Calendar of Events

Goddess Rap with Luciya
Enjoy a porch concert in an Asheville garden with Luciya. A GeneratioNext artist, Luciya will perform Goddess Rap, her original lyrics honoring the Divine Feminine and Universal Flow.

Reservations required. Location sent upon receipt of contact info.
Rain date October 1 at 4 PM

We are committed to ensuring that programs remain accessible to all members of the community. In the spirit of inclusivity and equity, PAN HARMONIA offers donation-based, pay-as-you-can community concerts. All are welcome.

Reservation portal closes 3 PM day of event.

We invite you to be a part of a no-holds-barred evening of “live” lip sync performances and fun to benefit the Charles Lea Center Foundation! Our inaugural Lip Sync Battle Spartanburg raised over $400,000 for our exciting Lake Blalock project (see below)! The second annual event will build on that success and be a night to remember – Spartanburg’s own version of the American reality competition. Local talent will wow you on stage with amazing performances. Teams from local businesses and organizations will bring their best costumes and moves, set to songs they select, as they battle it out in hopes of becoming the night’s champions! Lip Sync Battle Spartanburg brings the most entertaining and unforgettable fundraising experience to the ‘Burg!!  

The funds raised by this event will be used for an exciting new project – the Charles Lea Center Nature Preserve at Lake Blalock. Recognizing the invaluable advantages access to outdoor experiences offers those we serve, the CLC plans to develop a nature preserve with specific features for those with disabilities. The center was recently gifted an eight-acre parcel of land at Lake Blalock in northern Spartanburg County that provides the perfect setting for the preserve. The proposed CLC Nature Preserve will provide fully accessible trails as well as an event center, picnic tables, shelters, a boat dock with adaptive features and more, so individuals of all ages and abilities can enjoy the great outdoors. This project will greatly enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities of all ages. Funding for this project, expected to be completed in 3-5 years, will be fully independent of CLC operating and capital funds.

Trey Kennedy is a born and raised Oklahoman who never expected to enter the entertainment industry. While attending college at Oklahoma State University, Trey found fame on the mobile app Vine, amassing more than 2.5 million followers. He was a top creator on the app for more than three years and, through this experience, discovered a passion for entertainment.

Trey has now continued his social media success on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok where he has a combined 12+ million followers. He currently has a podcast titled “Correct Opinions” and just concluded a sold-out comedy tour selling out cities across the United States. Trey’s self-produced comedy special “Are You For Real?” can now be streamed on YouTube. He hopes to continue creating fun and relatable content in order to deliver some joy where it’s needed and help people find some common ground through comedy.

The Tempest, September 1st to 30th
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Dwight Chiles
Magic, monsters and mayhem fill this favorite from The Bard. This one isn’t done with great regularity, so now’sa good time to catch it!

All shows will be at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in the Montford District of Asheville, and all will be presented absolutely FREE of charge!

All shows will run Fridays through Sundays and all will be presented at 7:30pm and prime seats can be reserved.

Montford Park Players has been bringing some of theater’s greatest works to Western North Carolina for over 50 years. Montford Park Players continues its mission of bring free theater to the community. The summer season allows everyone to come spend an evening under the stars, seeing some of the best live performances presented in Asheville.

Gary Malvern, conductor
Bronwen Forbay, soprano
Keith Jameson, tenor
Bruce Schoonmaker, baritone

A smorgasbord of some of the most virtuosic works composed for the human voice, this experience is composed of arias that are quite simply Olympic feats of singing.  Come and wonder at the impossible beauty of these works by Monteverdi, Handel and Mozart, including an aria from his iconic character the Queen of the Night, have a good laugh at Figaro’s expense in Rossini’s Largo from The Barber of Seville, hear operetta and even some selections from the golden age of Broadway.  This is an hour of operatic goodness you won’t want to miss.  And the crazy thing is, they make it look easy!

Gary Malvern, professor of music at Furman University, is a native of Buffalo, New York. He received a bachelor’s degree in performance and music history from Oberlin College Conservatory, and a master’s and doctoral degrees from Yale University. Dr. Malvern has served as principal trumpet of the National Repertory Orchestra and the American Wind Symphony, and he served for 25 years as principal trumpet of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.  Malvern has been artist in residence at universities in Western Australia, and at conservatories in Northern Italy. Dr. Malvern frequently records for Nuovo Musiche per Tromba (New Music for Trumpet).

Dr. Malvern was the recipient of Furman’s Meritorious Teaching Award in 1999.

