Calendar of Events

This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.

Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.

The Music of Tom Petty

Feb. 24-March 5

Two Jews, Talking

A Hilarious Staged Reading

March 17-19

A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.

The Music of Elton John

March 31-April 2

The Music of Neil Diamond

April 7-10

Catch Me If You Can

April 28-May 14

This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times

Million Dollar Quartet

May 20-June 19

Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.

The Music of the Eagles

An Outdoor Stadium Concert

June 18

Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.

West Side Story

July 1-30

The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.

Mozart to Pop Chart

The Musical Story Continues

August 5-13

Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

August 19-Sept. 4

Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.

Introducing The Black Box Series.

September 15-October 9

 You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience.  The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!

God of Carnage

Sept. 15-Oct. 8

A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”

Blood Knot

Sept. 16-Oct. 9

A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.

Mamma Mia!

Encore Performance

Oct. 21-Nov. 13

The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas

November 25-December 22

The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)

December 1-4

Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!

To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

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The Asheville Downtown Association is now accepting applications for food vending at our 2022 events. These include Downtown After 5, the Independence Day Celebration and Asheville Oktoberfest.

Applications are due Friday, February 25 at 5pm.

Go Local Asheville organization–which supports local
independent businesses and its customers–has announced the historic launch of a
first-ever app to better serve Asheville area business and card members,

The free digital app is now available on Apple Store and Google Play for
both Apple and Android smartphones. While the app is free and downloadable for
everyone to conveniently find and support local independent businesses, only Go
Local Asheville cardholders can take advantage of the discounts and perks
offered by the over 500 participating local independent business members. To become
a cardholder, cards can be purchased for $20 each at 30 different businesses
throughout Asheville or on the Go Local Asheville website. To become a business
member, there is no charge. The only requirement is to offer a discount or perk to Go
Local Asheville cardholders.

• Restoration
• Rehabilitation
• Adaptive Re-use
• In-fill Construction in Historic and Traditional Neighborhoods
• Research, Publication and Education
• Stewardship
• Preservation

Join the team: Hiring a RiverCamp Counselor

We are now hiring for our summer camp counselor position. Come spend the summer on the river with some awesome kids and prepare them to be the next generation of river stewards. Click below to learn more.

Position description and application instructions.

The 2022 appeal period is open now. During the year of the reappraisal, or any year of the reappraisal cycle, a taxpayer may appeal the appraised value of their property. No matter how thorough and fair a reappraisal may be, there are still instances when only the property owner has all the information necessary for an accurate appraisal. Informal appeals for 2022 can be filed anytime between Jan. 1-April 20, 2022. Additionally, anyone receiving a change of value notice after April 20, 2022 has thirty days from the date of the notice to file an appeal.

Step One: Starting an Informal Appeal

An informal appeal is the first step in the appeal process.  Buncombe County Property Assessment has created a new suite of online tools to help make the appeal process easier. A taxpayer may begin the informal appeal process now by clicking on this link taxappeal.buncombecounty.org.

According to NC General Statutes, the property owner has the burden of proving that the property under appeal is incorrectly valued. The amount of your tax bill or ability to pay the tax cannot be used as a valid reason for submitting an appeal. The value of your property has been developed from sales and cost data within your local area. If the you believe this value is incorrect, please provide our office with a valid reason(s) to adjust the assessment (i.e. recent appraisal within the last 2 years, comparable sales of similar homes in the neighborhood or surrounding area, photos of the dwelling to show repair/maintenance issues, etc.).

A property owner appealing the property value of the property should start the appeal process online, or contact our office at (828) 250-4940 to request an appeal form by mail. The appeal form must be returned and/or postmarked, including your supporting documentation, within 30 days of the date listed on the appeal form. The appeal should include information to support the property owner’s opinion of value. Our appraisal professionals are here to help you through the appeal process. For appraisal purposes, Buncombe County is divided into multiple geographical areas. You can find the contact information of the appraiser for your area on the notice of value letter received in the mail, or by calling our office at (828) 250-4940.

