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.

Sunday, January 8, 2023
The Magnetic Theatre 2023 Mainstage Season
Jan 8 all-day
Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre announces its 2023 Mainstage Season of new plays with tickets on sale beginning January 1st, and begins scheduling auditions and interviews for actors and technicians.

The Magnetic Theatre’s Mainstage Season begins with HappyLand, a new rock opera by Brayden Dickerson and Zach Knox of Smooth Goose.  The musical tells the tale of a delivery person who doesn’t quite fit into the titular town of HappyLand. Forced to make one last delivery before the vacation they have been dreaming of, our hero embarks on an epic journey to SadLand, falls in love, and maybe even saves the world.  Full of toe-tappin’ tunes and fantastic adventure, HappyLand launches February 10th and runs through February 25th.

Beginning April 14th and running through April 29th, join us for the regional premiere of Fish, by Cyndi Williams.  When two characters connect unexpectedly in a lonely bar, they wind up playing a dangerous game. Who will survive, and how can they forgive themselves in the process?  Shifting timelines and unearthing skeletons, Fish is a fever dream twisting through memory, fantasy, and the present.

Next up, June 2nd through 17th, take your seats and pay attention to Da Classroom Ain’t Enuf, by Charles Payne.  This choreopoem, inspired by the work of Ntozake Shange, is an exploration of the intersection of Black and Brown communities, particularly in and around the American educational system. The play features an ensemble of four actors who play teachers, students, and their families and is a mix of poetry, prose, and music, with original tracks by composer Richard Jones.

Then, August 4th through 13th, The Magnetic Theatre’s One Act Play Festival returns for its fourth year of short plays.  Featuring a variety of stories, emerging and seasoned playwrights, local directors, and incredible performers, there’s sure to be something for everyone!  Playwrights may submit one act scripts for consideration throughout the month of February.

Ushering in the spooky season, October 6th through 21st brings The Splatter Play by Abby Auman.  It’s the day of the open house for Tina’s childhood home, which also happens to be her deceased mother’s evil laboratory. Determined to turn the terrors of the lab into selling points, Tina and her optimistic realtor parade a cast of unsavory potential buyers through the home, tormented all the while by the resident creepies and crawlies who aren’t quite as ready to move on as Tina would hope. *Note: there will be blood, so much blood.

Finally, as 2023 comes to a close, The Magnetic Theatre proudly presents New Queer’s Eve. December 1st through 16th, join us for a look at the year’s last holiday through a new lens. New Queer’s Eve takes place in one location over multiple New Year’s Eve celebrations and provides a glimpse into the LGBTQIA+ experience through time. Through interconnected stories told by a collaboration of queer writers, New Queer’s Eve invites audiences to share in the joys and struggles of queer life through the decades.

Monday, January 9, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 9 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre 2023 Mainstage Season
Jan 9 all-day
Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre announces its 2023 Mainstage Season of new plays with tickets on sale beginning January 1st, and begins scheduling auditions and interviews for actors and technicians.

The Magnetic Theatre’s Mainstage Season begins with HappyLand, a new rock opera by Brayden Dickerson and Zach Knox of Smooth Goose.  The musical tells the tale of a delivery person who doesn’t quite fit into the titular town of HappyLand. Forced to make one last delivery before the vacation they have been dreaming of, our hero embarks on an epic journey to SadLand, falls in love, and maybe even saves the world.  Full of toe-tappin’ tunes and fantastic adventure, HappyLand launches February 10th and runs through February 25th.

Beginning April 14th and running through April 29th, join us for the regional premiere of Fish, by Cyndi Williams.  When two characters connect unexpectedly in a lonely bar, they wind up playing a dangerous game. Who will survive, and how can they forgive themselves in the process?  Shifting timelines and unearthing skeletons, Fish is a fever dream twisting through memory, fantasy, and the present.

Next up, June 2nd through 17th, take your seats and pay attention to Da Classroom Ain’t Enuf, by Charles Payne.  This choreopoem, inspired by the work of Ntozake Shange, is an exploration of the intersection of Black and Brown communities, particularly in and around the American educational system. The play features an ensemble of four actors who play teachers, students, and their families and is a mix of poetry, prose, and music, with original tracks by composer Richard Jones.

