Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
What if we gathered at the Botanical Gardens, stared up at the clouds, and danced with plants? Maybe we will tell a joke. Maybe we will draw each other’s portraits. Maybe we will discuss what the clouds look like. Maybe we will share some strawberries. Maybe we will stretch together. Maybe we will write a song together. Maybe we will just look at each other, sharing space, breathing the same air.
Multidisciplinary Performance Artist, Mike Durkin, will lead a participatory mediative performance where audience members will gather, share space, tour the grounds, dance, and find a deeper connection between the variety of environments and worlds we occupy on a day-to-day basis.
The experience, located on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens on UNC Asheville’s campus, will last approximately 75 minutes and will have periods of walking, dancing, and other activities. Plan on wearing hiking attire, clothes you can move in, and complimentary tea will be served during the experience. Audience members can participate in as much or as little as they are comfortable with. All movements and activities require very little exertion.
Email [email protected] for reservations for performances 1/22-1/27
Buy tickets at www.ashevillefringe.org for the Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 performances, available January 1st.
For More Information, www.mikedurkin.info
Follow him on Instagram: @MikeDurkinProjects

ON SALE NOVEMBER 26, 2021
Because we know that everyone’s schedules are different, Hendersonville Theatre offers four excellent Season Ticket packages that will get you the best seats in the house and save you money.
SHOWS INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE:
Nunsense Jamboree
Red, White & Tuna
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Haunting of Hill House
Five Carols for Christmas & JingleJacks
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.
Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.
The Music of Tom Petty
Feb. 24-March 5
Two Jews, Talking
A Hilarious Staged Reading
March 17-19
A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.
The Music of Elton John
March 31-April 2
The Music of Neil Diamond
April 7-10
Catch Me If You Can
April 28-May 14
This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times
Million Dollar Quartet
May 20-June 19
Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.
The Music of the Eagles
An Outdoor Stadium Concert
June 18
Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.
West Side Story
July 1-30
The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.
Mozart to Pop Chart
The Musical Story Continues
August 5-13
Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
August 19-Sept. 4
Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.
Introducing The Black Box Series.
September 15-October 9
You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience. The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!
God of Carnage
Sept. 15-Oct. 8
A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”
Blood Knot
Sept. 16-Oct. 9
A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.
Mamma Mia!
Encore Performance
Oct. 21-Nov. 13
The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.
A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas
November 25-December 22
The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)
December 1-4
Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!
To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE
In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.
# # #
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
What if we gathered at the Botanical Gardens, stared up at the clouds, and danced with plants? Maybe we will tell a joke. Maybe we will draw each other’s portraits. Maybe we will discuss what the clouds look like. Maybe we will share some strawberries. Maybe we will stretch together. Maybe we will write a song together. Maybe we will just look at each other, sharing space, breathing the same air.
Multidisciplinary Performance Artist, Mike Durkin, will lead a participatory mediative performance where audience members will gather, share space, tour the grounds, dance, and find a deeper connection between the variety of environments and worlds we occupy on a day-to-day basis.
The experience, located on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens on UNC Asheville’s campus, will last approximately 75 minutes and will have periods of walking, dancing, and other activities. Plan on wearing hiking attire, clothes you can move in, and complimentary tea will be served during the experience. Audience members can participate in as much or as little as they are comfortable with. All movements and activities require very little exertion.
A special zoom performance will be held on Saturday 1/22 for individuals to gather, share space, and dance with plants across the interwebs. Performances on Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 at 3pm are part of the Asheville Fringe Festival.
Email [email protected] for reservations for performances 1/22-1/27
Buy tickets at www.ashevillefringe.org for the Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 performances, available January 1st.
