Calendar of Events

Select Evenings, May 17–October 7, 2018

Biltmore House & Gardens opens to the public on Thursday–Sunday evenings for a special reservations-only viewing of Chihuly’s stunning large-scale glass sculptures. Chihuly Nights at Biltmore is an enchanting opportunity to witness the effects of dramatic nighttime lighting upon the luminous colors and graceful forms of these spectacular pieces. Sunset over the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, live music in the gardens, and a wine bar make the evening experience all the more enticing. Chihuly’s towering works of art illuminated against a night sky surrounded by the timeless beauty and magnificence of Biltmore House & Gardens: a truly moving, memorable experience

Emmy®-nominated and best-selling comedian Chonda Pierce, or “the country comic” as Billboard Magazine dubbed her, has been making audiences laugh for more than two decades with her winning combination of fierce wit and southern charm. A stand-up comedian, television hostess, author and actress, Pierce has channeled her life experiences into positivity, bringing laughter to audiences around the country. As the RIAA’s best-selling female comedian of all time, her hilarious take on life is easily relatable as she publicly opens up to her listeners about times of darkness and depression in her own life, drawing humor and good from every situation.

In October 2015, Pierce took her humor to the big screen with her first film “Chonda Pierce: Laughing In The Dark,” based on her personal struggle to overcome depression. The film is a behind-the-scenes journal chronicling Pierce’s downward spiral dealing with the devastating loss of her mother, an estranged daughter and the tragedy of her husband’s battle with alcoholism and subsequent death, all over the course of three years. Yet she remarkably makes her way through the adversity, heart-wrenching loss and her own depression with the gift of humor. Pierce made the film in hopes it would serve as a vehicle to inspire others who may be hitting points of darkness and depression in their lives. “Laughing In The Dark” opened October 27, 2015 to 858 screens and sold over 100,000 tickets. It won the Best Documentary award at the 2016 Park City International Film Festival.

Chonda’s next documentary movie, “Chonda Pierce: Enough” chronicled Chonda’s continuing story of struggle, survival and faith. It addressed the introspective question if she, in fact all women, were simply “enough” in the eyes of their husbands, family, loved ones, god and even themselves. The film has been received as an uplifting and inspirational answer to the internal and emotional struggles faced by many women. “Enough” opened April 25, 2017 to 1,510 screens and sold over 100,000 tickets.

In 2016, Chonda’s stand-up comedy series debuted on the Dove Channel, called “Chonda Pierce: Stand-Up for Families”. The show is a family friendly comedy series designed to encourage entire families to watch television together without the risk of content that might not be appropriate for all ages. Each episode of the series features a stand-up performance by Chonda and her guest comedians.

Pierce got her start working at Opryland Theme Park in Nashville where she performed as “Grand Ole Opry” star Minnie Pearl. Pierce recalls being a terrible dancer and being told by her boss to “find a new talent.” In order to keep her job, she memorized three pages of jokes from Grinders Switch, TN and went on to impersonate Minnie Pearl for six years. While Pierce enjoyed singing and dancing, it was at this time that she truly fell in love with her craft. After deciding to pursue comedy fulltime, she recorded “Second Row, Piano Side,” a collection drawing material from her childhood growing up as the daughter of a preacher in South Carolina. Pierce’s material resonated with people from all walks of life, and she credits her southern upbringing both for her warped sense of humor and her solid roots.

From there, Pierce turned her gift of storytelling into a successful comedic career, selling more comedy DVD’s than any other female comedian. In addition to her 10 successful DVDs to date, she has also authored eight books, including the 2007 “Laughing In The Dark” (Simon & Schuster/Howard), and appears at venues big and small throughout the United States making audiences laugh with her ability to find the positivity in any situation. Pierce received five Daytime Emmy® nominations for her work co-hosting talk show “Aspiring Women” on the Total Living Network and her first television special, “This Ain’t Prettyville!” on the CMT Network. She is ranked among Pollstar.com’s top-selling live performers and five of her DVD’s have been certified Gold by the RIAA, signifying sales of more than 50,000 units, and three have been certified Platinum, signifying sales of more than 100,000 units.

