the colors and shapes of the fall season through drawings and paintings. “We hope the artists will find this endeavor a pleasant time to study and work and that the visiting public will enjoy watching the artists create,” said co-chairs for the Western Region of the Water Color Society of North Carolina Ann Vasilik and Pamela Haddock. Work produced from the all-day event will be on sale at the Arboretum’s Connections Gallery in the Baker Exhibit Center.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2593http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2380Sample one of the Blue Ridge Naturalist’s core programs in this one-meeting class on local birds. Study local species, their habitat requirements, reproductive strategies, and life histories. This classroom presentation by naturalist Carlton Burke will include live animals as "guests".http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2380http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1491The Big Rigs Antique Truck Show is an interactive display in a fun, family environment taking place in the heart of fall leaf season on the Qualla Boundary. More than 100 trucks will be on display featuring models from the antique and working class, so there will be pickup trucks, semis, dump trucks, and more. Awards will be presented including the Spectators Choice for best truck, the Chiefs Choice for best truck, and one award will be presented for the truck coming from the farthest away. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1491http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1569The Civic Center in Asheville comes alive with fine traditional and contemporary crafts. The Fairs, a local tradition since 1948, showcase the work of members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and feature craft demonstrations, regional music and entertainment. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1569http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2373Curious why trees grow in spiral patterns, or how transpiration works? How do trees move all that water up over a hundred feet? Learn other facts about trees, such as which trees cycle calcium to the soil through fallen leaves.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2373http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2341Southern Appalachian foods and foodways cooking classes will be offered in the Stecoah Valley Food Ventures commercial kitchen and outdoor classroom settings. The Heritage Food series will cover a variety of subjects including corn grinding, bread making, syrups, Appalachian desserts, chutney, pie fillings and much more. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2341http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2413Come join us for home made everything, sausages, streusels, and the hallmark dishes of Bavaria combined with Oktoberfest beers from Germany. A special way to celebrate Oktoberfest in the USA!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2413http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2567Director David Lynch went to art school in Philadelphia and was greatly influenced by Robert Henri. This 1977 cult classic is quintessential “Lynch” and is not an easy, light-hearted film. It is Lynch’s first full-length feature and a must-see for fans of his other films which include: The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. This black-and-white film’s striking play of shadows and light, dark urban setting and experimental narrative structure create a strong visual connection to the artwork of The Eight. Held in conjunction with the exhibition Life’s Rich Pageant: A Centennial Celebration of The Eight.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2567http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2505An awakening coach, writer, teacher and public speaker, Arjuna Ardagh is the founder of the Living Essence Foundation and the author of seven books, including The Translucent Revolution and his most recent book, Leap Before You Look. In his presentation of the new book, Ardagh will offer tips and exercises “to shift you out of your mind and into the infinite possibilities of the present moment.” http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2505http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2545The Jonathan Scales Fourchestra takes the stage. This virtuoso steel drum player is sure to keep you inspired throughout the evening with his modern, multifaceted compositions. The opening act for the night's entertainment will be the Vertigo Jazz Project.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2545http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2374A number of new studies show that older forests sequester more carbon than younger forests. Disputes about this issue date back to 1993 and beyond. Review some of the literature that is now available, and learn some of the basics about this complex topic. Later hike on parts of the Mountains to Sea Trail and see parts of Bull Mountain and Rocky Knob.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2374http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1469Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) presents World Beat, Blues, Folk, Celtic, Bluegrass, Gospel, Latin and more. LEAF also highlights Folk Arts, Poetry, Juried Handcrafts, Healing Arts, kids activities, kayaking, swimming and camping. Connecting cultures & creating community through music & arts!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1469http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2490For more than 2 decades Grammy award winning artist Terrance Simien, 8th generation Louisiana Creole has been shattering the myths about what his indigenous Creole Zydeco music is and is not. Leading his Zydeco Experience Band, Simien has become a highly respected, internationally recognized touring and recording artist and Cultural Ambassador for his state. He has presented thousands of performances, toured millions of miles to over 40 countries and reached at least a million people during his eventful 25 year career.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2490http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2568Come and see what it's like to set up an exhibit on this behind the scenes tour of the Asheville Art Museum with Dean Butckovitz, Preparator and Registrar. This exciting and exclusive look at the Museum makes your Friday lunch break something to look forward to on October 17th. Don't miss it! In January, the Museum began presenting, Art Breaks, this lunchtime series of gallery talks and presentations designed to inform and engage visitors in a dialogue with members of our curatorial and education departments, docents and special guests. Each Art Break begins at 12:00 p.m. and is free with Museum membership or with Museum admission. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2568http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2243M.H. Libman offers this tried and true class for those who have an extensive background in woodturning. Max. enrollment 8, one lathe per student.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2243http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2267Featuring some of the finest artisans and craftspeople from our region, this 3 day event to be held rain or shine and is the place to find one of a kind handcrafted items. In addition to arts and crafts, enjoy on-going entertainment, food and children's activities. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2267http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2491For more than 2 decades Grammy award winning artist Terrance Simien, 8th generation Louisiana Creole has been shattering the myths about what his indigenous Creole Zydeco music is and is not. Leading his Zydeco Experience Band, Simien has become a highly respected, internationally recognized touring and recording artist and Cultural Ambassador for his state. He has presented thousands of performances, toured millions of miles to over 40 countries and reached at least a million people during his eventful 25 year career.