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.
Some of our greatest art has come in response to the pain of this world: war, accident, crime and punishment, physical and mental illness, racial and class-based inequities. As Asheville resident Nancy Sehested has written, “The deeply human questions of forgiveness, redemption, and mercy emerge from the ruins of broken lives…Pain is not the last word.”
On eight evenings from September to December, the Wilma Dykeman Legacy and the West Asheville Library will celebrate four memoirs of resilience and hope from the mountains of Western North Carolina. All events are free and will be at the West Asheville Library, except for the digital event on December 8.
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
“Fall Into Dance: An Artistic Harvest” is a gift to our community – a professional production of all original choreography by Western North Carolina’s own Ballet Company and North Carolina’s oldest ballet company, The Asheville Ballet, directed by Ann Dunn. Resident choreographers, including Ann Dunn, Fleming Lomax, Tricia Renshaw, Stephanie Wolfe, and Jaimon Caceres, present their exciting new work in a variety of styles, from classical to contemporary, on September 9 at 7:30pm at the Roger McGuire Green stage, Pack Square Park. Tickets are $15 and are available through Eventbrite. Bring a lawn chair and join us for an evening of dance in our beautiful city, under the stars! Image by Rose Pillmore.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-asheville-ballet-presents-fall-into-dance-friday-september-9-tickets-400873903637
Join and share our Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/25fOz6Rzm
For more information, please visit www.ashevilleballet.com
Ann Dunn’s “Seen/Unseen” is a four movement contemporary duet based on sculptures by Black Mountain College artist, Leo Amino. The work is set to music by Washington D.C. composer, Erin Snedecor (cello, voice, and electronic), and is a collaboration with textile artist, Kristin Pondy.
Dunn’s “Betty” is a solo based on the movement images of Elizabeth Schmitt Jennerjahn taken at Black Mountain College, and on two pieces of her textile art. Again, the music and costume collaborations are with Snedecor and Pondy.
“Jet Lag” explores the rushed and quick paced nature of air travel. Destination – Paris, France. Stephanie Wolfe, in collaboration with dancers, plays with the quirky side of a stressful endeavor by using props and music from Frank Sinatra and Louie Armstrong. A happy ending awaits with a series of love stories set under the romantic lights of the Eiffel Tower.
“The Hats We Wear” is a new work by Fleming Lomax set to music of the ragtime era. This upbeat ballet is a four-part depiction of the many proverbial hats we wear in life and culminates with a rousing ensemble celebration of how we navigate and integrate these roles.
Tricia Renshaw’s “In Other Ways” is a non-narrative piece that explores how energy and relationships shift and change, but don’t necessarily end or dissolve.
Renshaw’s “Stay Young, Go Dancing” is an upbeat depiction of youthful joy and exuberance expressed in movement.
Jaimon Caceres has created a contemporary pointe work, titled “The Nature of Change”, set to Maurice Ravel’s beautiful “Une Barque sur L’Ocean”, that tells a story of three different people learning to surrender to the inevitable necessity of changes in life.
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
Buncombe County Public Libraries is hosting a new book club beginning in September.
Books to Action is an issue-focused book club that will explore books centered on topics facing our community. Each book discussion will take place in conjunction with a community service project, educational field trip, or presentations from local experts active in these key issues. This book club is open to anyone over age 16 and hopes to spotlight the work of community organizations and provide an engaging opportunity to get involved on a local level.
On Sept. 10, the Book To Action club will meet at 10:30 am at the Stephens-Lee Center to discuss Ibram X. Kendi’s How to be Antiracist. After the book discussion, we will walk to Eagle Street to begin our Hood Huggers tour.
Hood Hugger walking tours explore the past, present, and future of African Americans in Asheville
Our tour will include: the East End Valley Street in downtown Asheville, home to shops and galleries featuring African American artisans and artists; the YMI Cultural Center; the Stephens Lee Community Center; The Block, and significant African American architecture in this vibrant historic neighborhood.
This event is free, but you do need to register. Please visit the library web page and use the link on the calendar for this program to sign up.
Future meetings will include book discussions and volunteer activities with Habitat for Humanity, the Family Justice Center, and Asheville Greenworks. Check the library calendar for updates on coming books and community projects.
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!
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.
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
Join host Tena Frank for Malaprop’s Mystery Book Club! Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!
The club meets at Malaprop’s on the second Monday of every month at 7:00 pm.
The Art Prophets: The Artists, Dealers, and Tastemakers Who Shook the Art World by Richard Polsky introduces readers to influential late twentieth-century dealers and tastemakers in the art world. These risk takers opened doors for artists, identified new movements, and resurrected art forms that had fallen into obscurity. In this distinctive tour, Polsky offers an insightful and engaging dialogue between artists and the visionaries who paved their way.
Moderators: AAM Docents, Barbara Pressman and Hope Warshaw
DISCUSSION BOUND
This monthly discussion is a place to exchange ideas about readings that relate to artworks and the art world, and to learn from and about each other. Books are available at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café for a 10% discount. To add your name to our Discussion Bound mailing list, click here or call 828.253.3227 x133.
