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.
Treat yourself to a social afternoon filled with whimsy and fun while sampling the exquisite, in-house offerings at the rooftop Perspective Café!
Indulge in local selections from the Asheville Tea Company, as well as fresh house-made tea sandwiches, scones, and petit fours. Create your own Fascinator Hat in our guided studio session, or bring your favorite to wear while strolling the galleries!
Pre-registration is required. Tabletops of 4 or 6 only. Ticket includes Museum admission, studio time, tea and accompaniments, and gratuity. Members receive 10 percent discount.
SCHEDULE
2–3pm • Fascinator hat making in the John & Robyn Horn Education Center. (We also welcome bringing your own favorite hat and arrive for tea at 3pm)
3–5pm • Tea Party in Perspective Café
5–6pm • Stroll the galleries & Museum Store
|
The first show of our 2023 Season!
|
| The Montford Park Players, North Carolina’s longest running Shakespeare theatre is pleased to announce auditions for the first show of our 51st Season – “Wendy and Peter”, a Peter Pan story, written and directed by Skyler Goff.
Audition Dates: ADULTS ONLY CALLBACKS (ADULTS and CAST YOUTH) ROLES FOR YOUTH (Ages 8-18) ROLES FOR ADULTS (Ages 18+) NOTE: ALL ACTORS should prepare a monologue on any theme, memorized, and no longer then one minute. NOTE: All actors must fill out the following Google Forms, located HERE :
NOTE: This 2023 Season Audition Form will be used for all our productions this year. Note that this season we will NOT be requiring video audition submissions. Note to Selected Actors and parents: Early Rehearsals will prioritize getting all actors below the age of 18 out no later than 8pm without parent/guardian consent. Adults may be asked to arrive later and leave no later than 9:30pm. We hope you’ll join us for the beginning of a spectacular season of theatre! Skyler Goff, Playwright and Director |
Every Thursday
- Live Music with Aaron Lafalce at 131 Main Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.
Trivia, Singo, tailgate games, and more! Our games are sure to challenge you, but c’mon… it’s not rocket science!
Taste of Asheville 2023
Presented by Cheney Brothers, Inc.
AIR’s signature culinary event is back and better than ever, celebrating 20 years of supporting Asheville’s independent restaurants!
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, AIR will mark its 20th year of advocating for and supporting Asheville’s independently owned restaurants with the return of its beloved signature culinary event, Taste of Asheville, presented by Cheney Brothers, Inc.
In its first appearance since 2019 after a pandemic hiatus, Taste of Asheville 2023 will take place 6-9 p.m. Thursday, March 9, in a brand-new location — the beautiful and spacious Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center on the A-B Tech campus.
Don’t miss out on:
- Delicious bites and sips from about 60 AIR member restaurants and beverage vendors
- Musical entertainment from Asheville’s sensational Firecracker Jazz Band
- Silent auction
- Featured live auction item: Dinner for eight with wine pairings prepared in the winner’s home by renowned Asheville chefs and AIR co-founders Michel Baudouin and Eric Scheffer.
Space is limited and tickets are likely to sell out, so click below or scan the QR code to get yours now before they’re gone!
For a list of participating restaurants, visit airasheville.org/taste-of-asheville/.
|
|
LED BY ELLE BLACKBURN, O&G BAR MANAGER
With the popularity of January’s Cocktail Class: “Call Me Old Fashioned”, we’re bringing it back for March! With three new featured Old Fashioned recipes to learn, this class is perfect for beginners to the experts. On March 9th, we’re tackling the granddaddy of all Oak and Grist cocktails, the Old Fashioned! This class will focus on the science behind creating your favorite stirred cocktails & empower you to concoct your own unique libations at home.
We’ll start with the original Oak and Grist Old Fashioned recipe, diving into dilution, stirring, proper pouring technique, and an in-depth garnish presentation to keep your cocktails looking sharp. Students will then have the opportunity to taste four distinct Old Fashioned variations utilizing unique sugar, spirit, & bitter combinations. The class culminates with you creating & enjoying your new signature Old Fashioned. Cheers!
