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.
NO COVER
Western Carolina Writers
Featuring: Jesse Frizsell, Nick Mac & Stephen Evans
With a shared passion for music and a knack for writing lyrics that stick to the ribs, the Western Carolina Writers take you on an emotional roller coaster from start to finish.
Jesse Frizsell
Hailing from the mountains of western North Carolina, guitarist and songwriter Jesse Frizsell seamlessly combines aspects of modern and classic country with the smooth harmonies and feel heard in today’s biggest chart toppers, with driving rhythms, smooth harmonies and shimmering guitars. Frizsell has been a musician and songwriter for the majority of his life, in his own solo endeavors and as a leading member of local North Carolina bands.
Jesse has released a full-length album, “This Is A War” as well as a two song EP, “A Couple of Songs for Drinking”, both in 2018. Popular singles include “Stupid Kids”, “Reckless” and “Make Our Getaway”. All of the above titles are available for streaming or download on iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify.
FB: Jesse Frizsell
www.jessefrizsell.com
Nick Mac
Candler native that has been influenced by just about anything under the sun but resides mostly in southern rock and country. Nick had a short run with the Apple Blue Horse Band. These days he’s trying to make his way as a solo artist. His music is largely inspired by love, good times and personal experiences.
FB: Nick Mac Music
www.nickmacmusic.com
Stephen Evans
Stephen’s strong melodic songwriting style is a blend of creative imagery of darkness and hopeful optimism. There is no denying the passion that shines through with his powerful vocals and lyrics. Songs like ‘The Garden’, ‘Cherokee Hills’, ‘1000 Roses’ and ‘Shining Star’ are beacons of his folk rock songcraft. With some local radio play on WNCW 88.7 and 98.1 The River, and upcoming shows with the True Grits as well as solo shows spreading around the Southeast, be sure to check out what Stephen Evans wants to share with you. For more full bio and listening pleasure please visit: www.stephenevansmusic.com
FB: Stephen Evans Music
https://www.facebook.com/events/704448133319032/
Rounding Third, starring FRP favorites Scott Treadway and JP Sarro. This good-humored and sincere story about a Little League coach, his team of youngsters, and his new assistant coach, is sure to hit a home run, says Rounding Third Director, Charlie Flynn-McIver. “They say that life imitates art but what is really happening here is that the art has gotten it right about life. Sports are a great metaphor for many things and when it comes to youth sports, even more so.”
Mia Jackson is a bonafide Georgia peach (that’s Georgian for “native”) and self proclaimed know-it-all. After graduating from the University of Georgia she hit the local comedy scene and has thrilled audiences since day one. To her credit she has appeared on NickMom’s Night Out, Viceland and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. She has appeared on Inside Amy Schumer and the movie Mother’s Day. In 2017, she was named a New Face at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and Atlanta’s Creative Loafing named her the city’s Best Stand-Up. Smart, funny, and versatile, Mia entertains all types of crowds. She just filmed her Comedy Central special at the end of January.
Featuring Petey Smith McDowell
Hosted by Morgan Bost
Sponsored by BRÖÖ Craft Beer Hair
ages 18+
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
FRIDAY: Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-mia-jackson-friday-night-tickets-64202408131
SATURDAY: Doors at 9pm, show at 9:45pm
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-mia-jackson-saturday-night-tickets-64203472314

Give us 2-4 hours. Enjoy a day of music and memories — and the knowledge that you helped to bring a community together! You’ll also get a little swag: a 11th Annual Festival Tee Shirt, snacks, a drink ticket, and our new Blue Ridge Pride Center buttons and stickers. Volunteer roles include: setup and breakdown, selling wristbands, beverages or merchandise, and assisting with volunteer check-in or VIP. Learn more and sign up here.

The Council on Aging of Buncombe County in conjunction with the N.C. Department of Insurance’s Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) announces its classes “Introduction to Medicare – Understanding the Puzzle” for August – September 2019. The classes will explain how Medicare works, the enrollment process, how to avoid penalties, and ways to save money.
The classes are free and open to the public.
