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.
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.
We are delighted to welcome Craig Carothers to Bloom WNC’s Outdoor Concert Series! Craig is one of my favorite singer/songwriters from my beloved hometown of Portland Oregon. You will be absolutely delighted by this concert. I am incredibly grateful that Craig has agreed to sing in our little valley and welcome him to our flower farm.
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– ALL AGES
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE
CYNTHIA McDERMOTT
Cynthia McDermott pushes the envelope of what is possible with the mandolin. While her diverse musical background spans many decades and genres, her latest album of original music, slated for release later this year, hones in on her love of jazz, bossa nova and R&B to deliver a collection of songs that both soothe and stir the soul.
Cynthia has developed an impressive musical presence in Asheville in the 5 years she has called it home. Currently leading 3 bands — MOOD RING (90s/2000s pop, R&B), Para Gozar (Cuban son, bolero), and The Knockin Boots (honky tonk) — and a frequent contributor to many other local projects, she averages 250+ performances a year. She also surrounds herself with top-notch musicians from the Asheville scene. The band features Duane Simpson (Dirty Logic, Saint Disruption) on guitar, Eli Kahn (After Ours, Orange Moon) on bass, and Evan Martin (The Honeycutters, The Core) on drums.
Presenting her original music is a dream come true for Cynthia, and has been a long time in the making. She spent most of her 20s rambling around the US, Spain and France, formative years that would inform her musical tastes and inspire many songs. Her band during that time would feature these songs occasionally, but only as a supplement to their repertoire of vintage jazz and eclectic covers. Once she settled in Asheville, the name of the game was getting as much work as possible, and again, her original music took a backseat to the development of her nowrobust gigging career. While she loves being able to connect with audiences through cover songs they know and love, she is beyond proud and excited to take this step into sharing an even deeper experience, and she hopes that one day her listeners will sing her own songs back to her.
The beats of the Friday Night Drum Circle have been rocking Pritchard Park for decades and the circle has become so popular that it is featured in magazines and TV commercials.
We invite you to attend our first-ever figure salon, inspired by the Renaissance era, which will showcase FIVE exceptional models. The event will commence with solo rotating poses by each model, followed by a group pose, and culminate in a lively after-party where you can meet and greet with the models. You can revel in the Renaissance atmosphere and draw alongside us while indulging in delectable charcuterie and drinks. This is an event you wouldn’t want to miss!
We bid farewell to Continuum’s featured model, @monstera.muse, as she moves to LA to chase her dreams. Simultaneously, we will be introducing new models with their own unique styles and commemorating Kay’s remarkable success.
Tickets will be launched at the special price of $45. You’ll have 7 days to purchase at the special sliding scale until tickets move to $60, then $75. Get your tickets EARLY
Greensky Bluegrass will be performing LIVE on the Outdoor Stage at Salvage Station on Friday July 21st and Saturday, July 22nd , 2023 with Big Something! Doors open at 5:30PM and the music starts at 6:30PM. This is a General Admission, 12+ only event.
Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food, along with a couple of other amazing local food trucks on-site (and, of course, we’ll have several full bars open for you to enjoy)!
Stand up comedy at a historic Asheville dive bar.
Lineup:
Miranda Allison
Ryan Gordon
Roman Fraden
Art Sturtevant
Hosted by Larry Griffin.
No cover but donate $5 or so if you can – it all goes toward our comics.
Not for kids. Doors at 6:30, show at 7.
Learn to make theatre collaboratively with Erinn Hartley and Molly Graves from Anam Cara Theatre Company. You’ll learn strategies for devising that include working from images, objects, personal histories and other source material, while incorporating movement and group improvisation techniques to create a scripted performance.
The workshop includes all dates and times listed below and culminates in a public performance.
Grab your blanket or chair and join us under the stars for a free movie in the park, This
week’s movie is the film Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, Food truck opens at 7pm and movie begins at nightfall (approx.
8pm),
GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.
- Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
- 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
- $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.
The Friday Night Music series will present the familiar 50’s and 60’s
classic rock and beach music from a host of different bands. Food vendors like Babbles Ice
Cream, Blue Ridge Hospitality and Eggs Up Grill will provide a some spice. The Carolina
Mountain Car Club will participate as in years past.