Please direct any and all questions to [email protected] and we’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW
All O&G Cocktail Classes are 21+. Photo IDs are required to participate in our Cocktail Classes so make sure you bring yours to each class. Don’t forget to arrive early to get settled in & sip on a cocktail before the class starts.
Please reach out to [email protected] about any allergies or accessibility accommodations when booking the event and we will do our best to accommodate.
Doors open at 6:00 pm before the start of the event and will start promptly at 6:30 pm. Classes are taught in pairs and make for the perfect night out for couples, besties, or families. Paired tickets are offered at a discounted price!
There are options for both paired and solo tickets, so if you’re coming with a friend, please make sure you purchase the correct ticket. One ticket per participant is required. Classes are capped at a maximum of 12 people per class.
Oak and Grist Distilling Co. reserves the right to refuse service to any guest who appears or acknowledges to be intoxicated.
All cocktail class students will receive a complimentary barware goodie, take-home recipes, a hand-crafted cocktail, & a 15% discount in our Bottle Shop so you can keep your home bar stocked!
Story Parlor of West Asheville will host Black Diamond Enterprise in presenting
Black Poetry Theatre for Black History Month. Feb. 9th @7pm join us for the production of RAISING BLACK where via poetry, skits and monologues we explore the Joy, Pain, Sunshine & Rain of life. Come for the encouragement, a good time & singing!
Call Story Parlor for tickets (828) 367-9377.
Workshop: MOVEMENT FOR ACTORS AND IMPROVISERS
Presented by Ripley Improv w/ instructors Mary Chieffo and Madi Goff
Learn the tools for becoming a dynamic performer and creating ensembles that spin improvised adventures from absolutely nothing in Ripley’s Movement for Actors and Improvisers Workshop.
Starting with the basics of Alexander technique, actors and improvisers will learn to energetically connect to the body and voice. Then, using improvisation along with select lines from Shakespeare’s plays, students will explore tools for stage presence and moment-to-moment work, enhancing their connection to fellow performers and the audience. Finally, in improvised scene work, students will put it all together and discover how connection, emotion, and stage picture creates story.
Bios for Instructors Mary Chieffo and Madi Goff:
Mary Chieffo (Ripley Guest Artist) is a Juilliard alum, studied Shakespeare enthusiast, and Star Trek: Discovery actor.
Madi Goff (Ripley Company Member) is Groundlings Sunday alum and current performer in The Groundlings Crazy Uncle Joe Show.
March 9, 2023
Thursday at 7pm
Join us as we welcome acclaimed celtic fiddler KEVIN HENDERSON from the Shetland Islands and NEIL PEARLMAN whose music inclues celtic, Cape Breton, jazz and other styles.
Neil Pearlman is a vital and distinctive voice in contemporary traditional music. Described as “a tremendous pianist” on BBC Radio Scotland and “a force to be reckoned with” by WGBH’s Brian O’Donovan, Neil is best known for his groundbreaking approach to the piano in Celtic music. Motivated by a deep musical curiosity and a love of collaboration, his playing is continually evolving and spontaneous without losing its roots in the traditional piano styles of Atlantic Canada, New England and Scotland. He has appeared at major festivals across North America and Europe including the Newport Folk Festival, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, the Orkney Folk Festival, and has recorded, performed or otherwise collaborated with such artists as Natalie MacMaster, Darol Anger, Seamus Egan, Alasdair Fraser and many more.
Growing up in a musical family, Neil was immersed in Scottish and Cape Breton music and dance from the start. He began dancing at the age of 3 and the piano followed soon after. Joining his parents and siblings on stage as the family band Highland Soles, Neil learned the art of performance early at festivals and concert halls across New England. At the age of 11, he appeared several times as a dancer in Natalie MacMaster’s high-powered show alongside his mother Laura Scott and a few years later released his first album with his father, fiddler Ed Pearlman. Already at that age he was exploring a passion for other styles of music, especially a lifelong love of jazz that has always played a role in his creative voice.
Today Neil’s musical projects run the gamut from deeply traditional to refreshingly contemporary. His podcast TradCafe is a series of conversations and collaborations with traditional musicians from around the world. In 2021 TradCafe launched a video series featuring one-off musical collaborations between Neil and artists such as Troy MacGillivray, Jenna Moynihan, Begona Riobo, Anxo Pintos, Yann Falquet and Alasdair White. His 2020 release Burden Lake with acclaimed Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson received 5 stars from The Scotsman. He tours regularly with Kevin Henderson, Katie McNally, The Pine Tree Flyers, and as a solo pianist, while playing more irregularly with a wide variety of side projects featuring top Celtic, Americana and Jazz musicians.
