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.

Get into the spirit of the era and step back in time to that unforgettable summer in the Catskills and join us where it all began in the breathtaking mountains of Western North Carolina. Filled with excitement and nostalgia, fans can experience the the moves, music and memories from our all time favorite movie and fancy the chance to channel their inner “Baby & Johnny.”
This year’s one-day festival showcases film-inspired entertainment and activities for all ages that will be treasured with friends and family for a lifetime. You’ll go crazy for Swayze, enjoy some great entertainment, and weep with joy attempting the famous lake lift scene all while keeping the awareness on the fight against Pancreatic Cancer strong.
It’s time to dress up as your favorite character, dust off your Keds, and really shake it down
where Johnny & Baby once did the Mambo!
The Chamber of Hickory Nut Gorge is happy to announce the return of the Dirty Dancing Festival of Lake Lure!
This year’s festival will be a ONE-DAY event certain to be “the time of your life!”
Start making your plans to attend the Festival AND participate in the various pre and post-festival activities
being offered at local establishments.
Only 2500 will be available for this year’s festival so get yours early to ensure entry!
More than 800 tickets were sold in the first week!
Our committee is still in the planning stages, so check back frequently and visit our Facebook page for more information as it becomes available

For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information

For Beginners to Advanced Dancers
The Asheville Performing Arts Academy partners with the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance. Classes range from beginners to competition dancers.
We have a few important changes to our schedule this year (2022). Please note that your dancer’s class section must be approved by Ms. Heather. In order to keep class sizes small, we are dividing up classes by the following levels:
FALL SEMESTER DATES
- Start: Monday, September 12th
- End: Wednesday, December 14th
- No Classes: December 5th & 7th
- Workshops: October 1st & 2nd,
November 5th & 6th
BEGINNERS
- Beginner Class: Monday – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Soft Shoe: Monday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
- Advanced Beginner/New Novice Hard Shoe: Wednesday – 5:45pm to 7:00pm
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
- Monday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
- Wednesday – 6:00pm to 7:30pm
OIREACHTAS/COMPETITIVE
- Dancers will be asked to stay late some class periods for extra time on their dances
ADULT
- Please contact the studio for more information

-
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

Cedar Bear has been trained in the lineage of Richard Rudis who created the original “Gong Bath™”. Cedar’s Gong Bath’s and concerts include elements from Nada Yoga, DJ mixing, drumming, Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Hinduism, sacred geometry, and Reiki. This creates a meditative experience in which each participant is acoustically guided via harmonic overtones, into realms of physical & mental/emotional well-being as well as cellular healing. Carefully designed vibrational constructs are used to further entice the brain into Alpha/Theta/Delta wave-scapes of clarity, peace, and wholeness which promotes physIcal, mental, and spiritual awakening, wisdom, and healing.
:: How to Prepare/What to Bring ::
-yoga mat or something soft to lie on and or a pillow.
-we have chairs and back jacks for sitting
-avoid wearing any heavy scents or oils
For more info visit: www.torencollective.com/sound-healing

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

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

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

-
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

Cedar Bear has been trained in the lineage of Richard Rudis who created the original “Gong Bath™”. Cedar’s Gong Bath’s and concerts include elements from Nada Yoga, DJ mixing, drumming, Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Hinduism, sacred geometry, and Reiki. This creates a meditative experience in which each participant is acoustically guided via harmonic overtones, into realms of physical & mental/emotional well-being as well as cellular healing. Carefully designed vibrational constructs are used to further entice the brain into Alpha/Theta/Delta wave-scapes of clarity, peace, and wholeness which promotes physIcal, mental, and spiritual awakening, wisdom, and healing.
:: How to Prepare/What to Bring ::
-yoga mat or something soft to lie on and or a pillow.
-we have chairs and back jacks for sitting
-avoid wearing any heavy scents or oils
For more info visit: www.torencollective.com/sound-healing
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Recommended for Grades 5-12
Experience how a groundbreaking mix of dance styles, music and cultures create an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement! With a diverse repertoire ranging from ballet in toe shoes to street dance, Complexions explores the intersections of the classical and contemporary. Enjoy a selection of their work and connect with the artists after the performance in an engaging Q&A.
Learn more about Complexions Contemporary Ballet here.
Prepare for your visit, learn about the theatre, and get the most out of each performance with this Guide to the Wortham Center.
Performance Length: 60 minutes

This innovative New York City-based company combines remarkably gifted dancers, powerful choreography and the electrifying riffs of rocker Lenny Kravitz in LOVE ROCKS, part of a larger program that re-envisions ballet through technical precision, athletic prowess and sheer passion. “Companies like Complexions are game-changing: They’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been” (The Guardian).
Connect with Complexions
- Master Class: For intermediate and advanced dance students ages 16 and up. September 24 at 1 p.m. Henry LaBrun Studio. Learn more and register here.
- Pre-show Discussions: September 23 & 24 at 7 p.m. Tina McGuire Theatre.

