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.
Two people in two little rooms. A young woman, a bed, an unseen voice, music in the night, hope out of darkness. When we meet Truly in her room at the end of the hall, she is on her way to recovery, having spent years in and out of hospitals combating serious illness since she was a child. She’ll be going home soon, with every likelihood of a “normal” life. And home might as well be the moon. Truly deals with her fears by writing bad songs, reading odd old books and communing with Doc Miller, an unseen radio voice in the night. The Asheville premiere of a play by award-winning playwright Joseph Reed Hayes. Destination Moon is produced by HayesPlays and presented in partnership with Asheville Community Theatre.
The Montford Park Players is pleased to announce auditions for its 52nd Season:
Muse of Fire: Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses
Jason Williams, Artistic Director
5/10/2024 5/24/2024 Edward III, directed by Mandy Bean
5/31/2024 6/23/2024 Richard II, directed by Jason Williams
6/28/2024 7/21/2024 Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, directed by Dr. George Brown, Callista Brown and Elizabeth DeVault
7/26/2024 8/25/2024 Henry V, directed by David Doersch
8/30/2024 9/22/2024 Henry VI Parts 1, 2 & 3, directed by Glenna Grant, Ariel Robinson and Adam Kampouris
9/27/2024 10/27/2024 Richard III, directed by Kristi DeVille
Conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Montford District of Asheville, North Carolina, the Outdoor Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre is easy to get to and accessible from I-240 and I-26. And, it’s just a short drive down Montford Avenue from downtown.
Join Cary Elwes (Westley) for a behind-the-scenes look at life on and off the set of the classic film, The Princess Bride.
After a screening of the iconic movie, Elwes will engage in a moderated discussion revealing never before shared secrets and tales of inconceivable antics!
Journey back to the lands of Florin and Guilder in an adventure filled with fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, miracles, and of course, true love.
Elwes has been in a multitude of films and tv shows, including Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Saw, Twister, Liar, Liar, Stranger Things and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He recently starred in Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 with Tom Cruise, Zack Snyder’s sci fi epic, Rebel Moon, and his latest movie, Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, based on the true story of the first British secret mission during World War II.
Now Elwes is hitting the road to share with fans the personal stories behind the making of this piece of cinematic history.
Don’t be a “Humperdinck”, make haste to see The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes for a night you will always “tweasure”.
Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten
and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Willkommen to the Kit Kat Klub! A Berlin Nightclub at the end of the 1920s. Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the Nazi Party are on the rise. Be transported back in time and welcome for the first time at Flat Rock Playhouse, Kander and Ebb’s Broadway sensation, Cabaret! Dark and sensual, it will break your heart and lift your spirits more wildly than anything else you’ll see this season. “Cabaret is one of the great Broadway musicals and musical scores of all time–an exhilarating, harrowing masterpiece.” –Time Out New York
*Adult language and content. Parental discretion is advised.
DESTINATION MOON | BY JOSEPH REED HAYES
Two people in two little rooms. A young woman, a bed, an unseen voice, music in the night, hope out of darkness. When we meet Truly in her room at the end of the hall, she is on her way to recovery, having spent years in and out of hospitals combating serious illness since she was a child. She’ll be going home soon, with every likelihood of a “normal” life. And home might as well be the moon. Truly deals with her fears by writing bad songs, reading odd old books and communing with Doc Miller, an unseen radio voice in the night.
Award-winning playwright Joseph Reed Hayes has had dozens of productions and readings of his works in Florida, New York, California, and the United Kingdom; he’s also a performance artist and jazz producer, whose Jazz on Edge series encourages the performance of original music. Born in Manhattan, Hayes moved to Asheville in 2023, after a nearly three-decade career as a freelance writer and food critic in Florida. He has been a three-time associate artist-in-residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and has been the recipient of state and local arts grants and fellowships. “A Slow Ride” and “Destination Moon” are his first Asheville productions.
https://www.hayesplays.com
Two people in two little rooms. A young woman, a bed, an unseen voice, music in the night, hope out of darkness. When we meet Truly in her room at the end of the hall, she is on her way to recovery, having spent years in and out of hospitals combating serious illness since she was a child. She’ll be going home soon, with every likelihood of a “normal” life. And home might as well be the moon. Truly deals with her fears by writing bad songs, reading odd old books and communing with Doc Miller, an unseen radio voice in the night. The Asheville premiere of a play by award-winning playwright Joseph Reed Hayes. Destination Moon is produced by HayesPlays and presented in partnership with Asheville Community Theatre.