Residents who are new to Medicare, caregivers, and others who help senior citizens with their Medicare insurance should consider attending this informative class. The information presented is unbiased and accurate. No products are sold, recommended, or endorsed.
Medicare Classes: August – September 2019
- Aug. 21, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. PM Blue Ridge Health, 2579 Chimney Rock Rd, Hendersonville
- Aug. 23, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Goodwill, 1616 Patton Ave, Asheville
- Aug. 28, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 150 Brian Berg Dr, Brevard
- Sept. 5, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Reuter YMCA, 3 Town Square Blvd, Asheville
- Sept. 13, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. OLLI/Reuter Center, UNCA, One University Heights, Asheville
- Sept. 17, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Woodfin YMCA, 40 N Merrimon Ave #101, Asheville
- Sept. 20, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Goodwill, 1616 Patton Ave, Asheville
- Sept. 25, 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. Black Mountain YMCA, 25 Jane Jacobs Rd, Black Mountain
- Oct. 1, 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. Ferguson YMCA, 31 Westridge Market Pl, Candler
Homework Diners take place weekly (except on school holidays or early release days). Families are invited to the cafeteria of the middle school during the scheduled time each week. No pre-registration is required to attend. Homework Diners currently take place at four area middle schools: Asheville, Enka, Erwin and Owen Middle. All are open to any family with a K-12 student in the surrounding school district with an adult family member in attendance with the participating student.
The 2019-20 Homework Diner schedule:
- Erwin Middle on Monday nights starting September 23, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- Asheville Middle on Tuesday nights starting September 24, 2019 from 5-7:00 p.m.
- Enka Middle on Tuesday nights starting September 24, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- Owen Middle on Thursday nights starting September 26, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS
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Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, author of Dear America: Notes of An Undocumented Citizen and a leading voice for the human rights of immigrants. He is the Founder and CEO of Define American, the nation’s leading nonprofit media organization that fights injustice and anti-immigrant hate through the power of storytelling.
Mr. Vargas will share details of his childhood journey to the United States from the Philippines and his life in America as an immigration reform activist. Some have called him the most famous undocumented immigrant in America.
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Momentum Gallery in downtown Asheville hosts new summer exhibitions – Mariella Bisson, Setting Shapes; Oil paintings by two new painters: Samantha Keely Smith and Paul Sattler; and a group invitational called Give Me Wood. These exhibitions continue at 24 N Lexington Avenue through the end of August.
Mariella Bisson deftly delineates the sculptural planes of regional waterfalls and sylvan scenes creating refreshingly contemporary landscape paintings. Her oil-over-collage paintings feature built-up texture, suggesting the complex surface of stone and tree bark, lichen, and moss. Bisson’s paintings demonstrate a strong understanding of formal composition and reflect a sensibility honed from time she’s spent immersed in the outdoors. Of note, Bisson is a two-time recipient of the Pollock-Krasner grant and was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship in painting.
Samantha Keely Smith creates inspired and stirring abstract paintings in oil. The Brooklyn-based artist sees her paintings “as an expression of our internal turbulence. They reflect the overwhelming reality of being constantly aware of what is happening in the wider world – Change is the only constant.” Smith’s nebulous compositions are evocative of luminous cloudscapes and primordial oceans. Brilliant areas of stained pigment collide with waves of painterly brush strokes ultimately conjuring imagined environments with a timeless quality. “These paintings are about the essence of who we all are, as human beings… We all want love and connection.” Smith’s works give form to fluctuations between turbulence and calm present in everything from our emotions to the temporal world. Overall, Smith’s focus is on the underlying psychological impact of the dawning awareness of our shifting reality.
An accomplished oil painter, Paul Sattler was the recipient of the John R. Solomon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. In 2004, he was selected to exhibit at the 179th Annual Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Art at the National Academy of Design in New York, where he received the Wallace Truman Prize. Dramatic narratives unfold in his charged and enigmatic oil paintings which reference historic and literary sources. Sattler comments, “A diverse population of animals are enmeshed in my works’ human-inhabited environments, theatrical locales, and domestic dramas.”
