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.

Thursday, June 15, 2023
Bicycle Film Festival – Asheville
Jun 15 @ 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Rabbit Rabbit

Get ready to immerse yourself in the world of cycling with a curated selection of short films that showcase the beauty, diversity, and excitement of this sport. From documentaries to animations, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Don’t miss out on this unforgettable event that celebrates everything we love about cycling. Mark your calendars and get ready to ride with us at the Bicycle Film Festival – Asheville, NC!

Friday, June 16, 2023
PIEDMONT PASO FINO HORSE SHOW
Jun 16 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
WNC Agricultural Center

Shows begin every morning at 8:00 am and continue until approximately 9:00pm.

FREE ADMISSION!
A four day competition showcasing Paso Fino horses from across the country. Tack, clothing, jewelry, and latin food vendors on-site throughout the event.

Juneteenth Festival: Madea’s Family Reunion
Jun 16 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Ferguson Auditorium, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
juenteenth graphic

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, in partnership with the City of Asheville, has planned the 2023 Juneteenth Celebration with the intended outcomes of a diverse celebration that fosters broad participation, fosters community awareness and appreciation, and celebrates the liberation of enslaved people. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Thus, starting the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. The City of Asheville designated Juneteenth as a City holiday in 2021, and on June 8, Mayor Esther Manheimer issued a proclamation acknowledging Juneteenth as a day of celebration for Black Americans.

The 2023 Juneteenth Celebrations include five “Lunch and Learn” Sessions, five African Americans in Films Entertainment Events, and a two day Juneteenth Festival in Pack Square Park. The full list of Juneteenth celebratory events is listed on the Association’s website.

Saturday, June 17, 2023
PIEDMONT PASO FINO HORSE SHOW
Jun 17 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
WNC Agricultural Center

Shows begin every morning at 8:00 am and continue until approximately 9:00pm.

FREE ADMISSION!
A four day competition showcasing Paso Fino horses from across the country. Tack, clothing, jewelry, and latin food vendors on-site throughout the event.

Sunday, June 18, 2023
Asheville Alive Horse Show
Jun 18 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
WNC Ag Center
Featuring two AP Shows with 1 judge each, benefit show with Sponsorship Packages available, Piedmont Breeders Futurity classes on June 17-18, fun activities for all youth riders and guests. Stay tuned for more information soon!
PIEDMONT PASO FINO HORSE SHOW
Jun 18 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
WNC Agricultural Center

Shows begin every morning at 8:00 am and continue until approximately 9:00pm.

FREE ADMISSION!
A four day competition showcasing Paso Fino horses from across the country. Tack, clothing, jewelry, and latin food vendors on-site throughout the event.

Monday, June 19, 2023
Outdoor Movie Nights – Avengers: End Game
Jun 19 @ 8:00 pm
Silverado's

Silverado’s, located between Swannanoa and Black Mountain at 2898 U.S. 70, is hosting Family Movie Night under the stars every Monday night through August 21. Tickets are $5 per person, and are only available for purchase on the day of the movie. All movie nights are dependent on weather.

Bring your friends and family, and enjoy a blockbuster outdoor movie on a 24 foot screen. Concessions will be available for purchase. For more info, check the Events tab on the Silverado’s Facebook page.

Saturday, June 24, 2023
documentary film: WISDOM OF NATURE THRU NATIVE EYES
Jun 24 @ 7:30 pm
North River Farms

Saturday, June 24 – 7:30 PM, North River Farms, 3333 N Mills River Rd, Mills River, NC 28759.  Tickets are per carload.  All cars are $45 each. Larger vehicles must park in the rear. Sound is available via outside speakers or through your car radio.  Whether you watch from your car or sit outside under the stars, a spectacular way to watch a film! Bring your camp chairs and either sit by your car or upfront to enjoy the music and film! (weather date:  June 30.)