In addition to her accolades, Pierce is a frequent guest on famed “Grand Ole Opry” and has served as host of the Inspirational Country Music Awards and Christian Music Hall of Fame Awards and also co-hosted the GMA Dove Awards in 2012. She has also appeared on “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View,” “Fox News Channel,” “Wanda Sykes,” “Hallmark Home and Family” and her comedy is regularly featured on XM and Sirius satellite radio. Variety raved about her ability to draw audiences for an encore performance for “Chonda Pierce: Laughing in the Dark.”

In addition to her comedic work, Pierce has used her success to help others, and in 2006 founded Branches Recovery Center, which offers counseling and treatment to those with depression, anxiety, addiction, regardless of their ability to pay. She has also raised millions of dollars for international relief organizations Compassion International, WorldVision, Food for the Hungry and Feed The Children.

Today, as the RIAA’s best-selling female comedian, Pierce continues to bring the laughs with her unique blend of music and comedy.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2182020682054981/

Chonda Pierce is STILL LAUGHING and you can join her and special guest Karyn Williams for a night of fun and laughs.

https://www.facebook.com/events/873486359442470/

Cody Jinks plays Pisgah Brewing Co October 7 w/ NIkki Lane & TN Jet!

This show was rescheduled due to Hurricane Florence. New show date is SUNDAY OCT 7. All tickets will be honored for the rescheduled show. Refunds may be processed at point of purchase.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1104070423064047/

Something that made you laugh, cry, or feel a little better? Or something in your life that stemmed from or was inspired by Jubilee!? Would you like to gather with other Jubilants to share stories? Better yet, what if those stories were immediately turned into a piece of improvisational theatre that would have all of us laughing and crying and feeling a little better together? You’ll have your chance on Sunday, October 7th at 7 pm. Don’t miss this opportunity, led by Daniel Barber and Jessica Chilton from the Transition Team, to share treasured memories and create new ones. A $10 suggestion donation is asked, all of which will go to the Jubilee! Hunger fund. But, please note that no one will be turned away for any reason.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2216565548414809/

The widely successful and massively hysterical ‘The Kevin Hart Irresponsible Tour stops at #TheWell on October 7!

The Irresponsible Tour has a strict no cell phone policy. No cell phone usage is allowed before or during the show. Violaters will be ejected.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2002628296617114/

We’ve got a great slate of comedy shorts and some rare surprises for you this month!
Including:
BUSTER KEATON in HARD LUCK
and the
HAL ROACH Short Female Comedy
A PAIR OF TIGHTS
Plus More…..
Andrew Fletcher is back on piano providing his dazzling piano accompaniment.
Frank Thompson will be joining us to do introductions and share stories from his vast film knowledge

Sunday, October 7 at 7PM
Special Event $12
Buy Tickets at the box office or ONLINE

https://www.facebook.com/events/468481933659844/

Asheville local Jesse Barry will sing the “Tapestry” album in its entirety, along with a full set of hit songs you may not know were also written by Carole King. With an all-star lineup of musicians including Peggy Ratusz, Brie Capone, Kelly Jones, Aaron Price, Zack Page, Micah Thomas, Jonathan Cole, & Kate Kinney Barber, this is bound to be another night to remember!

Main Stage Seated

Limited Tables Available with a Dinner Reservation :: All Other Seating is First Come First Serve General Admission :: Please Call Venue for Dinner (Table) Reservations

$15 Advance // $15 Day of Show

https://www.facebook.com/events/277813933031473/

Sunday October 7 at The Odditorium

Embracer – Post Rock Influence from West Virginia
https://embracerband.bandcamp.com/

Bloom – Harrisonburg, Va Emo/Post Hardcore
https://bloomva.bandcamp.com/

ghostdog – Asheville Emo-Pop
https://ghostdogavl.bandcamp.com/album/a-circle-of-stones-2

Anywhere From Here – Canton Emo/Post Hardcore

Doors 8 PM // Show 9 PM
$6

https://www.facebook.com/events/456843694810985/

Emmy and Tony Award winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth has announced an October 7 performance at Asheville’s Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 13 at 10AM at bnpresents.com and ticketmaster.com.

https://www.facebook.com/events/196650544398039/

LYDIA LUNCH RETROVIRUS: AN ALL-STAR CAST OF SONIC BRUTARIANS IN A NO-HOLDS-BARRED SURVEY OF HER MUSICAL OUTPUT FROM 1977 TO THE PRESENT.

