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.
Introducing: The Black Box Series
You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like this before! Join us for an exciting new series where the audience and artists share the stage together 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!
*Both shows contain adult language and content.
Described by Newsday as “brutally entertaining,” God of Carnage is a comedy of manners… without the manners. Don’t miss the triple-Tony-Award-winning Broadway sensation by Yasmina Reza. The New Yorker calls this laugh-out-loud hilarity “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.” A playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their principals in tatters.
*Adult language and content.
“A streamlined anatomy of the human animal… delivers the cathartic release of watching other people’s marriages go boom. This play is itself a satisfyingly primitive entertainment.” –The New York Times
Introducing: The Black Box Series
You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like this before! Join us for an exciting new series where the audience and artists share the stage together 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!
*Both shows contain adult language and content.
Described by Newsday as “brutally entertaining,” God of Carnage is a comedy of manners… without the manners. Don’t miss the triple-Tony-Award-winning Broadway sensation by Yasmina Reza. The New Yorker calls this laugh-out-loud hilarity “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.” A playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their principals in tatters.
*Adult language and content.
“A streamlined anatomy of the human animal… delivers the cathartic release of watching other people’s marriages go boom. This play is itself a satisfyingly primitive entertainment.” –The New York Times
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6:00pm – 8:00pm
Open mic comedy every Thursday from 6-8pm at Ginger’s Revenge Tasting Room.
Rotating hosts each week Clay Jones, James Burks and Katy Hudson
No cover
Signup starts at 5:30, and signup order will not necessarily be show order. Each comic gets 5 mins of stage time
10.13.22 Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company Theatre 2 (for 18+)
What: Stand up Comedy at Asheville Pizza & Brewing,
When: Thursday 9.8.22. 7:30p-9:30p, doors at 6:30p
Where: Asheville Pizza & Brewing Theatre 2, 675 Merrimon Ave, Asheville 28804
Tickets: $13 (available at door or Asheville Pizza website)
Cocktails, taps & menu available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!! .
Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free pizza at comics table]
[Music before show provided by Buzz Radio Asheville, “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All the Time.”]
Hosted by Hilliary Begley
Featuring: Jess Cooley, Niko Gonzalez & Petey Smith McDowell
Having been brainwashed by a culture that worships the Kardashians over character, delusion over truth and selfies over self-effacement, comedian Robert Dubac finds himself stuck in a coma of stupidity. Described as one of the most hilarious, intelligent and scorching satirical attacks on idiocracy since Mark Twain, this quick-witted comedic production is an ode to human mediocrity — a razor-sharp roast of the absurd that’ll leave you laughing and thinking at the same time. Contains adult content.
Having been brainwashed by a culture that worships the Kardashians over character, delusion over truth and selfies over self-effacement, comedian Robert Dubac finds himself stuck in a coma of stupidity. Described as one of the most hilarious, intelligent and scorching satirical attacks on idiocracy since Mark Twain, this quick-witted comedic production is an ode to human mediocrity — a razor-sharp roast of the absurd that’ll leave you laughing and thinking at the same time. Contains adult content.
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6:00pm – 8:00pm
Open mic comedy every Thursday from 6-8pm at Ginger’s Revenge Tasting Room.
Rotating hosts each week Clay Jones, James Burks and Katy Hudson
No cover
Signup starts at 5:30, and signup order will not necessarily be show order. Each comic gets 5 mins of stage time
Honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month with The MakeHER Market at Reynolds Village
The MakeHER Market returns to Reynolds Village in North Asheville on Saturday, October 22nd in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impacts of breast cancer.
The October 2022 MakeHER Market will feature more than 20 female, independent creatives, makers, and designers and their unique, hand-crafted goods, as well as raise money for a local breast cancer support organization. The Hope Chest for Women is an organization that provides support to women living in all 22 counties of WNC and relieves some of the financial burdens created by breast or gynecological cancer treatment costs. Locally handmade art, accessories, and botanicals, as well as Fair Trade coffee, jewelry, and home décor, will be available to purchase at The MakeHER Market. The event is organized by Pride & Archive, Maadili Collective, and Hello, Gorgeous! Professional Bra Fitting & More, all women-led, local Asheville companies. In addition to shopping for local vendor goods, guests can donate gently used bras to Hello Gorgeous! Bra Drive for HelpMate. This year-round program aims to provide courageous survivors of domestic violence with bra fittings and gently loved, cleaned, and curated bras at no cost to the survivors. The MakeHER Market event aims to honor the empowerment and enterprising ventures of diverse women locally and abroad as well as honor the October observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and promote the mission for every woman to have access to the screenings she needs and the support she deserves.