America’s favorite blonde, Elle Woods, is ready to prove who’s in charge in this fabulously fun, award-winning musical based on the adored movie. In the ultimate tribute to girl power, Legally Blonde follows Elle’s transformation from the UCLA sorority house to the Harvard halls of justice as she tackles stereotypes and scandal to pursue her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with pink, memorable songs, and dynamic dances – this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal!
Sunday July 28 at 6:30p is another great comedy show at Asheville Pizza in Theatre 2, get your dinner , drinks & laughs with a comedy open mic & Professional featured performers in a fun environment. Hosted by Zandra Johnson, featuring Hilliary Begley, Jess Cooley & Alana Eisner!
Sunday July 28 at 6:30p is another great comedy show at Asheville Pizza in Theatre 2, get your dinner , drinks & laughs with a comedy open mic & Professional featured performers in a fun environment.
Hosted by Zandra Johnson, featuring Hilliary Begley, Jess Cooley & Alana Eisner!
The Montford Park Players is pleased to announce auditions for its 52nd Season:
Muse of Fire: Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses
Jason Williams, Artistic Director
5/10/2024 5/24/2024 Edward III, directed by Mandy Bean
5/31/2024 6/23/2024 Richard II, directed by Jason Williams
6/28/2024 7/21/2024 Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, directed by Dr. George Brown, Callista Brown and Elizabeth DeVault
7/26/2024 8/25/2024 Henry V, directed by David Doersch
8/30/2024 9/22/2024 Henry VI Parts 1, 2 & 3, directed by Glenna Grant, Ariel Robinson and Adam Kampouris
9/27/2024 10/27/2024 Richard III, directed by Kristi DeVille
Conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Montford District of Asheville, North Carolina, the Outdoor Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre is easy to get to and accessible from I-240 and I-26. And, it’s just a short drive down Montford Avenue from downtown.
Join us for an evening of networking, great food and drinks at Bears Smokehouse BBQ!
PROpel AVL provides outstanding professional leadership development opportunities through educational seminars, service opportunities and networking for Asheville professionals between the ages of 21 and 40.
Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten
and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Willkommen to the Kit Kat Klub! A Berlin Nightclub at the end of the 1920s. Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the Nazi Party are on the rise. Be transported back in time and welcome for the first time at Flat Rock Playhouse, Kander and Ebb’s Broadway sensation, Cabaret! Dark and sensual, it will break your heart and lift your spirits more wildly than anything else you’ll see this season. “Cabaret is one of the great Broadway musicals and musical scores of all time–an exhilarating, harrowing masterpiece.” –Time Out New York
*Adult language and content. Parental discretion is advised.
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County’s annual School Supply Drive is thrilled to give you the opportunity to help distribute backpacks to various local nonprofits for students who cannot afford school supplies. This year, PROpel AVL is teaming up with Highlands Circle, UWABC’s young professional group, to highlight how essential community service is for ensuring that everyone in Asheville and Buncombe County can thrive.
We have an important volunteer shift coming up on Wednesday, July 31st, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. During this time, we’ll be loading backpacks into vehicles, breaking down and cleaning the space, and returning items to UWABC’s offices.
By joining us, you’ll play a crucial role in providing over 2,000 backpacks to students in our county, giving thousands of children the supplies they need to succeed in school. Your participation is vital to making this initiative a success.
Every single contribution counts, and your efforts truly matter. Together, we can make a significant impact on our community. Your support will help ensure that all students have the tools they need for a bright future. Please come out and join us—your involvement can make all the difference!
To read more about school supply drive go here! If this shift does not work for you, but you would like to participate please email Ella Pullman at [email protected].
Standup Comedy featuring Alex ParsonsOn Wednesday July 31, 7-9p we will be having another professional comedy open mic in The Orange Peel’s comedy basement. PULP is a bourbon speakeasy (400+ varieties) located under the iconic stage. No food is served but we do have free snacks while they last and outside food is permitted (no drinks of any kind).