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

It’s time for some Inclusion, Y’all! That’s the theme of this year’s Blue Ridge Pride Festival, taking place at Asheville’s Pack Square Park on Saturday, September 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is Western North Carolina’s largest Pride event, typically attracting 14,000 to 18,000 people.
Two stages feature some of the most noted musical and DRAG talent in the region. Over 100 organizations that focus on social justice, community service, health care, faith, education, and the LGBTQ community will be on hand. Another 100 local employers, merchants, artists, food concessions, and service providers will round what may Asheville’s largest, most diverse collections of exhibitors to gather for a day of advocacy, service, education, and celebration.

French Broad River Park location: Go to the parking lot off of Riverview Drive, which is off of Amboy Rd. Find the cobalt blue canopy tent!
We will be as close to directly across from the parking lot as we can, near the water, with the tent (go past the bathrooms and head to the water). So, you should be able to find us pretty easily if it’s your first time).
NOTE: Bring a chair, pillow, or towel to sit on, an open mind, and energies of love, receptivity, and curiosity.
Activation is 2 hours together: The 1st hour is a discussion and sharing (OPEN conversation with a topic we choose from a container that all participate in), a sharing from a group member or members, and then the last hour is a chakra detox/tune up via meditations/guided visualizations, or a psychic ability empowerment session led by the hosts Natalie and Adriane.
This is how we participate TOGETHER in the evolution of “New Earth” energies moving into a world where truth and the ethos of love-light (e.g.: Law of One ideation) are the guiding forces.
All who are interested in spiritual growth, OPEN-MINDED conversations that include the light and dark of our planet, evolution, and the desire to co-create and get to know others who are like-hearted (not just like-minded) are welcome!
We look forward to meeting you!

French Broad River Park: Go to the parking lot off of Riverview Drive, which is off of Amboy Rd. Find the cobalt blue canopy tent!
We will be as close to as directly across the parking lot as we can, near the water, with the tent (go past the bathrooms and head to the water). So, you should be able to find us pretty easily if it’s your first time).
We’ll enjoy meditations/visualizations, psychic ability empowerment, chakra activations, and lively discussions about how we can participate in the evolution of the new earth… a world where truth and the ethos of love (e.g.: Law of One) are the guiding forces.
All who are interested in spiritual growth and evolution and getting to know others who are “on their wavelength” are welcome.
NOTE: Bring a chair, pillow, or towel to sit on, an open mind, and energies of love, receptivity, and curiosity.
We look forward to meeting you!

With a diverse repertoire ranging from ballet in toe shoes to street dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet explores the intersections of classical and contemporary music and movement. In this master class for experienced dancers, students will learn a variety of exercises from the Complexions repertoire including center, adagio, and across the floor combinations, as well as jumps and turns.
Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Ages: 16+
Duration: 1.5 hrs.

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
Comedian Kathleen Madigan’s 32-year comedy career is showing no signs of slowing down. Madigan has been touring 250 nights a year on the road and has risen from performing in comedy clubs to performing in marquee theaters with sold out shows. She’s squeezed in over 40 appearances on late night talk shows and multiple comedy specials airing on Netflix, Comedy Central and HBO. She also recently joined Jerry Seinfeld on his Netflix show “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” and made the most of the pandemic by launching a podcast, “Madigan’s Pubcast,” on all streaming outlets. Recently asked if her career was planned, she said, “No, like that guy in the Joy of Painting used to say, it was a happy accident. This whole thing just started out as a reason to drink and wow, what a great drinking accident.”

This innovative New York City-based company combines remarkably gifted dancers, powerful choreography and the electrifying riffs of rocker Lenny Kravitz in LOVE ROCKS, part of a larger program that re-envisions ballet through technical precision, athletic prowess and sheer passion. “Companies like Complexions are game-changing: They’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been” (The Guardian).
Connect with Complexions
- Master Class: For intermediate and advanced dance students ages 16 and up. September 24 at 1 p.m. Henry LaBrun Studio. Learn more and register here.
- Pre-show Discussions: September 23 & 24 at 7 p.m. Tina McGuire Theatre.


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

-
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

Cedar Bear has been trained in the lineage of Richard Rudis who created the original “Gong Bath™”. Cedar’s Gong Bath’s and concerts include elements from Nada Yoga, DJ mixing, drumming, Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Hinduism, sacred geometry, and Reiki. This creates a meditative experience in which each participant is acoustically guided via harmonic overtones, into realms of physical & mental/emotional well-being as well as cellular healing. Carefully designed vibrational constructs are used to further entice the brain into Alpha/Theta/Delta wave-scapes of clarity, peace, and wholeness which promotes physIcal, mental, and spiritual awakening, wisdom, and healing.
:: How to Prepare/What to Bring ::
-yoga mat or something soft to lie on and or a pillow.
-we have chairs and back jacks for sitting
-avoid wearing any heavy scents or oils
For more info visit: www.torencollective.com/sound-healing

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

Comedy Night is Back! From HULU, ABC, and HGTV: Willie Macc’s comedy and story telling is as compelling on screen as he is on stage- One night only- with Casey Skinner, Jack Skolnick, and Margaux Hamilton- Join us for a laugh packed 90 minutes of live stand up comedy