Friday Night Concerts
Super 60’s June 9
Gotcha Groove June 16
It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere June 23
Marsha Morgan June 30
Shades of Gray July 7
Thomas Brown July 14
Emporium July 21
Johnnie Blackwell Band July 28
Rock and Roll Reunion August 4
208 Army Band August 11
Night Moves Band August 18
Bat Boy: The Musical
Book by: Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming; Music and Lyrics by: Laurence O’Keefe
A rock musical, Bat Boy: The Musical expands on a June 23, 1992 Weekly World News tabloid story about a bat boy – half-boy, half-bat – found in a cave and forced into society. The musical – at turns both haunting and hilarious – deals with themes of racism and revenge, hypocrisy and forgiveness. This darkly quirky, compelling musical is not to be missed!
Content Warning: Bat Boy: the Musical contains violence, drug use, and sexual references. Viewer discretion is advised.
Accessibility:
All performances: Accessible wheelchair/scooter seating available.
Saturday, Aug 5, 2023: ASL-Interpreted Performance
World-renowned pianist Jeremy Denk makes his long-awaited Brevard debut in Johannes Brahms’s towering Piano Concerto No. 2. Symphonic in nature and scale, the work represents a culmination of the composer’s lifelong appreciation for the depths and intricacies of pianistic technique. At times passionate, at times playful, the soul of the concerto lies in the sublime second movement, marked by a lyrical duet between the solo piano and principal cello. Maestro Lockhart opens the concert with Richard Strauss’s Suite from his opera Der Rosenkavalier, filled with delicious waltzes, lush tunes, and virtuoso writing for every section. An opulent orchestral showpiece.
PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS
Brevard Sinfonia
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Jeremy Denk, piano
RICHARD STRAUSS Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
JOHANNES BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83
Auditorium seating is reserved. Lawn seating is general admission.
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 by William Shakespeare
Directed by Fable Wilde Day
Always an audience favorite, Twelfth Night returns to the MPP stage with all of the mistaken identity, love triangles and general wackiness you may already know and love!
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!
Book by Chris D’Arienzo
Arrangements and Orchestrations by Ethan Popp
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals
www.concordtheatricals.com
Director: Victoria Lamberth
This five-time Tony Award-nominated musical tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip. But when the bar where rock reigns supreme is set to be demolished, it’s up to these wannabe rockers and their band of friends to save the day – and the music. Rock of Ages takes you back to the time of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair! This jukebox musical features all of your favorite ‘80s rock anthems and power ballads from bands including Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more.
Approximate Run Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Rating: PG-13 due to adult content, alcohol use, and language.
The “One Singular Sensation,” A Chorus Line, is coming to Flat Rock Playhouse for the first time and we are thrilled to share this award-winning musical with everyone! A Chorus Line is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers. The show follows 17 would-be dancers in their quest to make the cut for a new Broadway Musical. One by one, the dancers come forward to share the stories of their lives, giving it their all and putting themselves on the line to make the cut. Only eight will remain. Capturing the spirit, tension, and hope of an audition, A Chorus Line is the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all out there to make it come true!
A Chorus Line once held the record as the longest running show on Broadway with over 6000 performances, and heralds nine Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreographer, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Conceived and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian. Original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.
Explore Grandfather Mountain after hours with your own personal guides. You’ll discover some of the park’s nighttime wonders, while stopping at its most significant sites. Watch a stunning Grandfather sunset, and experience the mountain as never before!
Meet at entrance gate at 8 PM. In-park transportation is provided. Next stop is atop Grandfather Mountain and its world-famous Mile High Swinging Bridge, where you explore and observe sunset from a mile high. Meanwhile, park educators will be on hand to discuss the unique flora and crepuscular (active during twilight) fauna that call Grandfather home.
Next stop is a visit lower on the mountain to take a brief, guided night hike. Encounter and learn about such nocturnal creatures as owls, salamanders, fireflies and more. Limited to 24 participants.
This event costs $50 for general admission and $42 for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club – plus tax. Registration opens here on June 14, 2023. If sold out: Email [email protected] with name, email and phone number to be placed on the waiting list.
This event is accessible for those in a wheelchair. Grandfather Mountain’s vehicle fleet includes a 12–seat shuttle that has a 1,000 lb. Braun Lift and accommodates an additional two people in wheelchairs. After purchasing a ticket for this event, please reach out to the Grandfather Mountain Admin. Office (828-733-2013) to let us know if anyone you purchased a ticket for has any accessibility needs and so the proper transportation can be arranged.