The health and safety of our community and employees is our priority, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, assessment staff is available via Live Chat, or you can schedule a phone conference or virtual appointment by calling (828) 250-4940. Your concerns and questions are important to us, and our team is committed to handling your appeal as quickly as possible.

Should a property owner have any additional questions or need help with a property appeal, please contact our office at (828) 250-4940 or email [email protected].

Each year, the Asheville Downtown Association selects local nonprofits to sell wristbands at its events. The nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000 and has the opportunity to display marketing materials to share their program of work with large audiences.

Nonprofits provide 30 volunteers over 18 to work in two shifts between 5 and 9:30pm. Volunteers check IDs and sell wristbands to patrons. The nonprofit will also have an opportunity to receive its check on the stage and share remarks with the crowd. Applications are due by March 1 and selections will be made around March 9.

Click here to access the application form. Please communicate with your colleagues to ensure only one form is submitted per nonprofit.

January through April

Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”

NPS Photo

Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”

Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!

Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.

Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.

2022 Contest Rules

Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20^th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.

Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.

Submission Rules

• Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
• Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
• No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
• Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
• Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
• Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
• Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
• Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
  • Paperclipped to poem, no staples
  • Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
  • Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.

Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).

Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.

Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.

Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]

#MANNAStudentChallenge2022

Throughout the entire month of March, schools will be hosting food drives and competing between each other to see who can donate the most pounds of food to MANNA or their local partner agency. Students can also earn points that will be added to their total score by making financial donations, volunteering at their local partner agency, participating in hunger and nutrition education opportunities and joining us in our #MANNAStudentChallenge2022 TikTok campaign. To earn points for their school through the #MANNAStudentChallenge2022, students can create TikTok videos that either feature them eating a fruit or vegetable they have never tried before or highlight a recipe that they believe is unique to their family. At the end of the campaign, we will announce winners for each of our categories: high school, middle school, elementary school, college or university, most improved, rookie of the year and most creative. If you are interested in having your school participate in MANNA’s Annual Student Food Drive, contact Jake Deuterman.

The survey will remain open until Feb. 20. 

Do you own your home or property? Have you ever appealed or considered appealing the value of your house? The Ad Hoc Reappraisal Committee wants to hear from you. Buncombe County has launched a short survey to gather homeowner input. As community members, your feedback on the reappraisal process can provide valuable insight to questions and concerns for the Committee to consider.

In September 2021, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners established an Ad Hoc Reappraisal Committee after hearing resident concerns following the 2021 Reappraisal. The goals of this committee center on three areas:

• Identify homeowner concerns about the reappraisal process
• Provide guidance for future assessments
• Equity concerns

Take the reappraisal survey here.

All feedback will be compiled and shared with the Committee, County staff, the public, and the Board of Commissioners. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with the reappraisal and appeal process. Follow the Committee’s progress at engage.buncombecounty.org/reappraisal.

Public Comment

Stay tuned to the Ad Hoc Reappraisal meetings and share your voice. The committee hears public comment at the beginning of their meetings. The next meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 5-7 p.m.  Register here.

What’s more romantic than gazing at the stars deep in the night?? Grab your sweetheart and join PARI for a romantic Valentines evening getaway and leave with stars in your eyes. PARI astronomers will share our dark skies and point out objects such as the Heart Cluster and love story constellations like Princess Andromeda and the Warrior Perseus. This package includes an overnight cabin stay, evening viewing with PARI astronomers at our historic, mountaintop, Internationally Certified Dark Sky Park, a pre-packaged dinner on Friday and breakfast on Saturday, a bottle of wine and a Valentine rose in your room. This event is limited to 8 couples. Registration is required!

Various times

His masterworks have been displayed around the world for over a century… but never like this. Described as “an unforgettable multi-sensory experience,” Van Gogh Alive is a powerful and vibrant symphony of light, color, sound, and scent that compels you to leave the world behind and immerse yourself in Van Gogh’s paintings. Simultaneously enchanting, entertaining, and educational, Van Gogh Alive stimulates all the senses and opens the mind.