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.
Join us for our monthly poetry event featuring three poets and coordinated by Mildred Barya. This month, we welcome Sarah Cooper, Barbara Costas-Biggs, and AE Hines. This is a hybrid event, meaning there is an option to attend virtually and a limited amount of seats available to attend the event in-store. The event is free but registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance.
Please click here to register for the VIRTUAL event. The link required to attend will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.
Please click here to register for the IN-PERSON event.
This event includes a book signing. If you are not attending in person but would like a signed book you may request one using the comments field when you order online or by call the store at 828-254-6734 during store hours.
If you decide to attend and purchase the authors’ books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you! Feel free to email [email protected] with questions. We look forward to seeing you, whether in-person or online!
Sarah Cooper is the author of two poetry collections: Permanent Marker (Paper Nautilus, 2020) and most recently, 89% (Clemson University Press 2022). Her poems also appear in Lunch, Sinister Wisdom, Iron Horse and other anthologies and literary journals. Currently, Sarah is a PhD candidate in Rhetorics, Communication and Informational Design at Clemson University. Her dissertation project explores how spatial practices intersect with lesbian identity. She is a professor of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies at Clemson University where she received the Holman Award for teaching, was a 2021 LGBTQ+ Faculty Excellence Award winner, a 2022 Gentry Award winner for teaching excellence and the 2022 Tee A. Corrine Fellow at the University of Oregon. For more, visit https://www.sarahcooperpoet.com/poetry
Sometimes, a poem can show us a map of the human heart and all its pumping valves, all the blood it welcomes and lets go. In 89%, Sarah Cooper gives us that map from all angles-the love and loss of a mother, the loss and love of self, the way romantic love can scare us into silence. In this stunning debut collection, Cooper splays open these moments of tenderness with precision and skill. This book is both the carving knife and the soothing balm. These poems have an unflinching eye-they see all the way through us and then swaddle us in whole, critical heartbeat of truth. 89% won the poetry prize for the Clemson-Converse Literature Series.
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Barbara Costas-Biggs is a poet and librarian from Southern Ohio. Her work has appeared in Appalachian Review, Northern Appalachian Review, The Pikeville Review, 8Poems, and elsewhere. Her chapbook, The Other Shore, was a finalist for the Washburn Prize from Harbor Review. She holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and an MLIS from Kent State University. For more, visit http://stilljournal.net/interview-barbara-costas-biggs.php
“Things can be idyllic and then ugly,” Barbara Costas-Biggs writes. “A basket of pears in ochre, then piss the same color.” In Broken On the Wheel, the familiar is made strange, as it is in dreams. The speaker of these poems is a mother, a griever, a “hope-against-hoper,” so it’s no wonder this collection is packed with epiphanies and memories and crapshoots—“That in-between stuff./ What we, I hope, are mostly made of.” Broken On the Wheel is a perceptive, masterful debut.
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AE Hines’s debut collection, Any Dumb Animal, received Honorable Mention in the North Carolina Poetry Society’s 2022 Brockman-Campbell Book contest, and was also a daVinci Eye finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book award. His work has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, The Southern Review, Rhino, American Poetry Review, Poet Lore, The Greensboro Review, Ninth Letter, The Missouri Review, Tar River Poetry and elsewhere. Born and raised in rural North Carolina, AE resides in Charlotte and Medellín, Colombia. For more, visit https://www.aehines.net
Any Dumb Animal (Main Street Rag, 2021), AE Hines’s poetry collection, presents a memoir-in-verse as told by a gay man raised in the rural South who comes of age during the AIDS crisis. Flashing back and forth in time, a cast of recurring characters and circumstances are woven into a rich tale of survival and redemption, exploring one man’s life as a queer son, father, and husband, over a span of more than thirty years.
The Buncombe Partnership for Children and Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty invite you to an evening for BPFC’s Reach Out and Read partnership, bringing books to children and families. Bid on great silent auction items including art, gift baskets, classes, fine food and drinks, and gift certificates. Donations are also gratefully accepted. Help meet the ambitious goal of $9,000 raised for early literacy.