What to Bring?
Much of your time will be spent outdoors and all programs are held rain, snow or shine. You should be prepared for a variety of mountain weather conditions and temperatures. Appropriate clothing, equipment, and footwear are very important. You’ll need a jacket on many summer evenings!
“Eclectic, immersive and mesmerizing; guitarist and songwriter Hiroya Tsukamoto embodies the notion that music has no language: Beautifully raw and cathartically emotional, Tsukamoto is a world-renowned, self-made musician.”
Hiroya Tsukamoto is an innovative guitarist and composer who fuses folk,jazz, and world music. Born and raised in Japan, in 2000 he received a scholarship to Berklee College of music and came to the U.S.
Tsukamoto’s instrumental abilities are indeed breathtaking and astounding, but his performances are so much more than that. He has the unique capability of engaging an audience thru a personable and genuine approach that transfixes his audience and almost transcends his capabilities as a guitarist. Audience members will be mesmerized; Tsukamoto plays with an effortless skill on the guitar and a repertoire that will have you traveling the world, not to mention experiencing new sounds with his own compositions.
Tsukamoto headlines concerts throughout the U.S. as well as internationally including Blue Note in NYC, United Nations and Japanese National Television. Most recently Hiroya won 2nd place in International Finger Style Guitar Championship in 2022.
Quotes:
Fingerpicking is delicate, fluid, and beautifully detailed” -Acoustic Guitar magazine
“HiroyaTsukamoto takes us to an impressionistic journey ” -Boston Herald
“…chops, passion and warmth. Zealously recommended!” -Jazz Review.com
“Fingerpicking is delicate, fluid, and beautifully detailed” -Acoustic Guitar magazine
You Tube Links:
1. Another Great Day To Be Alive
2. Gemini Bridge
From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the six wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st-century girl power! This new original musical is a global sensation that everyone is losing their head over! Featuring an all-woman cast and all-woman band, SIX has won 23 awards in the 2021/2022 Broadway season, including the Tony Award® for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The New York Times says SIX “TOTALLY RULES!” (Critic’s Pick), and The Washington Post hails SIX as “Exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!” The SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT Broadway album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard cast album charts and surpassed 6 Million streams in its first month.
America’s #1 James Taylor tribute artist Bill Griese visits from Nashville with his acclaimed Sweet Baby James show. Join us for the timeless music of the 6-time Grammy winner, with a performance you have to hear to believe! Not your typical tribute band fare and not a “look-alike” impersonator, Griese brings you the songs & stories of Taylor in a refreshingly authentic way – using only his spot-on vocals and skillful guitar playing. It’s a natural & respectful homage to an American original. Whether you’re a lifelong or casual JT fan, this one is not-to-miss!
See why audiences rave: “close my eyes and it’s JT,” “the next best thing to James himself,” and “like having James Taylor in your living room!” Walking Man Productions presents the ultimate James Taylor experience, with favorites like “Fire & Rain,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Shower the People,” “How Sweet It Is,” “Steamroller,” and more; plus hidden gems for a truly “Taylor made” show honoring one of our greatest troubadours.
Read the audience reviews for yourself at https://sweetbabyjamesofficial.com/reviews and then get your tickets in advance today!
ZOSO – THE ULTIMATE LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
On his new album North Georgia Rounder, Pony Bradshaw leads the listener on an exploration of the woods, rivers, and mountains of Appalachia, more specifically, the area for which the album is named and he’s called home for the past 15 years. “It’s got its hooks in me,” Bradshaw says of North Georgia, and it shows, with songs that quickly establish a setting, much like the one he initiated with the album’s predecessor, Calico Jim. The sonic excursion includes stops along the Conasauga River, visits to the holler, and a few diversions—nearby Knoxville plays a supporting role, as do Louisiana and Arkansas. It’s an impressionistic journey of introspection and connection all at once.
Will Stewart’s tastefully-understated guitar leads and Philippe Bronchtein’s atmospheric pedal steel provide the perfect backdrop for Bradshaw’s impassioned vocals in lead-off track “Foxfire Wine.” Its swampy, bluesy intro makes way for an interesting amalgamation of Sturgill Simpson and The Grateful Dead, serving as the perfect aperitif for “a hell of a heaven and a hell of a show.” From that point on till the album wraps with the aptly titled “Notes on a River Town,” not only do you see and hear North Georgia, you even smell and taste it.
