ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Looking for things to do this weekend? We’ve got you covered. From a party in the River Arts District to an all-vegan Thanksgiving feast, we have all kinds of activities in our weekend guide to Asheville and WNC.
Friday, Nov. 7
Only Hope WNC 14th Annual Sleepout – 6 p.m., 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Hendersonville
In honor of National Youth Awareness Month, Only Hope WNC, a local news outlet and nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support for unhoused youth, is asking residents of Western North Carolina to come together to sleep outside. For more information, contact Only Hope WNC at (828) 693-5499 or onlyhopeWNC@gmail.com.
Three Church Concert – 7 p.m., Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St.
This Friday, the churches of Church Street will come together for their annual collaborative choir concert. This year, the community building will not stop with music, either. The 2025 Three Church Concert is also a fundraiser for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Read our preview here.
Watch “Frankenstein” – Streaming on Netflix
It feels like Guillermo del Toro has been building toward this moment for his entire career. After constructing a dozen beautiful, gothic films featuring eccentric laboratories, empathetic monsters and crumbling mansions, he has finally been granted the opportunity to work with the ur-text of them all: “Frankenstein.” Read our review of the new adaptation from the “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water” director, streaming on Netflix this weekend.
Saturday, Nov. 8
RADFest 2.0 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., River Arts District
Just weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the River Arts District in September 2024, the Asheville arts community banded together to put on RADFest, a free, district-wide party celebrating the region’s creators. This weekend, that celebration returns as RADFest 2.0. Read our overview here.
One Act Play Festival “Show B” – 7:30 p.m., Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S. Washington St.
At Hendersonville Theatre’s 2nd annual One Act Play Festival, short, original plays from around the country will take to the stage for a two week run, split into two halves of five plays each. The plays are a diverse assortment, ranging in genre from comedy to drama to ghost story, and audiences are invited to participate by voting for their favorite shows in the lineup, the most lauded of which will be selected for the Best of Show performance at the festival’s end. Read more in our story here.
ThanksLiving Potluck and Guest Speaker Gene Baur – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Animal Haven of Asheville, 65 Lower Grassy Branch Road
Local animal rescue Animal Haven of Asheville will host a vegan Thanksgiving feast and fundraiser this weekend at their farm. Participants are invited to bring vegan dishes and desserts for 8-10 people marked with an ingredients list. Additionally, participants are asked to provide their own plates, utensils and beverages. In addition to the vegan meal, ThanksLiving will feature a talk from Gene Baur, founder of Farm Sanctuary, an agricultural animal advocacy group. Tickets to the event are $25 and can be found here.
Sunday, Nov. 9
One Act Play Festival “Show A” – 3 p.m., Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S. Washington St.
At Hendersonville Theatre’s 2nd annual One Act Play Festival, short, original plays from around the country will take to the stage for a two week run, split into two halves of five plays each. The plays are a diverse assortment, ranging in genre from comedy to drama to ghost story, and audiences are invited to participate by voting for their favorite shows in the lineup, the most lauded of which will be selected for the Best of Show performance at the festival’s end. Read more in our story here.
Attic Salt Theatre Company presents “The Thanksgiving Play” – 2:30 p.m., Attic Salt Theatre Arts Space, 2002 Riverside Dr.
Following a stand-out production of “Miss Julie” earlier this September, local thespian troupe Attic Salt Theatre Company will bring the satirical comedy “The Thanksgiving Play” to their stage this November. “The Thanksgiving Play,” written by Lakota playwright Larissa FastHorse, follows the efforts of a group of white teachers to craft a politically-correct Thanksgiving play for their students. The plan quickly goes awry, resulting in a sharp, funny satire of past representation of Native Americans and the tradition of Thanksgiving at large. Read our preview story here.