Calendar of Events
Looking for things to do in Hendersonville, NC? Whether you’re a local or just passing through we’ve got loads of great tips and events to help you find your perfect adventure.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Fishes of the Southern Appalachians with Carlton Burke
ON-SITE | Thursday, March 13 | 12 – 4 pm
Blue Ridge Naturalist – Wildlife of the Blue Ridge Core Credit
The Southern Appalachian region is rich with a variety of fish species. These include not only the better known species of game fish that we love to catch for sport or food, but also include an incredible diversity of smaller, lesser-known non-game fish, which play an important role in the ecology of our aquatic mountain habitats. In this class we will discuss many of the fish species found in the mountain region and learn about their classification, habitat, life cycles, and their identifying features.
This program includes a lab portion of the class where students will see some features of fish hands on with real fish specimens.
Join the Southeast’s largest gathering of farmers, gardeners, and sustainability advocates at Organic Growers School’s (OGS) 2025 Spring Conference! This year’s theme, Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal, focuses on building stronger, more sustainable communities.
Highlights include:
🌱 32+ workshops across 8 tracks (Gardening, Soils, Mushrooms, and more)
🌱 New tracks on off-grid systems, mutual aid, and resilience practices
🌱 Inspiring expert speakers like Dan Brisebois, Pam Dawling, and Chris Smith
Special Features:
Community Room, exhibitor hall, Southeastern Seed & Plant Exchange, and delicious local meals.
🎟️ Early Bird Deal: 50% off weekend and single-day passes! Register now: organicgrowersschool.org/spring-conference
Protecting our Native Hemlocks: Treatment Demonstration with Hemlock Restorative Initiative
ON-SITE | Friday, March 14 | 1 – 4 pm
Blue Ridge EcoGardener – Elective Credit
Join Hemlock Restoration Initiative staff for a demonstration and workshop in the Arboretum forest to learn the fundamentals of treating hemlock trees to protect them from the invasive insect, hemlock woolly adelgid. Designed for a general audience, this workshop is great for homeowners who steward hemlocks on their property or for anyone interested in learning treatment basics. Today hemlock management is simpler and less expensive than ever before!
You Are Here: Understanding Maps with Anton DuMars
ON-SITE | Saturday, March 15 | 1 – 3:30 pm
Blue Ridge Naturalist – Elective Credit
With GPS built into our phones and cars, we are increasingly in danger of losing our ways of navigating. Expand your understanding of topographic and geologic maps with this course taught by Geologist Anton DuMars. An in-class portion will focus on an investigation of map symbols, scales, dates, color-coding, water features, and other attributes that are used to interpret data on topographic and geologic maps into. Then the class will move outside for a skills session to interpret real-world features within a map, stepping off on some exploration at the Arboretum. If you have one, please bring a handheld compass with you to the class but we will have some for students to borrow if needed.
This program takes place both indoors and out. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.
Drawn to Nature with Matt Reyna
ON-SITE | Sunday, March 16 | 10am – 12:30pm
Join us for a Sunday morning reserved for creative self-care. Using basic mark-makers (pencils, graphite, etc) we’ll explore the instinctual, yet undervalued act of drawing–through the lens of nature. Choose your own focus – capture grand mountain views from our classroom, work on a collective nature still life, or hone in on the small details of nature on your own. Weather depending, students may choose to sketch outside.
Basic art materials, hot tea, and a welcoming atmosphere will be provided. All skill levels welcome! Feel free to bring your own materials, but kindly keep wet media (paints, etc) at home.
This program takes place both indoors and out. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.
Late winter is the perfect time to start planning for summer gardens, and what better way to begin than with our Basics of Vegetable Gardening class! Join us to learn the essentials of starting your own vegetable garden, including information about plants that do best in our area.
In this class, experienced teacher and former director John Murphy will guide you through the fundamentals of vegetable gardening. You’ll discover the best practices for soil preparation, seed selection, planting, and maintaining a thriving garden. This class will provide you with the knowledge and confidence to grow your own fresh and healthy vegetables.
