• 2023 Asheville Greek Festival | Friday, Sept. 22-Saturday, Sept. 23 | 11 a.m.-9 p.m. | Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 277 Cumberland Ave., Asheville | $3-$5 | Explore the tastes, sights, and sounds of Greece at this annual festival.
• Pack Square Artisan Market | Friday, Sept. 22 | 1-8 p.m. | N. Pack Square, Asheville | Free | This family-friendly street festival features handmade goods from local + independent artists.
• Pippin | Friday, Sept. 22-Sunday, Sept. 24 | Times vary | Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St., Asheville | $18-$36.50 | Step into a magical and mysterious world of self-discovery during this Broadway classic.

• Blue Note Junction Pop-Up | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 4-6 p.m. | Burton Street, 54 Burton St., Asheville | Free | Celebrate phase one of this entrepreneurial hub that’s designed to support the health + wealth of the local BIPOC community and the city as a whole.
• Shrektoberfest | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 3-11 p.m. | DSSOLVR, 63 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville | Free | The festival is returning for its second year bigger, badder, and Shrexier than ever with an onion toss, costume contest, and ogre roar competition.
• A Hobbit Affair | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 3-8 p.m. | Sweeten Creek Brewing, 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd., Asheville | Free | Feast on items from local vendors and enjoy the finest ales in the company of other elves, dwarves, and hobbits — costumes encouraged, of course.
• Pickleball Fun Day Wheelchair Fundraiser | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 8 a.m.-7 p.m. | Asheville Sports Club, 137 Coxe Ave., Asheville | $5-$25 | Gather your pals for some pickleball while helping to provide wheelchairs to health centers in Asheville’s sister city of Osogbo, Nigeria.

• Uncommon Market | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | 1 Foundy St., Asheville | Free | Shop from 115 local vendors at Asheville’s largest curated pop-up market.
• Broken Social Scene | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville | $28-$30 | See the indie rock band on their 20th anniversary tour for their 2002 album, You Forgot It in People.
• Cease and Desists: Panda Excess | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 5-10 p.m. | Cultura , 147 Coxe Ave., Asheville | $60 | Chef Eric and his team will be dishing out four-to-five course tasting menus inspired by popular chain restaurants.

• Get your ducks in a row for Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s (ASAP) annual Farm Tour this Saturday + Sunday, Sept. 23-24, from 12 to 5 p.m. The whole family is invited to explore 22 farms to uncover the roots of our local food.

• Fall officially begins this Saturday, Sept. 23, and we’re here to help you make the most of it with Asheville’s fall bucket list for 2023. Check off the boxes as you go for a spooky + spectacular season.

• Noah Kahan is coming back to Asheville on May 22, 2024 for the We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour. Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 29 for his show in the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville. The show may be a ways away, but set your reminders now because this is going to be a hot ticket.

Why go:

• The island is home to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge where you can find herds of wild ponies roaming the marshland and beaches. Fun fact: The ponies have been living on the island for hundreds of years. Explore the history of the herd + check out the annual Pony Swim the last Thursday in July.

Act like a local:

• Learn: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center is just a 10-minute car ride from the island. Explore hands-on exhibits about NASA’s Earth Science program and the important role the facility has had in our understanding of earth + space science since it opened in 1945.

Where to stay:

• Vrbo: Family beach vacay coming up? This 4 BD, 2.5 BA waterfront home in the Smugglers Cove area offers a peaceful + private island experience. (~$315/night)

• It doesn’t get more luxurious than the Drowsy sleep mask, which is silky smooth on skin and completely light-blocking for the deepest sleep.

• The Bentgo stackable lunch box includes two stackable containers, built-in silverware, and dividers to snugly fit food portions into individual compartments.

• Your fall drink: A Negroni cocktail made with Ritual Zero Proof’s award-winning non-alcoholic spirits. You’ll skip the hangover and still get all the classic taste.