Lydia Lunch has spent decades trolling through the sub/terranean sick-home black & blues creating a schizophrenic musical legacy which loops from shrill No Wave to bludgeoning Hard Rock, from smoky Jazz Noir and illustrated word to macabre Psychedelia. Featuring Weasel Walter, Bob Bert and Tim Dahl.

$15 advance/ $20 dos
8pm doors
830 Gláss
930 Lydia Lunch Retrovirus

https://www.facebook.com/events/1905536133080564/

King Khan & The Shrines at The Grey Eagle

https://www.facebook.com/events/2021912284738646/

This year, Eliada will maintain some beloved attractions including the tractor ride, which now drives all the way around the Corn Maze, jumping pillow, corn kernel sand box, spider web climber, tube slides, and corn cannons.

Reclaimed Creations is a unique sculpture exhibit created by renowned artist Sayaka Ganz. Utilizing reclaimed plastic objects, such as discarded utensils, Ganz creates amazing sculptures that visually appear unified at a distance, but are in fact separated when examined up close. Described as using a “3D impressionistic” style, Ganz’s exhibit includes installations of animals in motion, which are in rich in color and energy, to create an illusion of form.

About the Artist

Born in Yokohama, Japan, Sayaka Ganz grew up living in Japan, Brazil and Hong Kong. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. A lecturer and teacher, Ganz’s work has been displayed at various institutions around the globe, including the Hermann Geiger Foundation in Cecina, Italy, the Isle Gallery in Isle of Man, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.

My work is about perceiving harmony, even in situations that appear chaotic from the inside. When observing my sculptures up close, one might see gaps, holes and items being held on only by small points; step away, however, and the sculptures reveal the harmony created when the objects are aligned to the same general (but not identical) direction. Similarly, it is important to gain perspective by stepping back from current problems and look at the larger picture. Then one can perceive the beauty and patterns that exist.”

Do you have a gardening question? Looking to get that mystery plant identified? Need pruning advice? The North Carolina Arboretum is proud to introduce its newest educational series, “Ask the Gardener.” Every Monday from 9 a.m. – 12 noon, April through October, gardening experts will be on-site in the Arboretum’s Library, located upstairs in the Education Center, to help members and visitors address both common and unique gardening and landscape questions. The Arboretum’s extensive resource book collection will also be available for use by participants. The program is free, however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are welcomed.

Don’t get stumped! Let the Arboretum’s gardening experts help.

ANONYMOUS | Million Mask March
MillionMaskMarch.com & MondayMarches.com

9am – 5pm weekly at State Capitols & City Halls in 800 cities. Marches begin at 5pm for rush hour.

https://www.facebook.com/events/547877212240204/?event_time_id=547877345573524

ANONYMOUS | Million Mask March
MillionMaskMarch.com

9am – 5pm weekly at State Capitols & City Halls in 800 cities. Marches begin at 5pm for rush hour.

https://www.facebook.com/events/353752088429951/?event_time_id=353752101763283

Show runs through November 7
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10am – 4pm

This beautiful exhibit celebrates the works of photographer Lauren Rutten and quilter Kari Morton. What these two artists share in common are a partnership in the five-woman, artist-owned Flow Gallery in historic downtown Marshall, and a deep love of Madison County, their newly chosen home.

In 2015, Lauren and her husband Andy, traveled the US for one year searching for a home. “From the very moment I arrived in Marshall while on this journey, I had a sense of having dreamt of this place since childhood – I knew this was where I wanted to be.

I have found that my life here is not confined within four walls, so I’m very interested in reflections, when the light shines through a structure, or a barn begins to dilapidate so the outside and inside merge.

Marshall finds itself in a season of change. Many families who are moving here to homestead live alongside families who have farmed here for generations. This collection hopes to show the range of those who have come to call Marshall home, as well as the hard reality of homesteading and its immense beauty, which are in direct relationship with each other here. In this land I dig my hands in the earth and muddy my feet on the ground, while at the same time experiencing the transcendence of being and connecting to so much beyond my body. I hope those who view these photos might experience this too.”

Kari and her husband, Mike, moved to Madison County in 2012, after having lived a fairly nomadic life. They decided Madison County was the place to put down roots and call home.