“Dazzling piano chops … Fingers absolutely soar across the keys”
–Portland Press Herald
“A mix of jazz and jigs that will raise a toast and get you on the dance floor.”
–George W. Harris
Jazz Weekly
“I was watching Neil’s hands on the piano and it was like watching two spiders… on crack!”
–Jerry Holland
———————————-
Kevin Henderson is a fiddler who draws on the rich fiddle music tradition of his native Shetland and his experience with leading bands including Boys of the Lough, Fiddlers Bid, Session A9 and Nordic Fiddlers Bloc to create an expressive and adventurously individual musical style.
Brought up in the Shetland schooling system, whose concentration on fiddle music and encouragement to participate still inspire him, Kevin benefited in his teens from the teaching of the legendary Willie Hunter. Lessons with Hunter could comprise chatting over coffee and biscuits and even extend to being taught survival skills, as well as learning both the essentials and the finer points of playing Shetland reels, and every Saturday Kevin came away motivated to emulate his mentor.
With school friends Chris Stout, Andrew Gifford and Maurice Henderson, Kevin formed Fiddlers Bid, a band that – almost thirty years, innumerable gigs and four enthusiastically received albums on – continues to represent the finest of Shetland fiddling allied with harmonic invention, creative subtlety and enthusiastic vigour.
It was Kevin’s clear understanding of and feeling for the Shetland tradition that led to him being invited, in 2001, to join the long-established Irish-Scottish band Boys of the Lough, alongside the Irish national treasure Cathal McConnell, an experience that has enriched his musical appreciation and love for a strong melody.
Since moving to Norway, while maintaining links with the Boys, the Bid and Session A9, one of Scotland’s finest fiddle ensembles, Kevin has put his heart and soul into Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, a meeting of three very distinctive musical styles where simplicity and directness are key. Their blend of Norwegian, Swedish and Shetland accents and their command of varying tones and voicings have led to ecstatic receptions on both sides of the North Sea and across the Atlantic.
– WITH SPECIAL GUEST SUNNY WAR
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
SARAH SHOOK & THE DISARMERS
North Carolina’s Sarah Shook sings with a conviction and hard honesty sorely lacking in much of today’s Americana landscape. Always passionate, at times profane, Sarah stalks/walks the line between vulnerable and menacing, their voice strong and uneasy, country classic but with contemporary, earthy tension. You can hear in their voice what they’ve seen; world weary, lessons learned—or not—but always defiant. They level-steady mean what they say. Writing with a blunt urgency—so refreshing these days it’s almost startling—Sarah’s lyrics are in turn smart, funny, mean, and above all, uncompromising. The Disarmers hit all the sweet spots from Nashville’s Lower Broad to Bakersfield and take Sarah’s unflinching tales out for some late-night kicks. At times, it’s as simple and muscular as Luther Perkins’ boom-chicka-boom, or as downtown as Johnny Thunders. The Disarmers keep in the pocket, tight and tough.
The Disarmers line-up is currently Jack Foster on drums, Blake Tallent on guitar, Andrew Lambie on bass, and Nick Larimore on pedal steel.
SUNNY WAR
Sunny War has crafted a set of songs that draw on a range of ideas and styles as though she’s marshalling all her forces to get her ideas across: ecstatic gospel, dusty country blues, thoughtful folk, rip-roaring rock and roll, even avant-garde studio experiments. She melds them together into a powerful statement of survival revealing a probing songwriter who indulges no comforting platitudes and a highly innovative guitarist who deploys spidery riffs throughout every song. “I feel like there are two sides of me” says the Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso. “One of them is very self-destructive and the other is trying to work with that other half to keep things balanced.” That’s the central conflict on her upcoming fourth album, the eclectic and innovative Anarchist Gospel, which documents a time when it looked like the self-destructive side might win out. “Everybody is a beast just trying their hardest to be good. That’s what it is to be human. You’re not really good or bad. You’re just trying to stay in the middle of those two things all the time and you’re probably doing a shitty job of it. That’s okay because we’re all just monsters.”