Sunday, June 25, 2023
Standup Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement
Jun 25 @ 6:30 pm
Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co

We have another great standup comedy show coming up at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company on Sunday June 25, 6:30 pm. Show is 18+. An always crazy fun comedy open mic with the area’s best comics (performing comics get free pizza & entry)!! Featuring Moira Goree, Ryan Gordan & Ben Atkins
Hosted by Morgan Bost. Morgan is an Asheville based comic capturing the playful and often painful parallels between adolescence and “almost-adulthood.” Vibrant yet vulnerable; her high-energy storytelling is influenced by her background as an improviser. She co-hosts a weekly comedy open mic called “The Hot Seat,” and writes a monthly humor column, “Best Medicine with Morgan Bost,” for the Mountain Xpress. She’s opened for Rob Delaney, Beth Stelling, and has appeared in several breweries and discount grocery stores across Western North Carolina.
Come get delicious food & drinks while laughing the night away! Contact [email protected] for more information!
Tickets at:
https://www.ashevillebrewing.com/movies/

Monday, June 26, 2023
Outdoor Movie Nights – Remember The Titans
Jun 26 @ 8:00 pm
Silverado's

Silverado’s, located between Swannanoa and Black Mountain at 2898 U.S. 70, is hosting Family Movie Night under the stars every Monday night through August 21. Tickets are $5 per person, and are only available for purchase on the day of the movie. All movie nights are dependent on weather.

Bring your friends and family, and enjoy a blockbuster outdoor movie on a 24 foot screen. Concessions will be available for purchase. For more info, check the Events tab on the Silverado’s Facebook page.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Screams in the Stacks! Horror Film Series: The Menu (R)
Jun 27 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Our Screams on the Stacks! horror film series continues with one of 2022’s biggest hits: The Menu! Rated R. Come to the library and watch this wickedly funny black comedy psychological horror film for free. If you missed this in cinemas, take the opportunity to see it now!

From IMDB: “A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.”

Light refreshments will be provided. No registration is required.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023
‘Shadow of a Wheel: Can One Bike Ride Change Your Life?’ documentary
Jun 28 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sierra Nevada Brewing

In the summer of 1982, 31 teenagers attempted a daunting coast-to-coast 3,600 mile bicycle journey across the United States to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. They experienced a coming of age summer filled with intense challenges, humor, mishaps, personal discovery and tragedy. This poignant and powerful story, encapsulates the era, the adventure and life itself.

The summer of 1982 was transformational for Director Paul Bonesteel. It inspired him toward a path of creating films where service and passion are central to the story.

Paul has directed more than a dozen documentary films including an award winning film for PBS’ American Masters on Carl Sandburg and the 2021 film Muni telling the story of Black golfers and desegregation on a public course. From Alaska to the Soviet Union to Africa and to the mountains of North Carolina where he grew up, Paul’s storytelling is both local and global, but always filled with the enthusiasm and commitment of 1982’s bicycling adventure.

 

Proceeds from ticket sales will go to Pisgah Area SORBA and The Bicycle Thrift Shop.

Pisgah Area SORBA – A local nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving mountain biking opportunities by maintaining and improving the trail systems in and around the Pisgah Ranger District. This mission is completed through education, advocacy, and environmental stewardship on behalf of the mountain biking community.”

The Bicycle Thrift Shop – Our Mission: We provide access to cycling for youth families and individuals who would not otherwise have that opportunity! We do this by refurbishing donated bikes, parts and gear and selling to the general public at costs lower than (almost) anywhere else.

Thursday, June 29, 2023
documentary film: WISDOM OF NATURE THRU NATIVE EYES
Jun 29 @ 7:30 pm
The Orange Peel

The Center is proud to announce its latest documentary film (50th and counting).  This film takes an intriguing look at storytelling, native wisdom and nature’s intelligence to help us heal our broken relationship with the living world.  Through a whirlwind tour of history, culture and nature, this film is sure to inspire a love for history and for our natural world.