For More Information, www.mikedurkin.info
Follow him on Instagram: @MikeDurkinProjects
Stewart/Owen Dance debuts a genre-bending new show, Dirty Laundry, this January in Asheville. Prepare to be engrossed in live dance, encircled by multimedia and enthralled by provocative spoken word. Experience an unexpected story of marriage, divorce, and reclamation at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Shows run Jan. 21-23 and 28-30 with ten opportunities to catch this intimate performance. Tickets: $27. Box office: 828-257-4530 or worthamarts.org. Note: This performance uses explicit language describing adult situations. Recommended for ages 16+.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 26, 2021
Because we know that everyone’s schedules are different, Hendersonville Theatre offers four excellent Season Ticket packages that will get you the best seats in the house and save you money.
SHOWS INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE:
Nunsense Jamboree
Red, White & Tuna
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Haunting of Hill House
Five Carols for Christmas & JingleJacks
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.
Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.
The Music of Tom Petty
Feb. 24-March 5
Two Jews, Talking
A Hilarious Staged Reading
March 17-19
A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.
The Music of Elton John
March 31-April 2
The Music of Neil Diamond
April 7-10
Catch Me If You Can
April 28-May 14
This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times
Million Dollar Quartet
May 20-June 19
Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.
The Music of the Eagles
An Outdoor Stadium Concert
June 18
Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.
West Side Story
July 1-30
The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.
Mozart to Pop Chart
The Musical Story Continues
August 5-13
Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
August 19-Sept. 4
Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.
Introducing The Black Box Series.
September 15-October 9
You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience. The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!
God of Carnage
Sept. 15-Oct. 8
A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”
Blood Knot
Sept. 16-Oct. 9
A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.
Mamma Mia!
Encore Performance
Oct. 21-Nov. 13
The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.
A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas
November 25-December 22
The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)
December 1-4
Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!
To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE
In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.
# # #
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
What if we gathered at the Botanical Gardens, stared up at the clouds, and danced with plants? Maybe we will tell a joke. Maybe we will draw each other’s portraits. Maybe we will discuss what the clouds look like. Maybe we will share some strawberries. Maybe we will stretch together. Maybe we will write a song together. Maybe we will just look at each other, sharing space, breathing the same air.
Multidisciplinary Performance Artist, Mike Durkin, will lead a participatory mediative performance where audience members will gather, share space, tour the grounds, dance, and find a deeper connection between the variety of environments and worlds we occupy on a day-to-day basis.
The experience, located on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens on UNC Asheville’s campus, will last approximately 75 minutes and will have periods of walking, dancing, and other activities. Plan on wearing hiking attire, clothes you can move in, and complimentary tea will be served during the experience. Audience members can participate in as much or as little as they are comfortable with. All movements and activities require very little exertion.
Email [email protected] for reservations for performances 1/22-1/27
Buy tickets at www.ashevillefringe.org for the Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 performances, available January 1st.
For More Information, www.mikedurkin.info
Follow him on Instagram: @MikeDurkinProjects

Asheville’s #1 mentalist, Jonathan Pritchard, is set to reveal his cutting-edge show that has amazed audiences all over the world.
Pritchard was raised in Marion before hitting the road at age 18. He has performed on 3 continents for Fortune 500 companies like Discovery, BP, State Farm, United Airlines, and beyond.
He has also performed more than 13,000 shows at Universal Studios in Orlando, at the world famous Magic Castle in California, headlined many times at the prestigious Chicago Magic Lounge, entertained Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B, and Howie Mandel for America’s Got Talent, and appeared at hundreds of colleges across the country.
He recently moved back home to Asheville and he rarely performs for the public. This is your one opportunity to see what makes him one of the most sought-after experts at trade shows, conferences, and other corporate events.
The Show
The 70 minute theatrical “mind reading” experience explores the power of human imagination and shows you what lives beyond the impossible. It is a mixture of applied psychology, showmanship, comedy, and moxie.
It has been performed all over the country to great acclaim and has been recognized as one of the most innovative, thought provoking, and dynamic performances in the past decade.
We guarantee you’ve never seen anything like it, and now it’s coming to Asheville.
VIP tickets allow the ticket owner to get in early to grab your unassigned seat before the general admission ticket holders.
