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.

Friday, February 17, 2023
CALENDAR GIRLS
Feb 17 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

By: Tim Firth
Based on the Miramax motion picture by Juliette Towhidi and Tim Firth

Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Director: Brandi Andrade

Approximate Run Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Rating: Mature due to adult situations, humor, and language

Tim Firth’s hilarious play is based on the true story of eleven middle-aged women who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund in 1999. When Annie’s husband John dies of leukemia, she and best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. They persuade four friends and fellow members of the Women’s Institute to pose nude with them for an “alternative” calendar, assisted by hospital porter and amateur photographer Lawrence. News of the women’s charitable venture spreads like wildfire, and hordes of press soon descend on the small village of Knapeley in Yorkshire, England. The calendar is a success, but Chris and Annie’s friendship is put to the test under the strain of their new-found fame.

Every Brilliant Thing
Feb 17 @ 7:30 pm
NC Stage Company

By Duncan MacMillian with Jonny Donahoe

Directed by Charlie Flynn-McIver and Starring Scott Treadway


You’re six years old and your mom’s in the hospital because, as your dad says, she “finds it hard to be happy”. You start making a list for her of all the wonderful things in life.
No. 1 “Ice cream”
No. 6 “Rollercoasters”
No. 517 “Knowing someone well enough to get them to check your teeth for broccoli”
The list grows as you do, taking on a life of its own, eventually morphing into a million items and the very thing that helps you find light during your own darkest moments.
No. 999 “Sunlight”
No. 10,000 “Waking up late with someone you love”
No. 999,997 “The alphabet”
Every Brilliant Thing is a heart wrenching and hilarious one-man play that will have your belly laughing and your eyes brimming. Based on true and untrue stories, it is a life-affirming story of how to achieve hope through focusing on the smallest miracles of life.
One of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression—and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop…There is something tough being confronted here—the guilt of not being able to make those we love happy—and it is explored with unflinching honesty.” —The Guardian (UK)

Content Warning: Although the play balances the struggles of life while celebrating all that is wonderful in living each day, Every Brilliant Thing contains descriptions of depression, self-harm, and suicide. It is recommended for audience members 14 and older.  If you or somebody you know is struggling, please call 988, The Suicide & Crisis Hotline.

Native Gardens
Feb 17 @ 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Tania, a very pregnant PHD candidate, and Pablo, her high-powered lawyer husband, realize the American dream when they buy a house with a backyard in Washington, DC. Living next door to community stalwarts Virginia and Frank is great – until a disagreement arises over a long-standing fence line between their homes. The conflict spirals into an all-out war of taste, class, privilege, and entitlement. With witty humor and engaging real-life drama, Native Gardens showcases conflict – and the worst and best ways to work it out!

Content Warning: Native Gardens contains mature themes, depictions of smoking, pregnancy/childbirth, microaggressions, and discussions of racism.

Accessibility:

All performances: Accessible wheelchair/scooter seating available.

Saturday, Feb 25, 2023: ASL-Interpreted Performance

The Magnetic Theatre Presents: HappyLand
Feb 17 @ 7:30 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre is thrilled to kick off its 2023 Mainstage Season with HappyLand, a fun and fantastical new musical by Brayden Dickerson and Zach Knox of Asheville’s blues-fusion band Smooth Goose, featuring live tunes and an exciting ensemble of quirky characters.

This non-stop rock opera tells the tale of a delivery person who doesn’t quite fit into the titular town of HappyLand. Tasked with delivering one last package before the vacation they have been dreaming of, our bicycling box-bearer embarks on an epic journey through the barren Neither, where a host of unsavory characters contrives to stay this courier from their appointed rounds.  Nevertheless, our maudlin messenger is determined to make it to SadLand. But what will they find when they arrive? Could the addressee be the love of their life? What message does the all-important package contain? And can our hero deliver the earth from annihilation?

Directed by Jason Phillips and featuring an ensemble cast with rotating lead actors, HappyLand is a delightful extravaganza of song, silliness, dance, romance, and splendiferous space battles.

Saturday, February 18, 2023
Celebrate Black Legacy Month
Feb 18 all-day
Buncombe County Libraires

Join us throughout February as we celebrate Black Legacy Month with programs and events for all ages! In addition to the programs listed below, we will have special story times and exhibits at most of our libraries.