A South-Eastern Regional Premier and Shakespeare’s most wicked wonder join beloved Main Stage productions, Music on the Rock® and Playhouse Jr. Family Programming to round out an inviting 2023 season.
The Main Stage curtain lifts later this month with Here Comes the Sun Band & Friends – Music of the Beatles and More!, the musically-authentic act that will rock-and-roll fans through a decade of The Beatles music. A crowd favorite, the Music on the Rock® series will also feature Rumours – The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show in March, followed by the bluesy swagger of the Rolling Stones.
The season’s Main Stage series kicks off in April with Ring of Fire, a musical portrait of “The Man in Black,” Johnny Cash. Mother’s Day weekend brings the witty and hilarious Steel Magnolias. Children of all ages and the Vagabonds who never grew up will delight in a newly imagined Cinderella: Enchanted, a fresh take on a magical fairytale, followed by Broadway’s longest-running musical and infamous nine-time Tony Award-winner, A Chorus Line. And this summer, FRP is thrilled to present the South-Eastern Regional Premier of The Girl on the Train, a thrilling mystery based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins and DreamWorks film.
In time for the haunting season, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth tragedy will engage audiences in the terrifyingly prophetic tale of revenge, murder, and madness in a smaller, intimate setting as part of FRP’s new Black Box series.
Slowpoke! The True Story of a Tortoise and Hare, an Appalachian retelling of Aesop’s fable arrives in November, and the season concludes with the popular holiday must-see A Playhouse Christmas–the same festivity and excellence in an all new show!
Catch everything from foot-stomping Music on the Rock® to Broadway energy to intimate Black Box performances with a season subscription, on sale February 28. Single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on March 8, 2023. For a complete lineup with show descriptions and to purchase tickets, visit www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. www.NCArts.org.
ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) will present a CSA Fair on March 10 at the YWCA of Asheville, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. This event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public.
ASAP’s CSA Fair is a chance to meet local farmers and learn about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) in our area. By joining a CSA, you get a weekly box of fresh, locally grown produce, meats, flowers, or other local products—and provide a farmer with valuable financial support before the season starts. Talk to farmers about how their CSA works, what products they offer, their farm’s growing practices, payment options, and more. Attendees can sign up for a CSA during the fair or follow up with farmers later. This fair will also have local food tastings and activities for kids, as well as produce and food products available for purchase.
– PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW
– GUARANTEED SEATING AND STANDING ROOM TICKETS AVAILABLE
MARTIN SEXTON
“The real thing, people.” -Billboard
Martin Sexton returns with what RollingStone calls his “soul-marinated voice,” acoustic guitar, and a suitcase full of heartfelt songs. The 2023 Tour takes Martin across North America in support of his latest ep 2020 Vision (produced by 3-time Grammy nominee John Alagia (Lukas Nelson, John Mayer, Dave Matthews) as well as reinventing his own classics for these critically-acclaimed solo performances.
Still fiercely independent and headlining venues from The Fillmore to Carnegie Hall, he has influenced a generation of contemporary artists. His songs have appeared in television series such as Scrubs, Parenthood, Masters of Sex, Sprung, and in numerous films, though it’s his incendiary live show, honest lyrics, and vocal prowess that keep fans coming back for a new experience every time.
- Live Music at Hickory Tavern, 9:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m.

A South-Eastern Regional Premier and Shakespeare’s most wicked wonder join beloved Main Stage productions, Music on the Rock® and Playhouse Jr. Family Programming to round out an inviting 2023 season.
The Main Stage curtain lifts later this month with Here Comes the Sun Band & Friends – Music of the Beatles and More!, the musically-authentic act that will rock-and-roll fans through a decade of The Beatles music. A crowd favorite, the Music on the Rock® series will also feature Rumours – The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show in March, followed by the bluesy swagger of the Rolling Stones.
