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.
Seated Lounge Show – Limited Tables Available with a Dinner Reservation :: Please Call Venue for Dinner Reservations
One of the most heartfelt, dynamic and proficient singers in WNC, Paula Hanke will dazzle and delight you. With incomparable style and tone, married with her genuine emotion and engaging stage presence, she’ll present Jazz and Latin arrangements of 12 of her favorite Great American Songbook compositions. Peggy Ratusz opens.
The Asheville Lounge Sessions
The Isis Music Hall will be hosting a brand-new weekly series called The Asheville Lounge Sessions. Featuring and focusing on area vocalists, the 90 minute dinner and a showcase will take place in the intimate upstairs lounge.
Veteran guitarist and accomplished songwriter, Jonathan Pearlman who once hosted the area’s premiere and time-honored Thursday night Jazz Jam in downtown Asheville, will reprise his band leading role for this series. He will direct a rotating-member house band that will back up local vocalists performing various styles of music each Thursday night beginning at 7pm.
Opening the showcase each week, and serving as MC will be Best In Blues Chanteuse, Peggy Ratusz. While the crux of each month of Thursdays will feature singers in the upstairs lounge, occasionally Jonathan and Peggy will switch things up and become hosts of The Asheville Jam Session starting at 8:30pm downstairs on the main stage. For these nights, area musicians and musician-vocalists will jam the night away for 2 hours of impromptu, extemporaneous Blues and Jazz music!
Make sure to check the venue’s website for each week’s line up, location, ticket price and starting time.
On her new album No Regular Dog, singer/songwriter/guitarist Kelsey Waldon shares a gritty and glorious portrait of living in devotion to your deepest dreams: the brutal self-doubt and unending sacrifice, hard-won wisdom and sudden moments of unimaginable transcendence. Revealing her supreme gift for spinning harsh truths into songs that soothe and brighten the soul, the Kentucky-bred artist ultimately makes an unassailable case for boldly following your heart—a sentiment perfectly encapsulated in No Regular Dog’s raw and radiant title track.
“I wrote ‘No Regular Dog’ at a time when I was gone so much and working so hard and starting to wonder if I had the staying power to keep it going,” says Waldon, who now lives in Ashland City, Tennessee. “After putting in my time in the van on the road, after all the blood, sweat, and tears and the crying in parking lots, I’d finally gotten to where I wanted—but it was also a moment when I really started questioning myself. In the end I came around to answer my own question and realize that, yes, I can do this. I won’t be put down so easy. I am no regular dog.”
Waldon’s fourth full-length and the follow-up to 2019’s White Noise/ White Lines—her debut release for John Prine’s Oh Boy Records—No Regular Dog came to life over the course of many charmed and freewheeling sessions at Dave’s Room Studio in Los Angeles, with production from kindred spirit Shooter Jennings (Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker). “I’d never recorded an album anywhere but Nashville or back home, and it felt good to get outside my bubble,” Waldon says. “We were able to hunker down and work till late into night, doing what we could to catch lightning in a bottle.”
In a departure from the more guitar-heavy approach of its predecessor (a critically lauded album that landed on NPR Music’s Best of 2019 list), No Regular Dog unfolds in a lush yet understated sound that lets the singular character of Waldon’s songwriting and voice shine through each track. Featuring her longtime band members, Brett Resnick (pedal steel), Alec Newnam (bass), and Nate Felty (drums), along with musicians like famed guitarist/dobro player Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams, Keith Richards), the album also illuminates the immense depth of her musicality, mining inspiration from such eclectic sources as mid-century bluegrass, ’60s soul, and ’70s country-rock. “Everything’s in there, all the music I’ve ever known and loved,” says Waldon. “I wanted to show my whole color scheme and create something that’s less of a honky-tonk thing and more like a big, beautiful picture of everything I see in country music.”
After opening on the luminous strings and pedal steel of its title track—in which Waldon self-identifies as a “prisoner of my mental cages, my own worst enemy”—No Regular Dog kicks into a much punchier mood on the brightly rambling “Sweet Little Girl.” “It’s about a girl who’s lost her way and now she’s trying to find it,” says Waldon. “I was inspired by real-life incidents, like all the thoughts that go through your head when you’re dealing with addiction and feeling like you’ve got this rage inside that you don’t know what to do with.” Graced with the lilting fiddle melodies of Jennings’s longtime collaborator Aubrey Richmond, the result is a prime showcase for Waldon’s fiercely honest storytelling (from the chorus: “I’ll be crawlin’ up the walls, just a like a little ol’ house fly/Anything so I can’t feel this hollow inside”). From there, No Regular Dog shifts into the candid introspection of “Tall and Mighty,” a bittersweet meditation on getting by in a world bent on breaking you down. “I’d been having conversations with my peers in this business, especially all my girlfriends who are such amazing songwriters in their own right, talking about this journey and all the smoke and mirrors of trying to live up to your dream,” says Waldon. “There have been times when I’ve tried to prove the wrong thing, but I’m through with that now. I’m not trying to be anybody but myself, and to write songs that show what’s in my heart and on my mind.”
