Designed with an artistic aesthetic, Winter Lights features beautifully lit displays and glowing landscapes nestled along the Arboretum’s woodland edge and garden areas. As part of the show’s redesign, visitors will enjoy several new nature-themed displays, including winter wildlife, colorful butterflies, a special insect lantern exhibit and a giant daisy “garden.” Celebrate the holiday season with the entire family at Winter Lights.
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.

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.
Winter Lights at The N.C. Arboretum
November 20, 2020 – January 10, 2021
5:30 – 10:30 p.m. Nightly
Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. This year, guests are invited to take a dreamy ride through the Arboretum’s enchanted forest and attend Winter Lights safely within their own vehicles. In light of COVID-19, the Arboretum has converted its popular event into a drive-thru show, allowing guests to navigate through a one-mile stretch of the Arboretum’s campus and see unique exhibits covered in thousands of holiday lights. As the Arboretum’s largest fundraising event of the year, proceeds generated from Winter Lights will directly support the Arboretum’s mission-driven programming.

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.
ONLINE CELEBRATION: JANUARY 15 – 22, 2021
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville + Buncombe County, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) entity, is currently planning for our annual MLK, Jr. Celebration events. The format for the 2021 Celebration will be different this year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As we commemorate forty (40) years of service and celebrations, we will move most of our programming to online platforms utilizing YouTube and Zoom. The 2021 programming will be expanded to a week-long list of events, and the speaker for the Prayer Breakfast will be Dr. Oralene Simmons, President, MLK Association. She will be sharing some of the forty-year struggles of not only the Association, but the 400 years of struggles of the Black race in the United States.
How to Watch: Programming Will be available starting 1/15/21 on YouTube. Subscribe and hit the bell icon to receive a notification each time a video is published for MLK Week!
“SAY THEIR NAMES”

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.
ONLINE CELEBRATION: JANUARY 15 – 22, 2021
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville + Buncombe County, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) entity, is currently planning for our annual MLK, Jr. Celebration events. The format for the 2021 Celebration will be different this year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As we commemorate forty (40) years of service and celebrations, we will move most of our programming to online platforms utilizing YouTube and Zoom. The 2021 programming will be expanded to a week-long list of events, and the speaker for the Prayer Breakfast will be Dr. Oralene Simmons, President, MLK Association. She will be sharing some of the forty-year struggles of not only the Association, but the 400 years of struggles of the Black race in the United States.
How to Watch: Programming Will be available starting 1/15/21 on YouTube. Subscribe and hit the bell icon to receive a notification each time a video is published for MLK Week!
“SAY THEIR NAMES”

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.
ONLINE CELEBRATION: JANUARY 15 – 22, 2021
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville + Buncombe County, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) entity, is currently planning for our annual MLK, Jr. Celebration events. The format for the 2021 Celebration will be different this year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As we commemorate forty (40) years of service and celebrations, we will move most of our programming to online platforms utilizing YouTube and Zoom. The 2021 programming will be expanded to a week-long list of events, and the speaker for the Prayer Breakfast will be Dr. Oralene Simmons, President, MLK Association. She will be sharing some of the forty-year struggles of not only the Association, but the 400 years of struggles of the Black race in the United States.
How to Watch: Programming Will be available starting 1/15/21 on YouTube. Subscribe and hit the bell icon to receive a notification each time a video is published for MLK Week!
“SAY THEIR NAMES”

Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.
MLK Day Concert Bundle
Enjoy both the afternoon and evening concerts along with an intimate conversation with Sweet Honey, which will take place at 7:15 PM ET and is only available to bundle ticket holders. During this moderated dialogue, the artists will gather onstage and respond to your questions. Members of the group will share reflections from nearly five decades of activism and performance. Bundle ticket holders will also have extended access to re-watch the concerts for 1-week after the live broadcast.
Sweet Honey In The Rock
MLK Day Celebration Reclaiming the Beloved Community
MLK Day Afternoon Concert
Join Washington, D.C.-based, African-American a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock®, as they mark this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a celebration of hope, resilience, and new beginnings. The ensemble will once again take the stage at the historic Lincoln Theatre, where they will look out to an audience of thousands from around the world who have joined via Zoom so that they can be seen by the artists. The concert will feature an exciting lineup of special guests including Kiki Shepard, Keith David, Mumu Fresh, Azar Lawrence, and Wycliffe Gordon who reflect the life of Reverend King and offer words of inspiration for the future.
Since 1973, Sweet Honey has empowered and inspired with songs about a range of social issues, blending potent themes with gorgeous artistry to stir the mind and the soul. Throughout their sterling career, the ensemble has raised their voices to defend civil rights, social justice, equality, and freedom for all.
The three-time Grammy® Award-nominated and internationally renowned group currently consists of members Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, Rochelle Rice, Christie Dashiell, and features Romeir Mendez on upright acoustic bass and electric bass. This performance will include American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, Barbara Hunt.
Sweet Honey In The Rock
MLK Day Celebration Reclaiming the Beloved Community
ONLINE CELEBRATION: JANUARY 15 – 22, 2021
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville + Buncombe County, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) entity, is currently planning for our annual MLK, Jr. Celebration events. The format for the 2021 Celebration will be different this year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As we commemorate forty (40) years of service and celebrations, we will move most of our programming to online platforms utilizing YouTube and Zoom. The 2021 programming will be expanded to a week-long list of events, and the speaker for the Prayer Breakfast will be Dr. Oralene Simmons, President, MLK Association. She will be sharing some of the forty-year struggles of not only the Association, but the 400 years of struggles of the Black race in the United States.
How to Watch: Programming Will be available starting 1/15/21 on YouTube. Subscribe and hit the bell icon to receive a notification each time a video is published for MLK Week!
“SAY THEIR NAMES”


Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.