Take, for example, “Safe in the Arms of Vernacular,” a pensive, melancholy track that delights all the senses and is reminiscent of Ray Lamontagne’s mellow side. When Bradshaw sings of the “bonafide gas mask” his Dad brought back from Desert Storm and describes the Saudi Arabian sand as turning to “glass sharp as a sultan’s sword,” one can almost see it. As quickly as it sets the ever-vivid stage, the track shifts its focus to a waitress downtown. “Draped in Bedouin gown, smoking Kent cigarettes in the underground” in an attempt to “escape all those voices,” she naturally drinks white wine—”Riesling room temp from a coffee cup,” to be exact.
A voracious reader, Bradshaw credits his talent for expressing such rich details in his songs not so much to other songwriters but instead to books, fiction, short stories, essays, and literary criticism. With such colorful descriptions as “teeth stained red with Lebanese wine, long hair … in sweeps of oil blacker than a cypress pool,” one might assume he bases the subjects of his songs on real-life people he interacts with in North Georgia; instead, Bradshaw describes them as “nameless characters” compiled from “fragments” he’s collected, pieces that usually start with just a line or two. These fragments all add up to a remarkably cohesive 10-song collection, despite Bradshaw being a self-professed admirer of (and writer of) the non-sequitur. This is thanks in no small part to his own masterful vocal delivery and the expert musicianship of his backing band, one that includes the aforementioned Stewart and Bronchtein with Robert Green on bass, Ryan Moore on drums, and Jenna Mobley on fiddle.
“The poet soon stops experimenting and innovating and starts his life’s work,” Bradshaw expounds, citing a quote from one of his favorite writers, Wendell Berry. A single album as a life’s work may seem like a grand, overambitious aspiration. But for Pony Bradshaw, North Georgia Rounder is just that – a life’s work, one that, as he describes it, is a culmination of “sweat and work and joy and pain and anger and patience and restraint.”
Every Friday evening Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over North America!
Adam Cayton-Holland is a national touring comic who has appeared on CONAN, WTF with Marc Maron, Comedy Central Presents, The Late Late Show with James Corden, @midnight, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, and more. He has been named one of Esquire magazine’s “25 Comics to Watch” and one of “10 Comics to Watch” by Variety.
Along with his cohorts in The Grawlix, he created, wrote, and starred in “Those Who Can’t,” which aired for three seasons on truTV. The Grawlix also host a podcast, “The Grawlix Saves the World,” which is available everywhere.
His albums, “I Don’t Know If I Happy,” “Backyards,” “Adam Cayton-Holland Performs His Signature Bits,” (voted one of Vulture’s Top Ten Albums of 2018), “Semblance of Normalcy,” and “Hot Takes,” are all available on iTunes. “Adam Cayton-Holland Performs His Signature Bits” is also available on vinyl through the record label Saddle Creek.
Cayton-Holland is the founder of the High Plains Comedy Festival in Denver. He has performed at comedy festivals all over the world, as well as The Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Adam’s writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, SPIN, The A.V. Club, The New York Times, Esquire and The Atlantic. His first book, Tragedy Plus Time, was called, “inspiring, tragic, and at times heart-rendingly funny,” by People magazine, and is available everywhere. He once threw out the opening pitch at a Colorado Rockies game and people have described him as “genial,” and “with decent teeth.”
You can find Adam on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @CaytonHolland.
Featuring Kelsey Rosen
ages 18+
doors 9pm, show at 9:30pm
Buncombe County Public Libraries have added the popular Kanopy Kids streaming video service for library card holders. Kanopy Kids offers curated, age-appropriate content for young viewers with beloved characters from Sesame Street, Madeline, Blippi, and Paddington Bear.
Our Kanopy Kids subscription begins on July 1 and offers unlimited access to over 2,000 enriching and entertaining films and TV series. Parents can set parental controls on the Kanopy app to make sure children are only viewing Kanopy Kids content.
Films can be streamed free of charge from any computer, television, mobile device, or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku. To access Kanopy, visit the library website, or download the app to your phone, TV, or digital device. If you have any questions, contact your local library.
APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW!
Do you have a boundary-pushing, innovative performance piece, short film or installation that you’re ready to share?