A particularly poignant moment on No Regular Dog, “Season’s Ending” finds Waldon ruminating on the passing of John Prine, who died from Covid-related complications in April 2020. “That was the first song I wrote after John died—like so many people I was in complete shock, I couldn’t write for months,” says Waldon. “There’s been so much loss over the past few years; my partner’s uncle died from Covid the same day as John, and a lot of my friends have seen family members lose their struggles with addiction or depression. We’ve been carrying such a heavy load, so this song is about coping with that and trying to understand that death is a part of life.” One of several tracks featuring the heavenly background vocals of Kyshona Armstrong, Maureen Murphy, and Nickie Conley, “Season’s Ending” matches its soulful harmonies and lonesome guitar work with the kind of loving serenade that gently pierces the heart (e.g., “And ain’t it just like you to bloom and be gone”).
In a creative breakthrough for Waldon, No Regular Dog also features the first unabashedly joyful love song she’s ever written, the quietly powerful “Simple as Love.” “I was at home sitting on my back porch and I started thinking about how I’ve got all these heartbreak songs and drinking songs, but I’m not experiencing any of that anymore,” she says. “I’m at a point where I’m in a healthy relationship with someone who actually cares about me, and I wanted to write a song that expresses what love feels like in its purest form.” Laced with cascading guitar tones that glisten like sunlit honey, “Simple as Love” wholly achieves an ineffable sweetness while spotlighting Waldon’s idiosyncratic brand of poetry (“Like a junkie’s got its itch/It leaves you wantin’ more, wantin’ all of it/Just like a lily in a ditch/It grows where it wants to grow”).
Originally from the tiny rural town of Monkey’s Eyebrow, Waldon has long relied on music as a lifeline. “I’ve always used songwriting as a way to process the world around me and also process my own thoughts and feelings,” she says, naming classic country artists like Loretta Lynn, George Jones, and Merle Haggard among her early influences. “If I didn’t have the ability to put all that down on paper, I think I’d be pretty lost today.” After penning her first song as a small child—“My mom still has lyrics sheets I made when I was about nine, everything laid out in verse and chorus”—Waldon continued sharpening her craft and eventually left home for Nashville, where she further honed her chops by playing local bar gigs. Over the coming years, she put out a series of EPs before making her full-length debut with The Goldmine: a self-released 2014 effort that earned abundant praise from leading outlets like Rolling Stone, who hailed her as “Tammy Wynette on a trip to Whiskeytown.” Arriving in 2016, Waldon’s sophomore album I’ve Got a Way drew even more acclaim and appeared on such coveted year-end roundups as the Top 10 Favorite Albums Of 2016 list from Ken Tucker of NPR’s Fresh Air, with its lead single “All By Myself” featured on NPR’s Top 100 Songs of 2016 list. Several years later, she performed at the Grand Ole Opry with the likes of Sturgill Simpson and John Prine, who invited her to join the Oh Boy Records family while up onstage—making Waldon the label’s first new artist signing in 15 years. Co-produced with Dan Knobler (Allison Russell, Della Mae), White Noise/ White Lines delivered such standouts as “Kentucky, 1988,” which later topped Rolling Stone’s 25 Best Country and Americana Songs of 2019 list.
Looking back on the making of No Regular Dog—an album rooted in rigorous self-reflection—Waldon speaks to her newly clarified sense of purpose as a songwriter and artist. “I hope that these songs are able to live with people and help make the world a little better, because I think that’s a big part of what my job is,” she says. “At the end of the day, I’m so thankful for my passion for music because it’s sustained me throughout my whole life, and now I want it to do the same for other people. And if anyone’s struggling, I hope they can recognize the ‘No Regular Dog’ within themselves, and start to see how much they’re really worth.”
