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.

Friday, August 16, 2019
80s vs 90s Dance Party
Aug 16 @ 9:00 pm
The Orange Peel

This Friday, August 16th, we are excited to bring back what is becoming a cult favorite this summer! Fave local DJs Molly Parti and DJ Oso Rey will take turns spinning songs from the hits of the 80s vs. 90s, all for your dancing and reminiscing enjoyment. Make plans to get your crew together for a night filled with fun, friends, nostalgia and great tunes and craft beer at the Peel for just $5 in advance! The only decision is whether to wear leg-warmers and jelly bracelets, or bust out your favorite flannel shirt and your Docs.

Saturday, August 17, 2019
Flat Rock Playhouse Presents All Shook Up July 26-Aug.18
Aug 17 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse Leiman Mainstage

Performances Wednesday and Thursday at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, Friday at 8:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, and Sunday at 2:00 PM.

Celebrate hit songs made famous by Elvis Presley at the Flat Rock Playhouse in the upcoming production, All Shook Up! A famous Broadway musical hit, All Shook Up combines the hilarity of Shakespearean comedies, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with the rock & roll music of Elvis Presley. In a musical presentation akin to Godspell and Footloose, this jukebox musical tells the story of a small-town girl with big dreams, a stick-in-the-mud mayor who has squashed any fun in her town, and the surprise visit of a leather-jacketed, guitar-playing, hip-swinging stranger. Experience the magic of rock & roll, gospel, romance, mistaken identities alongside Broadway-caliber musical numbers and hits such as, “Love Me Tender,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love”.

53rd Season of Shindig On the Green!
Aug 17 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Pack Square Park

Shindig on the Green, free outdoor concert in downtown Asheville

Bring your instruments, families, friends, lawn chairs and blankets and join us for good times at the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Stage. In 2019 Shindig on the Green, which features a stage show and informal jam sessions around the park, continues at its original location — formerly known as City County Plaza, now transformed into the new Pack Square Park. Locals and visitors alike come together downtown “along about sundown,” or at 7:00pm for those who wear a watch, until 10:00p.m. Concessions are available. Come experience the beautiful music and dance traditions of Southern Appalachia on a summer evening in the mountains.

BMC Presents: Bela Fleck’s Blue Ridge Banjo Concert
Aug 17 @ 7:30 pm
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium Brevard Music Center

Sure to be another sell-out concert! The 15-time, GRAMMY winner marks the culmination of his second Blue Ridge Banjo Camp at Brevard Music Center with an all-star lineup of banjo virtuosos including Tony Trischka, Kristin Scott Benson, Alan Munde, and Noam Pikelny.

Please note: Auditorium seating is reserved.  Lawn seating is general admission.

Love, Linda (The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter)
Aug 17 @ 7:30 pm
ACT Performed in 35below

Love, Linda is a one-woman musical about Linda Lee Thomas, the glamorous spouse and driving force behind renowned American songwriter Cole Porter. The story of their unconventional 35-year marriage interweaves with innovative arrangements of Porter’s timeless music and clever lyrics to create the compelling narrative of Love, Linda.

In the course of the show, Linda takes us behind the glitter of their sensational social life, sharing intimate, and at times heartbreaking moments, such as the dashed dreams of having a child, Cole’s occasional hurtful sexual escapades, his crippling horse accident and her own failing health. To quote Linda from the show, their journey together was far from “a picture-perfect postcard”, but by the end of her story, she has definitively made the case that “just because a love between two people may be difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.”

Love, Linda is directed by Misty Theisen and stars Karen Covington-Yow.

Seating is limited for this show!

Rabbit Hole
Aug 17 @ 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

“A drama that’s not just a departure but a revelation” – Variety

Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until the tragic death of their son turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet journey from a place of uncertainty to a new reality, as they find themselves and each other. In the end, there is always hope. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize.

We are so excited to work with director Stephanie Hickling Beckman on this production. Stephanie is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director of Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective and has directed several times in 35below. She
shares that “Rabbit Hole has been categorized as a play about parents navigating the loss of a child. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent to me that while the polarizing incident serves as a catalyst for grief, the play can’t be defined by the tragedy that occurs eight months before the opening scene. Rabbit Hole is instead a story about how a family, each in their own way, navigates a life-changing event.”
 

Sunday, August 18, 2019
Flat Rock Playhouse Presents All Shook Up July 26-Aug.18
Aug 18 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse Leiman Mainstage

Performances Wednesday and Thursday at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, Friday at 8:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, and Sunday at 2:00 PM.