Then, August 4th through 13th, The Magnetic Theatre’s One Act Play Festival returns for its fourth year of short plays.  Featuring a variety of stories, emerging and seasoned playwrights, local directors, and incredible performers, there’s sure to be something for everyone!  Playwrights may submit one act scripts for consideration throughout the month of February.

Ushering in the spooky season, October 6th through 21st brings The Splatter Play by Abby Auman.  It’s the day of the open house for Tina’s childhood home, which also happens to be her deceased mother’s evil laboratory. Determined to turn the terrors of the lab into selling points, Tina and her optimistic realtor parade a cast of unsavory potential buyers through the home, tormented all the while by the resident creepies and crawlies who aren’t quite as ready to move on as Tina would hope. *Note: there will be blood, so much blood.

Finally, as 2023 comes to a close, The Magnetic Theatre proudly presents New Queer’s Eve. December 1st through 16th, join us for a look at the year’s last holiday through a new lens. New Queer’s Eve takes place in one location over multiple New Year’s Eve celebrations and provides a glimpse into the LGBTQIA+ experience through time. Through interconnected stories told by a collaboration of queer writers, New Queer’s Eve invites audiences to share in the joys and struggles of queer life through the decades.

Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 10 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 11 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Thursday, January 12, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 12 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Arboretum Reads: Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature by Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Jan 12 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Children’s literature gives the young and young at heart permission to connect in the natural world in ways that are engaging and easily understood. Join Adult & Continuing Education Specialist Ann Kast, a former elementary school teacher and children’s literature enthusiast, in a discussion of how Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature aptly shares the natural process of rest and speaks to the child in each of us.

parking fees apply 16.00 +

Friday, January 13, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 13 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Saturday, January 14, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 14 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Sunday, January 15, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 15 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Asheville Junior Theater presents PETER PAN JR.
Jan 15 @ 2:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Peter Pan is one of the most beloved and frequently performed family favorites of all time. This high-flying Tony Award-winning musical has been performed around the world and delighted audiences for 60 years, and is now adapted for young performers.

Peter and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinkerbell, visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night and, with a sprinkle of pixie dust, begin a magical journey across the stars that none of them will ever forget. In the adventure of a lifetime, the travelers come face to face with a ticking crocodile, the fierce Brave Girls, a band of bungling pirates and, of course, the villainous Captain Hook.

Featuring the iconic songs, “I’m Flying,” “I’ve Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Never Never Land,” and a rousing book full of magic, warmth and adventure, Peter Pan Jr. is the perfect show for the child in all of us… who dreamed of soaring high and never growing up.

Workshop: Characterization and the Body
Jan 15 @ 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

Performers: Get out of your head and inhabit your character!

In this workshop, acting coach, director and performer Jamie Knox will lead you through a series of exercises to:
– Make your work more physically dynamic
– Prepare for giving a memorable audition
– Approach a character from the outside in, to work quickly with new direction
– Talk yourself up…to yourself! Learn the art of getting into a good headspace and focusing on being a character, not acting
– Work on a specific monologue OR learn to work with any piece given to you

Sunday, January 15th, 2:30pm – 5:30pm
at The Magnetic Theatre
375 Depot St, Asheville NC 28801

About the instructor:
Jamie Knox juggles writing, directing, and acting in plays with running a yoga business and wrangling a four-year-old. She has been coaching characterization since 2008 and is a strong believer in being the character, not simply pretending to be the character. In this workshop expect to be challenged to get out of your head and into your body, finding more authenticity in your work.

Black Cat Book Club: Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
Jan 15 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
New Origin Brewing Company

Let’s read Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom!

Monday, January 16, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 16 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 17 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 18 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Thursday, January 19, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 19 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Seeking local businesses to partner w/ Hendersonville Theatre
Jan 19 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

we are looking for local businesses to partner with to sponsor our upcoming theatre season, concert series, and special events! As a non-profit, local, community theatre, we are able to make events happen in our community through donations and sponsorship support. With your help, we can continue to provide quality live theatre, concerts, and more! Interested in becoming a season or show sponsor? We take donations at any level! For more information about sponsorship levels, visit the sponsorship page on our website here: SPONSORSHIPS – Hendersonville Theatre

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Flat Rock Book Club
Jan 19 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
The 2nd Act

Please join us at The 2nd Act in Hendersonville, NC for our first monthly book club meeting that strives to read books that create a closer knit and more inclusive community! We will meet virtually and in person monthly to discuss a book, so read the book and then join in the discussion in person or online every third Thursday. All are welcome! At the end of each meeting we will vote on the next book! The virtual club meeting will be in Zoom format and will meet 2.5 hours after the in-person meeting (8:00pm EST). After the meeting there is live acoustic music so stay and enjoy the vibe with your new friends! Put us down on your calendar for every third Third Thursday!