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2491http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2506In conjunction with the Crafts Fair of the Southern Highlands weekend, Malaprop’s is offering two unique evenings with local artisans. 20-year stained glass veteran and owner of Stevenson Stained Glass, Christine Stevenson will join us to discuss her work and her book, Creative Stained Glass: Modern Designs and Simple Techniques. The book includes 27 projects, all from Stevenson’s own designs. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2506http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2310One of country and traditional music’s top female vocalists. The beloved, Grammy-winning singer of such classics as "18 Wheels and A Dozen Roses," "Where've You Been," and many other hits is on a “Moving Mountains” tour with her acoustic band. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2310http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2116Edging into deeper intercultural conversations through comedy: This 4-man troupe calls their very accessible presentation Everything You Always Wanted to Ask a Black Man but were Afraid to Ask. Related free diversity workshops/discussions. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2116http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2137This family of wood workers explores the traditional carving and turning methods juxtaposed against contemporary wood bowl styles. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2137http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2592The North Carolina Arboretum hosts the Asheville Mushroom Club’s Fungifest 2008 on October 18, a daylong celebration and exploration of mushrooms with a vibrant mushroom display and a chance to talk with club members about the wonders of fungi. Fall at The North Carolina Arboretum is the perfect time to explore the amazing world of fungi, and visitors during Fungifest 2008 will have an opportunity to enjoy the tremendous variety of Western North Carolina mushrooms on display for a day. Fungifest is another great reason to be out on the trail, with eyes wide open. Exclusive programs throughout Fungifest 2008 provide participants with valuable information ranging from basic identification techniques and medicinal uses to growing, cooking, and using mushrooms for artistic purposes. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2592http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2520The Friends of DuPont Forest will sponsor the Tour de Falls, a 12 mile tour by shuttle bus to four of the forest's most spectacular sites: Triple Falls, High Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Lake Julia. Easy-to-enter shuttles will run from 9 am until 3 pm. Visitors are encouraged to bring their cameras, take short hikes, or just enjoy the beauty of the falls and lake in autumn. FODF volunteers will be on each shuttle and at each stop to assist where needed and answer questions. The beginning of the tour is located adjacent to the Buck Forest Entrance on DuPont/Staton Road. The tour generally takes about two hours, depending on how long participants choose to spend at each stop. This is an excellent way for those who cannot hike the distance required to see NC's fall foliage framed by some of the most beautiful waterfalls and lake sites in the Southeast.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2520http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2220Spend the day wxploring various natural history topics for the southern mountains via a field trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Discover the geological origins of the Appalachians as you visit various types of high elevation forests and wetland systems, identifying distinctive birds, trees and showy wildflowers associatied with each hibitat. The day will finish with a 1.5-mile walk along a moderate trail; participants should wear clothing and shoes appropriate for walking at various Parkway elevationshttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2220http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2353A taste of the most colorful areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Enjoy a fall morning experiencing the seasonal blanket of color and exploring some of the trees common to our area. Walk includes information on tree identification, ecology, and natural history.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2353http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2594Cooking class featuring mushrooms casserole; Barolo risotto; grilled radicchio, prosciutto and parmesan crisps; and baked pears with mascarpone cream.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2594http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2440Take a trip back in time with America's home grown music - Jazz. Babe, a sassy red-haired diva, tells the story of this unique music from Ragtime to Big Band. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2440http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2375Have you ever wondered what the maximum known ages are for a number of trees that reside in the Blue Ridge and the eastern United States? Learn about this from a researcher who has aged trees in the region, and who has kept track of some of the big compilations of old growth forest work in the east. We’ll visit an old tree that’s on the west side of Grassy Knob in the Bent Creek watershed. Bring a foldable chair if you’d like.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2375http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2507John Harte, author of Ride for Justice, will discuss his Civil War era historical Western about three men with very different motivations and how they affect those around them. Harte splits his time between Asheville and Aiken, SC, where he practices law. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2507http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2538Come and join us for a free tasting of "Red Wines from Washington State" See what's the latest and greatest from out West!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2538http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2515Please join us for a presentation by America’s master of traditional woodcraft, Roy Underhill. Roy is the host of the popular PBS show “The Woodwright’s Shop,” now approaching its fourth decade of production, and the author of six previous books including his most recent, The Woodwright’s Guide: Working Wood with Wedge and Edge. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2515http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2527In October, we introduce one of America’s finest young conductors in André Raphel Smith, who will lead a diverse and energetic program beginning with a 90th-anniversary birthday salute to the great Leonard Bernstein in his Overture to Candide. Pianist Michael Boriskin makes his debut with the ASO in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, and Maestro Smith brings his own distinctive voice to the power and vitality of Aaron Copland’s great American Third Symphony. You’ll certainly recognize the Fanfare for the Common Man finale, and you’ll feel right at home with Copland’s unique blend of American folklore, dance, and epic sonic landscapes.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2527http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2587Asheville's Premier Country Vocal Band will be opening for Dehlia Low at The Garage. Come give us a listen!