Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

When social unrest gripped the United States in the summer of 2020, co-owner and head-brewer of Weathered Souls Brewing Company, Marcus Baskerville, decided to shed light on the related problems of racial inequality and police brutality.
The Black is Beautiful collaborative brewing project was born with the mission to raise money, provide education, and drive change to a system that has fractured families and perpetuated injustice. More than 1,200 breweries in all 50 states and 22 countries participated in the collaborative brewing project, donating proceeds from their versions of the Black is Beautiful collaboration beer to local foundations that support police brutality reform and organizations that support equality and inclusion.
Join us for a screening of the Black is Beautiful Documentary Film, produced by Flagship Video Works. The short film captures the inception and motivation behind the initiative and the impact and success that followed. A Q&A discussion featuring the director and Baskerville will immediately follow the screening.

Q&A to follow with:
Marcus Baskerville – Co-owner, Weathered Souls Brewing
Marco Ortega – Producer and Director
There will also be a raffle with the prize – a signed poster. 100% of raffle donations will go back to the Black is Beautiful Initiative

• Big Boi

  Urban

  Atlanta indisputably set the pace for modern hip-hop. However, Big Boi set the pace for Atlanta, and by proxy, the culture at large. If the genre of hip-hop ever gets its own “Rap Mount Rushmore,” a legacy as the region’s foremost wordsmith, funkiest gentleman, and resident ATLien certainly guarantees a place for the diamond selling artist, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, philanthropist born Antwan André Patton. Big made history as the preeminent spitter of the Dungeon Family and one-half of OutKast. The legendary duo sold 25 million albums and garnered seven GRAMMY® Awards, becoming the first and only hip-hop artist in history to win the GRAMMY® for “Album of the Year” upon release of their 2003 RIAA Diamond-certified Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Big Boi made his proper introduction as a solo artist in 2010 with Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. A modern classic, it captured #3 on the Billboard Top 200 and landed on Pitchfork’s “100 Best Albums of the Decade ‘So Far.'” Following a succession of high-profile album releases, Big Boi released his most recent album Boomiverse in 2017. The smash single “All Night” sound tracked a high-profile Apple Animoji commercial, blew up radio, and clocked 40 million streams within a year. The song also hit the Top 30 on the pop chart and Top 10 at Rhythmic. In addition to his music career, the Hip-Hop legend recently announced that he will be the executive producer for a new crime series titled Government Records. He also signed a deal with Bread and Butter Content Studio to produce Big Boi’s Gotta Eat, an upcoming series to find the freshest seafood and unique food culture coast to coast, with an energy that only Big Boi can bring.

• Waka Flocka Flame

  Urban

  Born Juaquin James Malphurs, the global icon and rapper more commonly known as Waka Flocka Flame. Waka is known for putting trap back on the map, dropping the first volume of his street classic Salute Me or Shoot Me that caught fire with songs, “We On The Way, “Dreads N Gold” and his breakout single “O Let’s Do it.” The mixtape’s buzz allowed Waka to release his proper debut Flockaveli, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 100. With many platinum signature hit records including “No hands” and “Wild Boy” there’s a high chance Waka’s music will be played at your party.

  With Flockaveli 2 People can only come to expect the same energy that Waka always brings to the party. His epic touring and performance style are some of the reasons he’s earned the nickname “Turn Up God.” A style that translates into the EDM world Waka also calls his second home now, he fell in the love with the genre during a tour in Europe a few years ago. “Music is like anger management,” he says. “It’s fun. You get to express yourself.”

  Waka Flocka is looking forward and ready to express a new musical direction with Flockaveli II. Set to feature production from Southside, and Lex Luger and many more. For Flockaveli II, Waka is approaching this third studio album the same way as his previous projects: trap banger after trap banger.

  Waka’s laid-back demeanor makes him a fan favorite, and he’s hoping that his straightforward creative process will please his core fans. “I’m cocky when it comes to my fans and my music ‘cause I know my fans talk to me,” “I want my fans to look at they haters like, ‘Told y’all my boy was gonna go hard. F*ck y’all.’ I want my fans to hear Flockaveli II, and I want them to put a dread wig on and shake their head and rock with me.”

  “Flockaveli II is for the streets. It’s for the people,” Waka says. “Flockaveli II is just the savior of the party.”

