Calendar of Events

Ali Siddiq is a stand-up comedian and public speaker out of Houston, TX. In 2024, Vulture called him stand-up comedy’s most prolific storyteller. Ali’s unique style of stand-up originated behind the walls of incarceration, an incubator for interesting experiences and good stories. He is the first comedian to ever release a 4-part series of comedy specials, The Domino Effect 1-4, which has over 40 million views combined on YouTube.

Get ready to laugh till your sides hurt as Joe Zimmerman and his hilarious friends take the stage for a night of fun. In Downtown Asheville

Joe grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, and started his comedy career in North Carolina shortly after graduating Davidson College (where obviously, he was an English major). While starting out in the South, he launched a tour with three friends, called “The Beards of Comedy” and landed a record deal with Comedy Central Records.

In 2012, he moved to New York City, quickly appearing on The Late Late Show and John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, as well as Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival. His resume has since grown to include The Tonight Show, Conan, Nickelodeon, Last Comic Standing, and his own Comedy Central Half Hour, and the Comedy Cellar’s topical show, “This Week at the Comedy Cellar”.

Joe’s first solo album Smiling at Wolves (2014) reached number two on the iTunes comedy charts, and shortly after Paste Magazine named him one of 10 best comedians from the south. His second album, Innocence, came out on Comedy Central Records (2018) and is played regularly on Sirius XM radio, and in 2019 he recorded a dry bar special with upwards of million views on YouTube. His first, fully produced one-hour comedy special “Cult Classic”, came out in 2023, directed by Nate Bargatze and produced by 800 Pound Gorilla.

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Wednesdays and Thursdays through September 18, 2025 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

**Please note: Outside alcohol is prohibited on the campus of The North Carolina Arboretum.**

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Wednesdays and Thursdays through September 18, 2025 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

**Please note: Outside alcohol is prohibited on the campus of The North Carolina Arboretum.**

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Gardening in a Changing Climate

with Laura Lengnick

Wednesday, September 10  |  1 – 3pm

The changing weather patterns caused by climate change create new challenges for gardeners in Western NC and beyond. More variable and extreme temperatures and rainfall, a longer growing season and warmer winters disrupt the growth and development of plants and animals common to our region. This course provides an overview of the practices, both old and new, that gardeners can use to cultivate a climate-resilient garden. Learn how to evaluate climate risk, anticipate the arrival of new pests and diseases, and track local changes in weather patterns to improve your ability to adjust seasonal work plans, select well-adapted plant species/cultivars, and manage landscapes to promote climate resilience.

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Wednesdays and Thursdays through September 18, 2025 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

**Please note: Outside alcohol is prohibited on the campus of The North Carolina Arboretum.**

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Wednesdays and Thursdays through September 18, 2025 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

**Please note: Outside alcohol is prohibited on the campus of The North Carolina Arboretum.**

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

As one of today’s premiere stand-up comedians, Jo Koy has come a long way from his modest beginnings performing in a Las Vegas coffee house. Jo’s uniquely relatable comedy pulls inspiration from his colorful family that has reached all kinds of people and has translated into sold-out arenas around the world

Forest Bathing: A Harvest Season Retreat

with Asheville Wellness Tours

Saturday, September 13  |  10 – 1pm

Celebrate abundance, balance and equilibrium during this immersive morning nature connection retreat. During this seasonal transition, we’ll mark the threshold between summer and fall, honoring the Earth’s bountiful harvest while slowing our pace, awakening our senses, and practicing embodied acts of gratitude. Honoring this liminal fifth season, connecting with ourselves, each other, and the more-than-human-world, nourishing the relationships that sustain and connect us.

Your guide, Christa Hebal, will lead you on a gentle journey through the forest, weaving mindfulness, breathwork, forest bathing and nature therapy together for a restorative morning on some of the trails less traveled at the North Carolina Arboretum. We’ll celebrate the experience with a community Earth offering, followed by a wild-foraged tea ceremony and snacks. Bring an open mind and an open heart. All are welcome. Presented through Adult & Continuing Education Programs in collaboration with Asheville Wellness Tours.

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Wednesdays and Thursdays through September 18, 2025 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

**Please note: Outside alcohol is prohibited on the campus of The North Carolina Arboretum.**

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Wednesdays and Thursdays through September 18, 2025 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

**Please note: Outside alcohol is prohibited on the campus of The North Carolina Arboretum.**

There is no additional cost to attend ArborEvenings beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry). Proceeds from ArborEvenings help support the The North Carolina Arboretum Society and further advance the Arboretum’s mission.

Doors open at 6pm. Come on down for a hilarious night.

Asheville’s longest running comedy open mic happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 8:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform can sign up starting at 7pm, and will get four minutes on stage. Local and not-so-local, professional and not-so-professional comics perform or just anyone wanting to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Always fun. Always free.

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, A SECOND PERFORMANCE TIME FOR THIS SHOW HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR 9:30PM ON OCT. 10!

Come on out for a night of fun and laughter.

With special guest Derrick Stroup

John Crist is one of today’s fastest-rising stand-up comedians, earning more than one billion video views, more than 7.5 million fans on social media, and sold-out shows from coast to coast — continuously charting as one of Pollstar’s Top 10 Global Touring Comedians. John has sold out the majority of his 2025 U.S. ‘Jokes For Humans’ dates and continues to add multiple shows in select cities.

His latest comedy special John Crist: Emotional Support, released February 18, showcases his skills in delivering witty, pop culture commentary through clean humor. Filmed just six miles from his childhood home in Lilburn, GA, John Crist: Emotional Support sees the viral comedian diving into the ever-changing dynamics of growing up Christian in the 90s, navigating family group texts, mediating fights on the neighborhood Facebook page and more. In its first three weeks, the special earned more than 2.1 million stand-alone views, with social media clips surpassing 20 million views, as it continues to grow in viewership.