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.

Monday, January 23, 2023
Bright Star AUDITIONS
Jan 23 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre-- 35below

Bright Star Music, Book, & Story by Steve Martin; Music, Lyrics, & Story by Edie Brickell

Directed by: Mark Jones

DIRECTOR SEEKS: A large cast ages 20s-60s. All races and ethnicities are encouraged to audition.

-Please sign up for an audition time slot on this Audition Form. (Walk-ups are welcome but will be asked to fill out the audition form on-site and will need to wait until the next available time slot.)

AUDITION MATERIAL: Prepare 90 seconds of a song in the style of the show. An accompanist will be provided. Please note that sheet music is required. Bring or wear comfortable clothing and shoes as you may be taught a short dance combination. You may be asked to read from the script (see website for sides).

Mama + The Ruckus w/ Melissa McKinney: International Blues Competition Send-off Party
Jan 23 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE

MAMA AND THE RUCKUS W/ MELISSA McKINNEY
Mama & The Ruckus is a Blues & Soul band from Asheville, NC fronted by powerhouse vocalist Melissa McKinney. They recently won the honor through the Piedmont Blues Society to compete at the International Blues Competition in Memphis, TN on January 24th-28th. They will be joined by blues bands from all over the world, competing for the title previously won by acts such as Southern Avenue & Susan Tedeschi. With Patrick French and Owen Myers on guitar, Matt Guard on Keys, Michael Dunham on bass, Rob French on harmonica, and Hinton Edgerton on drums, this band is on fire. You can expect lots of special guests throughout this special evening of Blues that will support this band’s Journey to Memphis.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023
2023 Food Vendor Application for ADA Events Now Available
Jan 24 all-day
online

The application to be a food vendor at our events is now available. We’re seeking vendors for Downtown After 5, the Independence Day Celebration and Asheville Oktoberfest.

Click here to fill out the application. Application deadline is Friday, February 10.

LEGO Builders Club
Jan 24 @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Come down the Pack Memorial Library and play with LEGOs!
Show off your building skills and make new friends with other LEGO maniacs.

Please leave your personal LEGOs at home, because we’ve got plenty.

School Age – (grades K-5)
Bright Star AUDITIONS
Jan 24 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre-- 35below

Bright Star Music, Book, & Story by Steve Martin; Music, Lyrics, & Story by Edie Brickell

Directed by: Mark Jones

DIRECTOR SEEKS: A large cast ages 20s-60s. All races and ethnicities are encouraged to audition.

-Please sign up for an audition time slot on this Audition Form. (Walk-ups are welcome but will be asked to fill out the audition form on-site and will need to wait until the next available time slot.)

AUDITION MATERIAL: Prepare 90 seconds of a song in the style of the show. An accompanist will be provided. Please note that sheet music is required. Bring or wear comfortable clothing and shoes as you may be taught a short dance combination. You may be asked to read from the script (see website for sides).

Wednesday, January 25, 2023
2023 Food Vendor Application for ADA Events Now Available
Jan 25 all-day
online

The application to be a food vendor at our events is now available. We’re seeking vendors for Downtown After 5, the Independence Day Celebration and Asheville Oktoberfest.

Click here to fill out the application. Application deadline is Friday, February 10.

Conversación en la Cocina: Fuego, Ceránica y Alimentos Nativos / Conversations in the Kitchen: Fire, Ceramics, and Native Foods
Jan 25 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Center for Craft
Participants: Cannupa Hanska Luger, Artist and Luis Martinez, Chef

Since time immemorial indigenous populations throughout Abya Yala, or the Americas, have dug clay and transformed it into vessels for cooking food grown from the same land. Whether a traditional, Mandan stew simmered in a clay pot over an open fire, or masa toasted on a comal in Oaxaca, the relationship between land, clay, and native foods is inextricably linked.