Started in March 2019, the MakeHER Market began as a way to highlight and create connections between the talented community of Asheville female entrepreneurs, as well as establish a local event to celebrate International Women’s Day. Since its inception, the MakeHER Market has evolved to include a focus on women’s social and health-related issues and partner with local organizations in efforts to fundraise and raise awareness of various causes.
Event hours are 11 am to 5 pm, admission is free and families are welcome.
The Black Mountain Center for the Arts is proud to host the Asheville based improv comedy troupe, Reasonably Priced Babies. RPB is a formidable improv comedy group consisting of Tom Chalmers, Mondy Carter, Karen Stobbe, Kim Richardson and Josh Batenhorst.
This is how it works: RPBs will ask the audience for suggestions and then they make that come to technicolor life. Get ready to be a part of the experience because this show will push the envelope of ridiculous fun.
Doors open at 6:30pm. Masks are encouraged but not required.
1st Annual Asheville Comedy Halloween Beauty Pageant
A +18 Comedy Show
The Orange Peel
October 22, 2022
8p/doors at 7p
$15 online/$17 at box office
Fully seated show
The area’s best comedians will be in character (think vampire, Batman or Alice from Wonderland,a politician, a dog, a witch, a game character, cartoon character or alien …so many possibilities!) and will be playing their part in this ridiculous pageant which will test these very special contestants in “beauty,” “talent,” “swimsuit” and standup comedy!
Decided by audience participation, YOU are in charge of who wins the prizes and is crowned the Asheville Monarch of Halloween for 2022!
You don’t want to miss the funnest event of the season! Free candy & Popcorn! Come early to enjoy Buzz Radio Asheville “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All Original, All Styles, All The Time.”
Produced by Slice of Life Comedy, Buzz Radio Asheville, The Hot Seat & Disclaimer Standup Comedy
Tickets on sale to public Aug. 5th
This is a unique opportunity to see the best-selling humorist in an intimate setting. As always, Sedaris will be offering a selection of all-new readings and recollections, as well as a Q&A session and book signing. Books will be available for sale at the event, courtesy of Malaprop Bookstore/ Cafe
With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, Mr. Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. One of his new books, The Best of Me (Little Brown/ Hachette, Fall 2020), is a collection of 42 previously published stories and essays, about which novelist Andrew Sean Greer wrote in the New York Times: “You must read “The Best of Me.” It will be a new experience, knowing that enough time has passed to find humor in the hardest parts of life. More than ever — we’re allowed to laugh.”
If you love David Sedaris’s cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what you’re getting into at his live readings. You’d be wrong. To see him read his own work on stage allows his autobiographical narrative to reveal a uniquely personal narrative that will keep you laughing throughout the evening. Don’t miss this event!
This will be a trunk or treat for children. There will be a beautiful collection of cars, candy prizes and loads of family fun.
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6:00pm – 8:00pm
Open mic comedy every Thursday from 6-8pm at Ginger’s Revenge Tasting Room.
Rotating hosts each week Clay Jones, James Burks and Katy Hudson
No cover
Signup starts at 5:30, and signup order will not necessarily be show order. Each comic gets 5 mins of stage time
Come out in a family friendly costume with your well behaved dog (costumes highly encouraged) and help raise funds for Eblen Charities work! All dogs will receive a treat, and all humans will be entered into raffles for prizes. All funds raised go to our work to keep people housed, with working utilities and other essential needs. Register by October 7th to be guaranteed a tshirt.
By Jen Silverman
Please be aware that, as of 10/2022, NC Stage is still requiring masks of all staff, audience members, and volunteers. Read more about this decision and our complete COVID-19 policy.
