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.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Live Stream: Dan Rather presents What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism
Dec 2 @ 7:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

Join Dan Rather for a discussion of “What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism” hosted by Indie’s First in support of independent bookstores! Click here to RSVP for this free, virtual event. Prior to the event, we will email you with the link required to attend.

Like most of our events, this event is free. If you decide to attend and to 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. If you would like to support us without purchasing a book, you may purchase a gift card or make a donation of any amount. Thank you!

At a moment of crisis over our national identity, venerated journalist Dan Rather has emerged as a voice of reason and integrity, reflecting on–and writing passionately about–what it means to be an American. Now, with this collection of original essays, he reminds us of the principles upon which the United States was founded. Looking at the freedoms that define us, from the vote to the press; the values that have transformed us, from empathy to inclusion to service; the institutions that sustain us, such as public education; and the traits that helped form our young country, such as the audacity to take on daunting challenges in science and medicine, Rather brings to bear his decades of experience on the frontlines of the world’s biggest stories. As a living witness to historical change, he offers up an intimate view of history, tracing where we have been in order to help us chart a way forward and heal our bitter divisions.

With a fundamental sense of hope, What Unites Us is the book to inspire conversation and listening, and to remind us all how we are, finally, one.

Thursday, December 3, 2020
BMC Book: The Bird Who Sang Beethoven
Dec 3 all-day
Online
The Bird Who Sang Beethoven is a children’s book in rhyme about a baby bird born in the concert hall at the Brevard Music Center just as Beethoven’s Fifth is being played, and he thinks that is what birds sing! His offspring continue the tune for generations and spread it far and wide.

About the Author: Harper Howze is a freshman at Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kansas, and an aspiring writer. This is his first published work. Lucille Chaveas, his co-author and “Grand” (grandmother), is a Brevard resident and an avid supporter of the Brevard Music Center.

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Holiday Book Drive
Dec 3 all-day
Online or In Person Barnes + Noble
UWABC Holiday Book Drive 2019Holiday Book Drive

The eighth annual Holiday Book Drive is taking place November 1-December 12, 2020 thanks to the generous support of Capstone Health Alliance and Barnes & Noble Asheville. Despite the challenges of this year, United Way’s Women United is once again joining forces with our volunteer center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, to collect books for elementary and middle school youth for the holidays and show them what we’re able to do when we come together and Live United. All donated books will be distributed to programs serving diverse, underserved communities throughout Buncombe County.

Last year 2,800 books were collected both online and through our wonderful program partner Barnes & Noble Asheville. Since the drive’s inception nearly 13,000 books have been collected to support our local students thanks to your generosity and care.

Winter Reading Challenge
Dec 3 all-day
Online with Buncombe County Libraries

Photo of typewriter

Looking for ways to optimize coziness this winter? Check out the Library’s Winter Reading Challenge! Starting Dec. 1, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library during public service hours or download a PDF below. The activity sheet includes multiple ways kids and their families can enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. This free activity sheet is designed with kids in mind, but all are invited to participate. The focal challenge is to Build A Blizzard, in which kids are invited to make paper snowflakes to help decorate their local branch. Libraries will be offering the craft supplies needed to Build a Blizzard while supplies last, so plan to stop by your library soon!

Library ZOOM Passes Return
Dec 3 @ 8:00 am – 9:30 pm
Online

The Perfect Turkey

Buncombe County Libraries have teamed up with local attractions and museums to offer free admission for library card holders with a ZOOM pass!

How does it work?

  • Have your library card handy and log into the Tixkeeper database.
  • You can make 1 reservation per library card. Check the pass details to see how many adults and children gain entry with each pass. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance and you may visit each attraction once every 30 days. Reservations are made online only.
  • You will get an email confirmation of your reservation and a reminder email the day before your visit.
  • Pick up your tickets at any library anytime the week before your visit. Please bring the library card used for reservations with you.
  • The pass will be good for YOUR RESERVATION DAY ONLY. The pass will have your name on it and cannot be used by anyone else. ZOOM passes cannot be renewed.
  • Take your ZOOM pass to the museum for admission. You are responsible for knowing the schedule of the museum with regards to opening and closing times. Admission guidelines may vary and pass users must follow the rules of the museum
Friends of the Henderson County Public Library: Book Store Open
Dec 3 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Friends of the Henderson County Public Library
The public is welcome and members of the Friends get a 10 percent discount on all
purchases. (You can join the Friends at the bookstore). Anyone can donate books, CDs,
and DVDs at the store, but only during the hours it is open.