Together with French Broad Pediatrics and Our Family Doctor, BPFC gives over 3,100 books per year to children ages birth to 5 at their doctors’ visits. Pediatricians use books in these appointments to encourage families to read, sing, and talk with their kids. Then each child takes a book home. For some families, these books are the only ones they have in their homes.Parents in the program are 2.5 times more likely to read with their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. And children’s language development is improved by a whole 3-6 months by the age of 5!
Inspired by nature and following the self-published released of How to Heal the Planet from Wherever You Are, Cortina Jenelle introduces Oshanna Church of Spiritual Activism, with Oshanna debuting as a dynamic experience rooted in ceremony and inviting nature as a co-facilitator through theater, art and spoken word. After each production, all ticket proceeds are donated to a mission partner who is doing work in service to Mother Earth while also furthering truth, healing and reconciliation across race, gender and class.
Black Starseed: Immaculate Conception is the second installment of the Black Starseed series, which goes back in time as a prelude to Black Starseed: Revolutionary Reimagination (2020) – a debut partnership between adé PROJECT and PechaKucha Asheville co-creating a storytelling experience in voice of Black women at the intersection of creativity x spirituality. In this prelude, the life story of Cortina Jenelle becomes a moving memoir and an embodiment of a shared story from the matriarchs of Black, indigenous descent in a world where femininity, Blackness, sovereignty and indigeneity were not just criminal, but a threat to society. Black Starseed: Immaculate Conception may appear to just tell the story of one, yet is actually one version of the same story that constantly loops through time. Do you know how purposeful, brilliant and divine you already are, Starseed? This is heart song of the black sheep generation + millennials, and those born torn between ancestral remembrance and playing the game of life to win. Join us in a gathering of art, theater, ceremony (with a bonus book signing post-show) and storytelling and leave reminded of how to heal the planet from wherever you are.
Ticket proceeds benefit cleanup of the French Broad River with our mission partner for this show, Asheville Greenworks.
We are grateful to offer a benefit event again this December, the first since 2019.
This year’s performance will feature Chautauqua performer Carol Kessler, as Emily Dickinson, and the Asheville Flute Choir lending their talents to benefit Our Voice.
In the spirit of inclusivity and equity, PAN HARMONIA offers donation-based, pay-as-you-can community concerts. All are welcome.
Our VOICE serves all individuals in Buncombe County affected by sexual assault and abuse, through counseling, advocacy and education. https://www.ourvoicenc.org/
Advanced reservations are encouraged, as seating is limited. Those planning to attend are expected to be fully vaccinated for the safety of our community.
Email [email protected] or call the office at (828) 254-7123, if you have questions.
panharmonia.org
Punch Bucket Lit, West Asheville’s reading series at Cellarest Beer Project is back for more live readings in our taproom featuring authors Alysia Li Ying Sawchyn and Emily Paige Wilson. While the authors vary month-to-month you can always count on inspiring poetry, moving essays and heartfelt original literary works read aloud in the contemplative company of other lit nerds and creative types alike. We’ll booze, we’ll listen, we’ll feel feelings and we’ll see the world through a different lens for an evening.
– FULLY SEATED SHOW
THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle on the third Thursday of each month through December at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….
ANNIVERSARY: Prepare a five-minute story about milestones. Enduring love or loss. The fondness of nostalgia and the lessons of growth. Seconds, minutes, hours, or when time stood still. Paper or silver…extra points if you make it to platinum. Rejoice or reflect on the past while plotting the course ahead. Cheers to many more years!
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
BENEFIT CONCERT FOR EVERGREEN COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL
Evergreen Community Charter School is a K-8 learning community committed to the pursuit of excellence in the holistic education of mind, body, and spirit. We prepare students for successful lifelong learning, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and service. We value the voice of every member of our community.
Featuring….