Small Bite Tasting Menu:

  • Chochoyotes – GF/VEGAN – Red Corn Masa, Foraged Herbs
  • Mulli Tamal – GF/VEGAN – Yellow Corn Masa, Black Ants “Mulli”, Squash
  • Pipian – GF/VEGAN – Local beans, Pipian Salsa, Sunchoke
This event is free, but we recommend a donation of $15 through registration.
French Broad Valley Jam
Jan 25 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Oklawaha Brewing Company

Join us for a weekly mountain music JAM with players in a round, where the session is focused on regional fiddle tunes and songs! You are welcome to come and listen or to learn and join in. This event supports the Henderson County Junior Appalachian Musician (JAM) Kids Program. Free but donations are accepted. Weekly event takes place at Oklawaha Brewing Company.

Adults Only Trivia Night Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company
Jan 25 @ 6:30 pm – 8:15 pm
Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company

EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 6:30 pm ~ FREE!

AGES 18+ ADULTS ONLY ~ NO KIDS ALLOWED

ON OUR HUGE SCREEN IN THEATER 2!

ENJOY DINNER & DRINKS (FULL BAR) WHILE PLAYING

There are 3 rounds with new winners each round so you can show up late, miss a round and still be a winner. Plus, we have mid-round prizes to create as many winners as possible.

The questions are presented by a hilarious host on our giant movie screen and includes fun videos in each round.  You haven’t played a trivia night like this one!

Witty Wednesday Trivia
Jan 25 @ 6:30 pm
Sweeten Creek Brewing

Beat the mid week grind with some fun trivia! Win a $25 gift card for our taproom along with a $25 gift card from our resident kitchen, Bears Smokehouse BBQ!

Trivia Night
Jan 25 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Hickory Tavern

Every Wednesday

Trivia Night

Thursday, January 26, 2023
2023 Food Vendor Application for ADA Events Now Available
Jan 26 all-day
online

The application to be a food vendor at our events is now available. We’re seeking vendors for Downtown After 5, the Independence Day Celebration and Asheville Oktoberfest.

Click here to fill out the application. Application deadline is Friday, February 10.

Cocktail Classes
Jan 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Oak & Grist Distilling Company

This month, we’re tackling the granddaddy of all Oak and Grist cocktails, the Old Fashioned! This class will focus on the science behind creating your favorite stirred cocktails & empower you to concoct your own unique libations at home.

We’re hosting two separate dates of this Cocktail Class, January 12th and January 26th (just because we like y’all so much!)

Our January 12th class is almost sold out!

Naughty New Year Rhubarb Local Showcase Series
Jan 26 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
7 SW Pack

Our second Local Showcase is focused on resolving to have more fun in 2023!

Sinfully delicious heavy hors d’oeuvres and decadent drinks will be served while you get to know some of Asheville’s best businesses for making 2023 the most fun yet.

VaVaVooom will be there to stoke your sexy side, Divination Tattoo has all the inspo for your new ink, with live caricature drawings from Paul Choi of Bad Drawings, relaxing treats from Asheville Dispensary, and sensual performances by Enter the Garden dancers!

This event is 21+ and ID is required at the door so leave the kids and your inhibitions at home and join us for an entertaining evening.

Not Rocket Science Trivia at Highland Brewing Downtown
Jan 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Highland Brewing Downtown

Trivia, Singo, tailgate games, and more! Our games are sure to challenge you, but c’mon… it’s not rocket science!

OG COCKTAIL CLASS: “Call me Old Fashioned”
Jan 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Oak & Grist Distilling Company

LED BY ELLE BLACKBURN, O&G BAR MANAGER

Kick those post-holiday blues to the curb with this month’s Cocktail Class at Oak and Grist Distilling Co. This month, we’re tackling the granddaddy of all Oak and Grist cocktails, the Old Fashioned! This class will focus on the science behind creating your favorite stirred cocktails & empower you to concoct your own unique libations at home.

We’ll start with the original Oak and Grist Old Fashioned recipe, diving into dilution, stirring, proper pouring technique, and an in-depth garnish presentation to keep your cocktails looking sharp. Students will then have the opportunity to taste four distinct Old Fashioned variations utilizing unique sugar, spirit, & bitter combinations. The class culminates with you creating & enjoying your new signature Old Fashioned. Cheers!

