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, May 20, 2023
Land of the Sky 101 Book Club
May 20 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Land of the Sky 101 is a community learning circle for those who are interested in an introduction to the history of Asheville, Buncombe County and Western North Carolina. A nine -part series of readings and discussions is modeled after the themes of the exhibit “An Incomplete History of Buncombe County” mounted in the BCSC reading room. From October 2022 through July 2023 (with a break in December) participants will explore the history of our region focusing on themes ranging from ancient history to the late 20th century revitalization of the Downtown area.

Read
Each month readers can choose from two selections; one light read like a novel, or groups of essays and poems, and one rigorous non-fiction read written by an expert on the subject. Pick one or both! The choice is yours!

Learn
Each session will be facilitated by a Buncombe County Special Collections librarian or special guest who will share their expert knowledge, additional resources, and set the context for the conversation.

Discuss
At least 45 minutes of each session will be set aside for group discussion. The learning circle is a place to get curious about your community and meet new friends. Come for the history, stay for the fellowship!
Click here to view a complete list of dates and titles.

Registration is limited and required. Sessions for the 2022-2023 cohort will be held at 10:30 am on the third Saturday of each month at Pack Memorial Library. Sessions run from October 2022 until July 2023. Your registration will reserve your place for all nine sessions, and we hope participants will plan to attend each meeting.  If you cannot attend a session, please let us know in advance so we may allow those on the waiting list to participate.

Sunday, May 21, 2023
Looking Glass Rock Writers Conference
May 21 all-day
Brevard College--Porter Center

 May 18-21. Nationally renowned writers give public readings of their work and lead workshops in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
May 23 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Read to Puptart!
May 24 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

Puptart is a tail wagging robot dog who sits and stays, pants when listening, and responds to someone talking to and petting it. It will not jump up or run away, plus it’s fur free, so no sneezes and runny noses coming your way!

Every Wednesday afternoon, Puptart will be available for reading practice in the children’s picture book room. Help establish a joy of reading and develop early literacy skills. Sign up at the front desk, pick a book and practice reading for up to 15 minutes.

Tom Tenbrunsel Virtual Writers Workshop: Poetry on my Mind
May 24 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
online w/ Carl Sandburg Home

You will find Tom Tenbrunsel a delightfully refreshing poet with a wide variety of subject matter and a style somewhere between Sandburg, Frost and the late Appalachian poet James Wright. Tom challenges one’s whit with a refreshing array of non-conforming rhyme, structure, rhythm and oft made-up words and hidden meanings. Uniquely Tom includes a photo and Author’s Notes with each poem. Join us in May to engage the spirit and myth of poetry with Tom’s “Poetry on my Mind”

Casual Poetry/Poetry on my Mind. Tom will read a couple poems for fun. He will ask guests to write a
short poem from a prompt with feedback from the group. Tom would like guests to feel free to bring short
poems to read and discuss. He encourages questions about writing poetry, about a poem of his or his
journey as a poet or his Self Help Series. So familiarize yourself with his works by scanning his website,
tenbrunsel.com Comments or questions are welcomed. Or feel free to email him in advance at
[email protected].  Check out his website tenbrunsel.com before the workshop. Send in one of your
poems to be commented on by Tom.

This workshop is open to writers of all skill levels and is a fun way to find inspiration from a new prompt or revise current work. It is hosted by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara and will use Microsoft Teams for the virtual connection. Sign up to attend the workshop here!

A writer and a poet, Dr. Tenbrunsel enjoyed a long successful career in Clinical Psychology. Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Tom graduated from Bellarmine University, obtained his doctorate from St Louis University in 1969. He taught, published and was in administration at Michigan State University and was VP for Advancement at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He and his wife reside in the Appalachians of Western North Carolina. They have three successful children and eight grand grandchildren. Dr T. enjoys photography, gardening, cycling, hiking, camping and stalking the elusive trout. His writings and publications speak for themselves. He has published numerous books including:  Casual Gardening,  Poetry on My Mind, The Fund Raising Resource Manual,  The Fund Raising Handbook, Fund-Raising and Grantsmanship:  Getting Money from the Community for the Community, The Lansing Area Doctors Directory, 1&2,   Dissertation “A Group Coupon Economy Program in Treating Mental Illness:  An Experiment in Social Innovation”,   A Wrinkle in My Time: My Memoirs (a work in progress)

Thursday, May 25, 2023
Memorial Day Concert
May 25 @ 6:30 pm
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

On Thursday, May 25 we will present our annual Memorial Day concert along with the ACRHS Chorus and ROTC.