All screenings include live music provided by native flautists as well as a brief discussion with the director and film participants following each screening. The screening at North River Farms is drive-in theater event with a food truck.  A weather date will automatically apply in case of inclement weather.  The Orange Peel has drinks and food and Trinity Presbyterian will have a reception prior to the screening.  This is a general admission event except VIP seating is available at The Orange Peel.  Tickets are expected to sell out, so order your tickets now. As a special offer for our ticketbuyers, if you purchase the DVD along with your tickets, you get $5 off the DVD price and save the additional $5 shipping and handling.  (Do not choose this option until after you’ve bought your tickets first or you will be charged a $10 processing fee to return your money.)  Please note that all sales are final and tickets are non-refundable. If inclement weather, tix to outside venues will immediately convert to tix for the rain date(s).

See venue information below for more details. This is a ticket-less event.  Your name will be at the reservations table at the door at the time of the event.

Register now before these shows are sold out!

For more information, contact us at (828) 692-8062.

WORLD PREMIERE DATES AND LOCATIONS

Saturday, June 24 – 7:30 PM, North River Farms, 3333 N Mills River Rd, Mills River, NC 28759.  Tickets are per carload.  All cars are $45 each. Larger vehicles must park in the rear. Sound is available via outside speakers or through your car radio.  Whether you watch from your car or sit outside under the stars, a spectacular way to watch a film! Bring your camp chairs and either sit by your car or upfront to enjoy the music and film! (weather date:  June 30.)

Thursday, June 29- 7:30 PM. The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801. Tickets are a donation of $25 per person for premier seating or $20 per person for general admission.  Snacks and drinks available at the venue.

Saturday, July 1 – 7:30 PM, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe Street, Hendersonville, NC 28791.  Tickets are a donation of $20 per person. A special reception for the film participants will be held starting at 6:30 which will include delicious treats and drinks for sale from the Hendersonville Community Co-op.

Monday, July 3, 2023
Outdoor Movie Nights – Aquaman
Jul 3 @ 8:00 pm
Silverados

Silverado’s, located between Swannanoa and Black Mountain at 2898 U.S. 70, is hosting Family Movie Night under the stars every Monday night through August 21. Tickets are $5 per person, and are only available for purchase on the day of the movie. All movie nights are dependent on weather.

Bring your friends and family, and enjoy a blockbuster outdoor movie on a 24 foot screen. Concessions will be available for purchase. For more info, check the Events tab on the Silverado’s Facebook page.

Thursday, July 6, 2023
Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic + Feature Comedy at Pulp Lounge
Jul 6 @ 8:00 pm
Pulp Lounge

7.6.23 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULP
What: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday July 6, 2023. 8p-10p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $14 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Feature comic Katy Hudson!
Katy Hudson is a comedian, lighting designer, and weather forecaster with a knack for finding the silver lining around every storm cloud. Their comedy blurs the lines between science and magic in a quest for collective understanding. But don’t let this intellectual spirituality fool you- Katy uses only the most unhinged examples of the disgustingly divine to draw clouds of laughter from crowds that matter.
We feature the area’s best comics, plus an open mic. Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]. For more info and other standup comedy shows go to sliceoflifecomedy.com or contact Michele at [email protected]
Host Cody Hughes: Cody is a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge.
About Pulp: The speakeasy inspired hideaway offers a cozy space for show-goers to relax and enjoy a beverage during the concert. Boasting over 200 different Bourbons and Whiskeys, alongside a myriad of other spirits, it is a must-visit for cocktail lovers and Bourbon sippers alike. Pulp will also open various other nights to feature local artists and “Slice of Life” open-mic comedy nights. To stay informed with the happenings at Pulp, visit the Orange Peel’s website, and follow @pulp_avl on Instagram

Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic + Feature Comedy at Pulp Lounge
Jul 6 @ 8:00 pm
Pulp Lounge

