Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Magic of Lights is a dazzling, drive-through holiday lights experience featuring favorite holiday scenes and characters of the season using the latest LED technology and digital animations. Experience Magic of Lights from the comfort and safety of your own car as you wind through the sparkling path of Greenville’s best holiday tradition. Be sure to stop by Santa’s Village and the Enchanted Deer Forest for extra holiday magic! Kids 2 and under are free!
Step into the magic of Santa’s Village, where holiday cheer meets hands-on fun for the whole family. Feed and interact with gentle miniature horses, camels, Watusi cattle, pigs, sheep, alpacas, goats, waterfowl, antelope, and more—and don’t forget to purchase animal food to treat the many residents. Cuddle with bunnies, have your photo taken with a baby kangaroo, snap pictures with Santa in his animal barn, and visit the Grinch at his festive Grinch House.
Savor fresh coffee and pastries at Santa’s Sweet Delights, or enjoy hot cocoa, drinks, snacks, and food from our concession stand. Visit the souvenir shop for fun, colorful, and festive items, and leave your mark on the “feel good” graffiti board. Warm up by a crackling fire pit or the grand bonfire, roast marshmallows and s’mores, and steal a kiss under the mistletoe tree. Pose inside the giant lighted present, then find a picnic table to relax and take it all in.
Santa’s Village is more than a visit, it’s a memory in the making.
Stuff your stockings with some COMEDIC ANARCHY this Holiday Season!
Adult comedy night, featuring an action-packed cast of comics from both Carolinas!
Doors open at 6:30. Suggested donation $10 at door. Light food and refreshments available. And bring a toy to be donated!
Produced by Brendan C. Ahern of “Rainy Night Theatre”.
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Spirited Improv is a 5-week expressive arts and spiritual development experience that invites you to play, heal, and reconnect with your creative essence. Unlike traditional improv, this series isn’t about comedy or performance techniques, it’s about presence, expression, and connection.
Guided by creator Jessica Chilton, a seasoned performer, expressive arts therapist, and spiritual practitioner, you’ll step into a welcoming space where vulnerability is met with love, creativity is encouraged, and every emotion has room to breathe. You’ll explore spontaneous movement, sound, character work, song, storytelling, ritual, and group co-creation. Each session includes grounding meditation, heart-centered intention, and spacious improvisational activities that awaken joy, courage, and curiosity.
Throughout the series, you practice releasing control and trusting the unknown, an experience participants often call “both liberating and deeply healing.” As the group’s trust and connection deepen, a final performance is created. It’s not scripted or rehearsed; instead, it emerges from the collective heart and the spiritual aliveness of the moment.
The closing performance becomes a celebration of everything you’ve reclaimed: your voice, your playfulness, your presence, your courage, and your connection to community.
Slice Standup Comedy Pageant Winter Finale
Thursday January 15, 2026
7:30p-9:00p, doors at 6:30p
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge, 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $18 (available at door or website)
These shows sellout!
Hosted by Hilliary Begley from Netflix & Amazon Prime!
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Free snacks while availability lasts! You may bring your own food in (no drinks)!
Participants are 4 WINNERS of Fall/Winter Contests 8/21 & 10/16
Pageant Winner gets title and $150 cash prize.
Audience votes thru ballot!
Contestants:
8/21 winner Ryan Gordon
8/21 winner Derek Boskovich
10/16 winner Min McWilliams
10/16 winner Zakiya Bell-Rogers
Plus a runners-up battle for the wild card featuring comics who had the most votes but didn’t win a spot:
10/16 1st runner up Josie Beers
10/16 2nd runner up Zach Stephens
8/21 2nd runner up Aaron Naylor
The final pageant is more than just great standup! Contestants must vie for the title through games & questions from our celebrity judges. Audience votes thru ballot.