With the hype building, we’ve preemptively opened two sessions of our Old Fashioned class in January! January 12, 2022, at 6:00 pm and January 26th at 6:00 pm.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW

All O&G Cocktail Classes are 21+. Photo IDs are required to participate in our Cocktail Classes so make sure you bring yours to each class. Don’t forget to arrive early to get settled in & sip on a cocktail before the class starts.

Please reach out to [email protected] about any allergies or accessibility accommodations when booking the event and we will do our best to accommodate.

Doors open at 5:30 pm before the start of the event and will start promptly at 6:00 pm. Classes are taught in pairs and make for the perfect night out for couples, besties, or families. Paired tickets are offered at a discounted price!

There are options for both paired and solo tickets, so if you’re coming with a friend, please make sure you purchase the correct ticket. One ticket per participant is required. Classes are capped at a maximum of 12 people per class.

Oak and Grist Distilling Co. reserves the right to refuse service to any guest who appears or acknowledges to be intoxicated.

All cocktail class students will receive a complimentary barware goodie, take-home recipes, a hand-crafted cocktail, & a 15% discount in our Bottle Shop so you can keep your home bar stocked!

Tinsley Ellis: “Acoustic Songs + Stories”
Jan 26 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– FULLY SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE 

TINSLEY ELLIS

Georgia troubadour Tinsley Ellis has been immersed in music his whole life. Born in Atlanta 1957 and raised in southern Florida, he acquired his first guitar at age seven, inspired by seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. Like many kids his age, Ellis discovered the blues through the back door of British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, Cream and The Rolling Stones as well as Southern rockers like the Allman Brothers Band. 20 albums (and millions of miles traveled) later on record labels such as Alligator and Capricorn, Ellis has become an elder statesman of the blues world.

With his new project Tinsley Ellis – Acoustic Songs And Stories, Ellis performs many of his most popular songs (plus delta blues and classics by artists like Gregg Allman, Bob Dylan and Leo Kottke) on his 1937 National Steel and 1969 Martin D-35. Ellis weaves the music together with interesting and sometimes ribald stories from over 40 years of a life spent on stages and in motels and truck stops. Ellis shows no signs of slowing down and is headed your way with his newest and perhaps most unique project.

Friday, January 27, 2023
2023 Food Vendor Application for ADA Events Now Available
Jan 27 all-day
online

The application to be a food vendor at our events is now available. We’re seeking vendors for Downtown After 5, the Independence Day Celebration and Asheville Oktoberfest.

Click here to fill out the application. Application deadline is Friday, February 10.

Black Mountain Library Fri-Yay! With Bounty + Soul Kids: Fun with Food (+ Picky Eaters)
Jan 27 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Black Mountain Library

Free Family Education classes from Bounty & Soul. Each month, Bounty & Soul educators share practical information with parents and caregivers to support your child’s health and development.

Classes are FREE, but please register on the Bounty & Soul site under the Schedule tab. Quick access HERE.

REGGIE HARRIS
Jan 27 @ 7:30 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

Reggie Harris is a singer-songwriter, storyteller and world-renowned song-leader who is a powerful interpreter of the global music narrative. A passionate, engaging inspirational entertainer and concert artist Reggie is recognized for focusing new energy on the important role of music in the discourse for inclusion and the struggle for human rights using the lessons of history as a base. As an expert on the music of the Underground Railroad and the Modern Civil Rights Movement he is at home on stage as performer, lecturer or leading discussion in seminars or in the classroom.

Known for over 40 years as one-half of the eminently prominent duo, Kim & Reggie Harris, Reggie continues to criss-cross the country, carrying the message of joy, unity, tolerance and peace through the powerful medium of live music.

Reggie remains in high demand for concerts, schools, University residencies, community-building, festivals and teaching workshops.