Get ready to dig in and start your journey to a bountiful summer harvest.
Spring can be a time where life starts to suddenly speed up as the winter chill melts away. Take some time for a guided mindful walk through the garden with short therapeutic horticulture activities incorporated throughout the walk. This class is great for anyone needing to take time to slow down, anyone curious about what therapeutic horticulture actually is, or anyone wishing to get to know Bullington Gardens better.
Two different dates to choose from!
Tuesday, March 18th, 9:00-11:00 or Wednesday, March 19th, 9:00-11:00. $20/$15 for Friends of Bullington Gardens.
Scouting the First Signs of Spring with Lauren Lampley
ON-SITE | Tuesday, March 18 | 2 – 4 pm
Blue Ridge Naturalist – Elective Credit
Spring is an exciting time of the year and even more so this year after the destruction following Tropical Storm Helene last year. Join Lauren on an exploration to find the first signs of spring! During this class we will also discuss the study of phenology and it is important to record the timing of spring’s events especially for climate scientists.
This program takes place outdoors. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.
Spring can be a time where life starts to suddenly speed up as the winter chill melts away. Take some time for a guided mindful walk through the garden with short therapeutic horticulture activities incorporated throughout the walk. This class is great for anyone needing to take time to slow down, anyone curious about what therapeutic horticulture actually is, or anyone wishing to get to know Bullington Gardens better.
Two different dates to choose from!
Tuesday, March 18th, 9:00-11:00 or Wednesday, March 19th, 9:00-11:00. $20/$15 for Friends of Bullington Gardens.
Geology of the Blue Ridge I with Anton DuMars
ON-SITE | Wednesday, March 19 | 12 – 4 pm
Blue Ridge Naturalist – Geology of the Blue Ridge Core Credit
This is the first class of a two-part Geology course that explores the geologic history of the Southern Appalachian Mountains with lecture presentations, discussions and self-guided explorations in the field. The course begins with a discussion of the earth’s interior and plate tectonics, progresses to a model for the formation of the southern Appalachians and then describes the surficial processes that generate the current mountain topography. Discussion will also include an overview of geologic processes that affect these mountains today: earthquakes, mass movements and floods.
Harlem Globetrotters 2025 World Tour Presented by Jersey Mike’s Subs returns to the ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville on March 21, 2025.
Forest Bathing Retreat: Spring Awakening & Renewal with Asheville Wellness Tours
ON-SITE | Saturday, March 22 | 1 – 4 pm
The changing seasons are rich with wisdom and guidance. Winter is a time for rest and dreaming, followed by spring, ripe with opportunities for renewal and growth. Cultivate those winter dreams and invite them to birth into reality during this enlivening afternoon retreat. Let your most authentic Self emerge from within and flourish amidst the beauty of the early spring!
Your guide, Kelly Bruce, will lead you on a gentle journey through the awakening forest, weaving mindfulness, breathwork, forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku) and nature therapy together for a restorative afternoon at the North Carolina Arboretum. We’ll celebrate the Spring Equinox in community, enjoying a wild-foraged tea ceremony and snacks. Bring an open mind and an open heart. All are welcome. Presented through Adult & Continuing Education Programs in collaboration with Asheville Wellness Tours.
This program takes place outdoors. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.
Soil Health for Gardeners with Laura Lengnick
ON-SITE | Saturday, March 22 | 1 – 4 pm
Blue Ridge EcoGardener – Core
Learn why healthy soils are critical to the well being of our communities and how to cultivate landscapes that promote soil health. This practical, hands-on course will teach you how to conduct simple soil tests using tools you can find in your kitchen to monitor the health of your soil. Participants can bring a soil sample from their garden to test in this class.
Lunch + Learn: Wildfire Mitigation in Southern Appalachia with Troy Harrison
Sunday, March 23 | 12pm – 1pm
The Southern Appalachian ecosystem is home to a diverse landscape filled with a unique combination of wildlife and vegetation. It is hardly surprising that Western North Carolina is a popular destination for those seeking a pace to settle down or build a second home. However, living in close proximity to nature can carry a risk of damage or loss from wildfire. This program will explore a brief history of wildfire suppression in our area, along with specific measures anyone can take to reduce risk of property damage.