Sharon, in her mid-fifties, is recently divorced and needs a roommate to share her Iowa home. Robyn, also in her mid-fifties, needs a place to hide and a chance to start over. But as Sharon begins to uncover Robyn’s secrets, they encourage her own deep-seated desire to transform her life completely. A thoughtful, edgy comedy about what it takes to re-route your life – and what happens when the wheels come off.
“A play where The Odd Couple meets Breaking Bad, and where women of a certain age are visible again to society.”
-Let’s Play at Chicago Now
Discretionary Content: Adult themes and Language, brief smoking, and simulated drug use
Run Time: 1 hr 40 minutes, no intermission
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6:00pm – 8:00pm
Open mic comedy every Thursday from 6-8pm at Ginger’s Revenge Tasting Room.
Rotating hosts each week Clay Jones, James Burks and Katy Hudson
No cover
Signup starts at 5:30, and signup order will not necessarily be show order. Each comic gets 5 mins of stage time
11.03 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULP
What: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday11.03.22. 7:30p-10p, doors at 7p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $13 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!! A perfect blend between professional paid featured Comedians and a comedy open mic. [signup at the door to get 3-5m. Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]
[Music before show provided by Buzz Radio Asheville, “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All the Time.”] Hosted by Cody Hughes, a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge.
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Be one of Santa’s Important People with the fun new way to participate in the 42nd annual SMOKY MOUNTAIN TOY RUN!
SIP participants will have reserved parking at Kearfott, a specially designed commemorative Toy Run hoodie sweatshirt, rocker and patch. Additionally the SIP participants will lead the way to Downtown Asheville!
$75.00 per single rider or $100.00 per couple on a bike also includes event entrance fee.
Gates opens at 10:00 am and the SIP’s will lead the ride to downtown Asheville at 1:00 pm.
The Smoky Mountain Toy Run is the oldest running Toy Run in North Carolina!
Celebrating 42 years of insuring a Merry Christmas to children in need!
In an effort to guarantee shirts are available for all SIP participants we ask that you please pre-register before October 30!
Additional 2022 tee shirts and hoodies available at the event, as well as, a limited selection of vintage designs.
Come be a part of this wonderful community event that helps children of our community have a brighter holiday!
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT
EBLEN CHARITIES
SAINT NICHOLAS PROJECT
You can be one of Santa’s Important People!
is almost here, and you can still be one of Santa’s Important People. Visit this link to learn more and sign up.
All funds and toys collected will go to support our St. Nicholas Project store, now in its 12th year. Last year we helped more than 1,350 families with holiday gifts for their children. We’re grateful to the Smoky Mountain Toy Run folks and all who help us make this a magical holiday season for kids, regardless of their family’s financial situation.
The Royal Comedy tour, featuring Sommore, Bruce Bruce, Lavell Crawford and Henry Welch, is coming to Bon Secours Wellness Arena at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. Showcasing a star-studded lineup of world-class comedians, the Royal Comedy 17-city tour officially kicks off in Los Angeles on Sept. 30 before making its way to Greenville.
The Royal Comedy tour is produced by North American Entertainment Group Inc., one of the leading independent promoters of entertainment tours and live events in the United States.
