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.

Saturday, January 14, 2023
Adoption Event with Mountain Pet Rescue
Jan 14 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
12 Bones Brewing

What’s better than brews and pups? Come by Saturday, January 14th from 1-4 for an adoption event with our friends from Mountain Pet Rescue!

Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Free info Live Stream | Jameka Williams presents American Sex Tape™ with Diamond Forde and Kendra Allen
Jan 18 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
online

This virtual event is free but registration is required.

Jameka Williams holds an MFA in poetry from Northwestern University. Her poetry has been published in Prelude Magazine, Muzzle Magazine, and Gulf Coast, among others. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Diamond Forde’s debut collection, Mother Body, is the winner of the 2019 Saturnalia Poetry Prize. Forde has received numerous awards and prizes, including a Pink Poetry Prize, a Furious Flower Poetry Prize, and was a finalist for the 2022 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. You can find more at her website, www.diamondforde.com.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Kendra Allen is the author of The Collection Plate and When You Learn the Alphabet, an essay collection that won the 2018 Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction. She writes the music column Make Love in My Car for Southwest Review, and her memoir, Fruit Punch, is out now. You can keep up with her work at KendraCanYou.com.

Thursday, January 19, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Jan 19 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Thursday, January 26, 2023
An Evening with Lee Stockdale and Gorilla
Jan 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center
An Evening with
Lee Stockdale
and
Gorilla
 Lee Stockdale will read from Gorilla and speak in detail about the relationship between his father, Grant Stockdale, and John F. Kennedy, for whom his father served as, among other roles, Ambassador to Ireland. Grant Stockdale committed suicide ten days after President Kennedy’s assassination. Gorilla portrays Stockdale’s journey from childhood tragedy to healing, through faith in God and the help of family and counselors. Content Warning: Discussion of Suicide.
“These beautifully crafted poems give testament to William Faulkner’s assessment
of the human spirit—a spirit
that will not only endure
but prevail.”
Cathy Smith Bowers
Poetry Open Mic
Jan 26 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Thursday, February 2, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Feb 2 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Friday, February 3, 2023
RAISING BLACK: Joy, Pain, Sunshine + Rain
Feb 3 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Black Diamond Enterprise @ The Foundry

Black Diamond Enterprise presents Black Poetry Theatre* for Black History Month @ The Foundry (*along with other happenings), Feb. 3rd, 5pm. This is a FREE event. Come join us as we explore the Joy, Pain, Sunshine & Rain of life. Enjoy the encouragement and singing with us!

Check for other dates as well.

Thursday, February 9, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Feb 9 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Friday, February 10, 2023
MUSES AND MOCKTAILS
Feb 10 @ 7:30 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

We invite you to drink in the nectar of our heart’s creative delight… A Love Potion by OMotion!

THE SHOW

A one of a kind unique multi-dimensional event !!!!

Muses & Mocktails is not only a show to indulge the senses; it is also a fundraiser for our next full length production, Cycles of Dance, coming up Autumn 2023!

Join us for an evening of potent performance art & herbal elixirs!

OMotion Collective & featured performers convene to share an infusion of musings woven together.

Highlighting:

  • Dance
  • Burlesque
  • Flow arts
  • Comedy
  • Poetry

– & –

  • Looping Musical Mastery

The mocktails being served are The MerTails curated by local purveyor: The NOHM. These herbaceous libations hold a sweet reminder to savor every drop of this creative healing elixir as we rejoice with a cheers.

———————————————–

THE AFTER-SHOW DANCE PARTY

The show will be followed by a dance party. Electronic sets by local talents Blacknote and Atum are sure to getcha’ moving once you’re bubbling with inspiration after the spectrum of expressive acts we have brewed up.

TIming conflicts or preference to just come after the main show & shake it on out? If you can’t make it to the main show, you can purchase a reduced price ticket which is only valid for the after-show Dance Party.

_________________________

Doors at 6:30pm

Show at 7:30pm

Dance Party 9:15pm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENERAL ADMISSION: $33 per person – Full Access Show + Drink + Dance Party

VIP:  $88 for 2 persons – Full Access Show + Drink + Dance Party ( with reserved table for 2 with a decadent spread of fruits, nuts & local chocolate)

DANCE PARTY ONLY: $22 per person – Admittance following the end of the main show

Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Good Vibes: Poetry and sex positive storytelling
Feb 14 @ 7:30 pm
Getaway River Bar

Join us for a night of poetry and storytelling all about the pros, cons, and weirdness of sharing your body with others. All donations will be given directly to Asheville Prison Books. “Asheville Prison Books is a volunteer-run collective which has distributed free literature to people incarcerated in the southeast since 1999. We currently distribute books to North and South Carolina.

 

Fundraiser for Asheville Prison Books, Sliding scale $5-$25 Donation.