Stewart/Owen Dance debuts a genre-bending new show, Dirty Laundry, this January in Asheville. Prepare to be engrossed in live dance, encircled by multimedia and enthralled by provocative spoken word. Experience an unexpected story of marriage, divorce, and reclamation at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Shows run Jan. 21-23 and 28-30 with ten opportunities to catch this intimate performance. Tickets: $27. Box office: 828-257-4530 or worthamarts.org. Note: This performance uses explicit language describing adult situations. Recommended for ages 16+.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 26, 2021
Because we know that everyone’s schedules are different, Hendersonville Theatre offers four excellent Season Ticket packages that will get you the best seats in the house and save you money.
SHOWS INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE:
Nunsense Jamboree
Red, White & Tuna
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Haunting of Hill House
Five Carols for Christmas & JingleJacks
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.
Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.
The Music of Tom Petty
Feb. 24-March 5
Two Jews, Talking
A Hilarious Staged Reading
March 17-19
A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.
The Music of Elton John
March 31-April 2
The Music of Neil Diamond
April 7-10
Catch Me If You Can
April 28-May 14
This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times
Million Dollar Quartet
May 20-June 19
Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.
The Music of the Eagles
An Outdoor Stadium Concert
June 18
Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.
West Side Story
July 1-30
The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.
Mozart to Pop Chart
The Musical Story Continues
August 5-13
Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
August 19-Sept. 4
Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.
Introducing The Black Box Series.
September 15-October 9
You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience. The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!
God of Carnage
Sept. 15-Oct. 8
A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”
Blood Knot
Sept. 16-Oct. 9
A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.
Mamma Mia!
Encore Performance
Oct. 21-Nov. 13
The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.
A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas
November 25-December 22
The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)
December 1-4
Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!
To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE
In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.
# # #
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
What if we gathered at the Botanical Gardens, stared up at the clouds, and danced with plants? Maybe we will tell a joke. Maybe we will draw each other’s portraits. Maybe we will discuss what the clouds look like. Maybe we will share some strawberries. Maybe we will stretch together. Maybe we will write a song together. Maybe we will just look at each other, sharing space, breathing the same air.
Multidisciplinary Performance Artist, Mike Durkin, will lead a participatory mediative performance where audience members will gather, share space, tour the grounds, dance, and find a deeper connection between the variety of environments and worlds we occupy on a day-to-day basis.
The experience, located on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens on UNC Asheville’s campus, will last approximately 75 minutes and will have periods of walking, dancing, and other activities. Plan on wearing hiking attire, clothes you can move in, and complimentary tea will be served during the experience. Audience members can participate in as much or as little as they are comfortable with. All movements and activities require very little exertion.
Email [email protected] for reservations for performances 1/22-1/27
Buy tickets at www.ashevillefringe.org for the Saturday 1/29 and Sunday 1/30 performances, available January 1st.
For More Information, www.mikedurkin.info
Follow him on Instagram: @MikeDurkinProjects

Aquila Theatre, one of the foremost producers of classical theater in the nation has created a new theatrical adaptation of The Great Gatsby that will speak to how the 1924 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald resonates within our current culture. This timely story reveals a society where success seems to be defined only by wealth, obsession masquerades as love, and prejudice is used as a weapon to bolster one’s fragile sense of self. Follow along as self-made Jay Gatsby a man from a working-class background, who had previously fallen in love with wealthy heiress, Daisy Buchanan. After returning from his military service he finds that Daisy had married blue-blood, Tom Buchanan. Gatsby, determined to win her back, does whatever it takes to reinvent himself into the man he thinks Daisy will want.
Aquila Theatre Company has been awarded numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Humanities, the New York State Councils for the Arts and Humanities, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Aquila has performed at the White House under the Bush and Obama administrations, and has performed for the U.S Supreme Court and for the National Council on the Arts. Aquila was also recently invited by Lin-Manuel Miranda to perform at the U.S. Capitol in support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, for its groundbreaking theatre and humanities program: The Warrior Chorus.
Take in the impactful designs, superb actors, and insightful direction of Aquila’s production The Great Gatsby.