SHOW DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, November 5, 2022
Showtime: 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, 650 N Academy St, Greenville, SC 29601
Lineup: Sommore, Bruce Bruce, Lavell Crawford, Tony Rock
Prices: $59, $75, $99, $125
Purchase: Available to purchase at Ticketmaster.com
Ticket Link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/2D005AC2D5706E9A
ABOUT SOMMORE:
In her more than 20-year career, award-winning comedienne of “Chandelier Status,” Sommore, has become a trailblazer for women in the comedy business as one of the most successful comedians in the U.S. and abroad. Sommore has been featured in a number of hit films including “Soul Plane,” “Something New” and “Friday After Next.” Her all-new self-produced comedy special, “A Queen With No Spades” recently premiered on Showtime. For more information on Sommore, visit sommore.com. (Follow on Facebook: @QueenSommore, Twitter: @sommoresofunny, Instagram: @sommore)
ABOUT BRUCE BRUCE:
Bruce Bruce is a name synonymous with keeping audiences rolling with laughter thanks to his captivating improv skills and larger than life comedic style. You can currently find Bruce on IFC’s “Maron” and in constant reruns of “Comic View” on BET. For more information on Bruce Bruce, visit bruce-bruce.com. (Follow on Facebook: @mybrucebruce, Twitter: @mybrucebruce, Instagram: @mybrucebruce)
ABOUT LAVELL CRAWFORD:
Lavell Crawford is quickly climbing the comedic ranks and becoming one of the hottest stars in the biz today. Lavell first gained national exposure on NBC’s hit reality series “Last Comic Standing.” His television appearances include “Workaholics” (Comedy Central), “Breaking Bad” (AMC), and “Chelsea Lately” (E! Entertainment), “Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam” (Showtime) and “Comic View” (BET), to name a few. For more information on Lavell Crawford, visit comedianlavellcrawford.com. (Follow on Facebook: @lavell.crawford.52, Twitter: @Lavellthacomic, Instagram: @lavellsthacomic)
Matt White went from distracting his classmates to engaging audiences nationally. Winner of “NC Funniest” 2020, “Carolina’s Funniest Comic” 2013, and “Port City’s Top Comic” 2012 are just a few achievements Matt has earned so far. Matt’s comedy journey began at ECU. Dreams of becoming a comedic actor led him to join an Improv Troupe. Later he founded a comedy organization, which branched off campus and became the hub of the local stand up comedy scene. Matt has performed in comedy festivals across the US. Red Clay Comedy Festival (Atlanta GA), LA Diversity In Comedy Festival (Los Angeles CA), Big Pine Comedy Festival (Flagstaff AZ) and many more.2019 Matt was selected “Best Of Fest” at the Cleveland Comedy Festival. He is one of the producers of the Oak City Comedy Festival (Raleigh NC).Matt has opened for Orny Adams, Tommy Davidson, Micheal Rapaport, Roy Wood Jr, Dusty Slay, Donnell Rawlings, Bobcat Goldthwait, and many many more.
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6:00pm – 8:00pm
Open mic comedy every Thursday from 6-8pm at Ginger’s Revenge Tasting Room.
Rotating hosts each week Clay Jones, James Burks and Katy Hudson
No cover
Signup starts at 5:30, and signup order will not necessarily be show order. Each comic gets 5 mins of stage time
Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and a spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. Time magazine, in the March 2020 “Best of” issue, listed Paula’s HBO special, Cats, Cops and Stuff as one of The 5 Funniest Stand-Up Specials Ever. Paula can be heard weekly as the host of the comedy podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone and as a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!
Also an author, Poundstone’s second book, The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness (Algonquin 2017) was one of eight semi-finalists for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, the highest recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. The audiobook was one of five finalists for the Audio Book of the Year AUDIE award.
Paula was the first female comic, in its then 73rd year, to perform at the White House Correspondents dinner. She was the first female standup, in its then 5th year, to win the ACE award for Best Comedy Special on Cable television. She is included in innumerable lists, documentaries and literary compendiums noting influential standup comedians of our time.
paulapoundstone.com
twitter.com/paulapoundstone
facebook.com/paulapoundstone
instagram.com/paulapoundstone
Listen to the podcast: paulapoundstone.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
*This event contains mature content/themes intended for adult audiences. Purchaser discretion is advised.*
Adam Sandler will be bringing his unique brand of comedy and song back to North America this fall, starting October 21 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Sandler will stop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on November 11. Additional cities on the 15-date fall outing include Manchester, Boston, Belmont Park, Tampa, and more.
Joe Pera is a standup comedian, writer, and filmmaker from Buffalo, NY now living in New York, NY. Joe is best known for his current Adult Swim series, ‘Joe Pera Talks With You’, which The LA Times refers to as ‘TV’s quietest, most artful comedy’. He has performed his subdued standup on Conan, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Comedy Central. After his animated special ‘Joe Pera Talks You To Sleep’ (which many have found to work), he followed up with other projects for Adult Swim including ‘Joe Pera Helps You Find the Perfect Christmas Tree’ and ‘Relaxing Old Footage with Joe Pera’. Through his production company, Chestnut Walnut, Joe has also directed a number of film and tv projects including Conner O’Malley’s ‘Truthhunters’ pilot for Comedy Central. Joe’s new book ‘A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping Or Peeing But Using the Bathroom as an Escape’ is out now from Macmillan publishing, and on the USA TODAY best seller list. Season 3 of ‘Joe Pera Talks With You’ is now available to stream on HBO Max, and Joe can also be seen appearing on season 5 of ‘Search Party’ which just premiered on the platform.