Give Me Wood is an imaginative and evocative collection of contemporary painting and wood sculpture. Central to the identity and creation of all the extraordinary two- and three-dimensional works in the exhibition is the common material of wood. The participating artists defy logic, explore space (both real and imagined), carve, bend, turn, and otherwise construct some truly amazing and innovative work! Featuring Michael Alm, Garry Knox Bennett, Gil Bruvel, Christian Burchard, Tom Eckert, David Ellsworth, Ron Layport, Wendy Maruyama, and Sylvie Rosenthal.

This urban scavenger hunt will take teams of four around the downtown area via a series of clues to sixteen different locations where they will be required to complete a task before receiving their next clue. Two volunteers will staff each secret location, checking teams in and out, throughout the day. Contact [email protected] directly if you are interested in assisting with this event or sign up by CLICKING HERE.
In this class, students will learn a variety of acting techniques with a focus on character development and relationships, deciding what your character wants and how you are going to achieve it, and making choices in scenes to fully develop the scene with specific blocking and movement. Students will work on scenes and monologues from a variety of popular youth plays and musicals, including Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, and Beauty and the Beast, taking them from auditions to performance. They will also write their own original, creative scenes to perform in a final showcase during the last class.
Class Schedule:
Classes: September 7 –November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Final Showcase: Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 11:00 am (combined with improv)
Cost: $150
Hot Works 4th Asheville Fine Art Show, October 26 & 27, 2019 takes place in Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. This art show is juried by art professionals and brings artists to sell his/her art in all discipline including paintings, sculpture, clay, glass, fiber, jewelry, wood and more. All art is original and personally handmade by the artist who is present at the show. There is something for everyone, in all price ranges. You will see many artists at this show who do not attend other shows in North Carolina or South Carolina.
As part of our commitment to bring art education into the community, a Youth Art Competition for grades K-8 or ages 5-13 is integrated within a 10×20 space at the Asheville Fine Art Show. Sponsored by Institute for the Arts & Education, the associated 501c3 non-profit organization, all students in grades K-8 or ages 5-13 are encouraged to enter his/her original and personally handmade art that will be publicly displayed in the art show the entire weekend. On Sunday, October 27 at 3pm, there is $250 in youth art awards presented. Students are exposed to the rules and entrepreneurship opportunity of doing art shows for a living. The program brings families to the art show and exposes them to great art.
This class will include instruction on improv skills, including character development, connecting in scenes, “Yes and…” acceptance technique, and building the beginning, middle, and end of a scene. We will play a variety of fun and interactive improv games, including Freeze, Murder Mystery, Props, Styles, ABC game, Changing Channels, Survivor, and Slide Show. Some of the games will be similar to the show, Whose Line it Anyway? The last class will be open for parents to watch a mini improv show to demonstrate the games and skills learned during each class. This class is open to all levels of improv from beginning to advanced.
Class Schedule:
Classes: September 7 –November 9, 2019: Saturdays from 10:00-11:00 am
Final Showcase: Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 11:00 am (combined with acting)
Cost: $150
Registration is now open for the next session of indoor youth tennis classes starting September 3rd at Hendersonville Racquet Club. Kids are put in groups based on age and ability with seven levels available. The session is six weeks long and is $79 for members or $99 for non-members for one class a week or $129/$149 for two classes a week plus a play day at the end of the session. Each player also gets a half hour one-on-one session with one of our certified pros.
The format for this session is having classes once or twice a week for six weeks. Then the session concludes with a fun L6 Play Day where they can get match experience. All classes are taught by certified tennis professionals and will be held on HRC’s outdoor or indoor courts.
Found Footage Festival: Volume 9 at The Grey Eagle
https://www.facebook.com/events/618072565262908/
Part of the 2019 – 2020 Broadway Season. Learn more about subscribing: http://bit.ly/2J6KMcs.
The Band’s Visit is the winner of 10 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, making it one of the most Tony-winning musicals in history. And now it’s also a Grammy Award® winner for Best Musical Theater Album.