We will open applications for the film portion of the festival in fall 2023. Films must be submitted via FilmFreeway. Our application fee for films is $5.
NOW CONSIDERING WORKS OF ALL KINDS
We accept live performances from 5 to 60 minutes in length, plus installations and films. We’re open to other types of performance as well – let’s talk! Depending on its length, your piece may be grouped with another show, or scheduled as a Random Act of Fringe. RAFs are free and open to the public, and artists receive a stipend for their performance, rather than relying on door sales.
Typically each artist with a ticketed show gets 2 performances. But in 2024, we’re exploring the option of giving a few shows 3 performances, at select venues only. Our venues range from 20-80 person capacity.
1. FRINGE SHOT
A piece that is
5-15 minutes long
May be paired with another performance, or be selected as a free Random Act of Fringe.
2. SHORT FORM
A piece that is
20-40 minutes long
May be paired with another show.
3. FULL-LENGTH
A piece that is
45-60 minutes long
Ticketed theater-style show.
4. INSTALLATION
A piece that is
Site-specific (any length)
May be in an unusual location, or repeated many times. May be seen by as few as one person at a time.
5. FILM
A piece that is
Designed specifically for film.
May be of any genre & length. Could be combined with other films for a showcase or film night.
Submit on Film Freeway Fall 2023
3. THE ASHEVILLE FRINGE ARTS FESTIVAL IS A JURIED FESTIVAL.
We carefully review each and every submission. You’ll know by late October if your piece is selected. Should your piece get selected, there is a $35 participation fee.
Budget cuts, increased testing requirements, and narrowing of curricula have significantly impacted school districts’ ability to provide inclusive, high-quality visual and performing arts experiences. And, while some families are able to subsidize children’s exposure to performing, visual, and fine arts experiences, students living in poverty face numerous systemic barriers which make such access nearly, if not entirely, impossible.
The Arts for Schools grant helps nonprofit arts organizations and qualified teaching artists in Buncombe County provide arts focused performances, workshops, residencies, and field trips for students attending K-12 public schools in Buncombe County. Priority is given to proposals benefiting economically disadvantaged schools and/or underserved communities, ensuring that students from all demographics receive the benefits of these programs. Multicultural programs will also receive priority. Grants range from $500-$1,000.
Sponsored by
Interested in supporting these amazing programs? Click here to learn more.
Raffle: Trip to NYC 2023
Enter to win a fabulous trip for two to New York!
Raffle tickets on sale through Sunday, August 6, 2023!
Tickets are $50 and only 500 will be sold.
Travel package for Thanksgiving 2023, with check-in on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 and check-out on Sunday, November 26, 2023.
Prize includes:
- Two round-trip Business Class tickets to New York from Asheville Regional Airport
- Transfers to and from the airport to your hotel
- Accomodations for four nights in Midtown at The Lotte New York Palace, with a choice of one king bed or two double beds
- VIP Macy’s Parade Day experience, including brunch and complimentary drinks, access to indoor and outdoor VIP viewing areas, and access to the Inflation Celebration of parade balloons on Wednesday afternoon
- Orchestra seating tickets to the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular
- Tickets to a Broadway show
- Up to $500 to spend on guided tours or additional theatre tickets
- Personal consultation with Foothills Travel to customize your trip
- On-site concierge provided through MyBucketListEvents
The drawing will take place the week of August 7, 2023. Winner will be notified by phone call and email.
Asheville Merchandise Guide
All the wearable merch in Asheville in one place.
We love a souvenir T-shirt
So much so that we were inspired to create this guide, first published in May 2023. We’ll be updating it a few times a year, and we encourage you to check in with the businesses listed in the guide about availability. Often merch sells out quickly or is a limited edition.
While these items aren’t strictly secondhand, we love supporting local businesses and know firsthand how lovely it is to hold on to a memory of a special place you visited on a trip.
If you know of some merch we’re missing or have feedback or questions, fill out the form below to let us know!
We are gearing up for a youth talent showcase to be held at Burial Beer (South Slope location) at our August 13 event: LEAF Famtastic Sunday. The Talent Showcase will kick off at Burial starting at 1 p.m. Want to be part of it? Auditions are on Saturdays in July at LEAF Global Arts. The talent showcase is free to enter and the August 13 event is free as well.
Please pass this along to any young performers who might be interested! For more information, email Melissa McKinney at [email protected].