  • Bright Star Touring Theatre: African Folktales – February 1 at 4pm at the Weaverville Library (for children ages 3 and up)
  • Book Club: Jazz by Toni Morrison – Thursday, February 2 a 3pm at the Weaverville Library
  • Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – Tuesday, February 7 at 6pm
  • Book Club: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict Tuesday, February 14 at 1pm at the Leicester Library
  • Book Club: Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland – February 16 at 2:30pm at the Skyland/South Buncombe Library
  • Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – February 21 at 7pm at the Fairview Library
  • Black Experience Book Club: The Furrows by Namwali Serpell – February 23 at 6:30pm at the Noir Collective, co-sponsored by the East Asheville library

Drop by your local library and check us out. Email or call if you have any questions.

Our librarians have also put together a Black Legacy Month reading list for all ages.

Black Legacy Month Reading List 2023

Books for Adults

Adult Fiction

  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
  • On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library edited by Glory Edim
  • What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harries
  • Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
  • The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois by Honoree Fannone Jeffers
  • How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemison
  • Deacon King Kong by James McBride
  • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
  • Black Bottom Saints by Alice Randall
  • The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
  • Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
  • Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
  • Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Adult nonfiction

  • Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
  • Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black women in Popular Culture by Zeba Blay
  • The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones
  • Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
  • Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby*
  • The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
  • All That She Carried by Tiya Miles
  • Please Don’t Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson*
  • You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin*
  • Counting Descent by Clint Smith
  • The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
  • Here For It by R. Eric Thomas*
  • Koshersoul: the faith and food journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty

*especially good on audio because the authors read their work!

Picture books for families to share

  • My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis
  • Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner
  • My N.C. From A to Z by Michelle Lanier
  • Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep by JaNay Brown-Wood
  • Curls by Ruth Forman
  • Fly by Brittany J. Thurman
  • Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan
  • Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens
  • Bright Brown Baby, A Treasury by Andrea Davis Pinkney
  • Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

Chapter books for older kids

  • Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. BaptistBlended by Sharon Draper
  • Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
  • Tristan Strong Trilogy (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching) by Kwame Mbalia
  • From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
  • Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia
  • Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
  • Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
  • The Door of No Return by Alexander Kwame

Books for teens

  • Quincredible by Rodney Barnes
  • The Legendborn Cycle (Legendborn and Bloodmarked) by Tracy Deonn
  • All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
  • You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
  • Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson
  • Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon
  • Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
  • Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
  • On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
  • Okoye to the People by Ibi Zoboi
Build Crew Work Days Hendersonville Theatre
Feb 18 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

We’re putting our build crew back together and we’d love to have you join us. Every 2 weeks, we’ll meet at 9 am for hands-on set construction! Whether your talents are building, painting, or you just want to learn, come out and join us every other Saturday for some creative fun. Tools and work gloves are helpful but not required

Land of the Sky 101 Book Club
Feb 18 @ 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.

PUFFS: A One-Act for Young Wizards
Feb 18 @ 2:02 pm – 4:00 pm
Asheville Performing Arts Academy

For 7 years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story…..

The New York Times proclaims Puffs “A fast-paced romp through the ‘Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.’ For Potterphiliacs who grew up alongside Potter and are eager to revisit that world, Puffs exudes a jovial, winking fondness for all things Harry!”

This clever and inventive play “never goes more than a minute without a laugh” (Nerdist) giving you a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of three potential heroes just trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be very dangerous for children. Alongside them are the Puffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders with a thing for badgers “who are so lovable and relatable, you’ll leave the theater wishing they were in the stories all along” (Hollywood Life). Their “hilariously heartfelt!” (Metro) and epic journey takes the classic story to new places and reimagines what a boy wizard hero can be.

Puffs is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K Rowling, Warner Bros. or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or play.

Cosmic Theories of a Romantic’s Heart by Emily Kitchens
Feb 18 @ 7:00 pm
The Porter Center At Brevard College

Brevard College Theatre presents

Cosmic Theories of a Romantic’s Heart

by Emily Kitchens

A play about love and how the Earth came to orbit the Sun.