JOIN US for an engaging program with dynamic performances, presentations by local Community organizations, reflections from community representatives and an inspirational keynote address by Dr. Brenda Thames, Prisma Health Chief Academic Executive Officer and Provost.
This year’s theme “Where do I go from here?” is based on Dr. King’s last book: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: CHAOS OR COMMUNITY?
Today we find ourselves still grappling with the same question.
Our goal is to mobilize our viewers to personally contribute to moving America towards unity. The theme is a self-reflective question that pushes us to consider how we, as individuals, can make our society better now and for coming generations. Through our program we want to help bring clarity to the uncertainty surrounding our future by promoting specific tools for empowerment, inspiration and guidance.
The YouTube Link to join the program will be provided in your Registration Confirmation E-mail.

ONLINE CELEBRATION: JANUARY 15 – 22, 2021
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville + Buncombe County, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) entity, is currently planning for our annual MLK, Jr. Celebration events. The format for the 2021 Celebration will be different this year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As we commemorate forty (40) years of service and celebrations, we will move most of our programming to online platforms utilizing YouTube and Zoom. The 2021 programming will be expanded to a week-long list of events, and the speaker for the Prayer Breakfast will be Dr. Oralene Simmons, President, MLK Association. She will be sharing some of the forty-year struggles of not only the Association, but the 400 years of struggles of the Black race in the United States.
How to Watch: Programming Will be available starting 1/15/21 on YouTube. Subscribe and hit the bell icon to receive a notification each time a video is published for MLK Week!
“SAY THEIR NAMES”


Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.


Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.
A TURKEY IS NOT A ROOSTER: is a one-act play inspired by the Chinese zodiac & a parodic response to anti-Avian sentiment.
Jinna Kim was born in Masan, South Korea and immigrated to the United States as a toddler. Currently she is an award winning interdisciplinary artist who also became a filmmaker during quarantine. She was listed as Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2019. Originally trained in classical music, Jinna began her professional career in arts administration, having graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Illinois. Jinna then moved to New York City to work at the Public Theater, also known for Shakespeare in Central Park and Joe’s Pub, then at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). While in NYC, Jinna received fellowships from Korea Society and the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement. After completing her MBA at the University of Virginia, Jinna moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to work at a major bank. Still based in Charlotte, Jinna continues to act, write and produce films and interdisciplinary art projects.

Juliana Heng is the founder of I Laugh KL Comedy Show, one of the founding members of Parti Komedi Rakyat (PKR) – a comedy troupe, and has been doing stand-up comedy since September 2017. They strive to be a comedian who gets real, talking about issues considered taboo in the Asian society. Juliana has performed in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok) & England (London, Nottingham & Manchester). Recently, they emerged as the Finalist of Bangkok International Comedy Competition 2019, KING GONG at The Comedy Store – London (December 2019) & BEAT THE FROG at The Frog & Bucket Comedy Club, Manchester (January 2020).
A one-hour medley show by this Malaysian stand-up comedian, storyteller and poet explores the different ways to tell one’s life story. Even with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), why not live life with spunk?
NOTE: Matured content, mild sexual innuendos, emotionally triggering, graphical depiction of domestic violence & can be too real
We regret to inform you that due to circumstances out of our control, this show has been cancelled. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. Please allow 2 – 4 weeks for refunds to fully process.
Described by Jay Leno as “the best joke writer in America,” by British comedian Gary Delaney as the best joke writer in the world, and by “Weird Al” Yankovic as one of the funniest people on the planet, Emo Philips has performed over 7000 times throughout the English-speaking world, including a multi-week run at the Playhouse Theater in London’s West End. Since starting out in Chicago in 1976 at the age of twenty, Emo has had award-winning comedy albums, several cable specials (including an hour-long one on HBO), and many appearances on network television, both in America and in the UK. He has appeared in films (most notably, as the table-saw demonstrator in UHF) and has lent his distinctive voice to animated TV shows (such as Slacker Cats, Doctor Katz, Adventure Time, and Home Movies), but his first love, stand-up, remains his true one.


Start the year off right with a Flat Rock Playhouse 2021 calendar! This beautiful image of our Mainstage was taken by longtime Vagabond and Flat Rock Playhouse favorite, Scott Treadway. Enjoy the view of the Rock all year round in your office, on the kitchen wall, or above your desk. This quality printed calendar is 20″x16″ and supports the arts in North Carolina.