If you’ve spent any time exploring Kentucky’s booming music scene, chances are you’ve heard somebody say, “You’ve really got to hear Abby Hamilton.” The Kentucky singer-songwriter has garnered a reputation as a can’t-miss live performer, opening for acts like Wynonna Judd, Shakey Graves, Kelsey Waldon, Valley Queen, Arlo McKinley, and Justin Wells, as well as singing at festivals including Railbird and Masters Musicians. With influences ranging from the classic country divas to Bruce Springsteen, she wins over audiences with her clever lyrics and entrancing vocals.
Her long-anticipated second EP, “Afraid of the Dark,” is bound to appease Hamilton’s avid fan base, perfectly encapsulating her unique sound that feels just as comfortable in the Appalachian mountains as it does in a whiskey-soaked bar room in the city. She spent months in a hollow in Prestonsburg, Ky., crafting songs that tell stories inspired by true events about hope, home, and young love. It’s a genre-bending folk-rock experience that cements her place as one of the region’s most interesting young and up-and-coming songwriters.
The Brothers Gillespie began in late 2018 on the suggestion of a friend to record an EP of songs they had been kicking around for fun. After getting a taste of attention from the 2018 eponymous release, they took a chance and moved operations to Johnson City, Tennessee, with the promise that they would give their musical aspirations a year, and if there was more partying than progress, they would give it up and move on.
Luckily the partying coincided with the progress, and in early 2019 The Brothers Gillespie released their debut album, “Love & Death”, building on their foundation of gritty rock n’ roll, and masterful songwriting. They moved back home to Waynesville, North Carolina to save money and take their show on the road, playing everywhere from Richmond to Dallas and all the bars in between. After a successful year, The Brothers, like many, had a lower key 2020 and 2021, releasing three successful singles.
The Brothers Gillespie returned to the stage in 2022 with their massive sophomore album, the conceptual “American Pastoral.”
An eclectic mix of original music from right here in the Carolinas. Powerhouse guitarist and songwriter Matt Fassas brings his own brand of Americana Jam Rock.
The Well Drinkers are a progressive, original bluegrass and Americana band based out of Western North Carolina, whose range extends to festivals and venues across the Southeast. Since the band’s creation in 2019, the group has striven to combine traditional roots of their Appalachian region with progressive instrumentation, songwriting, and subject matter. The group doesn’t shy away from the opportunity to bring experimental jams, jazz, Cajun, classical and reggae into their live performances.
Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at Isis Music Hall Lawn. Advanced Reservations are highly recommended.
General Admission Tickets are available on line :: Call the venue for Reserved Seating Tickets at 828-575-2737
:Main Floor Reserved Tickets are available with dinner reservations only :::: There is a $20 minimum in food and beverage purchases per person with your dinner reservation :::: These are the only main floor tickets available :::: You MUST call venue to make a dinner reservation and purchase your tickets :::: General Admission Tickets are available for the Balcony only :: There is no dinner service for balcony seating
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Help Us Meet the Need This Holiday Season
Round Up Campaigns & Community Events
We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved. - Food Lions Feeds (11/9 – 12/12): Food Lion stores will be hosting Food Lion Feeds, which is an in-store food drive program where customers have the opportunity to purchase and donate a Food Lion Feeds for the Holidays box of food that will be donated to MANNA FoodBank.
Capacity is limited.
Tasting room by reservation only. Make reservations in-person on the day of your Winery visit.
To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.
Reservations are required for all wine tastings and must be made on the day of your visit. Because our complimentary wine tastings fill up quickly, we recommend you reserve your tasting when you arrive for your visit.
This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!
Sip on North Carolina wines and sample bites from Asheville restaurants, caterers, and food trucks at this tasting event from the North Carolina Winegrower’s Association.
One ticket for the event. Couples please purchase two tickets.
Please be prepared to show your ticket purchase confirmation email at the door
Must be 21+ to attend
- We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.
- Whole Foods’ Round-Up Campaign (11/30 – 12/20): Whole Foods shoppers are invited to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar. Whole Foods will also match a donation to MANNA when a customer buys a locally made product.
Madelyn Ilana is an Asheville-based Singer/Songwriter, Violinist, and Healing Arts Practitioner. Inspired by liminality, Madelyn Ilana calls her music “Dream Folk”. Her music is for healing and from healing, therefore sometimes soothing and sometimes cathartic. As a violinist with a classical background and a love for fingerstyle guitar playing, Madelyn’s music is spacious, dreamy, impressionistic, reverently spiritual, and deeply emotional.