Bronwen Forbay
Hailed by Opera Magazine as “At once powerful, radiant, timbrally beautiful, and balanced throughout the range, her soprano is that of a singer at the top of her game”, South African-born Fulbrighter BRONWEN FORBAY’s operatic successes include critically acclaimed performances of Mozart’s Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute) with the Wolf Trap Opera Company, Eugene Opera, and Tulsa Opera. Other celebrated roles include Orasia, Queen of Thrace (US premier of Telemann’s Orpheus), Velmyra (Wading Home) by Mary Alice Rich, Violetta (La Traviata), and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Cape Town Opera. A Visiting Associate Professor of Voice at Furman University, Dr. Forbay holds degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Manhattan School of Music, Southern Methodist University, and

Keith Jameson has enjoyed a 28-year career as a professional opera and concert singer. He has been heard nationally at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, New York City Opera, The Santa Fe Opera; and internationally with opera companies in Italy, Spain, Belgium, Brazil, England, and Japan. He can be seen in Carmen and Falstaff, on DVD with the Metropolitan Opera, and heard with Boston Baroque in Haydn’s The Creation and Lord Nelson Mass, on CD. He is a graduate of Furman University and the Eastman School of Music.

Bruce Schoonmaker
A native of Charlotte, N.C., Bruce Schoonmaker has performed in operas, recitals, and with orchestras and choruses in the USA, France, Italy, Australia and Japan. His combination of vocalism and dramatic ability has endeared him to audiences of the Charlotte Symphony, Columbia Lyric Opera, Brevard Music Festival, Opera Carolina, and the Oratorio Singers of Charlotte. Last October he sang the baritone solos in a rousing performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Greenville Chorale and Greenville Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bing Vick.

While a student at Northwestern University, he won the Bel Canto Competition and studied with Tito Gobbi at the Tito Gobbi Opera Workshop in Florence, Italy.  A few years later, he studied with Carlo Bergonzi and Renata Tebaldi at the Bel Canto Seminar in Verdi’s hometown, Busseto, Italy. He made his New York City debut with the New York City Chamber Orchestra, as soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

Schoonmaker taught voice and directed opera at Furman University until 2018 and now resides, performs, and teaches in Richmond, Virginia.

Step into a world of magic, mystery, and self-discovery with the Tony Award-winning musical, Pippin. This Broadway classic, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson, tells the captivating story of a young prince on a daring quest for the ultimate meaning of life and fulfillment. From spectacular circus-inspired performances to stirring, emotionally-charged songs, “Pippin” unfolds as an exploration of the highs and lows of glory, love, and ambition. It’s a compelling narrative that continually asks one poignant question: is it more rewarding to live a simple life or to persist in relentlessly pursuing extraordinary feats? With its rich, allegorical storyline and memorable melodies, Pippin promises to enchant audiences, leaving them musing long after the final curtain call.

A talkback with the cast & crew of Pippin will be held following the performances on September 17th & 24th.

Honky Tonk Angels 

Written by Ted Swindley.
Director Dan Harvey
Music Director Pam McNeil

Theme Park Transforms from Wild West by Day to Ghost Train at Night

The spooktacular season of Tweetsie’s Ghost Train^® Halloween Celebration, a popular fall family tradition, begins Friday, September 22, and continues every Friday and Saturday night through October 28.

Daytime guests can still enjoy all of Tweetsie’s Wild West adventures, rides and attractions. . . but when the sun goes down, the park gets a full makeover complete with costumed characters, decorations, music and Halloween-themed attractions.

Younger children will love the dance parties, trick-or-treat stations, themed photo opportunities, and the Palace Spooktacular Show.

Braver kids and adults will appreciate the scary night-time journey on the Ghost Train, walking through the hallowed halls of the Haunted House and exploring the murky Freaky Forest.

And, everyone will love the park’s most popular amusement rides after dark in the Creepy Carnival.

The park opens at 7:30 pm with the first train scheduled for 8:00 p.m. On October Saturday nights starting on the 14, 21, and 28, the park opens at 7:15 p.m. with the first train scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $60 for adults, $40 for children (ages 3-12) and free for children age 2 and under. They are sold in advance for a designated night with a scheduled train ride departure time. A limited number of guests will be admitted each evening, so visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets well beforehand to avoid missing out on all of the spooky fun.

Wah! Kirtan: Saturday, September 30th, 7:30PM

Wah! performs Sanskrit mantra with vocals, harmonium and Ableton Live.. Bring your joyful Self! Wah! has spent a lifetime in music and spiritual pursuit and is a legend in the yoga world.

