Calendar of Events

Join us every Thursday from 6:30pm – 8:30pm for music, poetry, comedy and stories performed by our favorite local artists! Feel free to bring your own food/drinks or anything you’d like to share!

Sign up begins at 6pm, show begins at 6:30pm. Each performer will have twelve minutes, and the show is always livestreamed on our Facebook account.

Every Monday, Ivy Rozen, Senior Editor of The Black Mountain Press, will host a poetry-specific open mic from 6:30pm-9pm. Each poet will be able to share 2-3 poems, and occasionally we will have local celebrity poets close out our night with a featured reading (email Ivy at [email protected] if you’d like to be a featured poet)!

The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds Present THE MOTH Presents: Asheville StorySLAM – “RESET”. All Ages. Doors: 6:30pm // Show: 7:30pm. $18.45.

The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show! Tonight’s theme is…

RESET:   Prepare a five-minute story about a fresh start. Clean slates and wet paint. When the tide came in and the sandcastle returned to sand. Expunging your past reputation and going back to square one. Cutting bangs after the big breakup. Whether you changed your zip code, career, or outlook on life, tell us about a time you felt new. Tomorrow is another day.

Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all of our StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Queer Girls Literary Reading Series Celebrates its Fifteenth Anniversary

Asheville, NC—On Sunday, January 26th at 6:00 PM, Eulogy at Burial Beer Company (10 Buxton Avenue in Asheville’s South Slope) will host the Fifteenth Annual Queer Girls Literary Reading, a celebration of Asheville’s queer literary women. This year’s lineup includes local and regional writers, UNCA students, and community members.

Admission to the event is by donation, with a $5-10 suggested donation (more if you can, less if you can’t). Doors will open at 5:30 PM.

Led by a certified Inward & Artward Creative Facilitator, Tikva Kingrea, this second annual, pre-Valentine’s Day workshop offers space to connect + craft a love letter from the heart. We’ll talk about the history of love letters complete with examples, what elements go into its writing, how to find and capture meaningful moments, and provide the needed materials to complete a written letter. This is a multi-disciplinary workshop focused around writing. Playful. Meaningful. Connective. Open to lovers of all types! Participants will walk away with:
– creative letter-writing
– a wax-sealed envelope and letter
– meaningful connection exercises
– a shared experience
– snacks

Ross Gay is interested in joy.
Ross Gay wants to understand joy.
Ross Gay is curious about joy.
Ross Gay studies joy.
Something like that.

Ross Gay — Poet, Essayist, & National Book Critics Circle Award Winner — will visit ACS with a profound mission: to explore and understand joy.

Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. In addition to his poetry, Ross has released three collections of essays— The Book of Delights was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller; Inciting Joy was released in 2022, and his newest collection, The Book of (More) Delights was released in September of 2023.

The Junior League of Asheville invites you to honor women leaders of Western North Carolina at a special International Women’s Day Celebration.
Sip, shop and socialize at the grand opening of the Kendra Scott store in Biltmore Park on Saturday, March 8th from 10-1.
Event will include a special Awards Ceremony along with opportunities to learn about and celebrate past and current women of WNC.

All are welcome, please bring a friend or 5! A percentage of all proceeds will go to Helene Recovery.

Held at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts | Purchase tickets online or at BMCA

April 11 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 and a portion of sales will be donated to the Friends of the Black Mountain Library!

Collaboration with Black Mountain Library, Friends of the Library, Dark City Poets Society
​
This big night of poetry features three published poets, Glenis Redmond, Lee Stockdale, and Ugandan poet Mildred Barya joined by poets from the Dark City Poets Society. The evening culminates with a Q&A with our featured poets.

Buy tickets online HERE (Here’s the link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-dark-city-speaks-tickets-1254687958459?aff=oddtdtcreator)

Join us in-person at Malaprop’s or live online when NC-based author Kayla E. presents her debut graphic memoir, Precious Rubbish, in conversation with local author Tessa Fontaine.

A landmark graphic novel debut and groundbreaking work of trauma recollection told in the style of post-war children’s comics. “If an exorcism can ever be slow and quiet, then every panel I’ve finished has felt something like an exorcism. The gutters give me space to make sense of things: to connect dots and close gaps. To remember.” Kayla E.’s Precious Rubbish is an experimental graphic memoir drawn in a style that references the aesthetics of mid-century children’s comics and tells the story of a childhood shaped by maternal emotional dysregulation, rural poverty, and incest. The author’s childhood is portrayed as a collection of short-form comics and gag panels punctuated by interactive elements like paper dolls, satirical advertisements, games, and puzzles.