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2587http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2468The Hard Lox Festival is a yearly celebration of typical Jewish food, history, traditions and customs. There is a large Jewish population in Asheville and its surrounding areas. At last count there were 23 Jewish organizations here. Jews played an important role in the history and development of this region. Jewish traditions of delicious food, spirituality, music, education, family, charitable works, and tikkun olam (literally “repair of the world”) will be in evidence all day, during our most popular festival. Come help us celebrate, and sample some of the most delicious authentic Jewish recipes, and learn what we are all about. A positive outlook, a bias toward learning, social justice, helping those less fortunate, ethical living, lots of smiling, and enjoying great food – these are all aspects of being Jewish.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2468http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2492The evening is a splash of color, motion, and sound I couldn't believe that two hours could pass that quickly, or be that much fun." Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts For over 20 years, the amazing performances of the The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats® (formerly the Chinese Magic Revue) have been the perfect high-energy attraction for 100's of universities, performing arts centers and corporate events. It's no wonder. Under the direction of acrobatic legends, the Hai Family, the company flawlessly interprets the precision and grace of an art form honed by years of training and discipline; Chinese acrobatics. Their multi-faceted and multi-cultural production features dazzling acrobatic displays, formidable feats of daring and balance, explosive Kung Fu, brilliant costumes, and even a touch of Chinese comedy. Along with several TV appearances including That's Incredible, the troupe was awarded the "Performing Arts Campus Entertainment Award" by the National Association for Campus Activities (1986), and was nominated for the 1998 Campus Activities Today "Reader's Choice Award for Best Live Novelty Act."http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2492http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2342Southern Appalachian foods and foodways cooking classes will be offered in the Stecoah Valley Food Ventures commercial kitchen and outdoor classroom settings. The Heritage Food series will cover a variety of subjects including corn grinding, bread making, syrups, Appalachian desserts, chutney, pie fillings and much more. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2342http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2516Where is North Carolina's economy headed next? Michael Walden is William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and extension economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University. He is author of seven books, incluging Smart Economics: Commonsense Answers to Fifty Questions about Government, Business, and Households. He also produces a daily radio program and writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column. Tonight he discusses his new book, North Carolina in the Connected Age. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2516http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2554One of the most acclaimed contemporary dramas of recent years, Doubt is a spellbinding study of faith and uncertainty. When Father Flynn develops a special interest in a student, the sensible Sister Aloysius begins to fear for the child's safety, and the church's reputation. But in Shanley’s tense and unflinching drama, truth is not absolute, the accused may be as innocent as the accuser, and the true victim may never be known. NC Stage presents the WNC premiere of this outstanding new drama.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2554http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2511We can’t wait for this one. Curras Dom is located at 72 Weaverville Highway north of Beaver Lake in North Asheville and is one of our new favorites. We’ll pair some delicious wines with Marco’s menu of gourmet Mexican with a flair for the Yucatan - which holds a special place in my heart... and stomach. We’ll post the menu as soon as we get it. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2511http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2539Zambra’s well known and respected tapas bar will serve a fine wine dinner accompanied by wines from the Weinhaus. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2539http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1801Experience the sounds of Hank Williams, Sr., his heroes and those he influenced. Jason Petty and his four-piece band deliver the heart and soul of country music with no less than 20 country classics from Im So Lonesome, Hey Good Lookin, Wabash Cannonball to Kaw-Liga, Jambalaya, Your Cheatin Heart and more.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1801http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1492Come experience authentic, handmade arts & crafts of our Mountain Region.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1492http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1493The Rod Run features more than 500 classic and customized automobiles built before 1972. The mountains and miles of surrounding roads, including the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, make for good driving and amazing views. Plus, the many attractions at Cherokee make the Rod Run fun for the entire family.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1493http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2382Sample one of the Blue Ridge Naturalist’s core programs in this one-meeting class on local mammals. Study local species, their habitat requirements, reproductive strategies, and life histories. This classroom presentation by naturalist Carlton Burke will include live animals as "guests".http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2382http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2517George and Elizabeth Ellison are the editor and illustrator behind High Vistas: An Anthology of Nature Writing from Western North Carolina & the Great Smoky Mountains, the first anthology devoted to nature writings specific to this area. A compilation of essays, journal entries, and travel notes on our beloved region from botanists to bishops, High Vistas includes pieces by John Muir, Dr. Elisha Mitchell, James Adair, and William Bartram. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2517http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2551Rodney Hopkins will teach you to carve. Using knives, gouges and scrapers, the students of this class will carve spoons as a means to gain understanding of the tools and techniques used in carving wood by hand. The instructor will provide instruction in the safe use and handling of tools, sharpening, using a variety of hand tools to achieve the desired results, and a discussion on finishing the spoons when they are cured. Blanks will be provided and there will also be the opportunity for students who feel comfortable using the tools to shape their own blanks with a hatchet. Tools for use in class will be provided. Students having their own tools are encouraged to bring them to class. Students will complete the class with a couple of spoons and blanks to take with them. These spoons will have to dry and cure for a few weeks before they can be finished and used. In addition to the spoons, participants shall take away with them the ability to use a few simple tools to make a wide variety of items from found wood.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2551http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2238Sheep, Angora goats, alpacas, llamas, rabbits plus workshops and vendors of fiber arts. Demonstrations, quality fleeces, yarns, books, spinning and weaving equipment.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2238http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2518William Conescu joins us to read from and discuss his new novel, Being Written. Described by Publishers Weekly as a “light, swift and nicely structured dark comedy,” Being Written, the story of a second-tier character struggling to become a protagonist, is the first novel by the Chapel Hill-based writer. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2518http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1393This juried exhibit highlights the exceptional variety in size, shape and color of these popular fall flowers. Visitors will also enjoy the Arboretums fall gardens, trail walks, and flower sale. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1393http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1684Featuring the 109-mile Nantahala Nightmare, this road ride is a brutal but beautiful tour of Swain, Macon and Graham Counties. Riders can also opt for the less daunting 45-mile Robbinsville Loop to Stecoah Gap and back. Both rides feature full ride support and an after party. Come check out why this ride is gaining serious popularity.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1684http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2295Learn what’s falling in the forest other than the first fall leaves on the "Off the Beaten Path" Hike. Lots of nuts, fruits, and seeds of our native plants are ripe for the eating this time of year. See what’s what and who’s eating them. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2295http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2351Walking through the changing forest we’ll cover the basics of tree identification, discuss the changes the trees are undergoing and why they are doing so, and just generally enjoy the beauty and cooler temperatures of an Appalachian autumn.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2351http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2354A taste of the most colorful areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Enjoy a fall morning experiencing the seasonal blanket of color and exploring some of the trees common to our area. Walk includes information on tree identification, ecology, and natural history.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2354http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2343Southern Appalachian foods and foodways cooking classes will be offered in the Stecoah Valley Food Ventures commercial kitchen and outdoor classroom settings. The Heritage Food series will cover a variety of subjects including corn grinding, bread making, syrups, Appalachian desserts, chutney, pie fillings and much more. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2343http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2519Laurel Snyder’s slightly creepy, yet gorgeous picture book (illustrated by Jaime Zollars), Inside the Slidy Diner, is a delightful treat for the young and the young at heart. Don’t miss hearing her read from Inside the Slidy Diner and, if that’s not enough for you, join us again at 2pm for her booksigning event! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2519http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2431Dress up your pooch and come on out to the 2nd annual Halloween Dog Festival and Costume Contest hosted by Blaze-N-Skyy Pet Boutique and the City of Asheville. All proceeds will benefit Asheville Humane Society. There will be contests, pet vendors, adoptable dogs, pet photography, raffles and trick or treating at downtown businesses. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2431http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2611One full day and night of animal mischief and slithering stories at the Nature Center. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2611http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2521Asheville’s own Randy Russell discusses his companion volume to the popular Ghost Dogs of the South, Ghost Cats of the South. An award-winning folklorist, Russell presents more than 20 original stories birthed from existing folklore, noted incidents of ghost cats, and first-person accounts. Russell is also the author of Mountain Ghost Stories and Curious Tales of Western North Carolina. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2521http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2531Vivaldi: Gloria Handel: Messiah (Part 1) http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2531http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2065With five Steinway grand pianos, classical music's first family of piano virtuosos, The Five Browns, are coming to Asheville! A quintet of world-class concert pianists, they are dedicated to bringing classical music to the lives of people of all ages everywhere. The Five Browns represent the greatest contemporary bridge in the history of classical music. Throughout their career they have been garnering enthusiastic young fans who have become enchanted by the works of Debussy or Rachmaninoff. They have been featured on prime-time television and are celebrated in news media for the music that uplifts a new generation of young classicists. From Carnegie Hall to Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, The Five Browns lend their talent for an incredible evening. One hour prior to the show enjoy a complimentary educational lecture regarding the performance.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2065http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2297The Hickory Nut Gorge is the annual stop-over for many winged visitors making their way south. Ornithologist Simon Thompson completes the 2008 "Simon Says" Guided Bird Walk Series and will point out mixed flocks of tanagers, warblers and vireos move through the Gorge, and Chimney Rock Park, on their journey to warmer climates. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2297http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=663A family fun arts festival centered on pumpkins helps to celebrate the fall season. There will be music, visual arts and dancing by and for children, including a chldren's clogging team, string band, and many hands on activities such as pumpkin painting, jewelry making, hat making, pottery, and more. Beautifully carved pumpkins by local artists for sale.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=663http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2522Asheville’s Dr. Eileen Walkenstein, the author of the seminal work, Your Inner Therapist, joins us to discuss her new book, The Imprinters: Surviving the Unlived Life of Our Parents. A former member of the Executive Council of the American Academy of Psychotherapists and a member of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Psychotherapists, Walkenstein documents her very personal journey to the creation of The Nucleus concept in group therapy in this new book.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2522http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2022Gaye Adegbalola embraces and redefines the classic style of the great blues divas of the 1920s and 30s those often fiercely independent "wild women" who were unashamed to lay their souls bare and unafraid to give advice. Adegbalola and Roddy Barnes conjure up another era and deliver a dynamic cabaret-style performance that is both educational and entertaining. In 1990 Ms. Adegbalola was the recipient of the prestigious Blues Music Award (formerly known as the W.C. Handy Award) for her song, Middle Aged Blues Boogie. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2022http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2344Southern Appalachian foods and foodways cooking classes will be offered in the Stecoah Valley Food Ventures commercial kitchen and outdoor classroom settings. The Heritage Food series will cover a variety of subjects including corn grinding, bread making, syrups, Appalachian desserts, chutney, pie fillings and much more. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2344http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2311An hysterically funny play that takes the audience back to Catholic school: meatless Fridays, Latin Mass, and that good old ruler across the knuckles. The irrepressible Sister teaches class to a roomful of "students" (the audience).http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2311http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2512Join us as we compare 9 examples of the “King” of red wines. We’ll pull Cabs from all over the world to see how our American options stand up.