In this joyously offbeat story, set in a town that’s way off the beaten path, a band of musicians arrive lost, out of the blue. Under the spell of the desert sky, and with beautiful music perfuming the air, the band brings the town to life in unexpected and tantalizing ways. Even the briefest visit can stay with you forever.
With a Tony-and Grammy-winning score that seduces your soul and sweeps you off your feet, and featuring thrillingly talented onstage musicians, The Band’s Visit rejoices in the way music makes us laugh, makes us cry, and ultimately, brings us together.
https://www.facebook.com/events/669877793415194/?event_time_id=669877810081859
Bombay Gasoline
https://bombaygasoline.bandcamp.com/releases
Secret Nudist Friends (PHL)
https://secretnudistfriends.bandcamp.com/
Dude Babe
**new band** members of The Power
doors at 8pm
ALL AGES // $7
https://www.facebook.com/events/435213277029916/
Alley Cats Social Club, 797 haywood road, Asheville NC 28806
https://www.facebook.com/events/422581698532349/
***WE ARE BACK WITH AN ALL NEW SHOW***
Friday, August 30th, 2019 OHenrys Asheville in Asheville, NC is hosting the Men of the Magic Mike show for the Ultimate Night Out. This is the Ultimate Las Vegas Experience for you and all of your friends. These hot male models will be performing your personal fantasy acts live on stage, including “Fifty Shades of Grey”, only at O’Henry’s.
Let these Calendar Men take care of you the way you deserve on this special Night Out. These men have been featured in Men of Playgirl Magazine, Cuffs and Collars, Men’s Fitness Magazine and they come straight to you from Sin City, Las Vegas Nevada.
Get here early for best seating!! Then hold on tight because the show starts at 10:00 pm.
Don’t forget to show your appreciation and bring your roll of dollar bills. The Men will also be offering special VIP onstage seating the night of this event. This is a fun, exciting, classy show.
Bachelorettes and B-day guests, don’t have your party alone. Make it memorable and come celebrate with us at O’Henry’s.
Share this event on your’s and your friend’s Facebook and send invites to all of your friends. The more friends you bring, the more Men we bring!
For tickets, click the link to order your tickets in advance. For questions, please call 702-741-4896
You must be 21 or older per O’Henry’s
$19.95 each for Advance
$29.95 each day of event (if available)
https://www.facebook.com/events/645882685886645/
Genre: Progressive Rock/Funk Fusion
Cover: $5 Suggested Donation @ Door
Show: 10PM
Ages: 21+
Squaring The Circle
Squaring The Circle, hailing from Baltimore, MD, is an original rock/fusion quartet with a strong taste for the experimental jam. Featuring some of Baltimore’s finest musicians, Squaring The Circle has taken lessons learned from countless miles on the road to form a formidable musical amalgamation of all former musical projects and influences, along with the masters of jazz, funk, and blues. Their live performances are high energy parties blended with technically proficient and purpose-laden musical statements, and their sound is a perfect combination of “heavy guitar, syncopated melodies, soaring organ, and grooves” (The Jamwich, 2018). Fresh of the release of their debut full-length album entitled “Gyonk,” Squaring The Circle is prepared to bring their sound to new cities and audiences up and down the east coast and beyond.
web: https://squaringthecirclemusic.com/
vid: https://youtu.be/jubD5jBGjSI
https://www.facebook.com/events/1687110921436749/
Every Friday night you can find DJ Databoy and DJ Woodside spinning your favorite rap records. Dancing is permitted! No Cover.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2530249150380639/?event_time_id=2530253747046846
Discover the beauty of the Appalachia’s both wild and rural. Your day begins with the expansive views of Chimney Rock State Park where your group is welcome to enjoy one of the many leisure or intensive hiking trails on the property. Lunch at the award-winning Old Rock Cafe is included with this package to enjoy at your leisure after 11am. At 2pm, join the park’s animal educators for the Animal Encounter, an interactive experience where you can touch, feel, and learn about the wildlife at the park. After meeting the animals of the wild, your group will drive an easy 20 minutes North up 74A for the evening portion of your day trip.