More info contact Michele at [email protected]
Wortham Presents The Comedy Zone: Sid Davis
Fri & Sat, Jan 16 & 17 • 8 pm
Sid Davis impressed A-list comics with his unique style, earning “Best in Fest” honors at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival for three years. Discovered by Joan Rivers in 2014, he skyrocketed with ComedyTime TV. Candid about the medical condition that delayed his start, his 2020 Dry Bar Comedy special earned millions of views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Jan 16 & 17 • 8 pm
Sid Davis impressed A-list comics with his unique style, earning “Best in Fest” honors at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival for three years. Discovered by Joan Rivers in 2014, he skyrocketed with ComedyTime TV. Candid about the medical condition that delayed his start, his 2020 Dry Bar Comedy special earned millions of views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Wortham Presents The Comedy Zone: Sid Davis
Fri & Sat, Jan 16 & 17 • 8 pm
Sid Davis impressed A-list comics with his unique style, earning “Best in Fest” honors at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival for three years. Discovered by Joan Rivers in 2014, he skyrocketed with ComedyTime TV. Candid about the medical condition that delayed his start, his 2020 Dry Bar Comedy special earned millions of views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Jan 16 & 17 • 8 pm
Sid Davis impressed A-list comics with his unique style, earning “Best in Fest” honors at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival for three years. Discovered by Joan Rivers in 2014, he skyrocketed with ComedyTime TV. Candid about the medical condition that delayed his start, his 2020 Dry Bar Comedy special earned millions of views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
They’ve graded the papers, survived the staff meetings, and lost their last ounce of patience… and now they’re taking it out on stage! Bored Teachers is BACK with brand-new jokes, bigger laughs, and the most relatable teacher comedy you’ll ever hear. For nearly a decade, Bored Teachers has been the #1 voice of teacher humor—racking up over 1 billion views, amassing 10 million+ followers, and hosting the #1 teacher-comedy podcast on the planet.
Since 2022, they’ve performed for 200,000+ teachers worldwide, and sold out 200+ theaters across 49 states, 5 countries, and 3 continents. Their BRAND NEW “Is It Friday Yet?!”” Tour starting January 2026 is more than a comedy show—it’s the ultimate night of laughter and solidarity for anyone who’s ever worked in education, taught a lesson, or just survived parent-teacher conferences.
Get ready to laugh until you cry as the funniest teacher-comedians in the world share their side-splitting stories, savage truths, and hilarious classroom confessions. Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or just someone who’s been in school, this show will have you nodding, clapping, and hollering, “That’s SO TRUE!”
Warning: May contain PG-13 language, teacher truths, and uncontrollable fits of laughter.
They’ve graded the papers, survived the staff meetings, and lost their last ounce of
patience… and now they’re taking it out on stage!
Trae Crowder first gained international attention (or notoriety depending on your politics) in 2016 for his hugely viral series of “Liberal Redneck” comedic “porch rant” videos. Since then, Trae has written a best-selling book, The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin Dixie Outta The Dark, toured the country thrice over playing sold out theatre shows under the WellRED Comedy Tour banner, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), Nightline (ABC), The View, Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (MSNBC), NPR, WTF with Marc Maron, MTV, CNN, Huffington Post and in the Veronica Mars reboot, as “Chattanooga Charlie”, among many others. Initially from rural Celina, TN, Trae now lives in Los Angeles, CA and has developed and sold five scripted pilots for Warner Bros TV, ABC, and FOX and continues to work as a writer. Trae stars in and produces regular sketches for Comedy Central, Funny or Die, ATTN, Facebook Watch, New York Daily News which have garnered tens of millions of views online.
With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country, finding success as an actor, host, and author, in film, TV, radio and podcasts as well as on the live stage.
The comedian has had 5 highly rated stand-up specials over the years, and he has recently released his 6th stand-up special, Tom Papa: Home Free as a Netflix Original on October 29, 2024. Papa holds nothing back in his third Netflix special as his kids are finally out of the house and it’s just him, his wife, and a bunch of animals ready to return to their glory days. Tom has seen a lot over the years from close calls with a pachinko ball to late night 7-Eleven runs and he’s sharing all his thoughts as he parties on into the next stage of life. His other critically acclaimed specials include What A Day!, Tom Papa: You’re Doing Great!, Human Mule, Freaked Out, and Tom Papa Live in New York City, two of which were directed by Rob Zombie.
Garrison Keillor will be bringing his one-man show to Spartanburg, SC for an evening of storytelling, poetry, and sing-alongs.
Staten Island native Sal Vulcano is best known for creating and starring in truTV’s long-running hit “Impractical Jokers,” and for “The Misery Index” on TBS. In addition to performing as part of The Tenderloins Comedy Troupe to sold-out arenas, Sal founded the No Presh Network in 2020, hosting “Hey Babe!” and “Taste Buds” podcasts. Sal’s debut solo comedy special ‘Terrified’ was released in May 2024 on YouTube.
