Get ready for celebration + advocacy. | Photo via Blue Ridge Pride
Lucky you. You just found AVLtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events that are taking place throughout Asheville in April.
For the fam
Asheville Tourists Opening Day | Tuesday, April 8 | 6:30 p.m. | McCormick Field | $13+ | Catch opening day at McCormick Field as the Tourists take on a regional rival, the Greenville Drive.
Concerts
Downtown After 5 | Friday, April 18 | 5-10 p.m. | Pack Square Park | Free | Asheville’s beloved community concert series kicks off the season in its new Pack Square Park location with Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast with Dirty French Broads.
Festivals
Asheville Herb Festival | Friday, April 25-Sunday, April 27 | Times vary | WNC Agriculture Center — Davis Event Center, Fletcher | Free | The largest herb festival in the US and Canada returns to WNC to bring some flavor to your spring and summer.
Seasonal
Appalachia Day | Saturday, April 26 | Various times | Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Fairview | Free | Celebrate all things Appalachian with a morning hike, festival, market, and live music on the farm — tickets are required for the concert.
Mahjong Community Group | Monday, March 31, Wednesday, April 2 | 1-4 p.m. | Woodfin YMCA | Free | Improve your memory and sharpen your mind while learning a new game, or hone your skills with a friendly group.
Neon Trees | Monday, March 31, Monday, March 31 | Times vary | The Orange Peel | $33 | Dance along to 2010 throwbacks and newer tracks from the pop band’s 2024 album.
Tuesday, April 1
AVL’s Law of Attraction | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage | Free, RSVP | Listen to a discussion on what attracts businesses and tourists to the Land of Sky.
Wednesday, April 2
Pen to Paper Writing Group | 10-11:30 a.m. | Harvest House Community Center | Free | Document stories about your life and share them with others at this twice-weekly writing group.
SHINYRIBS | 7 p.m. | The Grey Eagle | $30+ | Enjoy a night of fusion music where this talented artist blends New Orleans R&B, Texas blues, and Memphis soul.
Thursday, April 3
1st Anniversary Party | 5-9 p.m. | Soprana Rooftop Cucina | Cost of purchases | Celebrate one year of business with Aperol Spritz towers, DJs, and raffle prizes.
Wildfires continue to burn throughout WNC, including the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County, South Carolina, which crossed the state line into Transylvania County over the weekend. The entire state remains under a burn ban until conditions improve. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Announced
AVL Fest will not take place this year. Organizers announced on Instagram that the four-day music festival would pause for 2025, citing ongoing recovery efforts within the community. The post also alluded to upcoming surprise announcements, so stay tuned.
Community
UNC Asheville will host a community listening session on Wednesday, April 16, on the development of its Millennial Campus. The proposed development on a 45-acre parcel of urban forest owned by the university has faced pushback from surrounding community members.
Civic
The City of Asheville will resume its regular schedule for curbside brush collection today, including bagged leaves and brush trimmings. Storm debris will continue to be removed by contractors until the final pass is complete. Find city collection requirements and your pick-up schedule.
Number
57. That’s how many landslides from Helene impacted the Blue Ridge Parkway. While 312 miles of the 469-mile scenic byway have been reopened, the National Park Service announced eight priority repair projects underway, including nearby Bull Gap and Haw Creek.
Southern Living published its list of the best Southern fast food chains. In a surprise to no one, North Carolina-based chains Bojangles, Cook Out, and Biscuitville all made the list.
Featured Home
This cozy + contemporary Black Mountain cabin is a ~2-minute drive to local hotspots (YMCA, Creekside Sports Club + the shops at Cheshire Village), seven minutes from downtown Black Mountain, and 15 minutes from downtown AVL. With updated features throughout, this private wooded oasis is the perfect place to call home.*
Spring into Solar this sunny season (and help build a greener Asheville) with Sugar Hollow Solar educational events throughout the community from now until June 21. Here’s how you can spring clean your carbon footprint.*
Category
Cause
The kids are alright
Students who volunteer also learn about the challenges of building affordable housing. | Photo via Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity
College students from across the country are flocking to Asheville for spring break, but not for the reason you think.
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity has hosted hundreds of college students from Boston, Michigan, and Alabama, just to name a few, who wanted to spend their spring break building homes with the local nonprofit.
Stephanie Wallace, a volunteer coordinator with Habitat for Humanity, said they’ve seen an influx of volunteers since Helene.
“We typically host four to six groups in the spring,” Wallace said. “This year, there are already 19 out-of-town groups scheduled, and nearly 300 more individuals have expressed interest in coming here to help.”
Feeling inspired? You can sign up to volunteer, donate, or attend an event.
Bonus:Read about another group of college students who spent their spring break helping with local recovery efforts.
The Buy
The Buy
It’s the last day of Amazon’s spring sale deals. Shop some of the deepest discounts we’ve seen:
🌸 Get an indoor camera for security, baby, or pet monitoring — usually $79.99, it’s discounted to $29.99.
🌸 Finally try the viral COSRX Snail Mucin with 66% off this all-in-one cream.
🌸 Make your patio or bar pop with a smart flex lighting strip that’s marked down from $24.99 to $10.
🌸 Cuisinart’s 4.6-star rated salad spinner is 71% off.
🌸 Get two cotton waffle weave tea towels for $7.49 (usually $19.99).
Did you catch these old photos of the S&W Cafeteria that the market posted on Instagram last week? You can read up on the building’s architect in this article Grace worked on last month.
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