As with the book sales, everything at the bookstore is in excellent condition. Books are
shelved by author or subject so they are easy to find, and books are restocked
throughout the week. The store also sells CDs and DVDs.
The bookstore follows health guidelines. Anyone entering must wear a mask and
practice social distancing. Hand sanitizers are available. When the store is busy,
shopping is limited to 30 minutes.

Except for the bookstore manager, the Friends is an all-volunteer organization. There is
a need for more volunteers to help at the bookstore. It is a great way to meet people
who love reading while also helping to support our library system.

Crime and Politics Book Club
Dec 3 @ 7:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

The Crime and Politics Book Club will be held virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic. Please email [email protected] for info and instructions to attend. 

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across true crime and public affairs. The club meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Click here to learn more about the club, view important news, and find the pick for this month.

Live Stream: Ingram presents #BlackVoices / Sponsored by HarperCollins
Dec 3 @ 7:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

We’re pleased to be part of the Reader Meet Writer series of online events hosted by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. This event is presented by Ingram and sponsored by HarperCollins.

This event is free but registration is required. Register here to receive the Zoom link.

When you attend our events and decide to purchase the books featured, please purchase them from Malaprop’s. When you do this, you make it possible for us to continue bringing authors and readers together and keep more dollars in our community. If you would like to support us without purchasing a book, you may purchase a gift card or make a donation of any amount. Thank you!

Live Stream: Terry Tempest Williams Erosion: Essays of Undoing, in conversation w/ Daniel Wallace
Dec 3 @ 7:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

Click here to RSVP for this event. Prior to the event, we will email you with the link required to attend.

Like most of our events, this event is free. If you decide to attend and to 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. If you would like to support us without purchasing a book, you may purchase a gift card or make a donation of any amount. Thank you!


Terry Tempest Williams’s fierce, spirited, and magnificent essays are a howl in the desert. She sizes up the continuing assaults on America’s public lands and the erosion of our commitment to the open space of democracy. She asks: How do we find the strength to not look away from all that is breaking our hearts?

Friday, December 4, 2020
BMC Book: The Bird Who Sang Beethoven
Dec 4 all-day
Online
The Bird Who Sang Beethoven is a children’s book in rhyme about a baby bird born in the concert hall at the Brevard Music Center just as Beethoven’s Fifth is being played, and he thinks that is what birds sing! His offspring continue the tune for generations and spread it far and wide.

About the Author: Harper Howze is a freshman at Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kansas, and an aspiring writer. This is his first published work. Lucille Chaveas, his co-author and “Grand” (grandmother), is a Brevard resident and an avid supporter of the Brevard Music Center.

Deep Remembering – 10 month Nature Immersion Program
Dec 4 all-day
Holistic Survival School

2021 Earth-Skills
Adult Immersion Course

With Nature-Connected Community
Led by Luke McLaughlin

Ten month program running March – December of 2021.

One, four-day weekend, per month.

Blue Ridge Mountains, near Asheville, North Carolina

(traditional Cherokee territory )

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Holiday Book Drive
Dec 4 all-day
Online or In Person Barnes + Noble
UWABC Holiday Book Drive 2019Holiday Book Drive

The eighth annual Holiday Book Drive is taking place November 1-December 12, 2020 thanks to the generous support of Capstone Health Alliance and Barnes & Noble Asheville. Despite the challenges of this year, United Way’s Women United is once again joining forces with our volunteer center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, to collect books for elementary and middle school youth for the holidays and show them what we’re able to do when we come together and Live United. All donated books will be distributed to programs serving diverse, underserved communities throughout Buncombe County.

Last year 2,800 books were collected both online and through our wonderful program partner Barnes & Noble Asheville. Since the drive’s inception nearly 13,000 books have been collected to support our local students thanks to your generosity and care.

Winter Reading Challenge
Dec 4 all-day
Online with Buncombe County Libraries

Photo of typewriter

Looking for ways to optimize coziness this winter? Check out the Library’s Winter Reading Challenge! Starting Dec. 1, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library during public service hours or download a PDF below. The activity sheet includes multiple ways kids and their families can enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. This free activity sheet is designed with kids in mind, but all are invited to participate. The focal challenge is to Build A Blizzard, in which kids are invited to make paper snowflakes to help decorate their local branch. Libraries will be offering the craft supplies needed to Build a Blizzard while supplies last, so plan to stop by your library soon!