Announcing youth auditions for Flat Rock Playhouse and Studio 52’s upcoming holiday productions of
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, an adaptation of the 1965 animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz, and A FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE CHRISTMAS.
All cast members must be fully vaccinated, along with the production team and all Flat Rock Playhouse staff. Proof of vaccination will be required upon being cast.
Auditions will be held by appointment on Wednesday, September 14, and Thursday, September 15, between 5 – 8 PM with invited callbacks on Saturday, September 17 from 10AM – 1PM. Actors who are invited to callbacks will receive an email invitation on Friday, September 16.
Auditioning young actors will be asked to sing a minute (16 – 32 bars) of a Broadway song or their favorite holiday song. Actors can sing a cappella or bring sheet music. An accompanist will be provided. We also ask that actors bring a recent photo of themselves and a resume or list of experience, if possible. Please be prepared to list any conflicts at your audition. (Again, Studio 52 classes will not be considered a conflict for casting.)
Flat Rock Playhouse seeks a small Youth Ensemble ages 10-18 for A FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE CHRISTMAS, with rehearsals beginning November 13 and the production running November 25 through December 22.
Studio 52 seeks a diverse company of young actors and singers, ages 10 – 18, for the following roles in A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS:
CHARLIE BROWN
SNOOPY
LUCY VAN PELT
LINUS VAN PELT
PIG PEN
FRIEDA
SCHROEDER
VIOLET
SALLY BROWN
PATTY
SHERMY
WOODSTOCK
ENSEMBLE (will also understudy named roles)
This club meets in-person and virtually. If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] for more info and instructions!
Join host and Malaprop’s bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across different periods of history. The club tackles challenging subjects, hence “NOTORIOUS.” Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!
The club meets at Malaprop’s on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm.
Some of our greatest art has come in response to the pain of this world: war, accident, crime and punishment, physical and mental illness, racial and class-based inequities. As Asheville resident Nancy Sehested has written, “The deeply human questions of forgiveness, redemption, and mercy emerge from the ruins of broken lives…Pain is not the last word.”
On eight evenings from September to December, the Wilma Dykeman Legacy and the West Asheville Library will celebrate four memoirs of resilience and hope from the mountains of Western North Carolina. All events are free and will be at the West Asheville Library, except for the digital event on December 8.
About the Wilma Dykeman Legacy
The Wilma Dykeman Legacy is a tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 2012 to sustain and promote Wilma Dykeman’s values by sponsoring diverse workshops, events, and other programs. The core values of this extraordinary woman from Buncombe County included environmental integrity, social justice, and the power of the written and spoken word. For more information, visit www.wilmadykemanlegacy.org.
The book for September is: ‘Klara and the Sun’ by Kazuo Ishiguro
From the best-selling author of Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day, a stunning new novel—his first since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature—about the wondrous, mysterious nature of the human heart.
From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.
In Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/books/review/klara-and-the-sun-kazuo-ishiguro.html
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.
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.
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.
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.
Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Allison to dive into the wreck of the wily and wonderful world of science fiction, fantasy, weird fiction, speculative fiction, and literary horror with a healthy mix of underappreciated classic and contemporary books. Meets the last Monday of every month at 7 pm on Zoom. Also meets on the second Monday of every month at 7 pm to discuss the film adaptations of the books we read. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading and contact the club host to join. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!
Romance Book Club is a space to celebrate love in literature. Whether it’s set in early 1800s London, a distant planet years into the future, a fantasy world of magic, or our own contemporary universe, we are here for the stories that end with a happily-ever-after (or at least a happily-for-now).
Meetings will take place at 7:00 PM ET on the last Tuesday of each month via Zoom. Please visit the Romance Bookclub page for the monthly selection, and email Samantha at [email protected] for the link to join.
The Foodie Book Club is a club about food writing. The club meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM. Click here for details and monthly picks!
Join University of North Carolina food historian Marcie Cohen Ferris and award-winning cookbook author Ronni Lundy as they discuss the book, “Edible North Carolina: A Journey across a State of Flavor.” The new book from University of North Carolina Press provides a 360-degree view of a state known for its farming and food, with compelling essays from leading North Carolina writers, cooks, farmers, entrepreneurs, and food equity activists. Ferris, the book’s editor, and Lundy, a contributing essayist, will talk about the book.
Join us in our new monthly social swing event on the 1st Saturdays of every month, The
music, open vintage space and wood floors and is guaranteed to have you dancing East Coast and/or Lindy all night long, A free
lesson is offered to kick things off and will include a different combination of moves each time, No partner or rhythm needed and
dress is casual, $10 for lesson and/or social dance.
Director Wendy Strauss seeks 2 Men and 2 Women for this witty and heartfelt drama that showcases the tension between a father and son and the romance between an introverted dreamer and the woman who wants him! The story is set against the backdrop of a prolonged land dispute between two neighboring Irish farmers. Come on out and audition for this Readers Theatre Showcase show!