 

Time: Doors 7:00, Show 7:30PM

This event will be taking place in the covered outdoor space, so we suggest people dress warmly.

Thursday, February 16, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Feb 16 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Sunday, February 19, 2023
POETRY READING + DISCUSSION W/ GABRIELLE FOREMAN AND GLENIS REDMOND
Feb 19 @ 6:30 pm
Peace Center--Huguenot Loft

Poetry and A Talk with Dr. Gabrielle Foreman, MacArthur Fellow, and Glenis Redmond, Poet Laureate of Greenville about David Drake, the enslaved South Carolina potter and poet. 

 

Gabrielle Foreman and Glenis Redmond will discuss their collaboration on the book, Praise Songs for Dave the Potter, Art and Poetry for David Drake (University of Georgia Press, 2023).

 

David Drake is recognized as one of the United States’ most accomplished nineteenth-century potters. Yet, though his pots—many inscribed with original verse—sit in museums across the nation, he is too often passed over as one of the early progenitors of the African American poetic tradition. Born in South Carolina at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Drake produced hundreds of pieces while under the surveillance of the enslavers who claimed him and his work as their property. As Gabrielle Foreman notes, he is perhaps the only Black person in all of the free or slave states whose literary work was preserved in neither books nor pamphlets nor newspapers. His pots and jars served as pages as well as ceramic vessels.

Monday, February 20, 2023
THE MOTH Presents: Asheville StorySLAM – “Love HURTS”
Feb 20 @ 7:30 pm
The Grey Eagle

– PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW
– GA SEATING IN FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. 

THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….

LOVE HURTS:  Prepare a five-minute tale about a love that made you go OUCH. The agony of deferred love! The misery of good love, gone bad! The anguish of one-way love! Bring stories of your heart, kicked to the curb by the people or places or things you love…or used to love. Love that “Hurts So Good” also welcome.
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Feb 23 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Thursday, March 2, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Mar 2 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Thursday, March 9, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Mar 9 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Thursday, March 16, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Mar 16 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Monday, March 20, 2023
THE MOTH Presents: Asheville StorySLAM – “Stakes”
Mar 20 @ 7:30 pm
The Grey Eagle

– PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW
– GA SEATING IN FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. 

THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….

STAKES:  Prepare a five-minute story about when it was make-or-break, all-or-nothing. When you dug in your heels or rose to the occasion. Packed it up, moved on, or made your claim. Proceed at your own risk…

 

Thursday, March 23, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Mar 23 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Saturday, March 25, 2023
The Kitten Shower
Mar 25 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Guidon Brewing Company

Have social time meet our staff and current fosters and get to know more about our Foster Program. Games, snacks, and other goodies will be provided for attendees and donations of much-needed kitten items are encouraged. Items requested include vital supplies like kitten formula and food, kitten warmers, bottles, and supplements that give foster kittens the needed boost to grow into healthy adult cats.

The full kitten supply list is available on the Blue Ridge Humane Society website at https://www.blueridgehumane.org/donate/wish-list/. There are also options available for items to be purchased online and shipped directly to Blue Ridge Humane.

As the weather warms up, the birds, bees, and cats get busy. Soon, kittens start to appear in local animal shelters, “rescued” by well-meaning animal lovers. “We are coming on that time of year when animal lovers begin finding kittens outside,” says Angela Prodrick, Blue Ridge Humane’s Executive Director. “It is important to remember that the amount of community or feral cats in our county far outnumbers the number of people living in our community. If all the kittens were brought to a local shelter, the shelter would quickly become overwhelmed.”

If you find a kitten, here are a few simple things you can do to help save lives:

Instead of immediately springing into action once kittens are found, wait and watch. If the kittens aren’t visibly sick or injured, move away from the nest and wait to see if the mother returns. If the mother returns, you can help her by providing food and shelter while she raises the kittens.

If you discover that mom isn’t returning, or if it appears that she is not coming back, then you should remove the kittens. This is crucial to the kittens’ survival. The best place for kittens to grow is with a dedicated foster. Blue Ridge Humane provides kitten kits to help kitten rescuers turn into kitten fosters.

Once kittens are about 6-8 weeks old, a finder can look to get them spayed or neutered and adopted into new homes. If you find kittens that need care and you need supplies or advice, contact the BRHS Foster and Community Outreach Team at [email protected] or (828) 393-5832. Animal lovers can also view additional resources about what to do when kittens are found at https://www.blueridgehumane.org/resources/lost-found/kittens/.

Blue Ridge Humane offers kitten care support for volunteers, as well as comprehensive training and support for fosters in the BRHS foster program. To learn more about fostering, visit https://www.blueridgehumane.org/get-involved/foster/ or contact Michaela Okuda, Foster Program Coordinator at [email protected].