The season’s Main Stage series kicks off in April with Ring of Fire, a musical portrait of “The Man in Black,” Johnny Cash. Mother’s Day weekend brings the witty and hilarious Steel Magnolias. Children of all ages and the Vagabonds who never grew up will delight in a newly imagined Cinderella: Enchanted, a fresh take on a magical fairytale, followed by Broadway’s longest-running musical and infamous nine-time Tony Award-winner, A Chorus Line. And this summer, FRP is thrilled to present the South-Eastern Regional Premier of The Girl on the Train, a thrilling mystery based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins and DreamWorks film.
In time for the haunting season, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth tragedy will engage audiences in the terrifyingly prophetic tale of revenge, murder, and madness in a smaller, intimate setting as part of FRP’s new Black Box series.
Slowpoke! The True Story of a Tortoise and Hare, an Appalachian retelling of Aesop’s fable arrives in November, and the season concludes with the popular holiday must-see A Playhouse Christmas–the same festivity and excellence in an all new show!
Catch everything from foot-stomping Music on the Rock® to Broadway energy to intimate Black Box performances with a season subscription, on sale February 28. Single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on March 8, 2023. For a complete lineup with show descriptions and to purchase tickets, visit www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. www.NCArts.org.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.
There not only will be bargains on ceramic functional and artistic pieces, but live music, snacks and drinks. All are welcome!
DYSTOPIA WORKSHOP
Presented by Ripley Improv
Learn how to improvise narrative through the lens of genre! Ripley Improv will pull back the curtain and reveal the tropes, themes, and characters that make an improvised play a YA Dystopia. You’ll monologue, you’ll fight, you’ll fall in love, and, in the end, you’ll know how to construct a complete show. After you attend the workshop, be sure to get a ticket to the show. Ripley will be drawing an attendee’s name from a hat. The winner will be one of the tributes to perform in Saturday’s DYSTOPIA show.
About Ripley Improv:
Ripley is an all-female and nonbinary, genderqueer improv collective that creates stories about people who save the day, save the world, and save each other.
Their mission: To awaken bravery, embrace weird, and cultivate play.
March 11, 2023
Saturday at 11am
The Wine and Chocolate Festival is coming to the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville on Saturday, March 11th. The festival features numerous regional wine and chocolate vendors, as well as other local businesses offering clothing, jewelry, and more. The festival will be split into two sessions: an early session from 1-4 p.m., and a later session from 5-8 p.m.
Festivalgoers will be able to sip and sample their way through the event. Early bird wine lover tickets are on sale now through December 31 st for only $30. Starting January 1st , advanced sale wine lover tickets will be $40. All wine lover tickets include an etched wine glass and unlimited samples during the session. Designated driver tickets are $20 in advance and include a water at entry and a wine glass at exit. All attendees also receive a pass to our Chocolate Bar, filled with tasty nibbles and sweet treats. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online at WineAndChocolateFestivals.com.
ExploreAsheville.com Arena
- DOORS
- Session 1: 1pm & Session 2: 5pm
- SHOW
- Session 1: 1pm-4pm & Session 2: 5pm-8pm
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Designated driver and youth tickets available. Must be 21+ to consume alcohol at this event.
– ALL AGES
– FULLY SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM TICKETS AVAILABLE
Roy cut his comedic teeth in Denver at the world famous Comedy Works. Since then, he has been selected to perform at the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs Toronto, Just For Laughs Chicago, The New York Comedy Festival, Austin’s South by Southwest festival, and many more. Roy has been featured on HBO’s Funny as Hell series; as well as on the Comedy Central shows Adam DeVine’s House Party, Corporate, @midnight, and This Is Not Happening. Ben has also released four stand-up comedy albums and was listed as one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch.
Along with fellow Denver Comedians Adam Cayton-Holland and Andrew Orvedahl (who collectively perform as The Grawlix), Ben created, wrote, and starred in TruTV’s original comedy series Those Who Can’t, which now has all three seasons available for streaming on HBOMax. He’s also currently host of two podcasts, 97.9 The Rat Race on the All Things Comedy network, and The Grawlix Saves the World available on The Starburns Audio Network. In addition to stand-up comedy, acting, and writing, Roy is a prolific musician and the current lead singer of pop punk outfit SPELLS
Oscar Wilde’s brilliant and wicked comic-masterpiece defines wit and style. The comedy is blissfully silly and outrageously shrewd. Over 120 years after its first performance, The Importance of Being Earnest continues to delight audiences with its playful language, charming character and biting look at society.