A 2021 winner of both the Spirit of Folk Award from Folk Alliance International and the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Award, Reggie is a charismatic community builder who was featured in 2020 on CNN’s “Silence is Not An Option with Don Lemon.” He was recently featured in The New York Times to discuss his familial connection as the descendant of slavery as a great-great-great grandson of confederate General Williams Carter Wickham and his slave Bibhanna Hewlett with his white cousins.

A teaching artist in the Kennedy Center’s CETA program (Changing Education Through the Arts) and a fellow for the prestigious Council of Independent College lecture program, he also serves as Co-President and Director of Music Education for the Living Legacy Project, an advocacy group that sponsors Civil Rights pilgrimages throughout the South and online education seminars worldwide.

His 2018 album Ready To Go ranked as the #5 CD on the Folk DJ Charts and was in the top 30 on the US Folk DJ charts for 5 months of 2018. The title cut was the #1 song for May 2018. In 2019 Reggie and Greg Greenway released Deeper Than the Skin in response to their challenging and insightful presentation of the same name. Reggie is currently a rotating DJ featured on Prisms: The Sound Of Color on SiriusXM’s The Village.

His April 2021 release On Solid Ground, the number one CD on the FolkDJ Charts for May 2021, is a collection of 13 songs compiled in response to the challenges and changes in American civic circles stirred by the COVID pandemic and years of racial and political unrest that erupted post the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and thousands of others. Reggie’s leadership in racial and interfaith dialogue continues to open opportunities for dialogue and courageous conversation.

Reggie is a featured artist in the “Americans Who Tell the Truth” portrait series by Maine artist Rob Shetterly and a recipient of the 2018 Magic Penny Award for lifetime achievement for his impact in music from the Children’s Music Network. His recordings and collaborative discography contribute to the national dialogue on history, wellness and to the opening of dialogue and courageous conversations.

Visit The Artists Website

ABACAB: THE MUSIC OF GENESIS
Jan 27 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel
BIG SOMETHING WITH ABBY BRYANT + THE ECHOES
Jan 27 @ 8:00 pm
Salvage Station

Big Something will be performing LIVE on the Indoor Stage at Salvage Station on Friday, January 27th, 2023 with Abby Bryant & The Echoes! Doors open at 7pm and the music starts at 8pm. 18+ ONLY (no exceptions)! FREE ON-SITE PARKING! Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have our FULL bar open for you to enjoy!

CDC guidelines + band requirements + our venue policies are subject to change daily, so please keep your eyes on https://salvagestation.com/covid-policy/ for updates. We do not issue refunds based on our Covid-19 policies and reserve the right to change them at any time.

John Craigie at Asheville Masonic Temple
Jan 27 @ 8:00 pm
Asheville Masonic Temple

Performance Image

– w/ GRACE ROWLAND (OF THE DEER)
– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
 – AT ASHEVILLE MASONIC TEMPLE – 80 BROADWAY ST (downtown AVL)  

JOHN CRAIGIE
Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer John Craigie adapts moments of solitude into stories perfectly suited for old Americana fiction anthologies. Instead of leaving them on dog-eared pages, he projects them widescreen in flashes of simmering soul and folk eloquence. On his 2022 full-length album, Mermaid Salt, we witness revenge unfurled in flames, watch a landlocked mermaid’s escape, and fall asleep under a meteor shower.  After selling out shows consistently coast-to-coast and earning acclaim from Rolling StoneGlide MagazineNo Depression, and many more, his unflinching honesty ties these ten tracks together.

The album comes from the solitude and loneliness of lockdown in the Northwest. Someone whose life was touring, traveling, and having lots of human interaction is faced with an undefinable amount of time without those things. So, he began writing new songs and envisioning an album that was different from his past records. The sound of everyone playing live in a room together was traded for the sound of song construction with an unknown amount of instruments and musicians—a quiet symphony.