The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds Present: THE MOTH Presents: Asheville StorySLAM – “BLOOM”

All Ages

Doors: 6:30pm // Show: 7:30pm

Grey Eagle Music Hall

The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show! Tonight’s theme is…

BLOOM:  Prepare a five-minute story about growth. Rising from the concrete or blossoming late in life tell us about the journey to reach your full potential. From peaking early to flourishing after years of careful nurturing, bring us stories of new beginnings, perseverance, and those moments when everything finally came to fruition. April showers bring May flowers, but the path to blooming is rarely straightforward.

Doors Open: 6:30 PM

Show Starts: 7:30 PM

Everyone is welcome to share a few poems (3-5 min. each), or just sit back and have a drink for a good cause.

$1 from every classic cocktail will be donated to the Friends of the Black Mountain Library!

This annual run/walk timed event raises funds to support Open Arms Pregnancy Center. Open Arms supports women facing unplanned pregnancies by providing free, confidential ultrasounds and maternity supplies. Mothers receive monthly diapers, clothing and other items once their babies are born up to the child’s 18th month.
The 5k and Fun Run will be held at Bill Moore Community Park, 85 Howard Gap Road in Fletcher, NC at 8:30AM.
Runners should register now (by May 9) at https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/Fletcher/Run4for5k for early bird pricing and to be guaranteed a T-shirt.
Businesses/Individuals interested in being a race sponsor can contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone at 828.676.4510.

🎉 Get Ready to Crawl, Celebrate, and Shine – The Official Pride Bar Crawl Awaits! 🎉

Gather your crew, rock your rainbow, and get ready for a day of colorful drinks, good vibes, and epic bar-hopping fun—let’s make this Pride Bar Crawl one to remember! _

The Pride Bar Crawl will take you through some of Asheville’s most inclusive bars, where you’ll meet new friends, spread love, and celebrate who you are in style. With vibrant music, laughter, and a whole lot of Pride, this is the ultimate way to embrace the spirit of the season and party with purpose.

Dress in vibrant attire and express your true self in a safe, welcoming space. This event is more than just a pub crawl; it’s a celebration of love, diversity, and inclusion. Whether you’re rocking a rainbow flag, glittering accessories, or something totally unique, this is your chance to drink, dance, and create moments you’ll never forget!

Don’t miss out on Asheville’s most colorful night of the year! Grab your tickets today and get ready for a night of celebration, joy, and making a difference in the community

The North Carolina Writers Network-West and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails presents H.R. (RANDY) SPENCER &
RICHARD ALLEN TAYLOR
as next in their series
“In the Company of Writers.”

The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. Sign-ups for the open mic will be located at the entrance to the reading.

For more info visit: https://www.facebook.com/TheBrandyBar/events

The North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present
JENNIFER McGAHA as next in their series “In the Company of Writers”
The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets, followed by an open-mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will both enlighten and entertain those in attendance. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The original music of John Longbottom welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-up for the open mic sheet is posted at the entry.
Jennifer McGaha is the author of three works of creative nonfiction, including The Joy Document, a collection of fifty essays celebrating midlife, Flat Broke with Two Goats, a 2018 OverDrive Big Library Read, and Bushwhacking: How to Get Lost in the Woods and Write Your Way Out, a Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award finalist. Her work has also appeared in many magazines and literary journals including Image, The Huffington Post, The New Pioneer, Lumina, PANK, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Brevity, Bitter Southerner, Crab Creek Review, River Teeth, and others. An Appalachian native, Jennifer lives in a wooded North Carolina hollow with her husband, two cats, four unruly dogs, eight relatively tame dairy goats, and an ever-changing number of chickens

Co-sponsored by the North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails, the program, “In the Company of Writers” is featured the 2nd Wednesday of each month. https://www.facebook.com/events/581466841671943

Dig into Bullington Gardens’ Fall Plant Sale! Grab trees, shrubs, perennials, natives, and seasonal plants to spruce up your yard. Don’t let your garden be the only one on the block still growing last year’s weeds—join us this fall September 12-13, 9am-4pm.