Madelyn recently released her second studio album, Coming Into the Light, recorded locally at Hollow Reed Recording Arts Studio with local legend Chris Rosser. Coming Into the Light weaves threads healing, grief, spiritual growth, a dark night of the soul, seeking beauty in the present moment experience—no matter what it brings, and somehow finding light within it all.
Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at the Isis Music Hall.
-
Help Us Meet the Need This Holiday Season
Round Up Campaigns & Community Events
We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved. - Food Lions Feeds (11/9 – 12/12): Food Lion stores will be hosting Food Lion Feeds, which is an in-store food drive program where customers have the opportunity to purchase and donate a Food Lion Feeds for the Holidays box of food that will be donated to MANNA FoodBank.
Join Santa’s elves for a festive breakfast and see what’s on the menu every morning at the North Pole! The elves will be serving up very special holiday pancakes for kids and kids-at-heart, and classic breakfast favorites will round out the menu. Warm up with a cup of coffee, then head to the Park and watch Santa prepare for Christmas Eve by rappelling down the 315-foot Chimney Rock!
Join Amanda from Dogwood Cottage Baking to learn all about baking your own delicious sourdough bread. At this free program, you’ll gain knowledge in the principles of bread making which you can apply in your own kitchen. Learn how to make, feed, and maintain a sourdough starter from a professional baker. Find out about flour varieties, baking techniques, and much more.
This event is geared toward adults and teens, but all ages are welcome! No registration is necessary, just come to the Weaverville Library on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 1 p.m. This is a partner program with the Friends of the Weaverville Library.
TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.
Capacity is limited.
Tasting room by reservation only. Make reservations in-person on the day of your Winery visit.
To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.
Reservations are required for all wine tastings and must be made on the day of your visit. Because our complimentary wine tastings fill up quickly, we recommend you reserve your tasting when you arrive for your visit.
eggnog, music, 50-80% off, kids activities and more!
Join us for the first-ever Holiday Bazaar, taking place at:
91 Holbrook Road, Candler, NC, 28571
December 10, 2022
11:00 AM to 4PM.
Our beautiful greenhouses will be transformed into a winter wonderland, full of unique plants, live music, hot beverages, goodies, and 2 greenhouses full of fantastic vendors, ready to complete your Christmas List!
Come experience one heck of a unique venue!
Join in the Holly Jolly cheer with a community Sing-A-Long, where Lauren Davis of @fiddyshadesofgreen and the rest of the Farm Fam will get together to sing Christmas classics! Mr. Boujee Bear may make an appearance and we’ll also have that 4:20 Burndown at 2:40 that the Hurricane cancelled.
Almost Madi will be joining us to play gentle tunes as you peruse our wonderful line-up of craft vendors, which will include artisan food vendors like Brew Naturals (y’all…that elderberry is amazing) and Planet Kitchen, as well as beautiful jewelry, amazing art, glass blowers, ceramics, and of course a wide selection (and maybe even a few special drops) of green goodness from Appalachian Standard!
The Holiday Bazaar is *FREE* to the public. Parking is available on site but can be limited so it is recommended that groups carpool. This is an indoor event.The first 100 people to join us will receive a goodie bag! See less
Shopping
Get that Goodwill sweater, find those tacky holiday pants, and get ready to jingle bell ROCK!
Ticket includes:
- Holiday T-shirt handed out at the after party
- Ugly Sweater Crawl koozie
- Christmas movie live stream trivia during crawl for prizes,
- Registration party to kick off the crawl
Event will also feature themed discounted drink specials at participating bars, DJ’s playing holiday music at multiple stops, Ugly Sweater digital crawl map to help guide you bar to bar, and the Ugly Sweater after party!
This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!
holidays. Take a holiday evening walk around the
field lit by luminaries. Enjoy hot chocolate and
other festive treats.
Len Graham began his career in Newport Rhode Island in 1979 as a singer with the acoustic duo “Euphoria” who later became the managers for the critically acclaimed singer Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs. Ever restless, one day Len sold his MG spitfire and fled to the Rocky Mountain National Park where he hunkered down with his songwriting craft and joined the ever popular band “Load Limit.” Back to Connecticut where he and step-brother John Noble formed “Graham Noble,” a band that would join Toy Caldwell and the Marshall Tucker Band during their 1985 tour. After that Len went solo and “Lenny Graham and the Phoenix” would release an EP and be touted by many a record label. He did eventually sign with an independent label in 1987.