THE LATE SHIFTERS
Southern rock meets jam band meets Americana with The Late Shifters, a necessity-born, passion-driven, local band, playing back holler, Asheville rock.
With a nod to their Southern rock and Appalachian roots, The Late Shifters have found a way to express their love for the region and its rich environment and culture through amplified and warm electric sound. Three guitars and three vocalists weave texture and melodic layers through their catchy original tunes that’ll have you singing along before the night is through.
In 2023, the band will be releasing their debut album featuring crowd-favorite originals like Highway 191 and Letting Go. They have an enthusiastic following around town and have plans to take their show on the road regionally this spring. These five, hardworking, hard-playing family men have brought together their individual talents from both southern corners of Buncombe County. The Late Shifters have been playing around the corner and around the campfire for years, and chances are, you probably know at least one of them. Bring your families and boogie shoes for a soul-warming, bootie shaking, rocking good time.
The Blushin’ Roulettes deliver sultry, smoky, swingin’ twang. “Their songs are stripped down, sexy little jewel boxes stuffed with ancient mountain magic,” says the San Francisco Free Folk Festival. Guitaress and songwriter Angie Heimann belts her stirring songs of damsels in their bliss and distress in a clarion vibrato often likened to Iris Dement. Cas Sochacki thumps the double bass and interlaces bright dobro stylings amid the rich lyrics of the Roulettes’ more serious songs, and rings in vocally with his molasses baritone on the occasional cheeky duet. The Roulettes have newly expanded their North Carolina lineup to include the prominent Asheville players Cynthia McDermott (mandolin and vocals,) Jay Brown (guitar and vocals) and James T. Browne (drums.)
The Blushin’ Roulettes’ appearances include performances at the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival, San Francisco Free Folk Festival, North Bay Hootennany and the Humboldt Folklife Festival, as well as shared stages with the Wailin’ Jennies, Wayne the Train Hancock, Big Sandy and His Fly Right Boys, and The Devil Makes 3, and poet John Trudell. Angie has won songwriting awards in KZFR/Sierra Nevada’s Celebration of the Song, Woody Guthrie Songwriting Contest, Artists for Literacy SIBL Songwriting Contest, and South Florida Folk Festival.
JUAN HOLLADAY
Hailing from the desert southwest, Juan Holladay is a quiet storm, down tempo, lo-fi crooner.
This virtual event is free but registration is required.
Jameka Williams holds an MFA in poetry from Northwestern University. Her poetry has been published in Prelude Magazine, Muzzle Magazine, and Gulf Coast, among others. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she resides in Chicago, Illinois.
Diamond Forde’s debut collection, Mother Body, is the winner of the 2019 Saturnalia Poetry Prize. Forde has received numerous awards and prizes, including a Pink Poetry Prize, a Furious Flower Poetry Prize, and was a finalist for the 2022 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. You can find more at her website, www.diamondforde.com.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Kendra Allen is the author of The Collection Plate and When You Learn the Alphabet, an essay collection that won the 2018 Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction. She writes the music column Make Love in My Car for Southwest Review, and her memoir, Fruit Punch, is out now. You can keep up with her work at KendraCanYou.com.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
Black Diamond Enterprise presents Black Poetry Theatre* for Black History Month @ The Foundry (*along with other happenings), Feb. 3rd, 5pm. This is a FREE event. Come join us as we explore the Joy, Pain, Sunshine & Rain of life. Enjoy the encouragement and singing with us!
Check for other dates as well.
Kate Steinbeck flute and Dewitt Tipton piano
Music of JS Bach, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Claude Debussy, Albert Roussel and Katherine Hoover
Read more about Adventure Armenia here: https://panharmonia.org/2023/01/02/adventure-armenia/
We are committed to ensuring that programs remain accessible to all members of the community. In the spirit of inclusivity and equity, PAN HARMONIA offers donation-based, pay-as-you-can community concerts. All are welcome.
Those planning to attend are expected to be fully vaccinated for the safety of our community. Advanced reservations are encouraged.