Featuring Alex Parsons, a Boston transplant. Alex brings New England sass to the southern arena with his onstage antics. This comedian, actor, and singer, is ready to make your sides split with stories from his sordid past by making fun of some of the harder parts of life.
Host Cody Hughes is a comedian from Asheville NC. He’s lived in a few different big cities and a lot of comedians like him and a lot of other comedians have heard good things about him from the comedians who like him. A few comedians don’t like him and he can’t do anything about that.
[Comics Signup at door. 3-5m See host at the show to get your time and lineup placement. We have a comedy table with exclusive snacks. No entry fee for performing comics.]
Standup Comedy featuring Alex ParsonsOn Wednesday July 31, 7-9p we will be having another professional comedy open mic in The Orange Peel’s comedy basement. PULP is a bourbon speakeasy (400+ varieties) located under the iconic stage. No food is served but we do have free snacks while they last and outside food is permitted (no drinks of any kind).
Featuring Alex Parsons, a Boston transplant. Alex brings New England sass to the southern arena with his onstage antics. This comedian, actor, and singer, is ready to make your sides split with stories from his sordid past by making fun of some of the harder parts of life.
Host Cody Hughes is a comedian from Asheville NC. He’s lived in a few different big cities and a lot of comedians like him and a lot of other comedians have heard good things about him from the comedians who like him. A few comedians don’t like him and he can’t do anything about that.
[Comics Signup at door. See host at the show to get your time and lineup placement. We have a comedy table with exclusive snacks. No entry fee for performing comics.]
WomanUP welcomes keynote speaker, author and executive coach Val Grub for a workshop on working across generations. On August 1st, we’ll explore strategies to engage with people of all ages in the workplace and embrace the wisdom of age while valuing the contributions of youth.
Rootabaga Express!
Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10:15 am.
June 15 – August 5 (no plays July 13 & 15)
Carl Sandburg created his own version of American fairy tales when he published Rootabaga Stories (1922) and Rootabaga Pigeons (1923). He replaced the European fairy tale cast of princes, princesses, castles and kingdoms with icons American children would recognize — taxi-drivers, movie actors, skyscrapers, prairies and automobiles. Rootabaga Express! brings the stories of the Five Rusty Rats, Bimbo the Snip and more to life.You’ll meet new characters and journey farther into the Village of Liver and Onions and Sandburg’s imagination than ever before.
The 30-minute plays are appropriate for all ages and held weather permitting in the amphitheater (check our Facebook page in case performances are moved to the garage near the Sandburg Home or cancelled for severe weather). These shows are supported by the Flat Rock Playhouse and the Park Store, operated by America’s National Parks.
Young visitors who attend the plays can earn a limited edition Rootabaga Junior Ranger badge. Rootabaga Ranger activity sheets will be available at the amphitheater. Once completed, kids can get their Rootabaga Ranger badge at the amphitheater, Sandburg Home, or farm.
Arrival and Parking
Please visit our Parking page for more information.
Visitors who need transportation assistance should call the park at 828-707-8125 upon arrival.
Apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse have performed adaptations of Sandburg’s works for park visitors since 1974. Using Sandburg’s own words from his collections of children’s stories, poetry, collected music, biography of Abraham Lincoln and his own autobiography, the performances provide visitors with a sense of the scope of his work and imagination. Sandburg was an expert storyteller, and easily wove important messages of fairness, empathy and social justice into his writings. Whatever play you are able to attend you will walk away with a smile on your face and a better understanding of the legacy of Carl Sandburg.
Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten
and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Willkommen to the Kit Kat Klub! A Berlin Nightclub at the end of the 1920s. Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the Nazi Party are on the rise. Be transported back in time and welcome for the first time at Flat Rock Playhouse, Kander and Ebb’s Broadway sensation, Cabaret! Dark and sensual, it will break your heart and lift your spirits more wildly than anything else you’ll see this season. “Cabaret is one of the great Broadway musicals and musical scores of all time–an exhilarating, harrowing masterpiece.” –Time Out New York
*Adult language and content. Parental discretion is advised.