Rather than steal away to a cabin or hole up in a house with friends, Craigie opted to set up shop at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with longtime collaborator Bart Budwig behind the board as engineer. A rotating cast of musicians shuffled in and out safely, distinguishing the process from the communal recording of previous releases. The core players included Justin Landis, Cooper Trail, and Nevada Sowle. Meanwhile, Shook Twins lent their signature vocal harmonies, Bevin Foley arranged, composed, and performed strings, and Ben Walden dropped in for guitar and violin plucking parts. “Instruments were scattered around the theater and microphones placed in various spots,” he recalls. “It’s hard to say who all played what exactly.”

Craigie had reached a series of watershed moments in tandem with Mermaid Salt. Beyond headlining venues such as The Fillmore and gracing the stage of Red Rocks Amphitheater, his 2020 offering Asterisk The Universe earned unanimous tastemaker applause. Rolling Stone noted, “tracks like ‘Don’t Deny’ and ‘Climb Up’ bridge a Sixties and Seventies songwriter vibe with the laid-back cool of Jack Johnson, an early supporter of Craigie, while Glide Magazine hailed it as “one of his best records. Perhaps, No Depression put it best, “For many weary and heavy- listeners hearted, the album might be exactly what they need. Along the way, he generated over 40 million total streams and counting, speaking to his unassuming impact.  In the end, Craigie offers a sense of peace on Mermaid Salt.

ZEBBLER ENCANTI EXPERIENCE, DILLARD, + LAVIER
Jan 27 @ 9:00 pm
Asheville Music Hall
Saturday, January 28, 2023
2023 Food Vendor Application for ADA Events Now Available
Jan 28 all-day
online

The application to be a food vendor at our events is now available. We’re seeking vendors for Downtown After 5, the Independence Day Celebration and Asheville Oktoberfest.

Click here to fill out the application. Application deadline is Friday, February 10.

Hickory Nut Gap Truck Sale! Up to 50% Off
Jan 28 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Has your freezer been feeling a little on the empty side lately? It’s time to stock up! Join us at the Home Farm on January 28th from 10am – 5pm for our Truck Sale, and purchase regeneratively raised meats for up to 50% off retail prices!
We will have a variety of beef and pork to choose from, such as skirt, hanger, culotte, and NY strip steaks, pork shoulder, petite boneless pork loin, as well as staples such as our best-selling Meat Sticks and ground beef. As always, all our meats are regeneratively raised without the use of added hormones or antibiotics, and all beef is 100% grassfed.
This is an in-store sale only, first come first serve while supplies last.
Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
Jan 28 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.

The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.

No RSVP needed, just drop by!

Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Nobody’s Darling String Band
Jan 28 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

Nobody’s Darling String Band is here every Saturday from 4-6! Stop in for an afternoon libation and enjoy the ladies picking’ away on the stage!

BIG SOMETHING WITH ABBY BRYANT + THE ECHOES
Jan 28 @ 8:00 pm
Salvage Station

Big Something will be performing LIVE on the Indoor Stage at Salvage Station on Friday, January 27th, 2023 with Abby Bryant & The Echoes! Doors open at 7pm and the music starts at 8pm. 18+ ONLY (no exceptions)! FREE ON-SITE PARKING! Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have our FULL bar open for you to enjoy!

CDC guidelines + band requirements + our venue policies are subject to change daily, so please keep your eyes on https://salvagestation.com/covid-policy/ for updates. We do not issue refunds based on our Covid-19 policies and reserve the right to change them at any time.

PINKISH FLOYD
Jan 28 @ 8:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

Pinkish Floyd is an Asheville-based, true-to-the-original Pink Floyd tribute band. Passionate about delivering a completely immersive Pink Floyd experience, the show comes complete with the music, projections, lasers, and best of all, an enthusiastic audience! It’s just like the real thing… ish.

Featuring:

Jason Watson

David Bradley

Travis Corcoran

Rob Grace

David Bruce

Patrick Landis

Jenny Lee

Rebekkah Hilgraves

Kathleen Watson

Visit The Artists Website

The last appearance of PINKISH FLOYD at White Horse was a standing room only crowd.

Tickets are likely to sell out in advance this time .

Thus, advance ticket purchases are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!!!!!