“This collection is inspired by my immediate world, the things I live with and the things I see – the garden in my front yard, the chickens in the back yard, the buildings in downtown Marshall, where I spend many hours working at Flow and serving as a guardian ad litem in the county courthouse. Each of my pieces tell a story of connection, to my community, to my world. I love sharing this part of myself with others.”

Flow Gallery is located on Main Street in the historic, picturesque town of Marshall, which lies along the French Broad River, just 25 minutes north of Asheville, NC. The gallery is in its 8th year of business and showcases the work of over 65 talented, regional artists.

When we look at the intersection of today’s headlines and God’s concern we see topics like racism, #metoo, immigration, and violence. In each of these discussions, the common thread is power. It’s the same when we look at the topics of spirited discussion in our churches, like the budget, mission, stewardship, and recruitment of leaders. And yet power is something we rarely talk about, analyze, or organize around, even though we’re dealing with it, using it, or finding ourselves without it, all the time.

Better Angels has something for everyone. We invite you to enter the discussion of power where you find it most relevant, by choosing one of seven areas of concentration:
• The March is Over…Now What?
• Gender and Power in Church Settings
• Feeling Overexposed to Logics and Systems of Supremacy
• Leading the Mission Committee Beyond Charity
• Advanced Topics in Understanding Power
• What If We Are the Next Charlottesville?
• Can Understanding Power Make Preaching More Powerful?

Learn more at montreat.org/better-angels.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1611197292281961/

When reflecting on the current state of the environment, it seems that we have entered into times of seismic sorrows. Carbon emissions, water pollution, fracking, and changing climate patterns all point to a troubling reality with serious consequences for human and non-human populations. Through weavings, installations, sculpture, and print, artists Rena Detrixhe and Tali Weinberg (Tulsa, OK) explore the complex relationship between humans and the planet, offering insights, expressing grief, and creating space for resilience and change.

In Time of Seismic Sorrows is curated by Marilyn Zapf and organized by the Center for Craft. The Center for Craft is supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Cold Brew Coffee fans! We are excited to announce that we have partnered with our friends at PennyCup Coffee Co. and will officially be brewing and selling their cold brew coffee (plus regular drip coffee and espresso)! And to mark the occasion we are also using that cold brew to make our newest flavor in the coffee family, appropriately named PennyCup Cold Brew! This delicious coffee Ice Cream was a hit when it was unveiled at the Asheville Coffee Expo and we are pumped to be bringing it into regular rotation on Monday October 8th at both The Hop and The Hop West!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1903480013286647/

Tired of hearing what’s wrong with the world? Come be inspired by what our churches are doing “right” in terms of Refugee & Immigration issues. Return refreshed, renewed, and filled with ideas to share with your congregation.
Keynote speaker: Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director of Refugee & Immigration Ministries, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

https://www.facebook.com/events/669009756803191/

Join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of Julsbuckman Photography!

The celebration will kick off at 4:30 pm with the official Ribbon Cutting, followed by a reception and open house lasting until 9 pm!

See Julie’s beautiful new studio and enjoy some delicious treats!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1750627068379761/

FREE EVENT
DETAILS: https://bit.ly/2pgwg57

The place for bassists, musicians and music lovers of all kinds to gather, learn about the local bass community, hear performances by featured artists, and enter the free raffle for chances to win over $3000 worth of incredible bass gear, donated by our event’s generous sponsors.

SPONSORS: Fodera Guitars, D’Addario and Co., Arkham Sound, REMIC MICROPHONES, East Tone UK Ltd, DR STRINGS, Aguilar Amplification, SIT Strings, Nordstrand Audio, & Wayne Jones Audio

MEDIA SPONSOR: Bass Musician Magazine

PERFORMANCES: Taylor Lee, Adam Booker and Ryan Crabtree, as well as a presentation by bassist and mastering engineer Michael Hynes on “Recorded and Live Bass Tone Secrets”.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1896214370471192/

Best deal on cheap fancy beers in town! Every Monday from 6-10pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/275948439819436/?event_time_id=275948489819431

Curated open mic night featuring some of Asheville’s finest pickers and crooners.

https://www.facebook.com/events/225303161670761/

Join us for the musical styling of Rebecca Wiggins. She sings, she writes, she plays piano & guitar. Her favorite quote is: A girl without freckles is a night without stars!

https://www.facebook.com/events/584637851939243/