Natural History Interpretation (3 sessions) with Brad Daniel
Tuesdays, March 25, April 1 + 8 | 12 – 4 pm
Natural history interpreters provoke interest and curiosity in our natural and cultural heritage. This course will introduce the basic principles of environmental interpretation and is designed for Blue Ridge Naturalists who will be leading nature walks, teaching natural history to adults or children, and delivering talks to community groups. Participants will learn how to create nature education talks or walks that are purposeful, enjoyable, informative and organized. Students will be given an opportunity to develop their own programs and practice their presentation and communication skills. This class fulfills a Capstone Core requirement for the Blue Ridge Naturalist Certificate and should be completed near the end of a student’s studies in the program.
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
24th Asheville Orchid Festival “Orchid Arcadia”
March 28, 2025 4:00 – 7:30 p.m.
March 29 – 30, 2025 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Education Center
The Western North Carolina Orchid Society (WNCOS) and The North Carolina Arboretum will once again host one of Western North Carolina’s greatest annual plant shows: the 24th Asheville Orchid Festival “Orchid Arcadia” from March 28-30, 2025. This will be an American Orchid Society sanctioned judging event.
World-class orchid growers and breeders along with regional orchid societies will exhibit at the annual festival, with hundreds of orchids presented in carefully crafted displays.
Admission to the Asheville Orchid Festival is $5.00 for everyone over the age of 12 years old, and free for Western North Carolina Orchid Society members. A regular parking fee for The North Carolina Arboretum applies for all attendees with the exception of Arboretum Members.
Thousands of orchids will be for sale by vendors from Ecuador and across the United States. There will be something for all orchid lovers, and attendees should expect rare species and cutting-edge hybrids. All orchid exhibits, orchid programs, and educational lectures are included with the admission fee and children 12 and under can enter free. All admission proceeds benefit WNCOS, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and help expand the society’s mission of “sharing the excitement and joy of cultivating orchids and promoting orchid conservation
For more information, please visit wncos.org
Ages 5+
Suitable for Beginners to Advanced Birders
This outing takes place at Lake Julian Park from 8:30-11:30 am. Get to know the birds of Lake Julian, one of Buncombe County’s birding hotspots! We will start with a walk along the shore of Lake Julian and ends with birding on the lake from Lake Julian’s pontoon boat. Free, Registration Required. Binoculars are available upon request but supplies are limited. Dress for the weather!
Registration opens 30 days prior to activity.
For more information email [email protected] or call 828-250-4260.
24th Asheville Orchid Festival “Orchid Arcadia”
March 28, 2025 4:00 – 7:30 p.m.
March 29 – 30, 2025 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Education Center
The Western North Carolina Orchid Society (WNCOS) and The North Carolina Arboretum will once again host one of Western North Carolina’s greatest annual plant shows: the 24th Asheville Orchid Festival “Orchid Arcadia” from March 28-30, 2025. This will be an American Orchid Society sanctioned judging event.
World-class orchid growers and breeders along with regional orchid societies will exhibit at the annual festival, with hundreds of orchids presented in carefully crafted displays.
Admission to the Asheville Orchid Festival is $5.00 for everyone over the age of 12 years old, and free for Western North Carolina Orchid Society members. A regular parking fee for The North Carolina Arboretum applies for all attendees with the exception of Arboretum Members.
Thousands of orchids will be for sale by vendors from Ecuador and across the United States. There will be something for all orchid lovers, and attendees should expect rare species and cutting-edge hybrids. All orchid exhibits, orchid programs, and educational lectures are included with the admission fee and children 12 and under can enter free. All admission proceeds benefit WNCOS, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and help expand the society’s mission of “sharing the excitement and joy of cultivating orchids and promoting orchid conservation