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.
Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective presents Juked – RESCHEDULED
PLEASE NOTE: Performances of DS!PAC’s JUKED originally scheduled for February 6–23, 2025 have been rescheduled to May 1-18, 2025. Ticket holders will be contacted with more information.
Thursday – Saturday, May 1 – 17, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.
WORLD PREMIERE written by Mildred Inez Lewis
Juked is a retelling of Sophocles’ tragedy Electra. This version is set in 1950s Asheville and the “kingdom” is a chain of drink houses (private homes offering illegal alcohol) owned by the well-off, African-American Memnon family. Juked examines the relationship between Electra, her mother, and her sister, and asks what happens after tragedy. How do we recover? Juked is part of the Emerging Black Playwrights New Play Series and first debuted in its development phase, as a staged reading in November 2023.
“King” LeBron James’s years playing in Cleveland bring promise to a city in desperate need. His tenure also unites Shawn and Matt in an unlikely bond forged by fandom. Over twelve years the men navigate their turbulent friendship through their shared love of basketball—and the endless amiable arguments that erupt from that love.
Performances of King James will be held on the days and times listed below. The lobby and concessions area will open one hour prior to showtime. Concessions may be taken into the theatre during the performance.
April 24 – May 18, 2025
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30
Sundays at 2pm
Friday 4/25 and 5/2 at 7:30pm
Friday 5/9 and 5/16 at 2pm
Hendersonville Theatre is excited to present Songs From The Road Band as part of May’s Hometown Sound Music Series. This award-winning Asheville-based bluegrass ensemble is redefining the genre with their exceptional musicianship and heartfelt performances. Featuring Mark Schimick (mandolin), Charles Humphrey III (bass), Sam Wharton (guitar), James Schlender (fiddle), and Gabe Epstein (banjo), the band has an impressive six-album catalog, including their latest release, Pay Your Dues. Known for their energetic live shows, they seamlessly blend tight three-part harmonies, improvisational jams, and a mix of original tracks with fan-favorite covers, ensuring an unforgettable experience for all.
The Montford Park Players proudly presents “The Book of Will” follows the journey of William Shakespeare’s friends and fellow playwrights as they struggle to preserve his legacy after his death. Amid betrayal, heartbreak, and ambition, they work to compile his works into the First Folio, ensuring his immortality in the world of theater.
Shows are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30 each night.
And always FREE! No Sunday performances for the last weekend of each show.
Headlights Home Tour presents: Mat Kearney
Augustana (solo)
Great Scott! BACK TO THE FUTURE, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical with its destination set for Greenville in 2025.
Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical, BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL is adapted for the stage by the iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and directed by the Tony Award®-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy® winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside hit songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Earth Angel,” and “Back in Time.”
When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself… back to the future. When BACK TO THE FUTURE hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.
BACK TO THE FUTURE is recommended for ages 6+ and contains the use of flashing lights, strobe effects, smoke, haze, and pyrotechnics.
“One of the funniest and most moving plays about friendship in years”–TheaterMania
Set in a bar in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and spanning LeBron’s rookie season with the Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA Championship, two unlikely friends navigate their turbulent relationship through a shared love of the game. From the first quarter to the final buzzer, King James comes in clutch as a riveting love letter to the passion that is sports fandom.
Discretionary content: strong language
PAN HARMONIA’s Season 25 continues with a joyful reunion of friends and founding musicians Liz Austin, Dewitt Tipton and Kate Steinbeck.
Join us for a fun and beautiful afternoon of chamber music for flute, cello and piano featuring Trios by Bohuslav Martinu, Ondine Smith-Moore and GP Telemann.
Kate Steinbeck flute
Elizabeth Austin cello
Dewitt Tipton piano
Sunday, May 18, 3 pm · First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, 40 Church Street, Asheville 28801
Pay-as-You-Can
Livestream Option
Reserve in advance and receive parking info too.
Hadestown Teen Edition
May 16-18, 2025
Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PM
This intriguing and beautiful folk opera delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. Following two intertwining love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone – Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Inspired by traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Mitchell’s beguiling sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love.
Our latest exhibition, Iron and Ink: Prints from America’s Machine Age, focuses on a dynamic era in American history when industrialization and advances in technology transformed urban landscapes and redefined the nature of work and leisure nationwide.
Showcasing Collection prints from 1905 to the 1940s, Iron and Ink explores connections between industrial labor, urbanization, and the growing middle class. The exhibition highlights works by Works Progress Administration artists from the 1930s whose powerful images of machinery, skyscrapers, and daily life—both at work and recreation—capture this transformational era in American society.
This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and Robin Klaus, PhD, assistant curator.