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2512http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2347How old are the Blue Ridge Mountains? How were they formed? What types of rocks and minerals are found in the Blue Ridge? Learn the answers to these questions and more as you drive along the Parkway, stopping at rock outcrops and overlooks to examine the geology of the area.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2347http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2571What is postmodernism, and why is Faith Ringgold the quintessential postmodern visual artist? Explore how Ringgold’s quilts tell stories that rewrite conventional histories and how her works specifically address gender and racial disparities. Nancy Sokolove, Adult Programs Manager, incorporated Ringgold’s art into her art history and interdisciplinary studies courses, and centered a paper she gave at the College Art Association on Ringgold’s work. Prior to joining the Museum’s staff, she taught for seven years at Appalachian State University and two years at UNC Asheville. Held in conjunction with smArt Speak: Distinguished Artist Series with Faith Ringgold.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2571http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2286This lecture is part of the Ramsey Center's Fall Event and Lecture Series. During the 2008 fall semester the Ramsey Center will host several lectures and events relating to the history, culture, and environment of the Southern Appalachians. This particular event is free and made possible by the North Carolina Humanities Council's Road Scholars Program. We welcome you to join us in this important educational endeavor ! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2286http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2541LaZoom's Haunted Bus Ride II is a compelling evening full of side splitting merrimaking for gut wrenching thrill seekers! (Must Pre-Order to get on the bus) Join us at the Rocket Club in West Asheville for a night full of hair raising sideshows, the Train Wrecks, Miss Treats Burlesque Revue and the sound elixers of The Snake Oil Medicine Show. Then, take a step up from the sideshow and onto the LaZoom Bus for a thrilling 50 minute ride through Asheville's haunted underbelly with our Mistress of Ceremonies Stephanie Morgan of Stephanie's ID accompanied by the live music of the Hellblinki Sextet.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2541http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2461UNC Asheville BA student's photography.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2461http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1861Showcasing the work of more than 25 highly skilled southern potters. The event is juried and the lineup of potter makers is quite impressive. They include works by festival organizer JoeFrank McKee of Tree House Pottery in Dillsboro, local artisan Brant Barnes of Riverwood Pottery also from Dillsboro, who has been featured on HGTV, and other nationally renowned potters.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1861http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2601The Park is the perfect back drop for capturing award-winning photographs. Take advantage of this information-packed 2-day clinic with noted WNC photographer Jeff Miller. Jeff has exhibited award-winning images in over a dozen venues, including the Pisgah National Forest, the Biltmore House, the Hendersonville Visitors Center, and the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site. For more information about him, visit his website at www.mountainlens.com. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2601http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2600Learn what’s falling in the forest other than the first fall leaves on the "Off the Beaten Path" Hike. Lots of nuts, fruits, and seeds of our native plants are ripe for the eating this time of year. See what’s what and who’s eating them. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2600http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2352Walking through the changing forest we’ll cover the basics of tree identification, discuss the changes the trees are undergoing and why they are doing so, and just generally enjoy the beauty and cooler temperatures of an Appalachian autumn.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2352http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2572Deborah Belcher returns to grace our gallery with her fantastic ability at the piano, this time with a blend of the familiar and the unusual. Deborah will be performing piano solo works and chamber music accompanied by select members of the Opal String Quartet. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2572http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2358Winter is a surprising time of the year. While many of our “tropical” species have left for the southern hemisphere, they are quietly replaced by a whole range of species from further north. Enjoying our winter birds is the predominant theme of this late fall workshop. This is the perfect time of the year to beat the bushes and hedgerows for an excellent selection of sparrows, such as Field, Savannah and Fox. Winter finches are starting to appear, as well as Lapland Longspur, American Pipit and Horned Lark. Raptors also move south with greater numbers of Red-tailed and Sharp-shinned Hawks moving south every week. Join us as we explore some great winter birding.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2358http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2612An evening of wolf ecology, biology, and we even teach you how to howl like the pack. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2612http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2224This monthly walk focuses on various seasonal features of the Arboretum's cultivated and wild plant collections. All walks leave at 1 p.m. from the Baker Exhibit Center Lobby, and participants should wear sturdy shoes and dress in layers.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2224http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=22The Asheville Film Festival is the must-see film festival on the East Coast. The festival has gained international recognition with Tess Harpers Career Achievement Award in 2007, quality films, and sold out shows. This annual four-day festival celebrates Western North Carolina as a strong film location and as the film festival destination for filmmakers and tourists alike. The festival features a variety of independent films; including feature length, documentaries, shorts, and animation, as well as a student film competition, industry panel discussions, location tours and opening and awards night galas. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=22http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2377Sample one of the Blue Ridge Naturalist’s core programs in this one-meeting class on local amphibians. Study local species, their habitat requirements, reproductive strategies, and life histories. This classroom presentation by naturalist Carlton Burke will include live animals as "guests".http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2377http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=104An enchanted spell falls over Biltmore House as day darkens into dusk. Lit by candlelight, firelight and Christmas tree lights, Biltmore House glows. Carols from choirs and ensembles fill the halls with festive sounds.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=104http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=118Get swept away by holiday music, garlands, poinsettias, dozens of Christmas trees and a magnificent 35-foot tall live Fraser fir.