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.
Saturday | Doors Open at 9:00 AM
Join us for the inaugural Dark City LIT!, a celebration of local literary talent. The day kicks off with the Write Local, Read Local Author Fair, featuring 20 local authors hand-selling their books.
🕛 Noon – 1:00 PM: Enjoy a dynamic Rapid-Read Hour, where authors share quick readings from their latest works.
📝 Afternoon Workshops: Dive into writing workshops designed to inspire and elevate your craft.
🌟 Featured Author Tessa Fontaine closes the day with a powerful reading and book signing.
📍 Don’t miss this vibrant day of storytelling, creativity, and community!
Sun, Nov 9 • 3 pm | 60 minutes
Swing is more than a rhythm—it’s a manifesto. From the lean precision of Count Basie to the buoyant lift of Fletcher Henderson, the world-weary elegance of Billie Holiday to the dazzling joy of Ella Fitzgerald, swing pulses with momentum and style. Not just a byword of the Big Band era, swing is how jazz moves—on time and on purpose.
Jazz Is for Everyone is a series of five one-hour sessions exploring jazz music. Come to one or join them all—each session stands on its own and welcomes listeners at any level.
What You’ll Experience:
Guided listening
Live music demonstrations
Stories that connect the music to people, places, and intent
A space for questions, curiosity, and shared discovery
Jeremy Walker launched Jazz Is for Everyone in 2004 at his Brilliant Corners Jazz Club, with Wynton Marsalis serving as Artistic Advisor. The program was developed as an Educational Affiliate with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Since then, Walker’s been writing, composing, performing, producing, and speaking about why this music still matters.
Join medicinal herb farmers, buyers, and celebrate the season at the 10th Annual NC Medicinal Herb Grower Buyer Event in Mills River, NC!
Everyone is welcome! Any genre…song, music, spoken word, poetry, storytelling, comedy, short films, demos, etc. Supportive listening room in an art gallery setting. Each performer gets up to 12 minutes each. All performances will be livecast.
Friday November 14th Neon Moon Comedy presents Comedy Night at Lookout Brewing Company at 7pm
With Headliner Ryan Cox Comedy (upcoming Drybar Comedy special coming soon!)
Featuring Sarah Love, Jordan Julius and Jason Reel
Hosted by Chris Gullo (As seen in movies on Amazon Prime Video and Tubi)
Tickets are only $15 and will be available on Tickpick.com and in the taproom!
Tickets available at
https://tinyurl.com/bdetu922
Come on out for a fantastic night of laughs and great drinks!
Lookout Brewing is located at 103 S Ridgeway Ave #1 Black Mountain, NC, 28711
MaxxMusic presents: GARRISON KEILLOR TONIGHT!
Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Garrison Keillor Tonight is an evening of stand-up, storytelling, audience song, and poetry. One man, one microphone. There are sung sonnets, limericks, and musical jokes, and the thread that runs through it is the beauty of growing old. Despite the inconvenience, old age brings the contentment of LESS IS MORE.
Your mistakes and big ambitions are behind you, nothing left to prove, and small things give you great pleasure because that’s what’s left. (“I was unhappy in college because it was a requirement for an ntellectual, but then I went into show business and discovered that people won’t pay to be made inhappy; their kids will do it for free.”)
There is the News from Lake Wobegon, a town booming with new entrepreneurs, makers of artisanal firewood and gourmet meatloaf, breeders of composting worms, and dogs trained to do childcare. But some things endure, such as the formation of the Living Flag on Main Street, citizens in tight formation wearing red, white, or blue caps, and Mr. Keillor among them, standing close to old neighbors, Myrtle Krebsbach (“Truckstop”) and Julie Christensen (“Bruno, The Fishing Dog”) and Clint Bunsen. And an a – cappella sing-along with the audience singing from memory an odd medley of patriotic songs, pop standards, hymns, and ending with the national anthem.
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.
Join naturalist and educator, Jessie Wilder, for a thoughtful conversation on the benefits of living a place-based life, Thurs. November 20 at Kanuga. Part of Kanuga’s Lunch & Learn series, the event begins with a forest bathing nature walk (weather permitting) at 10 a.m. followed by the conversation with Jessie Wilder at 11 a.m. Enjoy a buffet lunch in Kanuga’s dining hall after the presentation. Cost: $20 (plus tax and fees=$24.74). KANUGA, 471 Kanuga Chapel Dr. in Hendersonville. Registration and more info at kanuga.org/events.