CAST

Star: Gabe Bernhard

Comet: Sarah Hajkowski

Girl: Mickey Lasco

Moon: Anna Ervin

Sun: Eli Hughes

PUFFS: A One-Act for Young Wizards
Feb 18 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Performing Arts Academy

For 7 years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story…..

The New York Times proclaims Puffs “A fast-paced romp through the ‘Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.’ For Potterphiliacs who grew up alongside Potter and are eager to revisit that world, Puffs exudes a jovial, winking fondness for all things Harry!”

This clever and inventive play “never goes more than a minute without a laugh” (Nerdist) giving you a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of three potential heroes just trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be very dangerous for children. Alongside them are the Puffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders with a thing for badgers “who are so lovable and relatable, you’ll leave the theater wishing they were in the stories all along” (Hollywood Life). Their “hilariously heartfelt!” (Metro) and epic journey takes the classic story to new places and reimagines what a boy wizard hero can be.

Puffs is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K Rowling, Warner Bros. or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or play.

The Man of Magic
Feb 18 @ 7:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Come on a journey of astonishment with Jonathan Hawley from Hawley Magic in their brand new show, The Man of Magic. It’s jam packed full of mind blowing magic, mind reading, comedy, and audience interaction. Not only will you be amazed, but you’ll also be inspired as he combines his expert skill as a magician/illusionist with inspirational messages to help his audiences believe anything is possible. A few of Jonathan’s accomplishments include being a finalist on America’s Got Talent, featured in the UK on the award winning TV show, The Cruise, was nominated for Princess Cruises Entertainer of the Year and has traveled the world performing as a resident headliner on board many different luxury cruise lines. With the use of today’s technology Jonathan will give the audience a truly unique experience by getting the magic up close like never before. Don’t miss out on this night of mind boggling fun that’s family friendly and great for all ages.

The Man of Magic
Feb 18 @ 7:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Man of Magic red size

Come on a journey of astonishment with Jonathan Hawley from Hawley Magic in their brand new show, The Man of Magic. It’s jam packed full of mind blowing magic, mind reading, comedy, and audience interaction. Not only will you be amazed, but you’ll also be inspired as he combines his expert skill as a magician/illusionist with inspirational messages to help his audiences believe anything is possible. A few of Jonathan’s accomplishments include being a finalist on America’s Got Talent, featured in the UK on the award winning TV show, The Cruise, was nominated for Princess Cruises Entertainer of the Year and has traveled the world performing as a resident headliner on board many different luxury cruise lines. With the use of today’s technology Jonathan will give the audience a truly unique experience by getting the magic up close like never before. Don’t miss out on this night of mind boggling fun that’s family friendly and great for all ages.

Abe Lincoln and Uncle Tom in the White House
Feb 18 @ 7:30 pm
The Wortham Center for The Performing Arts

Written by Carlyle Brown

Directed by Stephanie Hickling Beckman

 

ABE LINCOLN AND UNCLE TOM IN THE WHITE HOUSE portrays a gripping re-imagination of the the events the night before Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Alone in the Executive Office, President Abraham Lincoln is struggling with signing the Emancipation Proclamation when he is mysteriously visited by Uncle Tom, the fictional character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s abolitionist novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly. These two iconic characters from life and literature—one real, the other fiction—attempt to understand each other across a chasm of race in the midst of the Civil War. Throughout one late night and into the dawning day, they find themselves crossing over into each other’s world in a tale of suffering, self-discovery, and redemption.

“I hadn’t read the book [Uncle Tom’s Cabin], and I had fallen victim to the mentality that says when you hear the name Uncle Tom you get the picture of the worst individual you could imagine, In reading the book, I found a character of honor and dignity and I thought, maybe this character deserves to be looked at again.” – James A Williams

CALENDAR GIRLS
Feb 18 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

By: Tim Firth
Based on the Miramax motion picture by Juliette Towhidi and Tim Firth

Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Director: Brandi Andrade

Approximate Run Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Rating: Mature due to adult situations, humor, and language

Tim Firth’s hilarious play is based on the true story of eleven middle-aged women who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund in 1999. When Annie’s husband John dies of leukemia, she and best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. They persuade four friends and fellow members of the Women’s Institute to pose nude with them for an “alternative” calendar, assisted by hospital porter and amateur photographer Lawrence. News of the women’s charitable venture spreads like wildfire, and hordes of press soon descend on the small village of Knapeley in Yorkshire, England. The calendar is a success, but Chris and Annie’s friendship is put to the test under the strain of their new-found fame.