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=118http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1862The Polar Express comes to life when the train departs Bryson city for a journey to our North pole. Read along with the magical story and meet Santa. Enjoy holiday caroling, hot cocoa, a special treat and a memento for the children. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1862http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2256This exhibition reveals the complexity of the artist’s very personal investigation of the both the American South and his own family heritage. Christenberry’s theme is the narrative of place. He photographs ramshackle buildings, weathered commercial signs, lonely back roads, white-washed churches and decorated graves. Dutifully returning to the same locations annually, the green barn and the Bar-B-Q Inn, among others, Christenberry fulfills a personal ritual and documents the physical changes brought on by the passing of time. In addition to 50 drawings, the exhibition also features paintings, photographs, constructions and the Klan Room Tableau. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2256http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2616The Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts presents “Transitions: An Odyssey Resident Exhibition”, celebrating Resident Artists from 2006-2008. The show title “Transitions” reflects changes not only in the Resident population, but also in the work of these artists as they progress through the Resident Program. The seven featured Resident Artists – Joey Sheehan, Lori Theriault, Courtney Murphy, Sarah Danforth, Robert Francis, Suzanne Hobbs and Beth Flanagan – represent a group of artists in varying stages of their Residency, with diverse backgrounds and esthetics, yet all with goals for personal and professional development.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2616http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1863A special Gourmet Dinner Train pairing premium wines of the Biltmore Estate http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1863http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1864Join GSMR as we honor veterans of all eras.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1864http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2345The impact of the decline of Eastern Hemlock on the ecology of Appalachian forests, while not fully understood, will undoubtedly be dramatic. Join a day walk to explore the status of the “redwood of the east” and to consider its uncertain future.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2345http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2432During the Studio Stroll, artists of the River Arts District welcome you into their studios to talk with them, see their latest artwork, watch demonstrations, and experience for yourself the magic hidden inside the old factories and warehouses along the French Broad River.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2432http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2574We are holding our Annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza in the Pack Place Front Gallery. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2574http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2313With a solid foundation in classical ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet makes a lasting impression with ten versatile, energetic dancers performing a sophisticated repertoire featuring some of the world’s foremost choreographers. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2313http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2560From the book 'Free To Be...You And Me' conceived by Marlo Thomas. Adapted for the stage by Douglas Love and Regina Safran. Relive the classic children’s album of the 70s in a funny and irreverent a stage musical! Featuring iconic songs like “It's All Right To Cry,” “Parents Are People”, and “Glad To Have a Friend Like You.” http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2560http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2462UNC Asheville BA Student's ceramics.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2462http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2229Wine pairings with light hors d’oeuvreshttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2229http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2379Sample one of the Blue Ridge Naturalist’s core programs in this one-meeting class on local reptiles. Study local species, their habitat requirements, reproductive strategies, and life histories. This classroom presentation by naturalist Carlton Burke will include live animals as "guests".http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2379http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2415The Nunsense Christmas Musical! Presented as the first TV special taped in the Cable Access Studio built by Reverend Mother in the convent basement, Nuncrackers stars the nuns you love, plus Father Virgil, and four of Mount Saint Helen's most talented students. Featuring all new songs including “Twelve Days Prior to Christmas,” “Santa Ain't Comin' to Our House,” “We Three Kings of Orient Are Us” and “It's Better to Give than to Receive,” this show is filled with typical Nunsense humor. It's the perfect way to insure that your holiday season is merry and bright!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2415http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1865Make your journey to the North Pole in style.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1865http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2576Come learn about the exhibition William Christenberry: Site/Possession from the Asheville Art Museum's curatorial staff. You are sure to enjoy this insider's look at Christenberry's work, so join us! This exhibition reveals the complexity of the artist’s very personal investigation of the both the American South and his own family heritage. Christenberry’s theme is the narrative of place. He photographs ramshackle buildings, weathered commercial signs, lonely back roads, white-washed churches and decorated graves. Dutifully returning to the same locations annually, the green barn and the Bar-B-Q Inn, among others, Christenberry fulfills a personal ritual and documents the physical changes brought on by the passing of time. In addition to 50 drawings, the exhibition also features paintings, photographs, constructions and the Klan Room Tableau. The work included shows the many sides of rural Alabama, both positive and negative, and includes many drawings from the artist’s collection that have not been previously exhibited. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2576http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2294On this "Off the Beaten Path" Guided Hike, learn how leaves change color and what colors can be expected among our native trees. This is tree identification with a more colorful flair available only this time of year. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2294http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2606The French Broad River Garden Club and The North Carolina Arboretum have partnered to bring George Hawkins, Esq., director of the District Department of the Environment in Washington, D.C., to the region for an exclusive environmental lecture. Limited to 140 people, this free lecture by Hawkins will explore the cultural roots of the battle being fought about the future of our landscape and illustrate how two perspectives on global warming are in conflict but each make sense based on a differing set of assumptions – exemplified by cowboys and spacemen. Hawkins will explore how the rapid change of the facts governing the landscape and natural resources threaten to overwhelm the opportunity we have for an orderly cultural shift that provides a common sense approach to the possibility of global warming on many parallel fronts, from water, community values and taxes to foreign oil, farming and more.