Starting at 4pm, your evening encounter begins with an in-depth tour of the farm’s history and agricultural model along with a meet-and-greet of our farm animals. Choose our standard top-tier tour or upgrade to a horseback ride for an intimate farm experience. Immediately following the tour, your group will be treated to a plated Farm-to-Fork meal prepared by our expert catering chef including an adult beverage of your choice. Finish the day with engaging conversations and gorgeous long-range views as the sun sets.
Enjoy the last holiday weekend of summer experiencing what makes Chimney Rock the ideal place to play. Hike on one of the Park’s many trails or join Fox Mountain Guides for a real rock climbing experience.
https://www.facebook.com/events/315730419278075/
Summer is all about outdoor fun, spending quality time together as a family and taking in the wonderful sights of nature. Submit your photos of your family hiking, sunlight making its way through the trees or of the fantastic views that make Chimney Rock so special. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.
Cost: No cost to enter contest.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2346811038665486/?event_time_id=2346811105332146
What’s the difference between a mushroom and a toadstool? How many different varieties are there, and how can I tell which ones are edible? Why do they appear after rain, and how long do they stay around?
Come to The Asheville Mushroom Club’s FungiFest at Warren Wilson College on Saturday, August 31, 2019, and get answers to all the questions you ever had about mushrooms and the ones you never thought to ask!
As well as a huge display of wild mushrooms in all their varied shapes and colors, we’ll have educational displays, classes, guided mushroom walks in the college grounds, and vendors selling edible mushrooms, cultivation supplies, fungi-themed crafts & gifts, and more. Asheville Mushroom Club (AMC) members will be on hand to answer questions and will even try to identify any mushrooms you bring in.
Admission starts at 9:30 am. Entrance fees at the door (Bryson Bulding) will be: Adults $10; Students & AMC Members $5; Free for children 5 & under and Warren Wilson students.
Classes run throughout the day and cost $15 for AMC members (membership will be verified at the door) and $20 for non-members, in addition to the entrance fee.
Mushroom Walks will take place throughout the day and cost $10 for AMC members and $15 for non- members.
See details for advance ticket purchase at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/fungi-fest-2019-tickets-66643812437.
This Labor Day Weekend art affair will feature a collection of national and regional artists specializing in hand-made works of art. There will be painters, potters, jewelers, glass blowers and much more. Asheville’s historic Pack Square is the picturesque venue for the Downtown Asheville Festival of the Arts. The show is set up on N. and S. Pack Square around Vance Memorial.
Join us any Saturday for outdoor activities at the garden. Local youth involved in programming for building life skills, improving literacy and leadership development welcome young people in the area to join them, and we are always in need of adult volunteers to help with mentoring. Involvement in the Shiloh Community Garden also includes the experience of growing produce organically, lessons in permaculture and the science of sustainability, healthy meal preparation, and entrepreneurship. Come join the fun!
https://www.facebook.com/events/524392424698351/?event_time_id=524392454698348
There’s more than Chunky Monkey and New York Super Fudge Chunk in downtown Asheville’s Ben & Jerry’s this summer.
Art created by Vance Elementary School fifth grade students of art educator Robbie Lipe is now on display on the brick walls opposite the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The exhibit depicts the students’ interpretation of the artist Kehinde Wiley and the contemporary portraits he creates inspired by traditional Baroque paintings. It will be featured through the end of the summer.
“Ben & Jerry’s is excited about showcasing art from the community inside our scoop shop,” said general manager Chris Carter. “Making use of our walls to show what local artists are creating complements our social mission — to be actively involved in the places we live and do business. I hope this is the first of many art exhibits on our walls.”
Carter gave all the credit for the exhibit to Ms. Lipe, who teaches kindergarten through 5th-grade students at Vance Elementary. She was named the North Carolina Arts Educators Association “Art Educator of the Year” in 2017-2018.
Ben & Jerry’s is located at 19 Haywood Street. Current hours are Monday-Thursday 12 pm to 10 pm; Friday 12 pm – 11 pm; Saturday 11:30 am – 11 pm; Sunday 11:30 am – 10 pm.
For more information, call Carter at 310-601-6247.