The mirror has been a powerful symbol invoked in the arts across centuries and cultures. Mirrors double reality, question the veracity of your perception, open portals to other dimensions, and act as objects of magic and divination. In the series Black Mirror/Espejo Negro (2007, ongoing), Pedro Lasch employs the mirror as an emblem that interrogates the tension between presence and absence, colonial histories, and the politics of visibility. The selections from the series displayed in this installation conceptually bring together canonical works of art from early modern Europe and prominent pre-Columbian sculptural figures, whose superimposed images emerge specter-like through darkened glass. Each work includes an accompanying text the artist produced for that pairing.
For millennia, humans and flowers have enjoyed a rich and intertwined history spanning time and cultures. Fossilized flowers have been found at early human burial sites and flora is used in medicines and remedies. Flowers have also evolved into symbols of love, purity, and rebirth, alongside their enduring role as objects of beauty and ornamentation. Flora Symbolica: The Art of Flowers explores the meanings and messages of flowers in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighting the timeless connections among art, nature, and human experience.
This exhibition explores how the land, the people, and the built environment of Asheville and its surrounding environs were interpreted through early 20th century vintage postcards. Some images show the sophisticated architecture of the region, including views of downtown Asheville, the Biltmore Estate, and Grove Park Inn. Other images show views of the scenic mountains and landscapes that first drew tourists and outdoor enthusiasts to the region.
Local ceramic artists will once again fire up their kilns for the 8th year to help hungry children in the greater Flat Rock area. On Sunday, May 18, Empty Bowls, a community meal benefiting the Flat Rock Backpack Program, will take place inside the Parish Hall at the Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness.
Advanced tickets are strongly recommended for the two seatings: 12:00pm-2:00pm and 4:00pm-6:00pm. Attendees of the event may come any time during their seating window. Each ticket includes one hand-crafted bowl (all donated by area potters) and a soup-based meal (a variety of soups, breads, and homemade cookies). For those wishing to eat at home, take-away is an available option.
Tickets are $30 per person or $50 for a family of two adults and children under 12. Limited tickets may be available at the door on the day of the event.
The Parish Hall is located across the street from the church building, at 1905 Greenville Highway. For more information or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, write to [email protected]. Click the button below to get your Empty Bowls tickets today!
“King” LeBron James’s years playing in Cleveland bring promise to a city in desperate need. His tenure also unites Shawn and Matt in an unlikely bond forged by fandom. Over twelve years the men navigate their turbulent friendship through their shared love of basketball—and the endless amiable arguments that erupt from that love.
Performances of King James will be held on the days and times listed below. The lobby and concessions area will open one hour prior to showtime. Concessions may be taken into the theatre during the performance.
April 24 – May 18, 2025
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30
Sundays at 2pm
Friday 4/25 and 5/2 at 7:30pm
Friday 5/9 and 5/16 at 2pm
The Season of Wow concludes with Brevard Philharmonic’s All-American Finale, featuring violinist William Shaub, on Sunday, May 18th, at 3:00 p.m. at the Porter Center, Brevard College.
The Season of Wow comes to a triumphant close with All-American Finale, a concert celebrating the brilliance of American orchestral music. On Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 3:00 PM, the Brevard Philharmonic will take the stage at the Porter Center at Brevard College for a stirring program featuring music that captures the heart and soul of America. Joining us for this unforgettable performance is the extraordinary William Shaub, a world-class violinist known for his dazzling technique and expressive artistry. Shaub will bring to life Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, one of the most beloved American violin concertos, filled with lyrical beauty and breathtaking virtuosity.
Join us in the beautiful Asheville neighborhood of Olivette for an outdoor concert by critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter Liz Longley and special guest Jesse Ruben.
$25•KIDS ARE FREE•BYOB•BYOC (chair)
Best known for her stop-you-in-your-tracks voice, Liz Longley is an accomplished singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. With her deeply emotional songs, Longley has earned accolades from some of the most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country and cultivated a following that enthusiastically supports the creation of her music.In 2020, Longley’s “Funeral For My Past” received widespread acclaim, with Forbes hailing it as a “stunning new album.” Billboard described it as spanning genres from Americana to gospel-flavored soul to shimmering pop anthems.
Jesse Ruben is a singer/songwriter living in Brooklyn, NY. Best known for his lyrical storytelling and engaging live shows, his songs have been heard on more than a dozen TV shows in the US and abroad . His most recent single “This Is Why I Need You” reached the top 10 in 12 different countries, and has been streamed more than 60 million times across all platforms. He has recorded live sessions for NPR and MTV Asia, and has been featured on CNN and in Esquire Magazine.
A hands-on workshop celebrating the art of pâté-making—craft classic styles with Butcher Todd Graham, learn about sustainable pork and poultry from our farmers, enjoy charcuterie and drinks during class & take home your own pâté.