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2606http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2577This 2005 documentary, Rittenhouse Square, directed by Robert Downey, Sr., focuses on the historic and central Philadelphia square that serves as the city’s cultural and social center. The film’s soundtrack includes live opera, bluegrass and jazz. The modern Rittenhouse Square is not much different than it was 100 years ago when many of The Eight artists lived for a time in Philadelphia. Held in conjunction with the exhibition Life’s Rich Pageant: A Centennial Celebration of The Eight.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2577http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2471"THE BARBERSHOP ZONE!" . An evening of hilarity and harmony featuring the Land of the Sky Chorus, quartets, and a special choral treat from a local high school.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2471http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2529You remember the “Three B’s” from elementary music class, right? Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. Well, we have our own twist on the “Three B’s” in November when the ASO stomps, shimmies, and swings through Bernstein’s brash dances from his 1944 hit musical On the Town and young sensation Chad Hoopes takes the stage to play Bruch’s brilliant Violin Concerto No. 1. We will continue our survey of the symphonies of Brahms with his final essay – the powerful and stirring Symphony No. 4. It’s an evening of B’s likely to change your idea of who should belong in the Pantheon of B’s!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2529http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2117Brand-new original digital multimedia modern dance. Member of Merce Cunningham Dance- Boaker choreographs with motion capture, featuring animation and new technology. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2117http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2613An evening of wolf ecology, biology, and we even teach you how to howl like you're part of the pack!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2613http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2575Come see multi-faceted artist Faith Ringgold talk about her work as a painter, textile artist, children’s book author and illustrator exploring the African-American experience at Diana Wortham Theatre.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2575http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=337Experience the enchantment of gingerbread. Contestants from across the country will bring their architectural masterpieces to The Grove Park Inn. Delight in the imagination shown in these sugar-and-spice creations, strolling through the competition is a sure way to be swept up in the holiday spirit.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=337http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2355An appreciative look at the winter beauty of our mountain forests, revealed as trees shed their leaves. Walk includes information on tree identification, ecology, and natural history.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2355http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2381Sample one of the Blue Ridge Naturalist’s core programs in this one-meeting class on local birds. Study local species, their habitat requirements, reproductive strategies, and life histories. This classroom presentation by naturalist Carlton Burke will include live animals as "guests".http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2381http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2441Join ACDT, western North Carolina’s first professional modern dance company, as they celebrate 30 years of outstanding and innovative modern dance theatre. This season they welcome guest artist Erika Torres of Mexico to Asheville and premiere a new work, “The Last Dance of Mata Hari.” Erika has been a professional dancer and choreographer for 20 years including projects with “En Boca de Lobos Producciones”. She graduated in contemporary dance at the Centro Estatal de Bellas Artes de Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. She has studied in New York, Brussels and Paris with choreographers such as Alwin Nikolais and has also studied with the Fura Dels Baus and the Wuppertaler Tanz Theatre of Pina Bausch in Europe.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2441http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2602On this "Off the Beaten Path" Guided Hike with Naturalist Ron Lance, learn how leaves change color and what colors can be expected among our native trees. This is tree identification with a more colorful flair available only this time of year. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2602http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2387Want to live greener? This workshop explores appliances, sealing the envelope of your home, windows, solar retrofits, water usage, indoor air quality, choice of materials, solar greenhouses, hot water heating, HVAC options, geothermal, etc. Learn how to immediately start greening your home, as well as options for larger projects. Workshop includes tour of two passive solar homes – one new built and one retrofitted.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2387http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2596The theme of this year's Parade is... "The Art & Heart of Giving" and it will be an entertaining, family-friendly celebration of all of the holidays. This year's Parade will feature new, locally-crafted giant puppets created by Red Herring Puppets and members of the Asheville Puppetry Alliance. After the Parade, check your folding chairs at a "Chair Corral" and follow the map in the Parade Program to enjoy the beautiful displays of businesses entered in the Holiday Windows program. Then head over to Pritchard Park to cast your ballot for your favorite window in the "People's Choice" award. There you'll also meet Santa who will be singing a few songs, meeting children and then collecting his mail from the North Pole Express Mail Box installed at Pritchard Park. After Santa leaves, there will be a performance by members of the famous Biltmore Baptist Choir and Youth Music Ministries. As you walk through town, you will notice many stores and restaurants with Candy Cane Heart posters in their windows. All of these businesses (also listed in your Parade Program) will be giving a gift to patrons on Parade Day so stop in, have a bite to eat, start your holiday shopping early and you'll receive a little gift to start the season of giving!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2596http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2221Craft your own unique holiday decoration from the freshest evergreens and cones! Participants will make one large or two small wreaths using boxwood, white pine and fir, adding finishing touches from a selection of natural materials such as magnolia leaves, cedar boughs, cones, fruits, branches and pods. Arboretum director of education Julie Vidato leads this program; she previously taught wreath-making courses at Calloway Gardens and the Chicago Botanical Gardens. All materials and guidance included.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2221http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1802Spend time with Santa at The North Pole as he tries to fulfill a child's special Christmas wish. Meet Santa's staff, a traveling salesman and a stowaway as Christmas Eve approaches. This laugh-filled holiday play is innocent enough for the youngest child, but full of fun for everyonehttp://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1802http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2543100 of the area's most unique heritage and contemporary artisans . Purchase an original watercolor painting or quilt and meet the artist who made it ! Appalachian brooms , goatmilk soap and glass art will provide that special gift . Children's rocking horses and wood toys are the perfect Grand Ma present. A Christmas tree grower will shape fresh mountain greenery for your holiday door. A family holiday tradition.