Celebrate hit songs made famous by Elvis Presley at the Flat Rock Playhouse in the upcoming production, All Shook Up! A famous Broadway musical hit, All Shook Up combines the hilarity of Shakespearean comedies, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with the rock & roll music of Elvis Presley. In a musical presentation akin to Godspell and Footloose, this jukebox musical tells the story of a small-town girl with big dreams, a stick-in-the-mud mayor who has squashed any fun in her town, and the surprise visit of a leather-jacketed, guitar-playing, hip-swinging stranger. Experience the magic of rock & roll, gospel, romance, mistaken identities alongside Broadway-caliber musical numbers and hits such as, “Love Me Tender,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love”.

Rabbit Hole
Aug 18 @ 2:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

“A drama that’s not just a departure but a revelation” – Variety

Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until the tragic death of their son turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet journey from a place of uncertainty to a new reality, as they find themselves and each other. In the end, there is always hope. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize.

We are so excited to work with director Stephanie Hickling Beckman on this production. Stephanie is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director of Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective and has directed several times in 35below. She
shares that “Rabbit Hole has been categorized as a play about parents navigating the loss of a child. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent to me that while the polarizing incident serves as a catalyst for grief, the play can’t be defined by the tragedy that occurs eight months before the opening scene. Rabbit Hole is instead a story about how a family, each in their own way, navigates a life-changing event.”

Love Linda, The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter
Aug 18 @ 2:30 pm
ACT

Love, Linda is a one-woman musical about Linda Lee Thomas, the glamorous spouse and driving force behind renowned American songwriter Cole Porter. The story of their unconventional 35-year marriage interweaves with innovative arrangements of Porter’s timeless music and clever lyrics to create the compelling narrative of Love, Linda.

In the course of the show, Linda takes us behind the glitter of their sensational social life, sharing intimate, and at times heartbreaking moments, such as the dashed dreams of having a child, Cole’s occasional hurtful sexual escapades, his crippling horse accident and her own failing health. To quote Linda from the show, their journey together was far from “a picture-perfect postcard”, but by the end of her story, she has definitively made the case that “just because a love between two people may be difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.”

Love, Linda is directed by Misty Theisen and stars Karen Covington-Yow.

Seating is limited for this show!

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Aug 18 @ 3:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

 

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session 

Sundays

1 till who knows when?

Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.

Jack of the Wood

95 Patton ave

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252.5445

http://www.jackofthewood.com/

Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes
Aug 18 @ 7:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Get a CD copy of Brittany Howard’s upcoming album “Jaime” with every online ticket order; 1 ticket minimum.

Each ticket purchased online includes 1 physical CD Copy of Brittany Howard’s upcoming album, “Jaime” which will be released on September 20, 2019. You will receive an additional email within 5 business days of order completion with instructions on how to redeem your album. US/Canadian residents only. Not valid for Fan to Fan Resale.

“I turned thirty and I was like, ‘What do I want the rest of my life to look like?,'” says Brittany Howard. “Do I want to play the same songs until I’m fifty and then retire, or do I do something that’s scarier for me? Do I want people to understand me and know me, do I want to tell them my story? I’m very private, but my favorite work is when people are being honest and really doing themselves.”

As the frontwoman and guitarist for Alabama Shakes, Howard has become one of music’s most celebrated figures – the band has won four Grammys (out of its nine nominations), and she has performed everywhere from the Obama White House to the main stage at Lollapalooza, where she sang with Paul McCartney at his invitation. But for her solo debut, Jaime, Howard boldly decided to explore new directions, with diverse instrumentation and arrangements and intimate, revelatory lyrics.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019
This Weeks Orange Peel Presale Turnover & Men I Trust
Aug 21 @ 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
The Orange Peel
Turnover
& Men I Trust

Wednesday – November 13

Use Code “SUPERNATURAL

Code valid 8/21 10am – 10pm
Pedro The Lion & mewithoutYOU
Aug 21 @ 9:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Pedro the Lion is the brainchild of Seattle singer-songwriter David Bazan, who formed the band in the late 90s and then reconvened it 2017, after a short break. In 2018 the band released its first LP in 15 years, titled “Phoenix.” On tour with them this time are Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based post-hardcore band mewithoutYou, which has been known for its energetic stage style and genre-bending sound for over 18 years.

Friday, August 23, 2019
‘Mountain Top Polka Band’ Oktoberfest Tour Dates
Aug 23 all-day
various locations see details

August 23, Appalachian Ridge Hard Cidery in Hendersonville
August 24, HiWire Brewing Company at the Big Top
Sept. 22, UpCountry Brewing on Haywood Road
Sept. 28, Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville
Oct. 4, Garden Deli in Burnsville
Oct. 6, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School in West Asheville
Oct. 10, Highland Brewing Company and
Oct. 20, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard in Hendersonville

Polka Music Night at Appalachian Ridge
Aug 23 @ 5:15 pm – 9:15 pm
Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider

Celebrate the summer with fun polka music from Mountain Top Polka Band and great cider from Appalachian Ridge Hard Cider!