The Blue Ridge Humane Society, Inc., is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization started in 1950 and dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and our neighboring communities. BRHS cares for pets awaiting adoption at the Adoption Center; offers low-cost vaccine clinics, animal education programs, pet training classes, and youth education and projects; coordinates community pet food assistance, emergency vet assistance, and the Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Henderson County Animal Services Center.

If you believe in our cause, consider donating or learning how to volunteer by visiting the Blue Ridge Humane Society’s website at www.blueridgehumane.org or call (828) 692-2639.

Thursday, March 30, 2023
Poetry Open Mic
Mar 30 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Saturday, April 1, 2023
Waggin’ Weekend with the Swamp Rabbits
Apr 1 @ 7:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Bark your calendars for the last Doggie-Date-Night of the season! Thanks to our friends at Noble Dog Hotel, Saturday, April 1st you can bring your four legged pooch to the Swamp Rabbits Game for a fun night of hockey!

Sunday, April 23, 2023
First Sunday Jam of 2023 and Outdoor Taproom Opening Day
Apr 23 @ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Pisgah Brewing Co.

Pisgah Brewing Company officially kicks off its 2023 season with Black Mountain’s original Sunday Jam, hosted Spiro and Friends!

This jam features original jams and favorite covers. Bring your instrument! Sign-ups at the stage starting at 6:00 PM!

Pisgah Beer, Gluten Free and N/A options available. Family and dog friendly venue.

The taproom is open from 2:00 to 9:00 PM with music beginning at 6:30 PM.

Photo credit: David Simchock Photography

Monday, April 24, 2023
THE MOTH Presents: Asheville StorySLAM – “Clean”
Apr 24 @ 7:30 pm
The Grey Eagle

– PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW
– GA SEATING IN FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. 

THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….


CLEAN:  
Prepare a five-minute story about spotlessness. Leaving your vices behind, purity through virtue, or coming out unscathed. Germaphobes or slobs. Colossal messes or confessions. The tidy and the untainted. Mr. Clean in the house!

Public Onsale Begins:

Monday, April 3, 2023 3:00 PM

Thursday, April 27, 2023
West Asheville Library Book Discussion–in person. Bring a poem to share. 
Apr 27 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
West Asheville Public Library
  In celebration of National Poetry Month, bring a poem that you have liked, and share with the group. Please email [email protected] if you have questions!
Friday, April 28, 2023
THE DEAD POETS WITH GLENIS REDMOND AND ALLAN WOLF
Apr 28 @ 7:30 pm
Genevieve's

Experience poetry unlike you’ve heard before with this collective of performance poets. The Dead Poets take center stage resurrecting classic words of the likes of Shakespeare, Hughes and Frost with expert musicianship and whit. Then be swept by the literary prowess of Redmond and entertained by Wolf.

Each with their own performance style and acclaimed in their own right,  have spent nearly 30 years performing regionally and nationally, educating through the power of verse.

Saturday, April 29, 2023
Urban Orchard Dog Adoption Event
Apr 29 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Urban Orchard Cider Co. - South Slope
Are you ready for an event that combines the best of both worlds? Join us for a pawsome dog adoption event at Urban Orchard Cider on the South Slope on Saturday, April 29th from 1-4 pm.
We promise a howling good time as you sip on delicious ciders and meet some of the most adorable and adoptable dogs around. Our furry friends will be ready to steal your heart and find their fur-ever homes.
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Uncommon Market Adoption Event
Apr 30 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Uncommon Market
The Uncommon Market is in its 8th season of gathering makers of art and handmade items as well as curators of antique & vintage finds. You’re sure to find the perfect gift for your loved ones and maybe even take home a new loved one!
We will be on sight all day, so “pup” on by to meet your new forever friend and shop local!
Sunday, May 7, 2023
Barks and Books at 12 Bones South
May 7 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
12 Bones South
We’ve got paws AND pages! Join us Sunday, May 7th, from 12p-3p for our Barks and Books event.
We have a “tail-wagging” line-up of excited pups waiting for their furever home. Bring 3 pre-loved books and $10 to Headquarters or Thrift Hound May 1st through May 5th to get a ticket to our book swap. Stop in May 7th to exchange your ticket for 3 new “tails” of your choosing!
Our event is open to everyone, whether you’re a dog lover, book lover, or both! Come and browse through our collection of books while cuddling up and reading to the cutest dogs in town.
So, mark your calendars and don’t miss out on this paw-some event. Spread the word, share with your friends and join us in celebrating the joy of reading and the love of dogs. We can’t wait to see you there!
Thursday, May 11, 2023
A Whale of a Good Adoption Event
May 11 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The Whale :: A Craft Beer Collective
Join us for a surprise Pup Up Adoption Event at The Whale in West Asheville on Thursday, 5/11, from 5p-8pm.
Come meet our furry friends and snag some pawsome MPR merch! It’s sure to be a whale of a good time!