Library ZOOM Passes Return
Dec 4 @ 8:00 am – 9:30 pm
Online

The Perfect Turkey

Buncombe County Libraries have teamed up with local attractions and museums to offer free admission for library card holders with a ZOOM pass!

How does it work?

  • Have your library card handy and log into the Tixkeeper database.
  • You can make 1 reservation per library card. Check the pass details to see how many adults and children gain entry with each pass. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance and you may visit each attraction once every 30 days. Reservations are made online only.
  • You will get an email confirmation of your reservation and a reminder email the day before your visit.
  • Pick up your tickets at any library anytime the week before your visit. Please bring the library card used for reservations with you.
  • The pass will be good for YOUR RESERVATION DAY ONLY. The pass will have your name on it and cannot be used by anyone else. ZOOM passes cannot be renewed.
  • Take your ZOOM pass to the museum for admission. You are responsible for knowing the schedule of the museum with regards to opening and closing times. Admission guidelines may vary and pass users must follow the rules of the museum
Friends of the Henderson County Public Library: Book Store Open
Dec 4 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Friends of the Henderson County Public Library
The public is welcome and members of the Friends get a 10 percent discount on all
purchases. (You can join the Friends at the bookstore). Anyone can donate books, CDs,
and DVDs at the store, but only during the hours it is open.

As with the book sales, everything at the bookstore is in excellent condition. Books are
shelved by author or subject so they are easy to find, and books are restocked
throughout the week. The store also sells CDs and DVDs.
The bookstore follows health guidelines. Anyone entering must wear a mask and
practice social distancing. Hand sanitizers are available. When the store is busy,
shopping is limited to 30 minutes.

Except for the bookstore manager, the Friends is an all-volunteer organization. There is
a need for more volunteers to help at the bookstore. It is a great way to meet people
who love reading while also helping to support our library system.

Saturday, December 5, 2020
BMC Book: The Bird Who Sang Beethoven
Dec 5 all-day
Online
The Bird Who Sang Beethoven is a children’s book in rhyme about a baby bird born in the concert hall at the Brevard Music Center just as Beethoven’s Fifth is being played, and he thinks that is what birds sing! His offspring continue the tune for generations and spread it far and wide.

About the Author: Harper Howze is a freshman at Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kansas, and an aspiring writer. This is his first published work. Lucille Chaveas, his co-author and “Grand” (grandmother), is a Brevard resident and an avid supporter of the Brevard Music Center.

Deep Remembering – 10 month Nature Immersion Program
Dec 5 all-day
Holistic Survival School

2021 Earth-Skills
Adult Immersion Course

With Nature-Connected Community
Led by Luke McLaughlin

Ten month program running March – December of 2021.

One, four-day weekend, per month.

Blue Ridge Mountains, near Asheville, North Carolina

(traditional Cherokee territory )

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Holiday Book Drive
Dec 5 all-day
Online or In Person Barnes + Noble
UWABC Holiday Book Drive 2019Holiday Book Drive

The eighth annual Holiday Book Drive is taking place November 1-December 12, 2020 thanks to the generous support of Capstone Health Alliance and Barnes & Noble Asheville. Despite the challenges of this year, United Way’s Women United is once again joining forces with our volunteer center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, to collect books for elementary and middle school youth for the holidays and show them what we’re able to do when we come together and Live United. All donated books will be distributed to programs serving diverse, underserved communities throughout Buncombe County.

Last year 2,800 books were collected both online and through our wonderful program partner Barnes & Noble Asheville. Since the drive’s inception nearly 13,000 books have been collected to support our local students thanks to your generosity and care.

Winter Reading Challenge
Dec 5 all-day
Online with Buncombe County Libraries

Photo of typewriter

Looking for ways to optimize coziness this winter? Check out the Library’s Winter Reading Challenge! Starting Dec. 1, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library during public service hours or download a PDF below. The activity sheet includes multiple ways kids and their families can enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. This free activity sheet is designed with kids in mind, but all are invited to participate. The focal challenge is to Build A Blizzard, in which kids are invited to make paper snowflakes to help decorate their local branch. Libraries will be offering the craft supplies needed to Build a Blizzard while supplies last, so plan to stop by your library soon!

Library ZOOM Passes Return
Dec 5 @ 8:00 am – 9:30 pm
Online

The Perfect Turkey

Buncombe County Libraries have teamed up with local attractions and museums to offer free admission for library card holders with a ZOOM pass!

How does it work?