The Importance of Being Earnest is the story of two bachelors, John “Jack” Worthing and Algernon “Algy” Moncrieff, who create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives. They attempt to win the hearts of two women who, conveniently, claim to only love men called Ernest. The pair struggle to keep up with their own stories and become tangled in a tale of deception, disguise and misadventure. The elaborate plot ridicules Victorian sensibilities with some of the best loved, and indeed bizarre, characters to be found on the modern stage. Presented in a reader’s theater format, actors don’t memorize scripts but read them to the audience while using their voices and upper bodies to convey the roles they are playing.
Reader’s theatre actors don’t memorize scripts but read them to the audience while using their voices and upper bodies to convey the roles they are playing. Actors also use vocal and facial expressions, as well as hand and arm movements.
The cast of The Importance of Being Earnest features Natalie Broadway as Cecily, Rachel Crisp as the Reader, Rowan Duncan as Jack, Bruce Jayne as Lane and Merriman, Alexandra McPherson as Miss Prism, Regina Palian as Gwendolen, Terry Terranova as Dr. Chasuble, Matt Wade as Algernon and Katie Winkler as Lady Bracknell.
The Importance of Being Earnest’s artistic team includes director John Baldwin and stage manager Sara Hassinger.
John Baldwin began directing 10 years ago at Broadway West in Fremont, CA. His directing credits include Run For Your Wife, Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some), Coney Island Christmas, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, A Very Modern Marriage, and has directed for play festivals for The Magnetic Theatre and Calliope Stage in Silva.
The show is rated PG due to mild adult situations. Showtimes are 3 pm and 7:30 pm on Saturday, March 11. Running time is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. Hendersonville Theater has made masks optional for patrons, and no proof of vaccination is required to attend a performance.
Ripley’s premiere genre brings epic dystopian storytelling to life on the stage, honoring popular titles such as Hunger Games, Divergent, and A Handmaid’s Tale. In each performance you can expect to find your protagonist battling the evil powers that be as well as her own hormones. What might otherwise be a silly exploration of teenagers in a bleak setting often turns into a heartfelt commentary on everyone’s unique ability to rise to the challenge and affect change.
About Ripley Improv: Ripley Improv is an all-female and nonbinary / genderqueer improv collective that creates stories about people who save the day, save the world, and save each other. Their mission: To awaken bravery, embrace weird, and cultivate play.
With Mary Chieffo, Madi Goff, Laurie Jones, Kelly Lohman and Jessica Lynn Verdi.
March 11, 2023
Saturday at 7:30pm
Workshop
MUSICAL IMPROV
Presented by Ripley Improv w/ instructor Kelly Lohman
Improvising songs can be as easy as A/B, A/B, C! Learn simple musical formats that will wow an audience and make you feel like a wiz. Practice scene-into-song techniques and ways in which a song can enhance your character’s emotional journey. Taught by Ripley Improv member, Kelly Lohman, a 20-year musical improv veteran and recurring guest artist on the fully-improvised (and musical) television series Show Offs.
Bio for Instructor Kelly Lohman:
Kelly Lohman is a member of Little Candle Productions and Vs. Theatre Company. She improvises musicals in cities across the country with The Society. Kelly performs regularly at Impro Studio with Ripley, Oregon Trail Uncharted, Fraudway, and more. Favorite theatrical roles include Hope in “Urinetown”, Christine in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, Anne in “The Elliots”, and Jennifer in “The Dastardly Ficus”. TV and film credits include Bones, Gilmore Girls, Days of Our Lives, and The Hillside Strangler.
March 12, 2023
Sunday at 11am
About Ripley Improv: Ripley Improv is an all-female and nonbinary / genderqueer improv collective that creates stories about people who save the day, save the world, and save each other.
Their mission: To awaken bravery, embrace weird, and cultivate play.
ENCOUNTER
Presented by Ripley Improv
ENCOUNTER is a fully-improvised, hour-long stage play that explores the stories of first contact between one woman and the completely unknown. Inspired by Ripley’s namesake film Alien, along with Arrival, and the book Annihilation, ENCOUNTER blends sci-fi, horror, and “the new weird,” unpacking the emotional and psychological impact of a meeting with benevolent extraterrestrials, malevolent predators, and entirely unexplained forces.