Saturday, May 27, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
May 27 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
May 30 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Romance Book Club
May 30 @ 7:00 pm
online w/ Malaprop's Bookstore
The Romance Book Club is a space to celebrate love in literature. Whether it’s set in early 1800s London, a distant planet years into the future, a fantasy world of magic, or our own contemporary universe, we are here for the stories that end with a happily-ever-after (or at least a happily-for-now). Meetings will take place the last Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Please email Samantha at [email protected] for the link to join.

The club will meet virtually for now. 

Meetings will take place at 7:00 PM ET on the last Tuesday of each month via Zoom. Please visit the Romance Bookclub page for the monthly selection, and email Samantha at [email protected] for the link to join.

Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Read to Puptart!
May 31 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

Puptart is a tail wagging robot dog who sits and stays, pants when listening, and responds to someone talking to and petting it. It will not jump up or run away, plus it’s fur free, so no sneezes and runny noses coming your way!

Every Wednesday afternoon, Puptart will be available for reading practice in the children’s picture book room. Help establish a joy of reading and develop early literacy skills. Sign up at the front desk, pick a book and practice reading for up to 15 minutes.

Author event with Marie Bostwick
May 31 @ 5:00 pm
Lake Lure Inn

Author event with Marie Bostwick: 5 p.m., Lake Lure Inn, US 64, Lake Lure. $30 includes book discussion of ‘Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly’ and meal. Call 828-287-6392 or mail check to Friends of the Mountains Branch Library, 150 Bill’s Creek Road, Lake Lue, NC 28746.

Foodie Book Club
May 31 @ 7:00 pm
online

Foodie Book Club

A book club for home cooks, foodies, industry folks, and anyone in-between.  We will be focusing on all sorts of food writing. Somethemes will be (but not limited to): food critics, chef memoirs, wine, food history, and food politics.

The Foodie group meets virtually on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. (EST), beginning in June 2022.  Please email [email protected] for the Zoom meeting info.

Thursday, June 1, 2023
Crime and Politics Book Club
Jun 1 @ 4:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Crime and Politics Book Club

Crime and Politics is a book club for people who want to explore the overlap between true crime and public affairs. We will explore scandals, malfeasance, murder, corruption, and cover-ups. We will alternate months, beginning with a work of true crime, then a book on politics or public affairs. Crime, from the most personal to the global, is the theme. We meet the first Thursday of the month at 4 p.m. Contact [email protected].

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across true crime and public affairs. The club meets in Asheville and offsite, usually at a restaurant, on the first Thursday of the month at 4 p.m. Please email [email protected] for info and instructions to attend. See the list of upcoming dates above and click here to learn more about the club, view important news, and find the pick for this month!

Saturday, June 3, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
Jun 3 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
Jun 6 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Weaverville Library Evening Book Club: The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Jun 6 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Weaverville Public Library

Join us as we discuss, The Guncle by Steven Rowley.  We will meet in person at the Weaverville Library with the option to join the discussion via ZOOM.  Only ZOOM participants need to register.  Copies of this title are available at the Weaverville Library while supplies last. Newcomers are always welcome.

East Asheville Library Book Club: The Other Dr. Gilmer, by Benjamin Gilmer
Jun 6 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
East Asheville Library

Join other literature lovers to discuss your favorite books at the library! This month’s pick is The Other Dr. Gilmer, by Benjamin Gilmer.

Enka Evening Book Club: “West With Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge
Jun 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

We’ll be discussing “West With Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge. Books are available for pick up at the library.
All newcomers are welcome to participate and no registration is required. Join us!

Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Asheville Art Museum Book Club: Fierce Poise
Jun 7 @ 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Fierce Poise is a dazzling biography of one of the 20th century’s most respected painters, Helen Frankenthaler, as she came of age as both an artist and a woman in the vibrant art world of 1950s New York. Brought to vivid life by acclaimed art historian Alexander Nemerov, this book comprises a portrait as bold and distinctive as the painter herself.

 

Read Fierce Poise in advance and join museum staff for a book conversation followed by a gallery talk featuring Frankenthaler’s artwork Book of Clouds, on view in SECU Collection Hall, level 3. Books are available at your local library as well as Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café for a 10% discount.

Read to Puptart!
Jun 7 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

Puptart is a tail wagging robot dog who sits and stays, pants when listening, and responds to someone talking to and petting it. It will not jump up or run away, plus it’s fur free, so no sneezes and runny noses coming your way!