Every Brilliant Thing
Feb 18 @ 7:30 pm
NC Stage Company

By Duncan MacMillian with Jonny Donahoe

Directed by Charlie Flynn-McIver and Starring Scott Treadway


You’re six years old and your mom’s in the hospital because, as your dad says, she “finds it hard to be happy”. You start making a list for her of all the wonderful things in life.
No. 1 “Ice cream”
No. 6 “Rollercoasters”
No. 517 “Knowing someone well enough to get them to check your teeth for broccoli”
The list grows as you do, taking on a life of its own, eventually morphing into a million items and the very thing that helps you find light during your own darkest moments.
No. 999 “Sunlight”
No. 10,000 “Waking up late with someone you love”
No. 999,997 “The alphabet”
Every Brilliant Thing is a heart wrenching and hilarious one-man play that will have your belly laughing and your eyes brimming. Based on true and untrue stories, it is a life-affirming story of how to achieve hope through focusing on the smallest miracles of life.
One of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression—and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop…There is something tough being confronted here—the guilt of not being able to make those we love happy—and it is explored with unflinching honesty.” —The Guardian (UK)

Content Warning: Although the play balances the struggles of life while celebrating all that is wonderful in living each day, Every Brilliant Thing contains descriptions of depression, self-harm, and suicide. It is recommended for audience members 14 and older.  If you or somebody you know is struggling, please call 988, The Suicide & Crisis Hotline.

Native Gardens
Feb 18 @ 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Tania, a very pregnant PHD candidate, and Pablo, her high-powered lawyer husband, realize the American dream when they buy a house with a backyard in Washington, DC. Living next door to community stalwarts Virginia and Frank is great – until a disagreement arises over a long-standing fence line between their homes. The conflict spirals into an all-out war of taste, class, privilege, and entitlement. With witty humor and engaging real-life drama, Native Gardens showcases conflict – and the worst and best ways to work it out!

Content Warning: Native Gardens contains mature themes, depictions of smoking, pregnancy/childbirth, microaggressions, and discussions of racism.

Accessibility:

All performances: Accessible wheelchair/scooter seating available.

Saturday, Feb 25, 2023: ASL-Interpreted Performance

The Magnetic Theatre Presents: HappyLand
Feb 18 @ 7:30 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre is thrilled to kick off its 2023 Mainstage Season with HappyLand, a fun and fantastical new musical by Brayden Dickerson and Zach Knox of Asheville’s blues-fusion band Smooth Goose, featuring live tunes and an exciting ensemble of quirky characters.

This non-stop rock opera tells the tale of a delivery person who doesn’t quite fit into the titular town of HappyLand. Tasked with delivering one last package before the vacation they have been dreaming of, our bicycling box-bearer embarks on an epic journey through the barren Neither, where a host of unsavory characters contrives to stay this courier from their appointed rounds.  Nevertheless, our maudlin messenger is determined to make it to SadLand. But what will they find when they arrive? Could the addressee be the love of their life? What message does the all-important package contain? And can our hero deliver the earth from annihilation?

Directed by Jason Phillips and featuring an ensemble cast with rotating lead actors, HappyLand is a delightful extravaganza of song, silliness, dance, romance, and splendiferous space battles.

Sunday, February 19, 2023
Burlesque Brunch
Feb 19 @ 12:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– AGES 18+
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE

BURLESQUE BRUNCH

Burlesque Brunch is a monthly burlesque and bellydance show with a classic speakeasy feel. Join our dancing dames and dandies every third Sunday of the month for a little singin’, strippin’, and sippin’ starting at noon. It’s a Sunday afternoon to delight the senses!

**Ticket price covers entry, brunch is not included in price.

Every Brilliant Thing
Feb 19 @ 2:00 pm
NC Stage Co.