7.6.23 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULP
What: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday July 6, 2023. 8p-10p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $14 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Feature comic Katy Hudson!
Katy Hudson is a comedian, lighting designer, and weather forecaster with a knack for finding the silver lining around every storm cloud. Their comedy blurs the lines between science and magic in a quest for collective understanding. But don’t let this intellectual spirituality fool you- Katy uses only the most unhinged examples of the disgustingly divine to draw clouds of laughter from crowds that matter.
We feature the area’s best comics, plus an open mic. Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]. For more info and other standup comedy shows go to sliceoflifecomedy.com or contact Michele at [email protected]
Host Cody Hughes: Cody is a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge.
About Pulp: The speakeasy inspired hideaway offers a cozy space for show-goers to relax and enjoy a beverage during the concert. Boasting over 200 different Bourbons and Whiskeys, alongside a myriad of other spirits, it is a must-visit for cocktail lovers and Bourbon sippers alike. Pulp will also open various other nights to feature local artists and “Slice of Life” open-mic comedy nights. To stay informed with the happenings at Pulp, visit the Orange Peel’s website, and follow @pulp_avl on Instagram.

Friday, July 7, 2023
MUNI: Documentary Screening + Panel Discussion
Jul 7 @ 4:30 pm
East Asheville Library

Join us for a screening of Paul Bonesteel’s documentary Muni (2020), followed by a panel discussion of the film with the filmmaker, community leader Matthew Bacoate Jr., and Chris Corl from the City of Asheville.

Muni is a love letter to the game of golf as told by the Black caddies-turned-players who, despite Jim Crow laws, built a rich and vibrant golf culture on a classic municipal course in Asheville, affectionately known as Muni.

This free program will be Friday, July 7 at 4:30 p.m. at the East Asheville Library and everyone is invited. Click here to watch a trailer for Muni.

Saturday, July 8, 2023
Grovewood Classic Car Gathering
Jul 8 @ 8:30 am – 10:30 am
Grovewood Village
Calling all auto enthusiasts! Don’t miss this classic car meetup at the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum in Grovewood Village on Saturday, July 8, from 8:30am – 10:30am. Marvel at classic beauties of yesteryear and enjoy complimentary coffee while supplies last. A $10 suggested donation will go towards much-needed maintenance on the museum’s 1959 Edsel Corsair.
Asheville Gun + Knife Show
Jul 8 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
WNC Ag. Center-Davis Event Center
Mike Kent and Associates, LLC was founded in 1990 to produce the Franklin (Nashville) Civil War Show, which has grown to become the largest Civil War Show in the world, featuring over 1,000 tables of authentic Civil War weapons and memorabilia. Since 1990, we have produced over 450 shows and have expanded our scope to include Gun and Knife Shows in North and South Carolina as well as Civil War shows in Dalton, GA, and Franklin, TN.

Our goal has always been the production of safe, high quality shows with a family friendly atmosphere offering a wide variety of firearms and related equipment for shooters, collectors, Civil War & Militaria enthusiasts.

We are actively seeking to purchase or manage existing shows and offer substantial finders fees for leads on shows or new venues.

Stop by and visit one of our upcoming events.

Sunday, July 9, 2023
Asheville Gun + Knife Show
Jul 9 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
WNC Ag. Center- Davis Event Center
Mike Kent and Associates, LLC was founded in 1990 to produce the Franklin (Nashville) Civil War Show, which has grown to become the largest Civil War Show in the world, featuring over 1,000 tables of authentic Civil War weapons and memorabilia. Since 1990, we have produced over 450 shows and have expanded our scope to include Gun and Knife Shows in North and South Carolina as well as Civil War shows in Dalton, GA, and Franklin, TN.

Our goal has always been the production of safe, high quality shows with a family friendly atmosphere offering a wide variety of firearms and related equipment for shooters, collectors, Civil War & Militaria enthusiasts.

We are actively seeking to purchase or manage existing shows and offer substantial finders fees for leads on shows or new venues.