Wortham Presents Joshua Lozoff: Life is Magic
Fri, Feb 20 • 7 pm
Awe-inspiring illusions. Mind-boggling mental demonstrations. Captivating storytelling. Prepare to be astonished as Joshua Lozoff includes audience members of all ages in this highly interactive show. As seen on Clueless, Cheers, and Penn & Teller: Fool Us, this enchanting performer will ignite your imagination.
Wortham Presents
The Comedy Zone: Michael Palascak
Fri & Sat, Feb 27 & 28 • 8 pm
Michael Palascak, featured on The Late Show and The Late Late Show, was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing. Known for his sharp, personal material and likability, his specials 1984 and The Internet Live reflect his optimistic humor, including his YouTube series The Bright Side.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Feb 27 & 28 • 8 pm
Michael Palascak, featured on The Late Show and The Late Late Show, was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing. Known for his sharp, personal material and likability, his specials 1984 and The Internet Live reflect his optimistic humor, including his YouTube series The Bright Side.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Wortham Presents
The Comedy Zone: Michael Palascak
Fri & Sat, Feb 27 & 28 • 8 pm
Michael Palascak, featured on The Late Show and The Late Late Show, was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing. Known for his sharp, personal material and likability, his specials 1984 and The Internet Live reflect his optimistic humor, including his YouTube series The Bright Side.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Feb 27 & 28 • 8 pm
Michael Palascak, featured on The Late Show and The Late Late Show, was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing. Known for his sharp, personal material and likability, his specials 1984 and The Internet Live reflect his optimistic humor, including his YouTube series The Bright Side.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Wortham Presents
Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery: The Trouble with Angels
Tue, Mar 3 • 7 pm
Join Emmy Award-winner Jane Lynch (Glee, Only Murders in the Building) and the hilariously charming Kate Flannery (The Office) for a raucous night of classic tunes, live comedy, and devilish charm. It’s part cabaret, part stand-up, and all sass—because when these angels get together, heaven can wait.
Tue, Mar 3 • 7 pm
Join Emmy Award-winner Jane Lynch (Glee, Only Murders in the Building) and the hilariously charming Kate Flannery (The Office) for a raucous night of classic tunes, live comedy, and devilish charm. It’s part cabaret, part stand-up, and all sass—because when these angels get together, heaven can wait.
Spotlight on Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery:
Jane Lynch is a five-time Emmy winner, celebrated for her roles in Glee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Only Murders in the Building
Lynch is a recurring favorite in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, including A Mighty Wind and Best in Show
Kate Flannery won hearts as Meredith on the hit NBC series The Office
Flannery also hit the road with Dancing with the Stars, performing live at Radio City Music Hall and across 40 cities
Their holiday album A Swingin’ Little Christmas landed in Billboard’s Top 10 Adult Contemporary chart, bringing jazzy cheer and campy charm to audiences nationwide
Wortham Presents
The Comedy Zone: Kevin Bozeman
Fri & Sat, Apr 3 & 4 • 8 pm
In 1999, Kevin, inspired by Def Comedy Jam, tried stand-up at an open-mic night. Today, with a smooth, clever style and contagious laugh, he entertains nationwide. A winner of the HBO Comedy Competition and a Last Comic Standing semi-finalist, his Dry Bar special has over 7 million views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Apr 3 & 4 • 8 pm
In 1999, Kevin, inspired by Def Comedy Jam, tried stand-up at an open-mic night. Today, with a smooth, clever style and contagious laugh, he entertains nationwide. A winner of the HBO Comedy Competition and a Last Comic Standing semi-finalist, his Dry Bar special has over 7 million views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Wortham Presents
The Comedy Zone: Kevin Bozeman
Fri & Sat, Apr 3 & 4 • 8 pm
In 1999, Kevin, inspired by Def Comedy Jam, tried stand-up at an open-mic night. Today, with a smooth, clever style and contagious laugh, he entertains nationwide. A winner of the HBO Comedy Competition and a Last Comic Standing semi-finalist, his Dry Bar special has over 7 million views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Apr 3 & 4 • 8 pm
In 1999, Kevin, inspired by Def Comedy Jam, tried stand-up at an open-mic night. Today, with a smooth, clever style and contagious laugh, he entertains nationwide. A winner of the HBO Comedy Competition and a Last Comic Standing semi-finalist, his Dry Bar special has over 7 million views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Kevin James began his career as a stand-up on the Long Island comedy scene. After being discovered at the 1996 Montreal Comedy Festival, he signed a network development deal to create his own sitcom.