Two people in two little rooms. A young woman, a bed, an unseen voice, music in the night, hope out of darkness. When we meet Truly in her room at the end of the hall, she is on her way to recovery, having spent years in and out of hospitals combating serious illness since she was a child. She’ll be going home soon, with every likelihood of a “normal” life. And home might as well be the moon. Truly deals with her fears by writing bad songs, reading odd old books and communing with Doc Miller, an unseen radio voice in the night. The Asheville premiere of a play by award-winning playwright Joseph Reed Hayes. Destination Moon is produced by HayesPlays and presented in partnership with Asheville Community Theatre.
It’s a whirlwind of wit, romance and mischief when sharp-tongued Beatrice reunites with charming Benedick in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”! Bring your chairs, pack a picnic and enjoy a little delightful chaos as the Moppets present this classic romantic comedy at Hazel Robinson Amphitheater.
5pm Friday, August 2
5pm Saturday, August 3
5pm Sunday, August 4
5pm Friday, August 9 – ASL-interpreted performance
5pm Saturday, August 10
5pm Sunday, August 11
Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten
and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Willkommen to the Kit Kat Klub! A Berlin Nightclub at the end of the 1920s. Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the Nazi Party are on the rise. Be transported back in time and welcome for the first time at Flat Rock Playhouse, Kander and Ebb’s Broadway sensation, Cabaret! Dark and sensual, it will break your heart and lift your spirits more wildly than anything else you’ll see this season. “Cabaret is one of the great Broadway musicals and musical scores of all time–an exhilarating, harrowing masterpiece.” –Time Out New York
*Adult language and content. Parental discretion is advised.
DESTINATION MOON | BY JOSEPH REED HAYES
Two people in two little rooms. A young woman, a bed, an unseen voice, music in the night, hope out of darkness. When we meet Truly in her room at the end of the hall, she is on her way to recovery, having spent years in and out of hospitals combating serious illness since she was a child. She’ll be going home soon, with every likelihood of a “normal” life. And home might as well be the moon. Truly deals with her fears by writing bad songs, reading odd old books and communing with Doc Miller, an unseen radio voice in the night.
Award-winning playwright Joseph Reed Hayes has had dozens of productions and readings of his works in Florida, New York, California, and the United Kingdom; he’s also a performance artist and jazz producer, whose Jazz on Edge series encourages the performance of original music. Born in Manhattan, Hayes moved to Asheville in 2023, after a nearly three-decade career as a freelance writer and food critic in Florida. He has been a three-time associate artist-in-residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and has been the recipient of state and local arts grants and fellowships. “A Slow Ride” and “Destination Moon” are his first Asheville productions.
https://www.hayesplays.com
America’s favorite blonde, Elle Woods, is ready to prove who’s in charge in this fabulously fun, award-winning musical based on the adored movie. In the ultimate tribute to girl power, Legally Blonde follows Elle’s transformation from the UCLA sorority house to the Harvard halls of justice as she tackles stereotypes and scandal to pursue her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with pink, memorable songs, and dynamic dances – this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal!
The Montford Park Players is pleased to announce auditions for its 52nd Season:
Muse of Fire: Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses
Jason Williams, Artistic Director
5/10/2024 5/24/2024 Edward III, directed by Mandy Bean
5/31/2024 6/23/2024 Richard II, directed by Jason Williams
6/28/2024 7/21/2024 Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, directed by Dr. George Brown, Callista Brown and Elizabeth DeVault
7/26/2024 8/25/2024 Henry V, directed by David Doersch
8/30/2024 9/22/2024 Henry VI Parts 1, 2 & 3, directed by Glenna Grant, Ariel Robinson and Adam Kampouris
9/27/2024 10/27/2024 Richard III, directed by Kristi DeVille
Conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Montford District of Asheville, North Carolina, the Outdoor Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre is easy to get to and accessible from I-240 and I-26. And, it’s just a short drive down Montford Avenue from downtown.
Rootabaga Express!
Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10:15 am.
June 15 – August 5 (no plays July 13 & 15)
Carl Sandburg created his own version of American fairy tales when he published Rootabaga Stories (1922) and Rootabaga Pigeons (1923). He replaced the European fairy tale cast of princes, princesses, castles and kingdoms with icons American children would recognize — taxi-drivers, movie actors, skyscrapers, prairies and automobiles. Rootabaga Express! brings the stories of the Five Rusty Rats, Bimbo the Snip and more to life.You’ll meet new characters and journey farther into the Village of Liver and Onions and Sandburg’s imagination than ever before.