Dan Licata is a NYC-based comedian who’s written for shows such as Saturday Night Live, Joe PeraTalks With You, and Teenage Euthanasia. In 2019, he was named one of the New Faces of Comedy at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal, where his set was described as “a hyper storm of unbridled manic hilarity…”
Joe Pera is a standup comedian, writer, and filmmaker from Buffalo, NY now living in New York, NY. Joe is best known for his current Adult Swim series, ‘Joe Pera Talks With You’, which The LA Times refers to as ‘TV’s quietest, most artful comedy’. He has performed his subdued standup on Conan, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Comedy Central. After his animated special ‘Joe Pera Talks You To Sleep’ (which many have found to work), he followed up with other projects for Adult Swim including ‘Joe Pera Helps You Find the Perfect Christmas Tree’ and ‘Relaxing Old Footage with Joe Pera’. Through his production company, Chestnut Walnut, Joe has also directed a number of film and tv projects including Conner O’Malley’s ‘Truthhunters’ pilot for Comedy Central. Joe’s new book ‘A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping Or Peeing But Using the Bathroom as an Escape’ is out now from Macmillan publishing, and on the USA TODAY best seller list. Season 3 of ‘Joe Pera Talks With You’ is now available to stream on HBO Max, and Joe can also be seen appearing on season 5 of ‘Search Party’ which just premiered on the platform.
The Buncombe Partnership for Children and Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty invite you to an evening for BPFC’s Reach Out and Read partnership, bringing books to children and families. Bid on great silent auction items including art, gift baskets, classes, fine food and drinks, and gift certificates. Donations are also gratefully accepted. Help meet the ambitious goal of $9,000 raised for early literacy.
Together with French Broad Pediatrics and Our Family Doctor, BPFC gives over 3,100 books per year to children ages birth to 5 at their doctors’ visits. Pediatricians use books in these appointments to encourage families to read, sing, and talk with their kids. Then each child takes a book home. For some families, these books are the only ones they have in their homes.Parents in the program are 2.5 times more likely to read with their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. And children’s language development is improved by a whole 3-6 months by the age of 5!
Inspired by nature and following the self-published released of How to Heal the Planet from Wherever You Are, Cortina Jenelle introduces Oshanna Church of Spiritual Activism, with Oshanna debuting as a dynamic experience rooted in ceremony and inviting nature as a co-facilitator through theater, art and spoken word. After each production, all ticket proceeds are donated to a mission partner who is doing work in service to Mother Earth while also furthering truth, healing and reconciliation across race, gender and class.
Black Starseed: Immaculate Conception is the second installment of the Black Starseed series, which goes back in time as a prelude to Black Starseed: Revolutionary Reimagination (2020) – a debut partnership between adé PROJECT and PechaKucha Asheville co-creating a storytelling experience in voice of Black women at the intersection of creativity x spirituality. In this prelude, the life story of Cortina Jenelle becomes a moving memoir and an embodiment of a shared story from the matriarchs of Black, indigenous descent in a world where femininity, Blackness, sovereignty and indigeneity were not just criminal, but a threat to society. Black Starseed: Immaculate Conception may appear to just tell the story of one, yet is actually one version of the same story that constantly loops through time. Do you know how purposeful, brilliant and divine you already are, Starseed? This is heart song of the black sheep generation + millennials, and those born torn between ancestral remembrance and playing the game of life to win. Join us in a gathering of art, theater, ceremony (with a bonus book signing post-show) and storytelling and leave reminded of how to heal the planet from wherever you are.
Ticket proceeds benefit cleanup of the French Broad River with our mission partner for this show, Asheville Greenworks.
Ashevillians is a local comedy showcase featuring up and coming Asheville comedians and a few of your old favorites
ages 21+ (must have ID with you)