  • Have your library card handy and log into the Tixkeeper database.
  • You can make 1 reservation per library card. Check the pass details to see how many adults and children gain entry with each pass. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance and you may visit each attraction once every 30 days. Reservations are made online only.
  • You will get an email confirmation of your reservation and a reminder email the day before your visit.
  • Pick up your tickets at any library anytime the week before your visit. Please bring the library card used for reservations with you.
  • The pass will be good for YOUR RESERVATION DAY ONLY. The pass will have your name on it and cannot be used by anyone else. ZOOM passes cannot be renewed.
  • Take your ZOOM pass to the museum for admission. You are responsible for knowing the schedule of the museum with regards to opening and closing times. Admission guidelines may vary and pass users must follow the rules of the museum
Friends of the Henderson County Public Library: Book Store Open
Dec 5 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Friends of the Henderson County Public Library
The public is welcome and members of the Friends get a 10 percent discount on all
purchases. (You can join the Friends at the bookstore). Anyone can donate books, CDs,
and DVDs at the store, but only during the hours it is open.

As with the book sales, everything at the bookstore is in excellent condition. Books are
shelved by author or subject so they are easy to find, and books are restocked
throughout the week. The store also sells CDs and DVDs.
The bookstore follows health guidelines. Anyone entering must wear a mask and
practice social distancing. Hand sanitizers are available. When the store is busy,
shopping is limited to 30 minutes.

Except for the bookstore manager, the Friends is an all-volunteer organization. There is
a need for more volunteers to help at the bookstore. It is a great way to meet people
who love reading while also helping to support our library system.

Sunday, December 6, 2020
BMC Book: The Bird Who Sang Beethoven
Dec 6 all-day
Online
The Bird Who Sang Beethoven is a children’s book in rhyme about a baby bird born in the concert hall at the Brevard Music Center just as Beethoven’s Fifth is being played, and he thinks that is what birds sing! His offspring continue the tune for generations and spread it far and wide.

About the Author: Harper Howze is a freshman at Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kansas, and an aspiring writer. This is his first published work. Lucille Chaveas, his co-author and “Grand” (grandmother), is a Brevard resident and an avid supporter of the Brevard Music Center.

Deep Remembering – 10 month Nature Immersion Program
Dec 6 all-day
Holistic Survival School

2021 Earth-Skills
Adult Immersion Course

With Nature-Connected Community
Led by Luke McLaughlin

Ten month program running March – December of 2021.

One, four-day weekend, per month.

Blue Ridge Mountains, near Asheville, North Carolina

(traditional Cherokee territory )

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Holiday Book Drive
Dec 6 all-day
Online or In Person Barnes + Noble
UWABC Holiday Book Drive 2019Holiday Book Drive

The eighth annual Holiday Book Drive is taking place November 1-December 12, 2020 thanks to the generous support of Capstone Health Alliance and Barnes & Noble Asheville. Despite the challenges of this year, United Way’s Women United is once again joining forces with our volunteer center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, to collect books for elementary and middle school youth for the holidays and show them what we’re able to do when we come together and Live United. All donated books will be distributed to programs serving diverse, underserved communities throughout Buncombe County.

Last year 2,800 books were collected both online and through our wonderful program partner Barnes & Noble Asheville. Since the drive’s inception nearly 13,000 books have been collected to support our local students thanks to your generosity and care.

Winter Reading Challenge
Dec 6 all-day
Online with Buncombe County Libraries

Photo of typewriter

Looking for ways to optimize coziness this winter? Check out the Library’s Winter Reading Challenge! Starting Dec. 1, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library during public service hours or download a PDF below. The activity sheet includes multiple ways kids and their families can enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. This free activity sheet is designed with kids in mind, but all are invited to participate. The focal challenge is to Build A Blizzard, in which kids are invited to make paper snowflakes to help decorate their local branch. Libraries will be offering the craft supplies needed to Build a Blizzard while supplies last, so plan to stop by your library soon!

Library ZOOM Passes Return
Dec 6 @ 8:00 am – 9:30 pm
Online

The Perfect Turkey

Buncombe County Libraries have teamed up with local attractions and museums to offer free admission for library card holders with a ZOOM pass!

How does it work?