• Talib Kweli

  Urban

  The Brooklyn-based MC earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware and
  politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years.
  “I’m a touring artist. I’m an artist that’s internationally known. I’m not just a local artist at this point in
  my career. I’m cognizant of the fact that what I do is beyond where it started. I’m trying to reach the apex
  of where I am now, but without turning my back on or dismissing what I’ve done before.”
  After nearly 20 years of releasing mesmerizing music, Talib Kweli stands as one of the world’s most
  talented and most accomplished Hip Hop artists. Whether working with Mos Def as one-half of Black
  Star, partnering with producer Hi-Tek for Reflection Eternal, releasing landmark solo material or
  collaborating with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Just Blaze, J Dilla, or Madlib, Kweli commands
  attention by delivering top-tier lyricism, crafting captivating stories and showing the ability to rhyme over
  virtually any type of instrumental.
  In 2011, Kweli founded Javotti Media, which is self-defined as “a platform for independent thinkers and
  doers.” Kweli has set out to make Javotti Media (which released his 2011 album, Gutter Rainbows, and is
  named after his paternal grandmother) into a media powerhouse that releases music, films and books.

Explore the “big blue world” with this lively new stage musical based on the beloved film series. Join Asheville Junior Theater as the first theater company in Asheville, and one of the first nationwide, to perform this heartwarming musical!

Disney’s Finding Nemo JR. is a 60-minute musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.

Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” and “Go With the Flow,” Finding Nemo JR. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure.

Join us on an adventure as Marlin and Dory search for Nemo across the ocean after Nemo was abducted by a scuba diver! Bright costumes and set designs, fun songs and dancing, this show is great for all ages! Enjoy the magic of live theater with this heartwarming tale about a father who would do anything to find his son, even if it means he must face some hungry sharks! This is the first time Disney has released this show nationwide to be seen outside of the Magic Kingdom. Hurry before tickets sell out. The last show AJT performed was sold out a week before opening night!

From the regional crafters to local guide artisans, set up on the river banks of the Nantahala. Come and meet these vendors and more on the second Saturday of every month, May – September.

If you are interested in joining us as a vendor, please fill out your information here: https://forms.gle/BgqQQpY4XSGqtH6f6

The seed was planted for The Letter Show when George and Becca met the old fashioned way (a Craigslist ad) in 2011. They discovered not only a shared love of writing and playing Americana music, but a compatibility in their singing voices and playing styles that was undeniable.
After gigging for several years, and contributing to various projects, The Letter Show was formally minted in 2013 with guitarist and songwriter Daniel Crawford. The trio headed to Nashville to record an EP with Grammy-winning producer Joey Crawford. Those sessions resulted in the Brokenhearted Stumblers EP, self-released in the summer of 2013. That August, the band traveled to Floyd, VA to perform at Floydfest.
After Daniel moved to Nashville in 2015, Becca and George continued to collaborate on various recording projects and perform live together and independently. In 2021, they rekindled The Letter Show name, and began gigging steadily in the Charleston area. The band can be found at prominent Charleston venues such as Holy City Brewing. The Letter Show is booking actively for 2023, and currently recording its sophomore EP.

Smoky Mountain Beer Run

All Ages – under 12 requires venue approval

VIP Package includes:

• One (1) general admission ticket
• VIP exclusive poster
• VIP tour laminate
• Pre-show mini-soundcheck experience
• Note: This does not include a meet-and-greet with the band

By Andrew Lippa and John August
On the Steve Lloyd Stage
Directed by Candice Dickinson

What tall tales will we tell to be the hero of our own stories? 

When Will finds out his father is dying of cancer, he is on a mission to find the truth behind the tall tales his father has always told him. Audiences will be in awe as they travel back and forth from Will and Edward’s stark reality to the beautiful and larger than life fantasies of Edward Bloom’s past. This charming, warm hug of a musical features Southern-fried music from Andrew Lippa and is based on the 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace that also inspired the 2003 big-screen adaptation directed by Tim Burton. A musical for dreamers, this show has sweeping melodies, gorgeous dance numbers, and celebrates the imagination, culminating in a thrilling theatrical experience. Full of giants, witches, mermaids, and, of course, an exceptionally large fish, Big Fish is about what’s real and what’s fantastic, what’s true and what’s not true, what’s partially true and how, in the end, it’s all true.