Asheville, NC — May 18, 2025 – Nationally touring comedian Sam Miller brings his raw, hilarious, and heart-forward stand-up to The Urban Orchard in Asheville for one night only. Known for his towering presence (literally—he’s 6’6”, 360 pounds) and deeply personal stories, Sam offers audiences a comedy experience that’s as healing as it is hysterical.
Miller, who’s been sober for 15 years, draws from his experience as a parent, a recovering addict, and a blue-collar weirdo with a giant heart. His comedy often explores the absurdity of being a sober dad in a chaotic world, and he’s earned national attention for his unique voice and unforgettable stage presence.
His debut album and special, Round Trip, produced by Grammy-winner Dan Schlissel (Stand Up! Records), debuted at #1 on the iTunes Comedy Charts and broke into the Top 200 overall. Sam is also a recurring guest on the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Show (with over 2.5 million listeners), has written for Newsweek, and was the runner-up in the 2021 Seattle International Comedy Competition.
Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective presents Juked – RESCHEDULED
PLEASE NOTE: Performances of DS!PAC’s JUKED originally scheduled for February 6–23, 2025 have been rescheduled to May 1-18, 2025. Ticket holders will be contacted with more information.
Thursday – Saturday, May 1 – 17, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.
WORLD PREMIERE written by Mildred Inez Lewis
Juked is a retelling of Sophocles’ tragedy Electra. This version is set in 1950s Asheville and the “kingdom” is a chain of drink houses (private homes offering illegal alcohol) owned by the well-off, African-American Memnon family. Juked examines the relationship between Electra, her mother, and her sister, and asks what happens after tragedy. How do we recover? Juked is part of the Emerging Black Playwrights New Play Series and first debuted in its development phase, as a staged reading in November 2023.
The Montford Park Players proudly presents “The Book of Will” follows the journey of William Shakespeare’s friends and fellow playwrights as they struggle to preserve his legacy after his death. Amid betrayal, heartbreak, and ambition, they work to compile his works into the First Folio, ensuring his immortality in the world of theater.
Shows are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30 each night.
And always FREE! No Sunday performances for the last weekend of each show.
Brett Dennen & River Whyless
The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds Present Kishi Bashi with Oshima Brothers
STANDING ROOM ONLY
The latest full-length from Kishi Bashi, Kantos is a work of exquisite duality: a party album about the possible end of humanity as we know it, at turns deeply unsettling and sublimely joyful.
Between The Buried And Me
Protest The Hero
The Orange Peel
The Grey Eagle and Worthwhile Sounds Present
Joywave
with Little Image
STANDING ROOM ONLY
viewshed illuminates the enduring impact of Black Mountain College as a crucible of artistic experimentation and exchange, tracing the transmission of ideas across generations and exploring how BMC’s radical pedagogical approaches continue to shape contemporary artistic practice. The exhibition stages a dynamic dialogue between past and present, featuring contemporary artists Richard Garet, Jennie MaryTai Liu, Deanna Sirlin, and Susie Taylor alongside seminal BMC figures such as Dorothea Rockburne, Sewell (Si) Sillman, and Jacob Lawrence. By engaging with transparency, structure, color, collaboration, and expanded forms, viewshed brings into focus the porous boundaries between disciplines, unfolding as a sensorial and conceptual investigation into the shifting terrain of artistic influence. The exhibition highlights works that span painting, textile, sound, and performance, inviting viewers to consider the ways in which artistic methodologies evolve and reverberate across time. At its core, viewshed underscores the ways in which BMC’s experimental ethos continues to inspire artists to challenge, reinterpret, and expand the possibilities of creative expression.
Join us for Age Well Buncombe and learn how to “age in place” with resources provided by area organizations and a panel discussion. PLUS – FREE Refreshments, FREE Blood Pressure Readings and GIVEAWAYS. The panel features area aging experts and is moderated by Ashley Steward, RN from MAHEC. Panelists include:
-Ann Marr with AdventHealth who will discuss Home Safety Tips
-Maureen Williams with Four Seasons, The Care You Trust who will discuss Advance Care Planning
-Edward Jones with Area Agency on Aging at Land of Sky Regional Council who will discuss Caregiver Support
-Molly Behan, with Four Seasons, The Care You Trust who will discuss the Quality of Life Care
Bring your friends and family and come learn more about ways to make the aging journey a bit easier.
Head on out to the ballgame at McCormick Field. Asheville is taking on Greensboro. Game starts at 6:05pm..
Everyone is welcome to share a few poems (3-5 min. each), or just sit back and have a drink for a good cause.
$1 from every classic cocktail will be donated to the Friends of the Black Mountain Library!