Stop by and visit one of our upcoming events.

 

Monday, July 10, 2023
“Music Movie Mondays” at Grail Moviehouse -The Monkees in HEAD
Jul 10 @ 7:00 pm
Grail Moviehouse

Grail Moviehouse in Asheville’s River Arts District continues its popular event series: Music Movie Mondays. Showcasing the best in new, classic and cult films about music, these special screenings feature an introduction by music journalist Bill Kopp (that’s me), followed by a screening of the film and then a moderated discussion about what we’ve just seen and heard.

The latest in the series is HEAD, The Monkee’s 1968 film made to deconstruct their cuddly TV image. Is it weird? Oh, yes indeed. Is it fun? Absolutely. And it’s rarely seen on the big screen. Details are in the attached press release; more info at http://musoscribe.com/movies

Music Movie Mondays: ‘HEAD’ starring The Monkees
Jul 10 @ 7:00 pm
Grail Moviehouse

The Monkees was quite popular during its year-and-a-half run NBC-TV. In light of the group’s enduring popularity, it’s remarkable to realize that they existed onscreen for such a brief time. And as is widely known, the four members — admittedly to varying degrees — bristled at the manner in which they were packaged and sold to the public. So it was in 1968 after the show had gone of the air that the group — with show creators Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider and a friend of theirs named Jack Nicholson — decided to make a motion picture that would destroy once and for all their cuddly image.

That film was and is HEAD. Imagine The Monkees TV show expanded to movie length and dosed liberally with LSD, and you’ll begin to get a sense of what HEAD is like. The list of co-stars hints at the madness: Frank Zappa, Victor Mature, Annettte Funicello, Sonny Liston. “Weird” doesn’t even begin to describe it. Weirdly wonderful, too.

HEAD is not often screened these days. We had to jump through some hoops to get it for Music Movie Mondays. But we did, and we’re excited to share it with you.

Some 55 years after its original release, the willfully bizarre HEAD continues to fascinate, to entertain, to bewilder. Grail Moviehouse proudly presents a special one-night screening of the movie on Monday, July 10. Hosted by author, speaker and music journalist Bill Kopp, the evening will feature a screening of the film followed by an interactive discussion. HEAD is the latest in Grail Moviehouse’s ongoing series, Music Movie Mondays.

Outdoor Movie Nights – The Goonies
Jul 10 @ 8:00 pm
Silverados

Silverado’s, located between Swannanoa and Black Mountain at 2898 U.S. 70, is hosting Family Movie Night under the stars every Monday night through August 21. Tickets are $5 per person, and are only available for purchase on the day of the movie. All movie nights are dependent on weather.

Bring your friends and family, and enjoy a blockbuster outdoor movie on a 24 foot screen. Concessions will be available for purchase. For more info, check the Events tab on the Silverado’s Facebook page.

Friday, July 14, 2023
Film Screening: Fully Awake: Black Mountain College
Jul 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Black Mountain Public Library

Join us for a screening of the first ever feature-length documentary film on Black Mountain College, Fully Awake: Black Mountain College.

Hidden in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Black Mountain College (1933 – 1957) was an influential experiment in education that inspired and shaped twentieth century American art. Fully Awake: Black Mountain College is a documentary film that explores the college’s progressive pedagogy and radical approach to arts education. Highly democratic and faculty-owned, the school promoted practical responsibilities and the creative arts as equally important components to intellectual development. During WWII, Black Mountain College was a haven for refugee European artists such as Josef and Anni Albers who arrived from the Bauhaus in Germany.

In the socially conservative 1940s and 50s, the college also became a refuge for the American avant-garde, (Franz Kline, John Cage, Buckminster Fuller, Merce Cunningham, Robert Creeley, Jacob Lawrence, Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, and M.C. Richards). Fully Awake explores how the confluence of this diverse community came together to create a unique educational model.