By Duncan MacMillian with Jonny Donahoe

Directed by Charlie Flynn-McIver and Starring Scott Treadway


You’re six years old and your mom’s in the hospital because, as your dad says, she “finds it hard to be happy”. You start making a list for her of all the wonderful things in life.
No. 1 “Ice cream”
No. 6 “Rollercoasters”
No. 517 “Knowing someone well enough to get them to check your teeth for broccoli”
The list grows as you do, taking on a life of its own, eventually morphing into a million items and the very thing that helps you find light during your own darkest moments.
No. 999 “Sunlight”
No. 10,000 “Waking up late with someone you love”
No. 999,997 “The alphabet”
Every Brilliant Thing is a heart wrenching and hilarious one-man play that will have your belly laughing and your eyes brimming. Based on true and untrue stories, it is a life-affirming story of how to achieve hope through focusing on the smallest miracles of life.
One of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression—and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop…There is something tough being confronted here—the guilt of not being able to make those we love happy—and it is explored with unflinching honesty.” —The Guardian (UK)

Content Warning: Although the play balances the struggles of life while celebrating all that is wonderful in living each day, Every Brilliant Thing contains descriptions of depression, self-harm, and suicide. It is recommended for audience members 14 and older.  If you or somebody you know is struggling, please call 988, The Suicide & Crisis Hotline.

Cosmic Theories of a Romantic’s Heart by Emily Kitchens
Feb 19 @ 2:30 pm
The Porter Center At Brevard College

Brevard College Theatre presents

Cosmic Theories of a Romantic’s Heart

by Emily Kitchens

A play about love and how the Earth came to orbit the Sun.

CAST

Star: Gabe Bernhard

Comet: Sarah Hajkowski

Girl: Mickey Lasco

Moon: Anna Ervin

Sun: Eli Hughes

CALENDAR GIRLS
Feb 19 @ 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

By: Tim Firth
Based on the Miramax motion picture by Juliette Towhidi and Tim Firth

Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Director: Brandi Andrade

Approximate Run Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Rating: Mature due to adult situations, humor, and language

Tim Firth’s hilarious play is based on the true story of eleven middle-aged women who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund in 1999. When Annie’s husband John dies of leukemia, she and best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. They persuade four friends and fellow members of the Women’s Institute to pose nude with them for an “alternative” calendar, assisted by hospital porter and amateur photographer Lawrence. News of the women’s charitable venture spreads like wildfire, and hordes of press soon descend on the small village of Knapeley in Yorkshire, England. The calendar is a success, but Chris and Annie’s friendship is put to the test under the strain of their new-found fame.

The Magnetic Theatre Presents: HappyLand
Feb 19 @ 4:00 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre is thrilled to kick off its 2023 Mainstage Season with HappyLand, a fun and fantastical new musical by Brayden Dickerson and Zach Knox of Asheville’s blues-fusion band Smooth Goose, featuring live tunes and an exciting ensemble of quirky characters.

This non-stop rock opera tells the tale of a delivery person who doesn’t quite fit into the titular town of HappyLand. Tasked with delivering one last package before the vacation they have been dreaming of, our bicycling box-bearer embarks on an epic journey through the barren Neither, where a host of unsavory characters contrives to stay this courier from their appointed rounds.  Nevertheless, our maudlin messenger is determined to make it to SadLand. But what will they find when they arrive? Could the addressee be the love of their life? What message does the all-important package contain? And can our hero deliver the earth from annihilation?

Directed by Jason Phillips and featuring an ensemble cast with rotating lead actors, HappyLand is a delightful extravaganza of song, silliness, dance, romance, and splendiferous space battles.

Monday, February 20, 2023
Celebrate Black Legacy Month
Feb 20 all-day
Buncombe County Libraires

Join us throughout February as we celebrate Black Legacy Month with programs and events for all ages! In addition to the programs listed below, we will have special story times and exhibits at most of our libraries.

  • Bright Star Touring Theatre: African Folktales – February 1 at 4pm at the Weaverville Library (for children ages 3 and up)
  • Book Club: Jazz by Toni Morrison – Thursday, February 2 a 3pm at the Weaverville Library
  • Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – Tuesday, February 7 at 6pm
  • Book Club: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict Tuesday, February 14 at 1pm at the Leicester Library
  • Book Club: Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland – February 16 at 2:30pm at the Skyland/South Buncombe Library
  • Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – February 21 at 7pm at the Fairview Library
  • Black Experience Book Club: The Furrows by Namwali Serpell – February 23 at 6:30pm at the Noir Collective, co-sponsored by the East Asheville library

Drop by your local library and check us out. Email or call if you have any questions.