Event registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunch-and-learn-discovering-a-sense-of-place-with-jessie-wilder-tickets-1849253971409
Details:
10–11AM, Forest Bathing with Aimee Bostwick: Join Aimee for a time to ground ourselves by engaging our senses and tuning into our relationship with Nature. Dress comfortably for the weather and be sure to wear comfortable shoes. We will end this time with a cup of tea and sharing.
11AM–12PM, Jessie Wilder on Sense of Place: Join us for a conversation with naturalist Jessie Wilder as she shares with us about our deep connection to place and how it forms us. Consider where you currently live and ask yourself this: I live here, but how much do I really know, love, and inhabit this place as home?
12–1:30PM, Lunch and Discussion in the Dining Hall
Signup begins 6pm / Perform 6:30-8:30.
Everyone is welcome! Any genre…song, music, spoken word, poetry, storytelling, comedy, short films, demos, etc. Supportive listening room in an art gallery setting. Each performer gets up to 12 minutes each. All performances will be livecast.
Standup Comedy Picture Show with headliner Petey Smith McDowell
Comics on the show do standup with slide show pictures to illustrate their sets. This is sure to keep you in your seats figuring out what you just looked at!
Thursday November 20, 7:30-9p in The Orange Peel’s comedy basement. PULP is a bourbon speakeasy (400+ varieties) located under the iconic stage. No food is served but we do have free snacks while they last and outside food is permitted (no drinks of any kind).
$17 tickets available at door or The Orange Peel’s website
Host is Hilliary Begley voted repeatedly Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” and Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Feature Cloud Hudson is a comedian, lighting designer, and weather forecaster (licensed meteorologist) with a knack for finding the silver lining around every storm cloud. Their comedy blurs the lines between science and magic in a quest for collective understanding. But don’t let this intellectual spirituality fool you- Cloud uses only the most unhinged examples of the disgustingly divine to draw clouds of laughter from crowds that matter.
Plus comedians Derek Boskovich & Aaron Naylor!
For more info contact Michele at [email protected]
New Show Added! Coming off of a big year and the success of his 2024 The Be Funny Tour, Comedian Nate Bargatze comes to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena for his 2025 BIG DUMB EYES WORLD TOUR. Two shows: 3pm and 7pm.
Hailed as “The Nicest Man in Stand-Up,” by The Atlantic Magazine and “One of the Funniest People,” by CBS Morning, Grammy nominated comedian, podcaster, director and producer Nate Bargatze is selling out shows and breaking venue attendance records with more than 1.2 million tickets sold on his The Be Funny Tour. He is currently the #1 earning comedian in the world according to Pollstar’s recent report, and #12 in overall live tour tickets sales, putting him in the company of Coldplay, Madonna and U2.
Bargatze recently hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time in one year, to rave reviews with Vulture.com asking the question, “Has Nate Bargatze Cracked The SNL code?” Bargatze hosted SNL for the first time in 2023, securing high ratings for the program with Vanity Fair calling him, “A Great Saturday Night Live Host,” and Entertainment Weekly exclaiming, “A frighteningly funny Halloween episode.”
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.
Wortham Presents The Comedy Zone: Helen Hong
Fri & Sat, Dec 5 & 6 • 8 pm
Helen Hong, a fan favorite on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and host of Go Fact Yourself, has acted on Never Have I Ever, Silicon Valley, and The Thundermans. Her stand-up special Well Hong streams on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Dec 5 & 6 • 8 pm
Helen Hong, a fan favorite on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and host of Go Fact Yourself, has acted on Never Have I Ever, Silicon Valley, and The Thundermans. Her stand-up special Well Hong streams on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Wortham Presents The Comedy Zone: Helen Hong
Fri & Sat, Dec 5 & 6 • 8 pm
Helen Hong, a fan favorite on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and host of Go Fact Yourself, has acted on Never Have I Ever, Silicon Valley, and The Thundermans. Her stand-up special Well Hong streams on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Dec 5 & 6 • 8 pm
Helen Hong, a fan favorite on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and host of Go Fact Yourself, has acted on Never Have I Ever, Silicon Valley, and The Thundermans. Her stand-up special Well Hong streams on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Join us for the Woven Word Retreat – a cozy bohemian winter writing retreat for women nestled in the tranquil beauty of House Boheme. This is a transformative, creative, all-inclusive gathering designed to awaken your inner storyteller.
This 4-day, 3-night experience weaves poetry, movement, ritual, nourishment, and embodied storytelling to stir the creatrix within.
Guided by skilled and popular local facilitators who will help you explore your voice and connect deeply with yourself and others, you’ll have the space to write, reflect, and express your truth in a supportive, welcoming space.
Expect soul-nourishing practices like Yoga Nidra, writing workshops, yoga, and more, plus time to ground into nature and connect with a community of women.