The first book is going to be called Disability Visibility.

Synopsis from the back cover: One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love. Preview:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51456746-disability-visibility
Message me for the Zoom link to the online meetup. Thanks!

Hybrid | Sandra E. Johnson presents The Resilience Journal: 365 Days to Balance and Peace of Mind
Jan 19 @ 6:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore and Virtual

This is a hybrid event, meaning there is an option to attend virtually and a limited number of seats are available to attend the event in-store. The event is free but registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance. 

Please click here to register for the VIRTUAL event. The link required to attend will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.

Please click here to register for the IN-PERSON event. Note the important event details on the RSVP form.

This event includes a book signing. If you would like a signed book but can’t attend in person, use the order comments field when you order below to request a signed copy and tell us to whom the book should be personalized.

If you decide to attend and to purchase books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!


A beautiful guided journal with 365 days of thought-provoking quotes and prompts to help you reflect on the past, examine the present, and work towards a more resilient future.

Everyone yearns to become more resilient. We all experience setbacks and problems on an individual level, and the state of the world doesn’t provide overarching reassurance. But resilience is much more than the ability to bounce back from a single catastrophe. You need to work at it, to strengthen it as you would a muscle in your body.

The Resilience Journal starts you on this path with an initial self-assessment using fifteen statements such as “I cope well with change.” Then, through completing the wide range of daily interactive prompts and exercises, you will discover ways to not only cope with difficulties but grow stronger from them. At the end of the journal there’s another self-assessment quiz. Fill it out to see how much your self-knowledge, compassion, patience, and resilience has improved.

Sandra E. JohnsonLMSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who has been practicing for over thirty years. She is also an author, freelance editor, and conference speaker. She has taught meditation and other stress reduction techniques to individual patients, social workers, counselors, and therapists. She has written for the Washington Post and The State, South Carolina’s most widely read newspaper, for which she covered topics ranging from education reform to race relations. Johnson is the author of Standing on Holy Ground: A Triumph over Hate Crime in the Deep South; a novel, Flowers for the Living, which was nominated for a PEN/Faulkner Award; and The Mind-Body Peace Journal: 366 Mindful Prompts for Serenity and Clarity.

Delighted Tobehere in Simply Delighted!
Jan 19 @ 7:30 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

This show contains ONE ingredient: Delighted Tobehere. No GMO’s, No Additives, No Gluten. Simply Delighted.

Delighted is thrilled to return to The Magnetic Theatre in Asheville, NC for this one night only event! This 7 foot tall, award winning southern queen will serve up charm, talent, and a heapin’ helpin’ of funny that is sure to satisfy your worst drag craving in her one-woman show SIMPLY DELIGHTED! Along with her celebrated appearance on America’s Got Talent, Delighted has performed to sold out houses from Hawaii to London, Alaska to Key West, Chicago, New York City, and even Budapest, Hungary! Featuring favorites from Disney to Country, and Pop to Broadway, Delighted will present an ADHD all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of live singing enjoyment that you don’t want to miss! Get your tickets TODAY! You’ll be SIMPLY DELIGHTED you did!

*Unofficial Health Notice: Watch Simply Delighted as a part of a well balanced diet and exercise regimen. Burn up to 200 calories from simply laughing!

Thursday, January 19, 2023
7:30pm

Friday, January 20, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 20 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Seeking local businesses to partner w/ Hendersonville Theatre
Jan 20 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

we are looking for local businesses to partner with to sponsor our upcoming theatre season, concert series, and special events! As a non-profit, local, community theatre, we are able to make events happen in our community through donations and sponsorship support. With your help, we can continue to provide quality live theatre, concerts, and more! Interested in becoming a season or show sponsor? We take donations at any level! For more information about sponsorship levels, visit the sponsorship page on our website here: SPONSORSHIPS – Hendersonville Theatre

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The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow
Jan 20 @ 7:00 pm
Black Mountain Center for the Arts

In The 39 Steps, a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale! A riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft, The 39 Steps amounts to an unforgettable evening of pure pleasure!