The King of Queens, which premiered in 1998, ran for nine seasons on CBS with James starring and executive producing, and it garnered him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The show concluded its run in 2007 but continues to air daily in syndication across the country and around the world. James also starred in, and executive produced The Crew, a Netflix sitcom set in the world of NASCAR.
Performing at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center of Asheville at 8:00pm.
Candice Guardino: Italian Bred
Saturday, April 18, 2026 • 8 pm
Candice Guardino’s Italian Bred is a ★★★★★ “MUST SEE!” —praised by critics from New York to Chicago and Los Angeles. After selling out theatres across the country, Candice brings this smash-hit comedy to Asheville for one show only!
Italian Bred is a hilarious and heartwarming theatrical comedy based on true life events—told through the eyes of a girl growing up Italian on Staten Island.
Candice brings her family to life on stage, slipping seamlessly in and out of multiple characters inspired by her outspoken grandmother and unforgettable relatives. Through side-splitting stories, charming songs, and vivid storytelling, she delivers a fresh, irresistible take on the classic solo show.
This crowd-pleasing hit will leave audiences laughing, reminiscing, and celebrating their own one-of-a-kind childhoods. Candice Guardino is a dynamic, undeniable talent—and Italian Bred is not to be missed!
Wed, Apr 22 • 6 pm
A bumbling crew, a mysterious yellow bird, and a chase that defies reality—Yellow Bird Chase launches you into a wild world with no words—just laughter, wonder, and theatrical magic for all ages and backgrounds.
“An utter joy from start to finish” —Theater Weekly
“Stunning….masterful….wondrous.” —Broadway World
Spotlight on Yellow Bird Chase:
Fully accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, and non-English-speaking audiences
Created by Liars & Believers, known for inventive physical theater and ensemble storytelling
Features masks, puppetry, and gibberish in a wordless adventure fit for all ages
Cast includes seasoned performers with credits from Off-Broadway to regional favorites
Praised by critics as “unstoppable,” “masterful,” and “an utter joy”
Wortham Presents
Robert Dubac’s THE MALE INTELLECT: AN OXYMORON?
Thur–Sat, Apr 23–25 • 8 pm
On a quest to answer the age-old question, “What do women want?” Robert Dubac morphs into five hysterical boneheads, each offering sidesplitting advice on bridging the gender gap—all while drinking a beer. The New York Times calls it “Hilarious … a one man tour de force!” It’s the funniest hour you’ll spend with one man.
“Humor rules THE MALE INTELLECT!” —Chicago Tribune
Thur & Fri, Apr 23 & 24 • 8 pm
Sat, Apr 25 • 3 pm & 8 pm
On a quest to answer the age-old question, “What do women want?” Robert Dubac morphs into five hysterical boneheads, each offering sidesplitting advice on bridging the gender gap—all while drinking a beer. The New York Times calls it “Hilarious … a one man tour de force!” It’s the funniest hour you’ll spend with one man.
“Humor rules THE MALE INTELLECT!” —Chicago Tribune
Spotlight on Robert Dubac’s THE MALE INTELLECT: AN OXYMORON?:
This show received ★ ★ ★ ★ from both the Toronto Star and Denver Post
Has been translated into dozens of languages and performed from the Eiffel Tower to the American Heartland
A Wortham favorite, this follows Dubac’s acclaimed shows The Book of Moron and Stand-up Jesus
Dubac was chosen to study with a select group of actors under the personal tutelage of the late great Sanford Meisner
2025/26 member presale demand was so overwhelming, Wortham Center added an extra performance
Wortham Presents
Robert Dubac’s THE MALE INTELLECT: AN OXYMORON?
Thur–Sat, Apr 23–25 • 8 pm
On a quest to answer the age-old question, “What do women want?” Robert Dubac morphs into five hysterical boneheads, each offering sidesplitting advice on bridging the gender gap—all while drinking a beer. The New York Times calls it “Hilarious … a one man tour de force!” It’s the funniest hour you’ll spend with one man.
“Humor rules THE MALE INTELLECT!” —Chicago Tribune