Whether you’re new to writing or a seasoned storyteller, you’ll leave feeling inspired, empowered, and more aligned with your creative spirit.
Learn more and secure your spot at www.wovenwordretreat.com
What happens when a room full of humans walk on stage with no script… and only Love guiding the moment? Come witness the magic of a Spirited Improv Performance.
A Spirited Improv performance is unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed. More than entertainment, Spirited Improv is an enlivening emergent experience of collective creativity. It’s an improvisational showcase of the human spirit at play with invitations into music-making, dance, singing, acting, costumed silliness, story-telling, and ritual that deeply nourish the heart and soul. It offers a warm, playful, and safe container where laughter, tears, and connection flow freely.
Imagine entering a space where performers have no script, no plan, just a deep trust in Love, in each other, and in the creative aliveness of the moment. As an audience member, you are not just a passive witness; rather, you are part of the alchemy. You are invited to release judgment and practice radical acceptance of yourself and each human in the room, creating an encouraging play space for all. Whether you choose to simply offer your loving presence, share a prompt, tell a story, or step onto stage, you’re woven into the collective experience. What unfolds is spontaneous and sacred, hilarious and healing, shaped by the energy of Love in the room guiding it all.
Past audience member said, “Your spiritual improv was like going to a restaurant for the first time, and having one of the best meals of my life. I LOVED IT and was so grateful to have that unique experience of connection and healing.”
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.
Spend an hour +/- in the studio making a sterling silver and enamel charm.
Choose your charm shape and your favorite color(s) of enamel. You’ll sift the enamel onto the silver charm then fire it in a kiln to flow the glass enamel onto the silver, and repeat until your piece is complete!
Leave class with a finished charm you made yourself! Optional chain available for in-class purchase.
Level: Beginner Friendly
Wear comfortable clothing and arrive about 15 minutes ahead to sign a waiver and get settled. Our study is in downtown Asheville and there are 2 parking garages close by: Harrah’s and Rankin
**Show up at Ignite Jewelry Studios anytime between 11am and 3pm to make your charms!
This is the perfect way to spend a part of your day while visiting our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio and gallery. Come stamp and hammer a charm to your liking! Choose from more than 60 styles of metal stamps and a variety of jewelers hammers to complete your charm. You will start with a rectangular brass base, (or upgrade to sterling silver in a variety of shapes and styles) then choose your silver accent piece, and finally a gemstone of choice. After a quick demo by the instructor you can spend the next 45 minutes to complete your masterpiece.
You can also choose a copper ornament to stamp on this day!
Our magnetic tumbler will polish your piece to perfection and you have an option of some finishing patinas as well. Upgrade to earrings, make additional pendants for friends etc.
$45 Base Price includes a brass charm and base metal chain or 1 copper ornament with thread loop. (Some silver upgrades available for additional cost and additional pieces may be purchased to make gifts, extras, etc!)
This is family friendly, kid friendly ages 5 and up (but the littles will need help with the hammering), and a great rainy day or indoor activity in downtown Asheville!
Stuff your stockings with some COMEDIC ANARCHY this Holiday Season!
Adult comedy night, featuring an action-packed cast of comics from both Carolinas!
Doors open at 6:30. Suggested donation $10 at door. Light food and refreshments available. And bring a toy to be donated!
Produced by Brendan C. Ahern of “Rainy Night Theatre”.
Follow us on Facebook for updates!
Spirited Improv is a 5-week expressive arts and spiritual development experience that invites you to play, heal, and reconnect with your creative essence. Unlike traditional improv, this series isn’t about comedy or performance techniques, it’s about presence, expression, and connection.
Guided by creator Jessica Chilton, a seasoned performer, expressive arts therapist, and spiritual practitioner, you’ll step into a welcoming space where vulnerability is met with love, creativity is encouraged, and every emotion has room to breathe. You’ll explore spontaneous movement, sound, character work, song, storytelling, ritual, and group co-creation. Each session includes grounding meditation, heart-centered intention, and spacious improvisational activities that awaken joy, courage, and curiosity.
Throughout the series, you practice releasing control and trusting the unknown, an experience participants often call “both liberating and deeply healing.” As the group’s trust and connection deepen, a final performance is created. It’s not scripted or rehearsed; instead, it emerges from the collective heart and the spiritual aliveness of the moment.
The closing performance becomes a celebration of everything you’ve reclaimed: your voice, your playfulness, your presence, your courage, and your connection to community.
Slice Standup Comedy Pageant Winter Finale
Thursday January 15, 2026
7:30p-9:00p, doors at 6:30p
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge, 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $18 (available at door or website)
These shows sellout!