Love, Linda (The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter)
Aug 23 @ 7:30 pm
ACT Performed in 35below

Love, Linda is a one-woman musical about Linda Lee Thomas, the glamorous spouse and driving force behind renowned American songwriter Cole Porter. The story of their unconventional 35-year marriage interweaves with innovative arrangements of Porter’s timeless music and clever lyrics to create the compelling narrative of Love, Linda.

In the course of the show, Linda takes us behind the glitter of their sensational social life, sharing intimate, and at times heartbreaking moments, such as the dashed dreams of having a child, Cole’s occasional hurtful sexual escapades, his crippling horse accident and her own failing health. To quote Linda from the show, their journey together was far from “a picture-perfect postcard”, but by the end of her story, she has definitively made the case that “just because a love between two people may be difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.”

Love, Linda is directed by Misty Theisen and stars Karen Covington-Yow.

Seating is limited for this show!

Rabbit Hole
Aug 23 @ 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

“A drama that’s not just a departure but a revelation” – Variety

Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until the tragic death of their son turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet journey from a place of uncertainty to a new reality, as they find themselves and each other. In the end, there is always hope. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize.

We are so excited to work with director Stephanie Hickling Beckman on this production. Stephanie is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director of Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective and has directed several times in 35below. She
shares that “Rabbit Hole has been categorized as a play about parents navigating the loss of a child. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent to me that while the polarizing incident serves as a catalyst for grief, the play can’t be defined by the tragedy that occurs eight months before the opening scene. Rabbit Hole is instead a story about how a family, each in their own way, navigates a life-changing event.”
 

Transfigurations III, Celebrating 15 Years of Harvest Records PRESENTS Danny Brown
Aug 23 @ 9:30 pm
The Orange Peel

On Friday night, August 23rd, we have tickets available for hip hop star, Danny Brown. After a trilogy of records that rank among the last decade’s most critically acclaimed rap releases, Danny Brown is releasing his fifth studio album, the Q-Tip-produced ‘uknowhatimsayin?,’ he is presenting a new version of himself: Danny Brown, serious craftsman and burgeoning elder statesman of rap.

This weekend, our beloved west Asheville indie record store, Harvest Records, is celebrating 15 years of business and bringing a weekend’s worth of great bands to Asheville, including shows at the Peel! That’s right! August 22-24 marks the 3rd quint-annual Harvest Record’s Transfigurations, a once-every-five-years celebration of Harvest’s founding. They’ll be putting on shows at various venues, including ours!

Saturday, August 24, 2019
‘Mountain Top Polka Band’ Oktoberfest Tour Dates
Aug 24 all-day
various locations see details

August 23, Appalachian Ridge Hard Cidery in Hendersonville
August 24, HiWire Brewing Company at the Big Top
Sept. 22, UpCountry Brewing on Haywood Road
Sept. 28, Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville
Oct. 4, Garden Deli in Burnsville
Oct. 6, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School in West Asheville
Oct. 10, Highland Brewing Company and
Oct. 20, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard in Hendersonville

Hi-Wire Oktoberfest at the Big Top
Aug 24 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Hi-Wire Brewing - Big Top

Join us as we kick-off the Oktoberfest season at Hi-Wire.

Hi-Wire’s annual annual Oktoberfest returns to Asheville Saturday, August 24 at Big Top with a bunch of individual and team games including Bouncy Ball Race, Dizzy Relay, Brat Toss, Grain Sack Toss, Stein Hoisting, and Mechanical Bull Riding.

We’ve got the INCREDIBLE Mountain Top Polka Band throwing down throughout the day. This family friendly event is one of our absolute favorites every year and we hope you’ll join us! $15 includes a custom liter stein and first fill-up. Liter fills of flagship and seasonal beers are $8 after that.

53rd Season of Shindig On the Green!
Aug 24 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Pack Square Park

Shindig on the Green, free outdoor concert in downtown Asheville

Bring your instruments, families, friends, lawn chairs and blankets and join us for good times at the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Stage. In 2019 Shindig on the Green, which features a stage show and informal jam sessions around the park, continues at its original location — formerly known as City County Plaza, now transformed into the new Pack Square Park. Locals and visitors alike come together downtown “along about sundown,” or at 7:00pm for those who wear a watch, until 10:00p.m. Concessions are available. Come experience the beautiful music and dance traditions of Southern Appalachia on a summer evening in the mountains.