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2543http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2442Celebrate the Holidays with the beloved Italian legend of LaBefana, the gift-giver who embodies the spirit of goodness and hope. This magical story is set in a Byzantine style, mixing hand, rod, shadow and black light puppets. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2442http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1581On Sundays during the holiday season, the Folk Art Center hosts free musical performances. On Dec. 7 and 21 from 1pm to 4pm the Southern Highland Craft Guild offers free demonstrations and hands-on projects for children on how to make holiday presents and decorations. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1581http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2182Joe Ruminski, former president of the country's largest woodturning club (Carolina Mountain Woodturners Club), will teach this 12-hour hands-on class.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2182http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2383Sample one of the Blue Ridge Naturalist’s core programs in this one-meeting class on local mammals. Study local species, their habitat requirements, reproductive strategies, and life histories. This classroom presentation by naturalist Carlton Burke will include live animals as "guests".http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2383http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2561This December, It’s a Wonderful Life moves to the intimate Diana Wortham Theatre for two nights only! Quickly becoming a holiday tradition, this hit show completely sold out in its first two years. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2561http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2463UNC Asheville BA Student's ceramics. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2463http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2578Come tour the Asheville Art Museum exhibition Expectant Gaze — Art from the Eye and Mind guided by a member of the Asheville Art Museum Docents. Expectant Gaze — Art from the Eye and Mind presents works from the permanent collection that probe art’s two oldest and most essential functions: rendering the visual world and envisioning new possibilities for experiencing it. This exhibition juxtaposes works in a range of media making these primary functions of art easier to consider. Works that seem realistic may be more heavily weighted toward the goal of depiction, while art considered abstract may be closer to the task of calling up the purely imaginary, but both exist along the same continuum. Bringing such seemingly disparate objects together opens new avenues for exploration, understanding and inspiration. A new selection of works, including some recent acquisitions, are now on view, offering new opportunities to experience the permanent collection.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2578http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=303Historic Biltmore Village transforms itself into a quaint Victorian village on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of December. Enjoy three days of concerts, refreshments, horsedrawn carriage rides, and strolling vocalists and instrumentalists in costumes of the period. Come join us for the fun!http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=303http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2579Join us for a discussion with Mike Smith, Photographer. Held in conjunction with William Christenberry: Site/Possession. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2579http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2615Illuminate your evening with music, crafts, food and fun at the annual holiday event at the Nature Center. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2615http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2388Want to live greener? This workshop explores appliances, sealing the envelope of your home, windows, solar retrofits, water usage, indoor air quality, choice of materials, solar greenhouses, hot water heating, HVAC options, geothermal, etc. Learn how to immediately start greening your home, as well as options for larger projects. Workshop includes tour of two passive solar homes – one new built and one retrofitted.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2388http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2296Take an off-trail trek in one of the rhododendron-blanketed ravines of Chimney Rock Park to complete the 2008 "Off the Beaten Path" Guided Hike Series. You'll see large trees, rocks, moss, and hopefully, some wildlife. This exploration will need good footwear, balance, and tolerance for occasional slips among sloping ground.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2296http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2356An appreciative look at the winter beauty of our mountain forests, revealed as trees shed their leaves. Walk includes information on tree identification, ecology, and natural history.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2356http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1580Held at the Folk Art Center, the Seconds Sale is the Southern Highland Craft Guild's annual event providing the opportunity for individual members and the organization to sell overruns, discontinued stock and studio seconds in a festive atmosphere during the holiday season. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=1580http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2617Several artists and businesses will host a Holiday Art Walk to welcome the holiday season and celebrate the diverse and growing small businesses on Haywood Road in West Asheville. Participating businesses include the Bloom Room, Blue Ribbon Hair, Minx and Runny Bunny, just west of I-240 on Haywood Road. On the east side, Haywood Road merchants include The Admiral Restaurant, Harvest Records, Blue Barnhouse, A Touch of Glass, Bookworks, Custom, Marty Mitchell Glass, Krug Creative and Steebo Designs. Crazy Green Studios, Mimi Strang Design and Pleasant Hugh Studio are located on Domino Lane. All businesses are within easy walking distance of each other.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2617http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2298Before he climbs down millions of chimneys around the world, Santa practices on 315’ Chimney Rock. http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2298http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2580This insightful, short documentary follows William Christenberry as he travels to Hale County, Alabama. He discusses his influences and the genesis of his work. It is fascinating to hear him talk about his photographs, sculpture and installation pieces as forming one cohesive body of work rather than as separate entities. This is the perfect film to lend understanding of Christenberry’s oeuvre and the thought process of a contemporary post-modern artist. Held in conjunction with the exhibition William Christenberry: Site/Possession.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2580http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2473"THE BARBERSHOP ZONE!" . An evening of hilarity and harmony featuring the Land of the Sky Chorus, quartets, and a guest comedy quartet LUNCH BREAK, Dixie District Champion/International Barbershop Harmony Society Semi-finalists.http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2473http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2581The Big Crafty is an independent craft fair that will be hosted this fall by the Asheville Art Museum. It is a day-long celebration of handmade art and craftistry, including artists and their wares, demos by acclaimed crafters, food, drink, and DJ’d music. There’s even going to be a craffle-raffle! http://www.exploreasheville.com/event-calendar/event-details/index.aspx?eid=2581