Join writers and storytellers from Western North Carolina to celebrate, cry, and connect through stories about bodily autonomy. Think stories of birth, abortion, miscarriage, transition, gender identity, race, and all their intersections—stories that center the essential nature of bodily autonomy to our humanity.

The North Carolina Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present VIVIAN I BIKULEDGE & MICHAEL HETTICH as next in their series “In the Company of Writers”
The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest authors speak from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The original music of Bob Sherrill welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open mic sheet are posted at the entry.
Vivian I. Bikulege is a poet and essayist. Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and has appeared in the North Carolina Literary Review, The Fourth River, and Broad River Review. A semi-finalist for the 2023 James Applewhite Prize, she also earned honorable mention in the 2022 Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition. Vivian was the 2022 Gilbert-Chappell emerging adult poet for western North Carolina under the mentorship of Ken Chamlee.

After being cancelled last year due to Helene, our annual fundraiser Walk For Your Neighbor is BACK! Please join us on Sunday, October 26 at First Baptist Church of Swannanoa for a walk and block party! There will be music, as well as food and drink! The walk will start at 2pm, with the block party continuing until 5pm.

To register for Walk for Your Neighbor, just scan the QR code on this flyer, or follow the link below. Registration is by donation only, but we are encouraging a $20 minimum donation for those who are able. You can also ask family and friends to sponsor your walk using the donation link you receive when you register. To be cost and environmentally conscious, we will be using last year’s t-shirts.

Our valley is still recovering and needs remain high. The more we raise through this walk, the more we can tangibly share the love of Christ with neighbors in need through food, clothing, baby supplies, healthcare, home repairs, and so much more! We hope you’ll give generously, lace up those sneakers, and come walk with us!

The Black Mountain Library is excited to welcome Redhawk Publications to the Community Room on Wednesday, October 29th, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for an evening of poetry readings from their new anthology “Had I a Dove: Appalachian Poets On The Helene Flood”

This anthology features over eighty poets from our region who contributed poems on their perspectives of Helene. Several poets from the anthology will be reading their works at this free event.

Redhawk Publications will be selling copies of the anthology for $20 each.

Signup begins 6pm / Perform 6:30-8:30.
Everyone is welcome! Any genre…song, music, spoken word, poetry, storytelling, comedy, short films, demos, etc. Supportive listening room in an art gallery setting. Each performer gets up to 12 minutes each. All performances will be livecast.

Everyone is welcome! Any genre…song, music, spoken word, poetry, storytelling, comedy, short films, demos, etc. Supportive listening room in an art gallery setting. Each performer gets up to 12 minutes each. All performances will be livecast.

Join Us for Our 11th Annual Fundraiser – Friday Nov. 14th!

At the Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS) stars reflect an important message, especially after a year of community resilience post-Helene. While we might exist in different orbits, we all play an integral part of connecting for a bigger picture.

Under the Stars is our evening of celebrating the way we connect to serve our STEAM community, reflecting on our past year, and helping shape our mission for the year ahead.

Silent & Live Auction | Local Beer & Wine | Out of This World Food | Special Music Guest

Signup begins 6pm / Perform 6:30-8:30.
Everyone is welcome! Any genre…song, music, spoken word, poetry, storytelling, comedy, short films, demos, etc. Supportive listening room in an art gallery setting. Each performer gets up to 12 minutes each. All performances will be livecast.

Join us for the Woven Word Retreat – a cozy bohemian winter writing retreat for women nestled in the tranquil beauty of House Boheme. This is a transformative, creative, all-inclusive gathering designed to awaken your inner storyteller.

This 4-day, 3-night experience weaves poetry, movement, ritual, nourishment, and embodied storytelling to stir the creatrix within.

Guided by skilled and popular local facilitators who will help you explore your voice and connect deeply with yourself and others, you’ll have the space to write, reflect, and express your truth in a supportive, welcoming space.

Expect soul-nourishing practices like Yoga Nidra, writing workshops, yoga, and more, plus time to ground into nature and connect with a community of women.

Whether you’re new to writing or a seasoned storyteller, you’ll leave feeling inspired, empowered, and more aligned with your creative spirit.

Learn more and secure your spot at www.wovenwordretreat.com