Stewart/Owen Dance debuts a genre-bending new show, Dirty Laundry, this January in Asheville. Prepare to be engrossed in live dance, encircled by multimedia and enthralled by provocative spoken word. Experience an unexpected story of marriage, divorce, and reclamation at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Shows run Jan. 21-23 and 28-30 with ten opportunities to catch this intimate performance. Tickets: $27. Box office: 828-257-4530 or worthamarts.org. Note: This performance uses explicit language describing adult situations. Recommended for ages 16+.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.
Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.
The Music of Tom Petty
Feb. 24-March 5
Two Jews, Talking
A Hilarious Staged Reading
March 17-19
A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.
The Music of Elton John
March 31-April 2
The Music of Neil Diamond
April 7-10
Catch Me If You Can
April 28-May 14
This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times
Million Dollar Quartet
May 20-June 19
Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.
The Music of the Eagles
An Outdoor Stadium Concert
June 18
Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.
West Side Story
July 1-30
The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.
Mozart to Pop Chart
The Musical Story Continues
August 5-13
Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
August 19-Sept. 4
Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.
Introducing The Black Box Series.
September 15-October 9
You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience. The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!
God of Carnage
Sept. 15-Oct. 8
A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”
Blood Knot
Sept. 16-Oct. 9
A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.
Mamma Mia!
Encore Performance
Oct. 21-Nov. 13
The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.
A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas
November 25-December 22
The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)
December 1-4
Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!
To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE
In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.
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The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.

Dive into the world of Broadway in this high-energy, low-pressure class exploring the plot, characters, music, and dances of a musical! Learn songs from the show, put your best foot forward with fun musical theatre-style choreography, and explore scene work in this process-based class that builds theatre skills and a sense of ensemble. With an emphasis on creative play, improvisation, and theatre technique, young artists will leave this class having tried their hand at all of the key elements of musical theatre. No experience is necessary.

Aquila Theatre, one of the foremost producers of classical theater in the nation has created a new theatrical adaptation of The Great Gatsby that will speak to how the 1924 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald resonates within our current culture. This timely story reveals a society where success seems to be defined only by wealth, obsession masquerades as love, and prejudice is used as a weapon to bolster one’s fragile sense of self. Follow along as self-made Jay Gatsby a man from a working-class background, who had previously fallen in love with wealthy heiress, Daisy Buchanan. After returning from his military service he finds that Daisy had married blue-blood, Tom Buchanan. Gatsby, determined to win her back, does whatever it takes to reinvent himself into the man he thinks Daisy will want.
Aquila Theatre Company has been awarded numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Humanities, the New York State Councils for the Arts and Humanities, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Aquila has performed at the White House under the Bush and Obama administrations, and has performed for the U.S Supreme Court and for the National Council on the Arts. Aquila was also recently invited by Lin-Manuel Miranda to perform at the U.S. Capitol in support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, for its groundbreaking theatre and humanities program: The Warrior Chorus.
Take in the impactful designs, superb actors, and insightful direction of Aquila’s production The Great Gatsby.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.
Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.
The Music of Tom Petty
Feb. 24-March 5
Two Jews, Talking
A Hilarious Staged Reading
March 17-19
A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.
The Music of Elton John
March 31-April 2
The Music of Neil Diamond
April 7-10
Catch Me If You Can
April 28-May 14
This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times
Million Dollar Quartet
May 20-June 19
Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.
The Music of the Eagles
An Outdoor Stadium Concert
June 18
Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.
West Side Story
July 1-30
The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.
Mozart to Pop Chart
The Musical Story Continues
August 5-13
Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
August 19-Sept. 4
Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.
Introducing The Black Box Series.
September 15-October 9
You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience. The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!
God of Carnage
Sept. 15-Oct. 8
A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”
Blood Knot
Sept. 16-Oct. 9
A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.
Mamma Mia!
Encore Performance
Oct. 21-Nov. 13
The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.
A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas
November 25-December 22
The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)
December 1-4
Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!
To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE
In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.
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