“Wah! just might be a Devi. She sings with the voice of a goddess.” Australian Yoga Life Magazine

Architecture of Relationship: Sunday, October 1st, 2PM to 5PM

Celebrate life with a loved one or family member, creating loving connection & learning about the architecture of relationship. Wah! will guide you through simple humming, meditation, dialog and discussion to create pathways for healing & connection. Bring a friend or family member, someone you feel comfortable with holding hands, sitting back to back, talking & sharing. Everything we do is simple & meditative. You will leave relaxed and reconnected.

Select Event(s) at Checkout

•Kirtan: $30 Advance. $35 Day Of

•Architecture of Relationship: $65 per person, $120 per couple

•Doors Open One Hour Before Event

Listen to Wah! on Spotify

White Horse is excited to launch a new Comedy Series for your enjoyment. The series kicks off with the hilarious stand-up comic from Atlanta Georgia…. ZAIN SHARIF.

Zain Sharif is an Atlanta-based stand-up comedian, writer, and actor. Zain started improv with Dad’s Garage before pivoting to stand-up and sketches in 2014. In 2016, he worked for Adult Swim and was credited on multiple shows, including Your Pretty Face and Squidbillies.

Zain directs weekly sketches and stand-up for his 50,000 YouTube and 150,000 Tik-Tok subscribers, clocking in 40 million views so far. He features regularly at The Laughing Skull and The Punchline.

Visit The Artists Website

View a Video Clip of ZAIN doing Stand-up

Watch More Hilarious Videos from ZAIN SHARIF

——————-

Tickets:

$20 online

$22 at the door

With multiple parks featuring ballfields and volleyball, pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts, Asheville has plenty of opportunities to join pick-up games or play with organized sports leagues. Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) offers a broad line-up of youth athletics programs, adult sports leagues, and special events throughout the year with an emphasis on fair play and enjoyment for any level of experience, including the fall opportunities below.

Search Current Asheville Sports and Athletics

Limited spots available, so advance registration at AVLREC.com required. Some activities offer discounted registration for early sign ups. Most team sports also offer “looking for a team” options for free agents. Some activities charge a higher rate for participants who do not live in Asheville.

Leagues

6v6 Indoor Volleyball League, $200 per team

Registration opens November 27, games begin January 16 for winter season

Upper, middle, and lower divisions play at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center.

Over 40 Basketball League, $60 per player

Registration ends August 24, games begin September 12

Asheville’s newest team sports league provides an opportunity for community members over 40 who want to get back into the game or prefer to play with others around the same age. Sign up as an individual to be placed on a team based on height, position, and skill level for games played at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center.

Flag Football League, $600 per team

Registration opens August 30, games begin October 17

Upper, middle, and lower divisions play at Asheville Middle School on 211 South French Broad Avenue.

Winter Basketball League, $600 per team

Registration opens October 10, games begin November 27

Upper and lower divisions play at Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center. Middle division plays at Stephens-Lee Community Center.

Clinics and Tournaments

Tennis Clinic, $20 per player

Registration ends September 6, clinics held each Tuesday and Thursday from September 12-21

Instructional clinics for beginners and intermediate players teach the basics and build on skills each class at Murphy-Oakley Park.

Doubles Grass Volleyball Tournament, $20 per team

Registration ends September 5, tournament on September 16

Six sets to 21 in pool play for advance and intermediate divisions in which all teams advance to the playoffs on a day of music, fun, and volleyball at Carrier Park.

Intro to Golf, $10 for series with players responsible for their own green fees

Registration ends September 28, games played each Wednesday from October 4-25

Travel to a different golf course each week for one-on-one coaching to learn the game. For more info, contact Colt Miller at [email protected] or (828) 707-2376.

Pumpkin Ball Softball Bash Tournament, $150 per team

Registration ends September 30, tournament on October 7

All players hit a 16-inch softball in games played on a 200-foot distance field with unlimited home runs with a three-game guarantee. Winning teams receive prizes and trophies. For more info, contact Zack Stewart at [email protected] or (828) 545-1644.

Late Night Wiffleball Tournament, $5 per team

Registration ends November 9, tournament on November 16

Five-player teams play in this two-game guarantee tournament at Tempie Avery Montford Community Center. For more info, contact Kiley Pritchard at [email protected] or (828) 507-3357.

Flag Football, $15 per player

Registration ends August 30, games begin September 9

Teams divided by ages 6-8, 9-10, 11-12, and 14-16 practice drills for 30 minutes prior to weekly games with two 20 minute halves at Asheville Middle School on 211 South French Broad Avenue.