Email [email protected] or call the office at (828) 254-7123, if you have questions.
panharmonia.org
A portion of all sales will be donated to Sleep Tight Kids, a local non-profit that provides newly purchased bed time essentials to children who are experiencing trauma or displacement.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
We invite you to drink in the nectar of our heart’s creative delight… A Love Potion by OMotion!
THE SHOW
A one of a kind unique multi-dimensional event !!!!
Muses & Mocktails is not only a show to indulge the senses; it is also a fundraiser for our next full length production, Cycles of Dance, coming up Autumn 2023!
Join us for an evening of potent performance art & herbal elixirs!
OMotion Collective & featured performers convene to share an infusion of musings woven together.
Highlighting:
- Dance
- Burlesque
- Flow arts
- Comedy
- Poetry
– & –
- Looping Musical Mastery
The mocktails being served are The MerTails curated by local purveyor: The NOHM. These herbaceous libations hold a sweet reminder to savor every drop of this creative healing elixir as we rejoice with a cheers.
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THE AFTER-SHOW DANCE PARTY
The show will be followed by a dance party. Electronic sets by local talents Blacknote and Atum are sure to getcha’ moving once you’re bubbling with inspiration after the spectrum of expressive acts we have brewed up.
TIming conflicts or preference to just come after the main show & shake it on out? If you can’t make it to the main show, you can purchase a reduced price ticket which is only valid for the after-show Dance Party.
_________________________
Doors at 6:30pm
Show at 7:30pm
Dance Party 9:15pm
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GENERAL ADMISSION: $33 per person – Full Access Show + Drink + Dance Party
VIP: $88 for 2 persons – Full Access Show + Drink + Dance Party ( with reserved table for 2 with a decadent spread of fruits, nuts & local chocolate)
DANCE PARTY ONLY: $22 per person – Admittance following the end of the main show
Join us for a night of poetry and storytelling all about the pros, cons, and weirdness of sharing your body with others. All donations will be given directly to Asheville Prison Books. “Asheville Prison Books is a volunteer-run collective which has distributed free literature to people incarcerated in the southeast since 1999. We currently distribute books to North and South Carolina.
Fundraiser for Asheville Prison Books, Sliding scale $5-$25 Donation.
Time: Doors 7:00, Show 7:30PM
This event will be taking place in the covered outdoor space, so we suggest people dress warmly.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
Poetry and A Talk with Dr. Gabrielle Foreman, MacArthur Fellow, and Glenis Redmond, Poet Laureate of Greenville about David Drake, the enslaved South Carolina potter and poet.
Gabrielle Foreman and Glenis Redmond will discuss their collaboration on the book, Praise Songs for Dave the Potter, Art and Poetry for David Drake (University of Georgia Press, 2023).
David Drake is recognized as one of the United States’ most accomplished nineteenth-century potters. Yet, though his pots—many inscribed with original verse—sit in museums across the nation, he is too often passed over as one of the early progenitors of the African American poetic tradition. Born in South Carolina at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Drake produced hundreds of pieces while under the surveillance of the enslavers who claimed him and his work as their property. As Gabrielle Foreman notes, he is perhaps the only Black person in all of the free or slave states whose literary work was preserved in neither books nor pamphlets nor newspapers. His pots and jars served as pages as well as ceramic vessels.
– PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW
– GA SEATING IN FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.
THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
The Cabaret, sponsored by the Asheville Symphony Guild, is a lively variety show highlighting local singing, dancing, instrumental and comedic talent. Music from the 20s to the present, from Broadway to Appalachia, will have you tapping your feet and singing along. Come, bring your friends, be entertained and see your neighbors perform. All proceeds support the Asheville Symphony
Save the date for our 💍Masquerade Jewelry & Accessories Fundraising Sales💍
With several dates to attend and all jewelry and accessories just $5, you can update your jewelry every season!
Plus, ALL proceeds benefit the Carolina Foothills Foundation Elder Care Program, so every purchase is worth it!
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
– PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW
– GA SEATING IN FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.
THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….