Movies in the Park: Top Gun: Maverick
Jul 14 @ 8:30 pm
Pack Square Park

.: MOVIE SCHEDULE :.
📽️
📽️
📽️
📽️ August 11 – Little Giants, begins around 8:10pm
👉 Asheville Parks & Recreation Rec n Roll Fun Zone activities start an hour before showtime with games, giveaways, and other activities for kids and teens.

.: MAKE A PLAN :.
📍 All movies are free and begin at dusk in Pack Square Park on 80 Court Plaza in downtown Asheville. Approximate showtimes are listed, but plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior. Bring blankets and folding chairs for comfort.
📍 Asheville Parks & Recreation Rec n Roll Fun Zone activities start an hour before showtime.
📍 Bring money for food and treats from local vendors. Smokee’s Pizza is scheduled for opening night on May 12 while Tin Can Pizzeria is scheduled for the remaining dates. Kona Ice of Asheville and Kernel Mike’s World Famous Kettle Corn will be available at all dates.
📍 Free parking is available in marked spaces on city streets and in city-owned lots on Marjorie Street after 6pm.
📍 Pets, smoking, and alcohol are prohibited.
📍 Have fun! Dress up as your favorite characters, invite friends, and celebrate cool summer nights.

Movies in the Park allows people to enjoy blockbusters on the big screen with a spectacular backdrop – Asheville City Hall’s art decor exterior flanked by the rising mountains and a night sky full of stars. As Asheville’s town square, Pack Square Park’s central location allows community members in nearby neighborhoods including East End, Montford, South French Broad, and Southside to easily walk, bike, or ride to the show. Free parking in downtown after 6pm makes it a low-cost night out for those traveling from further away.

Sunday, July 16, 2023
Ten Minute Movies
Jul 16 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– FULLY SEATED SHOW

Ten Minute Movies returns for the first time since 2019! We take cult and classic movies and transform them into ten-minute plays for the Grey Eagle stage, building ramshackle worlds out of old cardboard and goodwill castoffs. Whether you want to participate and make a play, or you simply want to come watch, we have room for you. Come join us!
This installment of TMM is a benefit for Asheville Survival Project, who do vital work supporting unhoused and underserved folks in the community.
Monday, July 17, 2023
Outdoor Movie Nights – Jurassic World Domination
Jul 17 @ 8:00 pm
Silverados

Silverado’s, located between Swannanoa and Black Mountain at 2898 U.S. 70, is hosting Family Movie Night under the stars every Monday night through August 21. Tickets are $5 per person, and are only available for purchase on the day of the movie. All movie nights are dependent on weather.

Bring your friends and family, and enjoy a blockbuster outdoor movie on a 24 foot screen. Concessions will be available for purchase. For more info, check the Events tab on the Silverado’s Facebook page.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023
To Protect and Preserve: Historic Flat Rock’s Legacy to Keep
Jul 18 @ 6:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

The history of Flat Rock comes to life in a new film. The archivally rich film showcases a wealth of stories and history specific to Flat Rock that includes photos, maps, blueprints, literature, and art from diverse repositories. Buncombe County Special Collections at Pack Memorial Library has contributed a trove of archival photos from its African American and Flat Rock Collections.

The award-winning historical documentary film, To Protect and Preserve: Historic Flat Rock’s Legacy to Keep, will be screened at the Pack Memorial Library. The first hour of the film, Part 1, Flat Rock’s History will be shown on Tuesday, July 18 at 6 p.m. The event is free to the public. Designed to educate and inspire all ages and demographics, the film unveils Flat Rock’s unique and hidden history as a small American village established in the early 1800s in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

A look back

The film begins in the land of the Cherokee, revealing their way of life and attitudes toward stewarding the land, water sources and trading. The story continues with the Early Explorers, First Settlers, Charlestonian Rice Planters, Enslaved and Freedmen, impacting transgenerational descendant lives to this day. The filmmakers of One Life, One Legacy Films made discoveries in the archives of St. John in the Wilderness Church in Flat Rock that led them to uncover transgenerational connections to living descendants that they could bring to the big screen. The filmmakers interviewed Historian and Author Alexia Helsley, Cherokee Scholar Tom Belt, descendants of the first families, a slave descendant, and preservationists and residents.