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime and seating is General Admission. Online ticket sales end 1 hour prior to showtime but there may still be tickets available at the door for purchase. Call the BMCA office at 828.669.0930 to find out ticket availability.

ALICE PRESENTED BY MOMIX
Jan 20 @ 8:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Travel down the rabbit hole with this returning fan-favorite in its newest creation, inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Full of psychedelic imagery and absurd logic, ALICE allows the imagination to run and play, raising the bar with stunningly surreal theatre magic that transforms performers’ bodies before your very eyes. MOMIX’s talented crew of dancer-illusionists never shies away from an opportunity to delight the senses, consistently creating exceptional works of ingenuity and beauty.

Engage with MOMIX

  • Master Class: For intermediate dancers ages 16 and up. January 21 at 11 a.m. Henry LaBrun Studio.
  • Post-show Q&A: January 20 & 21. Diana Wortham Theatre.
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season
Jan 21 all-day
online

Photo Caption: Hendersonville Theatre’s 2023 Season, Reader’s Theatre

Build Crew Work Days Hendersonville Theatre
Jan 21 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

We’re putting our build crew back together and we’d love to have you join us. Every 2 weeks, we’ll meet at 9 am for hands-on set construction! Whether your talents are building, painting, or you just want to learn, come out and join us every other Saturday for some creative fun. Tools and work gloves are helpful but not required

Land of the Sky 101 Book Club
Jan 21 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Land of the Sky 101 is a community learning circle for those who are interested in an introduction to the history of Asheville, Buncombe County and Western North Carolina. A nine -part series of readings and discussions is modeled after the themes of the exhibit “An Incomplete History of Buncombe County” mounted in the BCSC reading room. From October 2022 through July 2023 (with a break in December) participants will explore the history of our region focusing on themes ranging from ancient history to the late 20th century revitalization of the Downtown area.

Read
Each month readers can choose from two selections; one light read like a novel, or groups of essays and poems, and one rigorous non-fiction read written by an expert on the subject. Pick one or both! The choice is yours!

Learn
Each session will be facilitated by a Buncombe County Special Collections librarian or special guest who will share their expert knowledge, additional resources, and set the context for the conversation.

Discuss
At least 45 minutes of each session will be set aside for group discussion. The learning circle is a place to get curious about your community and meet new friends. Come for the history, stay for the fellowship!
Click here to view a complete list of dates and titles.

Registration is limited and required. Sessions for the 2022-2023 cohort will be held at 10:30 am on the third Saturday of each month at Pack Memorial Library. Sessions run from October 2022 until July 2023. Your registration will reserve your place for all nine sessions, and we hope participants will plan to attend each meeting.  If you cannot attend a session, please let us know in advance so we may allow those on the waiting list to participate.

The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow
Jan 21 @ 7:00 pm
Black Mountain Center for the Arts

In The 39 Steps, a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale! A riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft, The 39 Steps amounts to an unforgettable evening of pure pleasure!

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime and seating is General Admission. Online ticket sales end 1 hour prior to showtime but there may still be tickets available at the door for purchase. Call the BMCA office at 828.669.0930 to find out ticket availability.

The Magnetic Theatre presents Riveted: A Staged Reading
Jan 21 @ 7:30 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre presents Riveted, a staged reading with song of a new folk musical by local playwright and musician Deborah Silverstein, directed by Erin McCarson, January 21st, 2023 at 7:30pm.
As a family packs up all of the memories in the matriarch’s attic, secrets and history unfold to change their lives and relationships forever. Through three generations, Riveted explores how each woman learns from or bucks against the traditions of her mother, and her mother before her, to create her own life and make her own place in the world.
By special arrangement, patrons may choose to attend this staged reading of Riveted either in person or online as a live-stream.
For tickets to the in-person event, visit https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=155261.
For tickets to view this reading online, visit https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=161339