The 30-minute plays are appropriate for all ages and held weather permitting in the amphitheater (check our Facebook page in case performances are moved to the garage near the Sandburg Home or cancelled for severe weather). These shows are supported by the Flat Rock Playhouse and the Park Store, operated by America’s National Parks.
Young visitors who attend the plays can earn a limited edition Rootabaga Junior Ranger badge. Rootabaga Ranger activity sheets will be available at the amphitheater. Once completed, kids can get their Rootabaga Ranger badge at the amphitheater, Sandburg Home, or farm.
Arrival and Parking
Please visit our Parking page for more information.
Visitors who need transportation assistance should call the park at 828-707-8125 upon arrival.
Apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse have performed adaptations of Sandburg’s works for park visitors since 1974. Using Sandburg’s own words from his collections of children’s stories, poetry, collected music, biography of Abraham Lincoln and his own autobiography, the performances provide visitors with a sense of the scope of his work and imagination. Sandburg was an expert storyteller, and easily wove important messages of fairness, empathy and social justice into his writings. Whatever play you are able to attend you will walk away with a smile on your face and a better understanding of the legacy of Carl Sandburg.
Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten
and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Willkommen to the Kit Kat Klub! A Berlin Nightclub at the end of the 1920s. Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the Nazi Party are on the rise. Be transported back in time and welcome for the first time at Flat Rock Playhouse, Kander and Ebb’s Broadway sensation, Cabaret! Dark and sensual, it will break your heart and lift your spirits more wildly than anything else you’ll see this season. “Cabaret is one of the great Broadway musicals and musical scores of all time–an exhilarating, harrowing masterpiece.” –Time Out New York
*Adult language and content. Parental discretion is advised.
It’s a whirlwind of wit, romance and mischief when sharp-tongued Beatrice reunites with charming Benedick in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”! Bring your chairs, pack a picnic and enjoy a little delightful chaos as the Moppets present this classic romantic comedy at Hazel Robinson Amphitheater.
5pm Friday, August 2
5pm Saturday, August 3
5pm Sunday, August 4
5pm Friday, August 9 – ASL-interpreted performance
5pm Saturday, August 10
5pm Sunday, August 11
You know their names, you think you know their stories, but the Botticelli Babes are here to set the record straight. Botticelli Babes is an interactive comedy storytelling phenomenon that brings audiences the scintillating stories of history’s most infamous women. Created and performed by storytellers and educators Casadie Smith and Cynthia Millhorn, this show exhumes the untold stories of women whose names may be known, but whose voices have long been buried.
Audiences are invited to join the ride of a lifetime, during which they, alongside the Botticelli Babes, will resurrect the bad reputations of the notorious women of history and shed new light on old rumors. This bold new approach to storytelling promises to provide plenty of salacious thrills and truth more satisfying than myth. Botticelli Babes has been described by critics as “A tawdry look at the intimate lives of women we thought we knew,” and as a show that “Breathes new life into the storytelling genre.”
DESTINATION MOON | BY JOSEPH REED HAYES
Two people in two little rooms. A young woman, a bed, an unseen voice, music in the night, hope out of darkness. When we meet Truly in her room at the end of the hall, she is on her way to recovery, having spent years in and out of hospitals combating serious illness since she was a child. She’ll be going home soon, with every likelihood of a “normal” life. And home might as well be the moon. Truly deals with her fears by writing bad songs, reading odd old books and communing with Doc Miller, an unseen radio voice in the night.
Award-winning playwright Joseph Reed Hayes has had dozens of productions and readings of his works in Florida, New York, California, and the United Kingdom; he’s also a performance artist and jazz producer, whose Jazz on Edge series encourages the performance of original music. Born in Manhattan, Hayes moved to Asheville in 2023, after a nearly three-decade career as a freelance writer and food critic in Florida. He has been a three-time associate artist-in-residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and has been the recipient of state and local arts grants and fellowships. “A Slow Ride” and “Destination Moon” are his first Asheville productions.
https://www.hayesplays.com