  • Have your library card handy and log into the Tixkeeper database.
  • You can make 1 reservation per library card. Check the pass details to see how many adults and children gain entry with each pass. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance and you may visit each attraction once every 30 days. Reservations are made online only.
  • You will get an email confirmation of your reservation and a reminder email the day before your visit.
  • Pick up your tickets at any library anytime the week before your visit. Please bring the library card used for reservations with you.
  • The pass will be good for YOUR RESERVATION DAY ONLY. The pass will have your name on it and cannot be used by anyone else. ZOOM passes cannot be renewed.
  • Take your ZOOM pass to the museum for admission. You are responsible for knowing the schedule of the museum with regards to opening and closing times. Admission guidelines may vary and pass users must follow the rules of the museum
Monday, December 7, 2020
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Holiday Book Drive
Dec 7 all-day
Online or In Person Barnes + Noble
UWABC Holiday Book Drive 2019Holiday Book Drive

The eighth annual Holiday Book Drive is taking place November 1-December 12, 2020 thanks to the generous support of Capstone Health Alliance and Barnes & Noble Asheville. Despite the challenges of this year, United Way’s Women United is once again joining forces with our volunteer center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, to collect books for elementary and middle school youth for the holidays and show them what we’re able to do when we come together and Live United. All donated books will be distributed to programs serving diverse, underserved communities throughout Buncombe County.

Last year 2,800 books were collected both online and through our wonderful program partner Barnes & Noble Asheville. Since the drive’s inception nearly 13,000 books have been collected to support our local students thanks to your generosity and care.

Winter Reading Challenge
Dec 7 all-day
Online with Buncombe County Libraries

Photo of typewriter

Looking for ways to optimize coziness this winter? Check out the Library’s Winter Reading Challenge! Starting Dec. 1, pick up a Winter Reading Activity Sheet from any Buncombe County Public Library during public service hours or download a PDF below. The activity sheet includes multiple ways kids and their families can enjoy the winter season together in a screen-free, socially distanced way. This free activity sheet is designed with kids in mind, but all are invited to participate. The focal challenge is to Build A Blizzard, in which kids are invited to make paper snowflakes to help decorate their local branch. Libraries will be offering the craft supplies needed to Build a Blizzard while supplies last, so plan to stop by your library soon!

Live Stream: Craig Gralley presents Hall Of Mirrors Virginia Hall: America’s Greatest Spy of WWII
Dec 7 @ 6:00 pm
Online w/ Malaprop's

This event is free but please RSVP here. You will then receive an email on the day of the event with URL and password you’ll need to attend. Like most of our events, this event is free. If you decide to attend and to purchase the authors’ books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are supporting our work and keeping more dollars in our community. If you would like to support us without purchasing a book, you may purchase a gift card or make a donation of any amount. Thank you!


In World War II France, she went by the name of Marie. Or Brigitte. Or any of a half dozen other names. Some saw her as a middle-aged newspaper reporter. To others, she was a doddering old woman. To the Nazis, she was an elusive enemy, “The Lady Who Limps.” Her real name was Virginia Hall. She had a wooden leg. And she was a spy. As the Allies’ first agent to live behind the lines in Vichy, France, she organized resistance groups, helped conduct sabotage operations, and reported secret intelligence back to the Allies. She was one of the first women agents in the CIA and was the only civilian woman of the war to receive the Distinguished Service Cross. This is the story of Virginia Hall and her immense personal courage and determination, and how she broke through barriers of physical limitation and gender discrimination to become America’s greatest spy of World War II.

Craig Gralley, a former senior officer in the Central Intelligence Agency, was chief speechwriter for three CIA directors. Through research and travel, he’s become the organization’s authority on Virginia Hall. Craig attended Allegheny College in Meadville PA, and holds graduate degrees from Georgetown University (Government) and Johns Hopkins University (Writing). Though his passion is the written word, Craig also enjoys long-distance running and adventure travel with his wife, Janet.

Learn more about Craig Gralley and Virginia Hall at https://craiggralley.com/.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Holiday Book Drive
Dec 8 all-day
Online or In Person Barnes + Noble
UWABC Holiday Book Drive 2019Holiday Book Drive

The eighth annual Holiday Book Drive is taking place November 1-December 12, 2020 thanks to the generous support of Capstone Health Alliance and Barnes & Noble Asheville. Despite the challenges of this year, United Way’s Women United is once again joining forces with our volunteer center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, to collect books for elementary and middle school youth for the holidays and show them what we’re able to do when we come together and Live United. All donated books will be distributed to programs serving diverse, underserved communities throughout Buncombe County.

Last year 2,800 books were collected both online and through our wonderful program partner Barnes & Noble Asheville. Since the drive’s inception nearly 13,000 books have been collected to support our local students thanks to your generosity and care.