Asheville's Must-Attend Events & Biz Tips for May 15–22

Welcome to AVL BIZ Weekly—your local cheat sheet for what’s happening in Asheville’s small business and creative scenes.

Each week, I send out hand-picked events, marketing ideas that actually work, and a little local flavor to keep things fun.

My name's Jason and I'm writing this (connect with me here).

On Deck

• 📅 Upcoming Events: Pitch parties, client-finding workshops, and a celebration of Asheville's young talent.

• ⚡ Marketing Quickies: Boost your Google Business Profile and harness AI for effortless content creation.

• 🎭 Fun Stuff Around AVL: True tales at The Moth, plus a lineup of can't-miss concerts.

• 🙋 Want your biz featured in front of a few really smart AVL business owners? Email me for details

Upcoming Events

• 🗓️ PROpel AVL Grow Series: How to Develop an Agile Mindset Thursday, May 15 · 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM @ Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce - 2nd Floor Boardroom. Led by Sarah Benoit, learn to deal with challenges and embrace change.

• 🗓️ Mountain BizWorks: Hatch Pitch Party | Thursday, May 15 · 6:00 PM–8:00 PM @ Barley's Taproom. Share your business idea, get feedback, and connect with cool business people.

• 🗓️ Asheville Beer Week | May 15–29 · Various venues. Celebrate Asheville's beer scene with tastings, dinners, and discussions. 44 different events to wet your palate.

• Finding Your Audience: How to Attract Your Dream Clients | Friday, May 23 · 11:00 AM–1:00 PM @ Center for Craft, led by Jacqueline Boone. Learn to define and connect with your ideal customers

• 2025 PROpel AVL Awards Celebration | Thursday, May 22, 2025 · 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM @ The Barn at Honeysuckle Hill. Celebrate young talent with Cookie Carter as MC and DJ Molly Parti.

• GRINDFEST 2025 | May 24 | A month-long celebration featuring workshops, music, dance, food, and culture with the theme "Rebuilding is Everybody's Business - AVL Strong!”

Hosting something cool?

📬 Hit reply and tell me what you think. Or share an event!

Marketing Quickies

I’m a marketer and educator at heart. Here I’ll share interesting links that you can apply to your business to get more leads, make your life easier, hire better, and grow your business.

• Tip 1 (for Local Businesses): Get More Customers Than Your Competition For Free

  • The Scoop: In a city like Asheville, where local charm and easy discoverability are absolute gold, your Google Business Profile isn't just a listing; it's your digital front door, open 24/7. Many businesses set it up and then... crickets.

  • Don't be that business! Make it a habit to regularly update your hours (especially crucial with festival season and fluctuating schedules!), add fresh, enticing photos of your products, services, or storefront, and actively encourage your happy customers to leave reviews. And here’s the kicker: respond to those reviews – yes, all of them, even the less-than-glowing ones. A thoughtful response shows you’re listening and you care, which speaks volumes to potential customers.

  • Proactively use the Q&A feature to answer common questions. Think of your GBP as your most diligent Asheville ambassador, constantly working for you.

  • The Payoff: A well-tended GBP significantly boosts your visibility in local search results and on Google Maps.

• Tip 2: Smart Small with AI for Content Creation (No PhD in Tech Required!).

  • The Scoop: Feeling the content creation hamster wheel spinning a little too fast? Whether it's social media, blog posts, or even your next newsletter (wink, wink), Artificial Intelligence tools can be your surprisingly helpful new assistant.

  • Platforms like ChatGPT, Jasper, or even Canva's built-in Magic Write can help you brainstorm ideas, draft initial captions, summarize articles, or outline content. You don't need to dive into complex AI strategies right away.

  • Start simple: ask an AI tool for five Instagram caption ideas for your latest offering, or a catchy headline for your next promotion.

  • The Payoff: This approach can save you a significant amount of precious time, help you leap over those dreaded writer's block hurdles, and enable you to maintain a more consistent and engaging online presence.

    • If the results don’t come out the way you want, be specific and ask the AI tool to fix what’s not on brand. This is the way.

  🆘 If this stuff makes your head spin 🤪, or need help getting more local customers, shoot me a message. This is what I do 🙂

Fun Stuff Around AVL

Bands on the Horizon

• Community Concert featuring the Steep Canyon Rangers - May 29 @ Pack Square Park

• Tedeschi Trucks Band w/ Maggie Rose – May 14 @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena

• Sunami / Pain Of Truth – May 15 @ The Orange Peel

• ⚡Wilco & Waxahatchee – May 16 @ Asheville Yards Amphitheater. (Who wants to join me at this one?!)

• The Crane Wives – May 16 @ The Orange Peel (Note: This show is listed as Sold Out)

• Real Friends – May 16 @ The Grey Eagle

• Ross Osteen Band – May 16 @ Oklawaha Brewing Company, Hendersonville

• Danny Sharpe – May 16 @ Dry Falls Brewing Co., Hendersonville

• Mat Kearney w/ Augustana (solo) – May 17 @ The Orange Peel

• Ska City – May 17 @ Oklawaha Brewing Company, Hendersonville

• Brett Dennen & River Whyless – May 18 @ The Orange Peel

• Kishi Bashi – May 18 @ The Grey Eagle

• Hendersonville Swing Band Concert – May 18 @ Trinity Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville

• Between The Buried And Me – May 19 @ The Orange Peel

• Sturgill Simpson – May 20 & 21 @ Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville

• Future Islands – May 23 @ Burial Beer Forestry Camp

• Moon Taxi – May 30 @ The Orange Peel

• Dark Star Orchestra – May 31 @ Asheville Yards Amphitheater

• Thee Sacred Souls – May 31 @ The Orange Peel (Note: This show is listed as Sold Out)

That’s all for this week!

Go make something awesome happen this week, Asheville. I’ll see you next Thursday!

Email me here and tell me what you think, or let me know about an event you’re hosting.

Until next week,

-Jason

Jason De Los Santos
Pixelated Stories Digital Marketing
(828) 585-4293