Every Wednesday afternoon, Puptart will be available for reading practice in the children’s picture book room. Help establish a joy of reading and develop early literacy skills. Sign up at the front desk, pick a book and practice reading for up to 15 minutes.

Malaprop’s Book Club
Jun 7 @ 7:00 pm
online w/ Malaprop's Bookstore

The Malaprop’s Book Club, hosted by Jay Jacoby, explores a diverse selection of fiction and nonfiction books determined by member suggestion. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM. The club will meet virtually until further notice. To join the club, please email [email protected]

Thursday, June 8, 2023
Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic & Feature Comedy at Pulp Lounge
Jun 8 @ 8:00 pm
Pulp Lounge

6.8.23 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULPWhat: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday June 18, 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!! .
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 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. Featuring Alexis Ramirez 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, June 9, 2023
The World Beyond the Redbud Tree: Book Reading + Discussion
Jun 9 @ 7:00 pm
Weaverville Community Center

Madison C. Brightwell (a Weaverville resident) will read from and discuss her new novel – The World Beyond the Redbud Tree.

This novel was written by Brightwell during the COVID pandemic as a response to what she saw as a world that needed some healing and hope. The novel is set partly right here in Weaverville, and partly in a fantasy parallel universe, in which our teenage heroine, Charli, discovers a Utopian world where different and better choices were made – a world in which the native peoples were embraced by the white colonists and not destroyed by them, which created a harmonious and peaceful society. Madison hopes to inspire readers of the book to think about how we can all contribute to making the world a better place.

This event will feature…

An interview with the author,
Q&A with the audience,
A performance of an extract from the book by local actors,
Local musicians, and
A book signing by the author at the end of the evening.

Saturday, June 10, 2023
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
Jun 10 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Sunday, June 11, 2023
Juneteenth Freedom Fest
Jun 11 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Carl Sandburg Home

 

The park will host a community “Juneteenth Freedom Fest” on Sunday, June 11 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in cooperation with the Black History Collective of Henderson County. The event will feature music and art demonstrations, with a special presentation by Christopher D. Sims, a poet, activist, and spoken work performer.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Dark City Poet’s Society
Jun 13 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Black Mountain Library

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023
53rd Annual AAUW Book Sale
Jun 14 all-day
Boshamer Gym- Brevard College

The Brevard Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is sponsoring its 53rd Annual Book Sale at Brevard College. Proceeds will support scholarships for local girls and young women. There will be 30,000 well organized books in all genres, puzzles, audiobooks, DVD’s, CD’s and vinyl. There will be ample parking, free admission and dealers are welcome. Prices range from 25 cents and up. Assistance is provided loading books into cars. Payments provided include cash, checks with an ID, or cards.

This event starts on June 10th, 2023 and will be from 10am-7pm. It continues into June 11th, 2023 and is open from noon-7pm. On June 12th and 13th it is open 10am-7pm except the 13th (the 13th ONLY) is half price day. June 14th, 2023 is the final day and it is open from 10am-3pm. On that same day (June 14th) from 3-5pm (only) is free books for local Non-Profits as well.

Pack Library Book Club
Jun 14 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Pack Memorial Library
  The Pack Library Book Club is a book discussion group that meets the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30AM at the library.
Read to Puptart!
Jun 14 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library

Puptart is a tail wagging robot dog who sits and stays, pants when listening, and responds to someone talking to and petting it. It will not jump up or run away, plus it’s fur free, so no sneezes and runny noses coming your way!

Every Wednesday afternoon, Puptart will be available for reading practice in the children’s picture book room. Help establish a joy of reading and develop early literacy skills. Sign up at the front desk, pick a book and practice reading for up to 15 minutes.

Thursday, June 15, 2023
Flat Rock Book Club
Jun 15 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
The 2nd Act

Please join us at The 2nd Act in Hendersonville, NC for our first monthly book club meeting that strives to read books that create a closer knit and more inclusive community! We will meet virtually and in person monthly to discuss a book, so read the book and then join in the discussion in person or online every third Thursday. All are welcome! At the end of each meeting we will vote on the next book! The virtual club meeting will be in Zoom format and will meet 2.5 hours after the in-person meeting (8:00pm EST). After the meeting there is live acoustic music so stay and enjoy the vibe with your new friends! Put us down on your calendar for every third Third Thursday!

The first book is going to be called Disability Visibility.

Synopsis from the back cover: One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love. Preview:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51456746-disability-visibility
Message me for the Zoom link to the online meetup. Thanks!