Wanda Horne, a 5th generation descendant, whose ancestors were the first enslaved couple married in 1855 at St. John in the Wilderness, tells stories of growing up in East Flat Rock with her extended family. Her Aunt Blanche was a pivotal part of their family and was employed by a white family headed by Dr. D.I.C King. King is a descendant of Judge Mitchell King who was a slave owner in Flat Rock, as well as known for giving the land to settle Hendersonville. Dr. King was the physician for all the Williams family and the new generation of their children. His son, Rick, tells of how Blanche was their nanny, their cook, “their everything,” and how she and his mother would build things together. The filmmakers note, “This one story of black and white connections enriches our understanding, serving as the catalyst in connecting families to our universal histories within our community from generation to generation. There are countless hidden stories yet to be uncovered and threaded together to enlighten us all.”

Filmmakers Patricia Bradley and Michelle Mullen wish to encourage others to bring their community’s and family’s important histories to life, which help us understand our past and present stories.

About Historic Flat Rock

Flat Rock is the largest historic district in our state. Historic Flat Rock, Inc. was founded in 1968 as a non-profit volunteer organization of community residents, preservationists and conservationists who protect the Flat Rock Historic District. Its mission is to “Protect and Preserve” houses, churches, woodlands, and open spaces as well as promoting its cultural history through education.

Thursday, July 20, 2023
Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic + Feature Comedy at Pulp Lounge
Jul 20 @ 8:00 pm
Pulp Lounge

7.20.23 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULP
What: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday July 20, 2023. 8p-10p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $14 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Feature comic Petey Smith McDowell!
From Asheville, North Carolina Petey Smith-McDowell has been traveling around the country telling jokes since 2009. He has opened up for Beth Stelling, Hannibal Buress, and Trevor Noah. Just to name a few.
We feature the area’s best comics, plus an open mic. Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]. For more info and other standup comedy shows go to sliceoflifecomedy.com or contact Michele at [email protected]
Host Cody Hughes: Cody is a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge.
About Pulp: The speakeasy inspired hideaway offers a cozy space for show-goers to relax and enjoy a beverage during the concert. Boasting over 200 different Bourbons and Whiskeys, alongside a myriad of other spirits, it is a must-visit for cocktail lovers and Bourbon sippers alike. Pulp will also open various other nights to feature local artists and “Slice of Life” open-mic comedy nights. To stay informed with the happenings at Pulp, visit the Orange Peel’s website, and follow @pulp_avl on Instagram.

Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic + Feature Comedy at Pulp Lounge
Jul 20 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel Comedy Basement PULP

7.20.23 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULP
What: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday July 20, 2023. 8p-10p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $14 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Feature comic Petey Smith McDowell!
From Asheville, North Carolina Petey Smith-McDowell has been traveling around the country telling jokes since 2009. He has opened up for Beth Stelling, Hannibal Buress, and Trevor Noah. Just to name a few.
We feature the area’s best comics, plus an open mic. Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]. For more info and other standup comedy shows go to sliceoflifecomedy.com or contact Michele at [email protected]
Host Cody Hughes: Cody is a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge.
About Pulp: The speakeasy inspired hideaway offers a cozy space for show-goers to relax and enjoy a beverage during the concert. Boasting over 200 different Bourbons and Whiskeys, alongside a myriad of other spirits, it is a must-visit for cocktail lovers and Bourbon sippers alike. Pulp will also open various other nights to feature local artists and “Slice of Life” open-mic comedy nights. To stay informed with the happenings at Pulp, visit the Orange Peel’s website, and follow @pulp_avl on Instagram.