Later that year an appearance on “You Can Be a Star”, the first of many a talent show to come, would put him in touch with the Nashville music scene. On to Michigan and a second meeting with drummer Kenny Aronoff, who at the time was with John Cougar Mellencamp, helped him inch closer to realizing his dream. Then with everything in place including management teams on both coasts and after an appearance at the infamous “Bluebird Cafe” in Nashville and a chance encounter with David Olney who was later known as the grandfather of Americana music, Len just walked away.
He kept on honing his craft and releasing his music through his publishing company “Summer Boy Music.” With songs from his double album “Chronicles” now streaming all throughout Europe and America, Len is now content to be retired and nestled here in the Smoky Mountains, performing solo and with the trio “Smoky Blue Rain.” Come and enjoy some songs and many a story from our now native son, Len Graham.
Tickets are $10 for music only; $15 for music + BBQ dinner.
Call 828-926-1717 for tickets!
- We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.
- Whole Foods’ Round-Up Campaign (11/30 – 12/20): Whole Foods shoppers are invited to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar. Whole Foods will also match a donation to MANNA when a customer buys a locally made product.
– AGES 18+
– SEATED SHOW
Asheville Vaudeville is WNC’s longest-running variety event! Featuring comedy, juggling, burlesque, clowns, puppetry, and more, with your host, Queen April!
Virginia-born singer-songwriter Alexa Rose creates her own style of modern folk. Her distinctive vocal sound has bits of Joni Mitchell, Lucinda Williams, and Gilliam Welch. Her earnest, well-crafted songs explore timeless topics. It is American roots music that blends some of the mountains with modern country and a little rock and roll.
Hannah Kaminer is a folk/Americana artist based in Asheville, NC. Raised in small towns in western North Carolina, she fuses echoes of Appalachian traditions with wistful, Americana-style songwriting. Her songs have been recognized in the finals of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (MerleFest 2019), with a Regional Artist Project Grant from a coalition of NC arts councils, and by Asheville’s Brown Bag Songwriting Competition (winning grand prize and crowd favorite).
Kirsten Maxwell is New York native, turned nomadic singer/songwriter. Often compared to artists like Eva Cassidy and Joni Mitchell, Maxwell is known for her vocal agility. Her vast repertoire, which includes everything from folk classics to jazz standards, is only a compliment to her award winning original songs. Maxwell has opened for Melissa Etheridge, Tanya Tucker, The Bacon Brothers, and Robert Klein. She was last seen touring with legendary singer/songwriter Judy Collins, who calls her performances a “sheer joy”.
Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at Isis Music Hall. Advanced Reservations are highly recommended.
-
Help Us Meet the Need This Holiday Season
Round Up Campaigns & Community Events
We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved. - Food Lions Feeds (11/9 – 12/12): Food Lion stores will be hosting Food Lion Feeds, which is an in-store food drive program where customers have the opportunity to purchase and donate a Food Lion Feeds for the Holidays box of food that will be donated to MANNA FoodBank.
Capacity is limited.
Tasting room by reservation only. Make reservations in-person on the day of your Winery visit.
To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.
Reservations are required for all wine tastings and must be made on the day of your visit. Because our complimentary wine tastings fill up quickly, we recommend you reserve your tasting when you arrive for your visit.
eggnog, music, 50-80% off, kids activities and more!
Jazz Sunday at One World Brewing West is a modern jazz jam held every Sunday afternoon from 1-4pm. Previously known as Jazz Monday, the jam has been running non stop since July, 2018 at the West Asheville brewery and is hosted weekly by The Fully Vaccinated Jazz Trio, consisting of Ray Ring on guitar, Jason DeCristofaro on drums, piano and vibraphone, and Connor Law on bass. Jazz Sunday typically features a guest artist for a short set and then welcomes jazz musicians of all levels to sit in for the remainder of the afternoon on One World’s spacious outdoor stage.
– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
Time for another Asheville Drag Brunch on Sunday December 11th at the Grey Eagle. Tickets start at $25 and include admission, brunch, drag show, and a donation to the local non-profit organization Loving Food Resources.
The Grey Eagle boasts a full-service bar and brunch. The family-friendly drag queen entertainment promises to be sing-along top-notch fun with plenty of laughter and audience interaction. The show includes performances by an all-star cast of professional drag queens.
Tickets and addition info at AshevilleDragBrunch.com
This holiday season, visit Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village to find festive fun for the entire family. Meet Santa and your favorite Who-ville characters with your Winterfest Village ticket, or come enjoy free live music and character interactions in Legends Plaza. There is something to get every member of the family in the holiday spirit!