Softball Clinic, $10 per player

Registration ends September 3, clinics begin September 11

Instructional five-week clinic with divisions for 6-8, 9-10, and 11-12 year-olds teaches fundamentals through drills and scrimmages at Asheville Middle School on 211 South French Broad Avenue with the intent of building a youth softball program in the future.

Youth Archery Class, $25 per archer

Registration ends October 10, class held each Thursday from October 26-November 16

This introductory course teaches individuals 9-12 years-old range safety and proper shooting techniques.

Winter Basketball League, $35 per player

Registration ends October 31, evaluations begin November 6

Age divisions include 5-6 (instructional), 9-10, 11-12, and 13-15.

Fling the Fletch Junior Disc Golf Open, $5 for beginner and $20 for advanced competitive

A local pro teaches a clinic followed by a nine-hole family fun tournament for beginners ages 8-18 and an 18-hole competitive round for advanced players ages 12-16.

Turkey Tee Off Family Mini Golf Tournament, free

Registration ends November 10, tournament on November 18

Enjoy friendly competition with friends and family at Lakeview Putt and Play on 2245 Hendersonville Road.

Build your own scarecrow and set at up in Lake Julian Park. Scarecrows can be made of recycled materials, household items, traditional farm materials, repurposed wood, various items found in nature, etc. We just ask scarecrows are not made of any food items.

Registration is open now! Scarecrows can be set up in the park from October 14th-21st. On October 21st Lake Julian will hold its annual Fall-o-ween Festival where Scarecrows will be judged and awarded a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place trophy!

This is a fun family friendly activity for all ages! Great for families, couples, school groups, clubs, offices, teams, and more! We welcome all to celebrate the autumn season and get crafty with the agricultural tradition of making a unique personified sculpture!

The WNC Farmers Market is the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.

House of Operation:

WNC Farmers Market: 24/7, 361 days a year market access for farmers
Office: Monday- Friday, 8am-5pm
Market Shops: 7 days a week, 8 am-5 pm
Wholesale and Truck Sheds: 7 days a week

Included with admission

Embark on a scenic journey across George Vanderbilt’s Italy with a large-scale outdoor display that combines brilliant botanical designs with authentic messages written by Vanderbilt himself.

Beautifully handcrafted of natural elements, each sculptural postcard depicts a location or landmark Vanderbilt visited more than a century ago. This captivating complement to Biltmore’s Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition reveals Vanderbilt’s passions for travel, culture, architecture, and art as well as his personal experience of such renowned Italian cities as Milan, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Vatican City.

Adding to the charm and visual appeal of Ciao! From Italy—sure to be a hit among kids of all ages—is the G-scale model train that travels in and out of each postcard in this enlightening display!

Join us on a journey into the world of butterflies and plants, and see the complex relationship between monarchs and milkweed. “Monarchs and Milkweed” explores how very survival of these majestic creatures has been shaped over time by one another, traveling through the seasons of a calendar year and revealing how both insect and plant grow and interact, culminating in a massive migration that crosses a continent.

STATIONARY FUN – Creekside play area has a treehouse and wee slide ➤ The Big Barn has our Sound Silo full of instruments to play on and make noise, trikes on the trike track around a REAL tractor and cornhole boards(ask the staff for bags) ➤ On the grassy slope behind the Big Barn we’ve got our famous and fast culvert tunnel slides for all ages, hammocks on the hill and tetherball!

Availability: All stationary fun is available every day during business hours of 10-5, starting September 2nd, through the rest of the season- tetherball will be back in action starting September 6th!

ANIMALS TO SEE – We will have a brooder house full of chicks in various ages and stages all season, there will typically be mama pigs and piglets in agritourism pens on the hill, more rarely there will be grazing cattle in a nearby field.

FOOD TRUCK SCHEDULE

9/2 Sat  11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

9/16 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck – they will be serving HNG beef for their all-American burger!

9/24 Sun 11-4 *Big Barn Market* Root Down Farm Food Truck

9/30 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck

10/7 Sat 11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

10/14 Sat 11-4 Milk & Honey Food Truck

10/15 Sun 11-4 El Bodegon Food Truck

10/22 Sun 11-4 El Bodegon Food Truck

10/29 Sun 11-4 *Big Barn Market* Grush’s Cajun Dino Grill Food Truck

11/4 Sat 11-4 Fern Leaf CCS Food Truck

FALL SEASONAL OFFERINGS

APPLES – Our partners in Edneyville, NC, Lyda Farms, bring some of the best in the region. Local and low spray, folks come every year to get the best of fall in NC by the bag to bake, stew, butter, sauce and of course, crunch into while sitting on the farm.