Our librarians have also put together a Black Legacy Month reading list for all ages.

Black Legacy Month Reading List 2023

Books for Adults

Adult Fiction

  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
  • On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library edited by Glory Edim
  • What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harries
  • Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
  • The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois by Honoree Fannone Jeffers
  • How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemison
  • Deacon King Kong by James McBride
  • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
  • Black Bottom Saints by Alice Randall
  • The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
  • Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
  • Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
  • Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Adult nonfiction

  • Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
  • Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black women in Popular Culture by Zeba Blay
  • The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones
  • Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
  • Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby*
  • The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
  • All That She Carried by Tiya Miles
  • Please Don’t Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson*
  • You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin*
  • Counting Descent by Clint Smith
  • The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
  • Here For It by R. Eric Thomas*
  • Koshersoul: the faith and food journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty

*especially good on audio because the authors read their work!

Picture books for families to share

  • My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis
  • Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner
  • My N.C. From A to Z by Michelle Lanier
  • Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep by JaNay Brown-Wood
  • Curls by Ruth Forman
  • Fly by Brittany J. Thurman
  • Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan
  • Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens
  • Bright Brown Baby, A Treasury by Andrea Davis Pinkney
  • Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

Chapter books for older kids

  • Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. BaptistBlended by Sharon Draper
  • Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
  • Tristan Strong Trilogy (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching) by Kwame Mbalia
  • From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
  • Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia
  • Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
  • Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
  • The Door of No Return by Alexander Kwame

Books for teens

  • Quincredible by Rodney Barnes
  • The Legendborn Cycle (Legendborn and Bloodmarked) by Tracy Deonn
  • All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
  • You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
  • Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson
  • Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon
  • Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
  • Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
  • On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
  • Okoye to the People by Ibi Zoboi
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Celebrate Black Legacy Month
Feb 21 all-day
Buncombe County Libraires

Join us throughout February as we celebrate Black Legacy Month with programs and events for all ages! In addition to the programs listed below, we will have special story times and exhibits at most of our libraries.

  • Bright Star Touring Theatre: African Folktales – February 1 at 4pm at the Weaverville Library (for children ages 3 and up)
  • Book Club: Jazz by Toni Morrison – Thursday, February 2 a 3pm at the Weaverville Library
  • Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – Tuesday, February 7 at 6pm
  • Book Club: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict Tuesday, February 14 at 1pm at the Leicester Library
  • Book Club: Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland – February 16 at 2:30pm at the Skyland/South Buncombe Library
  • Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – February 21 at 7pm at the Fairview Library
  • Black Experience Book Club: The Furrows by Namwali Serpell – February 23 at 6:30pm at the Noir Collective, co-sponsored by the East Asheville library

Drop by your local library and check us out. Email or call if you have any questions.

Our librarians have also put together a Black Legacy Month reading list for all ages.

Black Legacy Month Reading List 2023

Books for Adults

Adult Fiction

  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
  • On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library edited by Glory Edim
  • What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harries
  • Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
  • The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois by Honoree Fannone Jeffers
  • How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemison
  • Deacon King Kong by James McBride
  • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
  • Black Bottom Saints by Alice Randall
  • The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
  • Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
  • Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
  • Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Adult nonfiction

  • Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
  • Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black women in Popular Culture by Zeba Blay
  • The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones
  • Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
  • Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby*
  • The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
  • All That She Carried by Tiya Miles
  • Please Don’t Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson*
  • You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin*
  • Counting Descent by Clint Smith
  • The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
  • Here For It by R. Eric Thomas*
  • Koshersoul: the faith and food journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty

*especially good on audio because the authors read their work!