Ripley has no script. No set dialogue. Not even an outline. Each performance of ENCOUNTER offers a brand new story based on a single audience suggestion.
With Mary Chieffo, Madi Goff, Laurie Jones, Kelly Lohman and Jessica Lynn Verdi.
About Ripley Improv:
Ripley Improv is all-female and nonbinary, genderqueer improv collective that creates stories about people who save the day, save the world, and save each other.
Their mission: To awaken bravery, embrace weird, and cultivate play.
March 12, 2023
Sunday at 4:00pm
The Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse is undergoing a name change! We are excited to streamline our program and we can’t wait to share the news with you!
Our new name will be Playhouse Jr.!

This new name will encompass many things. You might ask….what is Playhouse Jr.?
Playhouse Jr. means many things and we are excited to share this news with our community!

We are introducing a new software system for our Playhouse Jr. families! This new system will make your life easier! Once you have registered you are in our system for good. That means that once you register all you have to do is access your account to purchase any classes and camps moving forward. No need to register every time!
To register for our new system and to enroll in classes please visit this link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=548849
Questions? Please email [email protected]!
Want to register over the phone? No problem! You can call our Education Director, Lauren Hopkins at (828)693-0403 ext. 246 starting Monday March 6!
This is a relaxed and fun group for singles over 40 to connect with other singles and learn relationship and communication skills through various exercises, activities, and discussions. I’ve worked as a Couples Counselor and Dating & Relationship Coach for over 25 years, and I have the wisdom of knowing what makes relationships work. I’ll share these insights and teachings to help you change how you think about dating and learn to date successfully. Stay after to socialize, make new friends, and have a beer.
CAROLINA CELTIC, is a monthly concert series which showcases Irish and Scottish musical traditions and often explores their commonality with the Appalachian ballads and stories of the Carolina mountains..
Tonight’s show will be a solo concert by series hosts, ROBIN BULLOCK and SUE RICHARDS
A major new duo of two award-winning American masters of traditional Celtic music, Sue Richards and Robin Bullock blend the ancient and magical tones of the Celtic harp with the powerful resonance of the steel-string guitar, cittern and mandolin, drawing on Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Breton traditions to create something truly unique: beautiful and timeless, yet fresh and current.
Their individual achievements speak for themselves, with (among many other accomplishments) Sue being a four-time National Scottish Harp Champion and Robin being a longtime touring sideman with Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award winner Tom Paxton.
Sue and Robin have been friends and colleagues for decades, having both recorded WAMMIE Award-winning solo albums for the Maryland-based Maggie’s Music label and collaborated on many other projects over the years; now both transplants to the western North Carolina mountains, they’re delighted to be joining forces in a long-overdue chamber-Celtic duo. The magic of their combined artistic excellence and mastery of Celtic traditions is captured on their brilliant duo debut CD Highland Ramble.
SUE RICHARDS, four-time National Scottish Harp Champion, has performed numerous times for the Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC, as well as for President Bill Clinton (twice!) and Queen Elizabeth II. She has served as president and distinguished judge for the Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA) and founded the Washington DC Folk Harp Society. She has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, sat in with The Chieftains, toured Norway and Scotland with the Harpa ensemble, and can be heard on dozens of award-winning recordings. Sue is a popular instructor at workshops around the country and has written several books of arrangements and original tunes. In addition to her solo work, Sue is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated Ensemble Galilei.
ROBIN BULLOCK has been hailed as a “Celtic guitar god” by Baltimore City Paper, “one of the best folk instrumentalists in the business” by Sing Out! Magazine and one of the 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com. His honors include the Association for Independent Music’s prestigious INDIE Award (with the world-folk trio Helicon), Player’s Choice and Album of the Year Awards from Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and the Swannanoa Gathering’s Master Music Maker Award. Robin has played hundreds of concerts as touring sideman with Grammy Award-winning folk legend Tom Paxton, and was the sole support musician on four of Tom’s “Together at Last” tours with fellow Grammy winner Janis Ian. Writing about Robin in The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Celtic Music, Thistle and Shamrock host Fiona Ritchie says “Bullock’s music accents the connections between Celtic and American traditional and acoustic music. That he is able to do so by playing almost any stringed instrument to perfection is his specialty.”