Suitable for all audiences.

All shows will be at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in the Montford District of Asheville, and all will be presented absolutely FREE of charge!
Written and Directed by Skyler Goff
This World Premiere was penned by local playwright Skyler Goff and tells of the continuing adventures of our favorite Lost Boy. A fantastical way to kick off our season!

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.

Montford Park Players allows patrons to bring their favorite food and beverages to their shows and sells beer, wine and concessions at the shows. If you’ve never been to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre for a Montford show, there’s no better season than this one. If you have been, you know why you should come back and catch everything we have to offer!

By Lauren Gunderson

Produced by Immediate Theatre Project

Four badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. It’s a true story. Or total fiction. Or a play about a play. Or a raucous resurrection…that ends in a song and a scaffold.

From the people who brought you Silent Sky comes this grand and dream-tweaked comedy about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.

Discretionary Content: Adult themes and badass ladies

SOME SHOWS YOU SEE. THIS SHOW YOU FEEL.

Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE—everything we’ve been waiting to see in a Broadway show— is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music.

Directed by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, upcoming 1776) with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the audience to its collective feet” (The Guardian). “Redemptive, rousing and real, JAGGED LITTLE PILL stands alongside the original musicals that have sustained the best hopes of Broadway” (The New York Times).

You live, you learn, you remember what it’s like to feel truly human… at JAGGED LITTLE PILL.

“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Written in just 10 days as a tribute to his sister Susan by playwright Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias explores the relationships between a tight-knit group of Louisiana southern ladies who gather in Truvy’s small-town beauty parlor, celebrating the milestones in each other’s lives. Filled with hilarious repartee and humorously acerbic verbal lacerations, the play deepens when the spunky Shelby (who is diabetic) contradicts her doctor’s advice and risks pregnancy. Steel Magnolias exemplifies the universal and unconditional strengths of sisterhood, resilience, and love.

“Through The Years”

The Kenny Rogers Band

featuring

Don Gatlin

Celebrate the Music and Memories

of the Legend Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers was a GRAMMY Award-winning superstar that entertained fans for six decades. Selling over 120 million albums worldwide, he is one of the best-selling male artists of all-time. His songs were classic hits and will be remembered and sung for generations.

But…. nobody does them like Kenny’s ORIGINAL BAND !!!!

The actual original band that backed Kenny Rogers for 40+ years realized that there is still a tremendous demand for the songs that Kenny made so famous and felt that this show “Through the Years” would be a way they could honor Kenny and keep alive his legendary career.

Don Gatlin – lead singer for Savanah Jack and longtime friend of Kenny Rogers, has joined Kenny’s original band to present a timeless song catalog while sharing the untold stories from his illustrious career.

This is NOT a tribute band… this is Kenny’s actual Touring Band.

We are thrilled to be able to bring a show of this caliber to the town of Black Mountain NC. You rarely get to hear a big show like this in a small, intimate venue where every seat is a good seat, and you can see and hear the artists “up close and personal”.Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity.

• Read what THE KENNY ROGERS BAND says about this special

THROUGH THE YEARS Concert Event

• Visit THE KENNY ROGERS BAND Website

• Learn more about the individual band members

This rare opportunity to hear the original Kenny Rogers Band show may sell out in advance.

Advance ticket purchases are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!!!!!

The Blue Ridge Mountains are home to a very unique creature that some say resembles a tribe of fairies carrying blue candles through the forest. 

The Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis reticulata) is a secretive, hard-to-find native insect that calls our area home, and for a very short amount of time in early summer, they inhabit our surrounding woodlands of Transylvania County. 

You’ll experience an educational presentation at our outdoor amphitheater starting at 9:00pm and then use the cover of darkness and special flashlights to go in search of the Blue Ghost fireflies while hiking on a paved trail through the forest. Cradle of Forestry team members will be stationed at key locations around the trail to provide further information about this amazing natural phenomenon. Please feel free to congregate near these areas with your fellow firefly enthusiasts or go explore on your own! We require everyone to stay on the trail to prevent habitat damage, and team members will clear the trail and require everyone to depart by 10:30pm.

Ticket Purchase/Pre-registration is required. This is a light rain or shine, family-friendly event!
In order to maximize our participant experience while minimizing our impact on the resource, we limit each night to 125 participants.