Hosted by Hilliary Begley from Netflix & Amazon Prime!
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Free snacks while availability lasts! You may bring your own food in (no drinks)!
Participants are 4 WINNERS of Fall/Winter Contests 8/21 & 10/16
Pageant Winner gets title and $150 cash prize.
Audience votes thru ballot!
Contestants:
8/21 winner Ryan Gordon
8/21 winner Derek Boskovich
10/16 winner Min McWilliams
10/16 winner Zakiya Bell-Rogers
Plus a runners-up battle for the wild card featuring comics who had the most votes but didn’t win a spot:
10/16 1st runner up Josie Beers
10/16 2nd runner up Zach Stephens
8/21 2nd runner up Aaron Naylor
The final pageant is more than just great standup! Contestants must vie for the title through games & questions from our celebrity judges. Audience votes thru ballot.
More info contact Michele at [email protected]
Wortham Presents The Comedy Zone: Sid Davis
Fri & Sat, Jan 16 & 17 • 8 pm
Sid Davis impressed A-list comics with his unique style, earning “Best in Fest” honors at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival for three years. Discovered by Joan Rivers in 2014, he skyrocketed with ComedyTime TV. Candid about the medical condition that delayed his start, his 2020 Dry Bar Comedy special earned millions of views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Jan 16 & 17 • 8 pm
Sid Davis impressed A-list comics with his unique style, earning “Best in Fest” honors at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival for three years. Discovered by Joan Rivers in 2014, he skyrocketed with ComedyTime TV. Candid about the medical condition that delayed his start, his 2020 Dry Bar Comedy special earned millions of views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Wortham Presents The Comedy Zone: Sid Davis
Fri & Sat, Jan 16 & 17 • 8 pm
Sid Davis impressed A-list comics with his unique style, earning “Best in Fest” honors at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival for three years. Discovered by Joan Rivers in 2014, he skyrocketed with ComedyTime TV. Candid about the medical condition that delayed his start, his 2020 Dry Bar Comedy special earned millions of views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Jan 16 & 17 • 8 pm
Sid Davis impressed A-list comics with his unique style, earning “Best in Fest” honors at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival for three years. Discovered by Joan Rivers in 2014, he skyrocketed with ComedyTime TV. Candid about the medical condition that delayed his start, his 2020 Dry Bar Comedy special earned millions of views.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
A Lecture Demonstration Series for the Curious, the New, and the Devotee
Sun, Jan 18 • 3 pm | 60 Minutes
In the 1940s, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk took jazz to thrilling new heights. The tempos got faster, the harmonies bolder, and the rhythms more complex. Dancers sat down and leaned in to listen. It’s challenging. It’s beautiful. It’s music that asks you to catch up—and rewards you when you do.
Jazz Is for Everyone is a series of five one-hour sessions exploring jazz music. Come to one or join them all—each session stands on its own and welcomes listeners at any level.
What You’ll Experience:
Guided listening
Live music demonstrations
Stories that connect the music to people, places, and intent
A space for questions, curiosity, and shared discovery
Jeremy Walker launched Jazz Is for Everyone in 2004 at his Brilliant Corners Jazz Club, with Wynton Marsalis serving as Artistic Advisor. The program was developed as an Educational Affiliate with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Since then, Walker’s been writing, composing, performing, producing, and speaking about why this music still matters.
They’ve graded the papers, survived the staff meetings, and lost their last ounce of patience… and now they’re taking it out on stage! Bored Teachers is BACK with brand-new jokes, bigger laughs, and the most relatable teacher comedy you’ll ever hear. For nearly a decade, Bored Teachers has been the #1 voice of teacher humor—racking up over 1 billion views, amassing 10 million+ followers, and hosting the #1 teacher-comedy podcast on the planet.
Since 2022, they’ve performed for 200,000+ teachers worldwide, and sold out 200+ theaters across 49 states, 5 countries, and 3 continents. Their BRAND NEW “Is It Friday Yet?!”” Tour starting January 2026 is more than a comedy show—it’s the ultimate night of laughter and solidarity for anyone who’s ever worked in education, taught a lesson, or just survived parent-teacher conferences.
Get ready to laugh until you cry as the funniest teacher-comedians in the world share their side-splitting stories, savage truths, and hilarious classroom confessions. Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or just someone who’s been in school, this show will have you nodding, clapping, and hollering, “That’s SO TRUE!”
Warning: May contain PG-13 language, teacher truths, and uncontrollable fits of laughter.
They’ve graded the papers, survived the staff meetings, and lost their last ounce of
patience… and now they’re taking it out on stage!