With the release of their duo CD Highland Ramble joining their many critically-acclaimed solo albums, Sue and Robin prove that their individual talents together create a world-class combination, carrying Celtic tradition into new and transformative realms.
– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE
WILLI CARLISLE
WILLI CARLISLE is a poet and a folk singer for the people, but his extraordinary gift for turning a phrase isn’t about high falutin’ pontificatin’; it’s about looking out for one another and connecting through our shared human condition. Born and raised on the Midwestern plains, Carlisle is a product of the punk to folk music pipeline that’s long fueled frustrated young men looking to resist. After falling for the rich ballads and tunes of the Ozarks, where he now lives, he began examining the full spectrum of American musical history. This insatiable stylistic diversity is obvious in his wildly raucous live performances, where songs range from sardonic trucker-ballads like “Vanlife” to the heartbreaking queer waltz “Life on the Fence,” to an existential talkin’ blues about a panic attack in Walmart’s aisle five. With guitar, fiddle, button-box, banjo, harmonicas, rhythm-bones, and Willi’s booming baritone, this is bonafide populist folk music in the tradition of cowboys, frontier fiddlers, and tall-tale tellers. Carlisle recognizes that the only thing holding us back from greatness is each other. With a quick wit and big sing-alongs, these folksongs bring us a step closer to breaking down our divides.
“Willi Carlisle is an absolute force of nature. From the moment he walks on stage you can’t take your eyes off of him and the minute he opens his mouth you can’t help but hang on every word. Even if the songs weren’t there, the showmanship alone would be worth the price of admission, but the scary part is the songs are just as good as the stories.” — BJ Barham
There is no question that Willy Tea Taylor’s life as a singer/songwriter was predetermined – his role realized the moment he wrote his first song. With inspiration drawn from two separate wells. Living the life of a cattleman’s kid while experiencing true visionaries music Greg Brown, …, watching Guy Clark and friends sitting around the kitchen table loaded with ashtrays full of butts and half-smoked cigarettes, food, and booze on one Christmas Eve in 1975. Those guys, swapping songs without pretense, lit Willy Tea’s fire. And ever since, it’s led purpose with passion – finding a hang by curating relationships through musical friendships that get him closer to his own Clark style kitchen table.
From his early days co-fronting The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, to singing solo in countless cowboy bars, to pitching countless wiffle ball games, Willy Tea has never lost the vision. Now Willy Tea Taylor has taken his vision of the “hero hang” on the road. and his talented traveling band The Fellership is made up of his fantastically talented buds who play Willy’s songs with a brand of reckless abandon and utter humility that spits in the face of pretense. The way The Fellership plays Will’s songs is the way they demand to be played and, in their short time together, they have been aweing every audience lucky enough to see them.
The Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse is undergoing a name change! We are excited to streamline our program and we can’t wait to share the news with you!
Our new name will be Playhouse Jr.!

This new name will encompass many things. You might ask….what is Playhouse Jr.?
Playhouse Jr. means many things and we are excited to share this news with our community!

We are introducing a new software system for our Playhouse Jr. families! This new system will make your life easier! Once you have registered you are in our system for good. That means that once you register all you have to do is access your account to purchase any classes and camps moving forward. No need to register every time!
To register for our new system and to enroll in classes please visit this link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=548849
Questions? Please email [email protected]!
Want to register over the phone? No problem! You can call our Education Director, Lauren Hopkins at (828)693-0403 ext. 246 starting Monday March 6!
Join the Asheville Downtown Association(ADA) for our annual State of Downtown Luncheon, presented by First Bank. We’ll take a look back at our work in 2022, discuss priorities for downtown in 2023, and review the results from our issues survey.
You’ll also hear from City of Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and Buncombe County Commission Chair Brownie Newman. Both will discuss city and county priorities and initiatives for downtown.
Doors will open at 11:30am and the program will begin promptly at 12pm.
Lunch included.
Thanks to First Bank and Harrah’s Cherokee Center for making this event possible.