Love, Linda (The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter)
Aug 24 @ 7:30 pm
ACT Performed in 35below

Love, Linda is a one-woman musical about Linda Lee Thomas, the glamorous spouse and driving force behind renowned American songwriter Cole Porter. The story of their unconventional 35-year marriage interweaves with innovative arrangements of Porter’s timeless music and clever lyrics to create the compelling narrative of Love, Linda.

In the course of the show, Linda takes us behind the glitter of their sensational social life, sharing intimate, and at times heartbreaking moments, such as the dashed dreams of having a child, Cole’s occasional hurtful sexual escapades, his crippling horse accident and her own failing health. To quote Linda from the show, their journey together was far from “a picture-perfect postcard”, but by the end of her story, she has definitively made the case that “just because a love between two people may be difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.”

Love, Linda is directed by Misty Theisen and stars Karen Covington-Yow.

Seating is limited for this show!

Rabbit Hole
Aug 24 @ 7:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

“A drama that’s not just a departure but a revelation” – Variety

Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until the tragic death of their son turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet journey from a place of uncertainty to a new reality, as they find themselves and each other. In the end, there is always hope. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize.

We are so excited to work with director Stephanie Hickling Beckman on this production. Stephanie is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director of Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective and has directed several times in 35below. She
shares that “Rabbit Hole has been categorized as a play about parents navigating the loss of a child. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent to me that while the polarizing incident serves as a catalyst for grief, the play can’t be defined by the tragedy that occurs eight months before the opening scene. Rabbit Hole is instead a story about how a family, each in their own way, navigates a life-changing event.”
 

Transfigurations III, Celebrating 15 Years of Harvest Records PRESENTS ESG / Shannon & the Clams The Oblivians with Quintron
Aug 24 @ 9:00 pm
The Orange Peel

Saturday night, August 24th, the festival wraps up at the Peel with a show featuring ESG, SHANNON & THE CLAMS, and THE OBLIVIANS with QUINTRON. Frequently sampled hip-hop and dance stars, ESG, are co-headlining along with Oakland, CA trio, Shannon & the Clams who will bring their sound reminiscent of 50’s dance hall spiked with punk and garage rock.

Sunday, August 25, 2019
18th Annual Organic Fest
Aug 25 all-day
Pack Square

ashevilles-organicfest-banner-dateless

Join us for a FUNtastic day of family-friendly fun, organic eats, live music, shopping at the Organicfest Marketplace & Greenstreet, Natural Arts & Crafts and plenty of eco- friendly fun for the little ones!

Rabbit Hole
Aug 25 @ 2:00 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

“A drama that’s not just a departure but a revelation” – Variety

Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until the tragic death of their son turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet journey from a place of uncertainty to a new reality, as they find themselves and each other. In the end, there is always hope. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize.

We are so excited to work with director Stephanie Hickling Beckman on this production. Stephanie is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director of Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective and has directed several times in 35below. She
shares that “Rabbit Hole has been categorized as a play about parents navigating the loss of a child. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent to me that while the polarizing incident serves as a catalyst for grief, the play can’t be defined by the tragedy that occurs eight months before the opening scene. Rabbit Hole is instead a story about how a family, each in their own way, navigates a life-changing event.”

Love Linda, The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter
Aug 25 @ 2:30 pm
ACT

Love, Linda is a one-woman musical about Linda Lee Thomas, the glamorous spouse and driving force behind renowned American songwriter Cole Porter. The story of their unconventional 35-year marriage interweaves with innovative arrangements of Porter’s timeless music and clever lyrics to create the compelling narrative of Love, Linda.

In the course of the show, Linda takes us behind the glitter of their sensational social life, sharing intimate, and at times heartbreaking moments, such as the dashed dreams of having a child, Cole’s occasional hurtful sexual escapades, his crippling horse accident and her own failing health. To quote Linda from the show, their journey together was far from “a picture-perfect postcard”, but by the end of her story, she has definitively made the case that “just because a love between two people may be difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.”

Love, Linda is directed by Misty Theisen and stars Karen Covington-Yow.

Seating is limited for this show!

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Aug 25 @ 3:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

 

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session 

Sundays

1 till who knows when?

Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.

Jack of the Wood

95 Patton ave

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252.5445

http://www.jackofthewood.com/

Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Youth Acting For ages 8-12
Aug 27 all-day
ACT

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 1​1​:00 am-1​2​:00 ​pm
Final Showcase: Saturday, ​November 16, 2019 at 11:​0​0 am (combined with improv)
Cost: $150

Youth Improv For ages 10-15
Aug 27 all-day
ACT

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:​0​0 am (combined with acting)
Cost: $150