Availability: Apples will be available to buy starting September 9th, they will typically run out Mid to late October.

FRESH PRESSED CIDER – We press fresh apple cider every year, comprised of our historical orchard apples on the Old Sherrill’s Inn property and apples from our partner Lyda Farms. This is a raw, unpasteurized product – delicious and changeable as the season, no added sugar or seasonings.

Availability: 1st pressing September 13th, bottled cider will be in the store for purchase September 14th!

JACKOLANTERN PUMPKINS – We work with several WNC veggie farmers in the area, including Hawkins Farms. We’ll have pumpkins arranged all around the Farm Store to display their beauty AND make sure you get *just the right one*. The seeds are dynamite when roasted, too…

Availability: Coming Mid-September, they will typically run out by end of October so make sure you get yours! 

EDIBLE SQUASH & DECORATIVE GOURDS – From Mr. Anthony Cole’s farms, we have some long-lasting festive gourds to decoarate for the season, and a broad variety of edible squashes and pumpkins perfect for pies, soups and pasta.

Availability: Coming Mid-September.

Guided Hendersonville History Walks with Mary Jo Padgett: Murals, Mosaic, and Ghost Signs, 10-11:30am, Join local historian
Mary Jo Padgett for a 90-plus minute walk along Historic Main Street to learn about the stories and artists behind more than 6
murals (including 3 restored Coca-Cola signs), a mosaic created by Russian immigrant artists with 250,000 pieces of glass, and
numerous ghost signs (old and faded hand-painted advertising signs on the exterior walls of buildings) still barely hiding in plain
sight — All in downtown, Rain or shine, Additional dates available: check website for more info, $10 per person age 10+,

Spend some quality time with your family Sundays @ 10AM
Adults $25, 4-12 years old $15, 3 and younger FREE!
Reserve your spaces at www.ashevillesaltcave.com

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Throughout the history of painting from the mid-19th century forward, artists have used an endless variety of approaches to record their world. Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting continues this thread, offering an opportunity to explore a singular and still forceful aspect of American art. Photorealism shares many of the approaches of historical and modernist realism, with a twist. The use of the camera as a basic tool for organizing visual information in advance of painterly expression is now quite common, but Photorealists embraced the camera as the focal point in their creative process. Beyond the Lens presents key works from the collection of Louis K. and Susan Pear Meisel, bringing together paintings and works on paper dating from the 1970s to the present to focus on this profoundly influential art movement. The exhibition includes work by highly acclaimed formative artists of the movement such as Charles Bell, Robert Bechtle, Tom Blackwell, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings as well as paintings by the successive generations of Photorealist artists Anthony Brunelli, Davis Cone, Bertrand Meniel, Rod Penner, and Raphaella Spence. Featured artworks in the exhibition include diverse subject matters, but the primary focus is on the common and every day: urban scenes, “portraits” of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, still life compositions using toys, food, candy wrappers, and salt and pepper shakers. All provide opportunities for virtuoso studies in how light, reflection, and the camera as intermediary shapes our perception of the material world. This multigenerational survey demonstrates how the 35-mm camera, and later technological advances in digital image-making, informed and impacted the painterly gesture. Taken together, the paintings and works on paper in Beyond the Lens show how simply spellbinding these virtuosic works of art can be. “Beyond the Lens offers a fascinating look into the Photorealism movement and delves into the profound connection between the artists’ observation and creative process,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of Asheville Art Museum. “We are delighted to present this curated collection of artworks encapsulating the creative vision and technical precision that defines this artistic genre.” Photorealism found its roots in the late 1960s in California and New York, coexisting with an explosion of new ideas in art-making that included Conceptual, Pop, Minimalism, Land and Performance Art. At first, representational realism coexisted with the thematic and conceptual explosion but was eventually relegated to the margins regarding critical and curatorial attention. Often misunderstood and sometimes negatively criticized or lampooned as a betrayal of modernism’s commitment to abstraction, the artists involved in Photorealism remained committed explorers of the trail they had blazed. In the decades of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century, realistic and symbolic painting experienced a renaissance, as contemporary artists are increasingly drawn to narrative and storytelling. Concurrently, using a camera as a preparatory tool equally legitimate and valuable as pencils and pens has made the rubric of Photorealism increasingly relevant. This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Terrie Sultan. This exhibition is sponsored in part by Jim and Julia Calkins Peterson.