Picture books for families to share

  • My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis
  • Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner
  • My N.C. From A to Z by Michelle Lanier
  • Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep by JaNay Brown-Wood
  • Curls by Ruth Forman
  • Fly by Brittany J. Thurman
  • Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan
  • Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens
  • Bright Brown Baby, A Treasury by Andrea Davis Pinkney
  • Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

Chapter books for older kids

  • Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. BaptistBlended by Sharon Draper
  • Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
  • Tristan Strong Trilogy (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching) by Kwame Mbalia
  • From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
  • Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia
  • Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
  • Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
  • The Door of No Return by Alexander Kwame

Books for teens

  • Quincredible by Rodney Barnes
  • The Legendborn Cycle (Legendborn and Bloodmarked) by Tracy Deonn
  • All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
  • You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
  • Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson
  • Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon
  • Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
  • Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
  • On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
  • Okoye to the People by Ibi Zoboi
Auditions: READERS THEATRE SHOWCASE Hay Fever
Feb 21 @ 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

READERS THEATRE SHOWCASE

Hay Fever

By Noel Coward; Directed by Marianne Lyon

AUDITION DATE: Tuesday, February 21, 2023; 10:30 am-2:30 pm on the Mainstage

PRODUCTION DATES: March 17-19, 2023; All performances at 2:30 pm; Friday and Saturday performances at Asheville Community Theatre, Sunday performance at the Reuter Center on the campus of UNCA

REHEARSALS: Tuesdays & Thursdays February 28, March 2, 7, 9, 14, and 16, 2023; 10:30 am-2:30 pm

DIRECTOR SEEKS: Cast of 9: 4M, 5W

Live Stream | James R. Hagerty presents Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer’s Guide to Telling Your Story
Feb 21 @ 6:00 pm
online w/ Malaprop's Bookstore

This live streamed virtual event is free but registration is required. Please click here to register. The link required to attend will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.

If you decide to attend and to purchase books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!


YOURS TRULY
Someday, your life story is likely to be boiled down to a few lines. If you leave things to chance, your obituary is almost sure to be solemn, formulaic, and full of errors—an obligatory final chapter written in haste by others. James R. Hagerty, longtime obit writer for The Wall Street Journal, knows how to get the job done right: Do it yourself, starting now, while you still can.  In this heartfelt and reassuring guide, Hagerty explains how to preserve your personal history—from crafting a brief obituary for newspapers and websites, to a more thoughtful and detailed mini-memoir for those close to you. Through his personal stories, on-the-job anecdotes, and insights, you will learn what to include, what to leave out, and how to provide historical context, record oral histories and make the most of details, all with candor and wit. Best of all, you’ll find that reviewing your life story helps you think about what you’re doing with your time on Earth and whether you’re on the right path. It isn’t too late to improve the narrative with a stronger ending. Telling your story your way can be the best gift you ever give to friends and loved ones—and yourself.

James R. (Bob) Hagerty, who grew up in North Dakota, has been a staff reporter and editor for The Wall Street Journal for more than 40 years in the U.S., Europe and Asia. For the past seven years, he has written nearly 1,000 obituaries as the WSJ’s lead obituary writer. His guide to writing life stories, Yours Truly, grew out of that work as he noticed that many telling details and anecdotes are lost when people die. His advice: Don’t leave it to friends and families to sum up your life. For all their good intentions, they’re almost certain to make a hash of it. He also urges people to help others preserve their stories before it’s too late.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Celebrate Black Legacy Month
Feb 22 all-day
Buncombe County Libraires

Join us throughout February as we celebrate Black Legacy Month with programs and events for all ages! In addition to the programs listed below, we will have special story times and exhibits at most of our libraries.

  • Bright Star Touring Theatre: African Folktales – February 1 at 4pm at the Weaverville Library (for children ages 3 and up)
  • Book Club: Jazz by Toni Morrison – Thursday, February 2 a 3pm at the Weaverville Library
  • Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – Tuesday, February 7 at 6pm
  • Book Club: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict Tuesday, February 14 at 1pm at the Leicester Library
  • Book Club: Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland – February 16 at 2:30pm at the Skyland/South Buncombe Library
  • Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – February 21 at 7pm at the Fairview Library
  • Black Experience Book Club: The Furrows by Namwali Serpell – February 23 at 6:30pm at the Noir Collective, co-sponsored by the East Asheville library

Drop by your local library and check us out. Email or call if you have any questions.

Our librarians have also put together a Black Legacy Month reading list for all ages.

Black Legacy Month Reading List 2023

Books for Adults

Adult Fiction

  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
  • On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library edited by Glory Edim
  • What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harries
  • Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
  • The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois by Honoree Fannone Jeffers
  • How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemison
  • Deacon King Kong by James McBride
  • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
  • Black Bottom Saints by Alice Randall
  • The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
  • Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
  • Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
  • Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Adult nonfiction

  • Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
  • Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black women in Popular Culture by Zeba Blay
  • The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones
  • Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
  • Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby*
  • The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
  • All That She Carried by Tiya Miles
  • Please Don’t Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson*
  • You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin*
  • Counting Descent by Clint Smith
  • The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
  • Here For It by R. Eric Thomas*
  • Koshersoul: the faith and food journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty

*especially good on audio because the authors read their work!

Picture books for families to share

  • My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis
  • Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner
  • My N.C. From A to Z by Michelle Lanier
  • Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep by JaNay Brown-Wood
  • Curls by Ruth Forman
  • Fly by Brittany J. Thurman
  • Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan
  • Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens
  • Bright Brown Baby, A Treasury by Andrea Davis Pinkney
  • Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

Chapter books for older kids

  • Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. BaptistBlended by Sharon Draper
  • Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
  • Tristan Strong Trilogy (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching) by Kwame Mbalia
  • From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
  • Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia
  • Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
  • Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
  • The Door of No Return by Alexander Kwame

Books for teens

  • Quincredible by Rodney Barnes
  • The Legendborn Cycle (Legendborn and Bloodmarked) by Tracy Deonn
  • All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
  • You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
  • Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson
  • Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon
  • Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
  • Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
  • On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
  • Okoye to the People by Ibi Zoboi
“Southern Black Chefs in the White House” with Adrian Miller
Feb 22 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Highsmith Student Union, Blue Ridge Room (202/203)

Adrian Miller will give a lecture entitled “Southern Black Chefs in the White House” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Room on February 22, 2023 as part of the Thomas Howerton Distinguished Professor Speaker Series, “Diverse Roots at the Common Table: Culinary Conversations in the American South.” Adrian is a culinary historian whose books have twice won a James Beard Award for Reference and Scholarship; he was recently featured in High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America, a Netflix documentary based on Jessica Harris’s book by the same name. He also served as a special assistant to the president under the Clinton Administration, and served as the deputy director of the President’s Initiative for One America.

Books will be available for purchase at the event through Malaprop’s Bookstore.

Attendees who wish to attend via Zoom may pre-register here.

For more information, contact Erica Abrams Locklear at [email protected].


Accessibility

UNC Asheville is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. If you have any questions about access or to request reasonable accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event, please contact the Event Organizer (see below). Advance notice is necessary to arrange for accessibility needs.

Visitor Parking

Visitors may park in faculty/staff and non-resident All Permit lots from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends, holidays, and campus breaks. Visitors are not permitted to park in resident student lots at any time.
Prior to 5pm, any visitor (regardless of their reason for visit) need to adhere to the current practices listed on the parking website. Get your visitor parking permit here

Hybrid | UNCA presents “Southern Black Chefs in the White House” with Adrian Miller
Feb 22 @ 6:00 pm
UNC Asheville Highsmith Student Union Blue Ridge Room

Adrian Miller will give a lecture entitled “Southern Black Chefs in the White House” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Room on February 22, 2023 as part of the Thomas Howerton Distinguished Professor Speaker Series, “Diverse Roots at the Common Table: Culinary Conversations in the American South.” Adrian is a culinary historian whose books have twice won a James Beard Award for Reference and Scholarship; he was recently featured in High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America, a Netflix documentary based on Jessica Harris’s book by the same name. He also served as a special assistant to the president under the Clinton Administration, and served as the deputy director of the President’s Initiative for One America.

This is a free event. In-person seating is open to the public. 

Attendees who wish to attend via Zoom may pre-register HERE.

Books will be available for purchase at the event through Malaprop’s Bookstore and may also be ordered online below.

For more information, contact Erica Abrams Locklear at [email protected].


Accessibility

UNC Asheville is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. If you have any questions about access or to request reasonable accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event, please contact the Event Organizer (see below). Advance notice is necessary to arrange for accessibility needs.

Visitor Parking

Visitors may park in faculty/staff and non-resident All Permit lots from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends, holidays, and campus breaks. Visitors are not permitted to park in resident student lots at any time. Find a campus map here.
Prior to 5pm, any visitor (regardless of their reason for visit) need to adhere to the current practices listed on the parking website. Get your visitor parking permit here.

Foodie Book Club
Feb 22 @ 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.