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.
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We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.
What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!
We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! 
You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?
Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)
Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.
The Council on Aging for Henderson County (COAHC) wants to make sure all seniors receive a gift this holiday season, and they need your help. For the 25th year, the COAHC will be collecting shoebox gifts filled by community members, then deliver those gifts to Henderson County seniors. Last year they delivered more than 350 boxes to COAHC clients. This year all additional boxes will be donated to clients of Henderson County Department of Social Services Adult Services.
Participants fill a shoe box with small, useful items and gifts, such as hygiene items, gloves, large-print books and puzzles, notepads, calendars, flashlights, and any other small gifts a senior would appreciate. Then bring the wrapped shoebox to the Council on Aging office (105 King Creek Boulevard) during their business hours: Mon-Fri, between 9am and 4pm. Please mark if the box is for a male, female or either. Gift collection ends on Friday, December 8th.
This gift drive is in conjunction with a Meals on Wheels gift drive for requested items from their clients. Participants can choose a client, shop for their requested items, then bring the wrapped gift to the Council on Aging office, where volunteers will distribute the gifts to clients in late December.
Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.
- Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
- 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
- $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.
Spread Joy this Holiday Season: Support a YWCA Family Through Angel Tree.
Our Virtual Angel tree is up for this holiday season. This gift tree provides our broader YWCA community a path to join us as we aim to support our program participants and their families with a holiday season full of love and support. If you would like to support a family this holiday season please click here or email Holly Olsen, Director of Women’s Empowerment to get the details of how you can fulfill a family’s holiday wish.
Programs Served by the Angel Tree:
-
MotherLove
YWCA’s MotherLove program supports pregnant and parenting teens throughout Buncombe County. Our goals are to help young parents to stay in school and graduate, access higher education and vocational training, develop the skills and knowledge needed to become strong parents and delay another teen pregnancy. -
Getting Ahead In a Just Getting By World
YWCA’s Getting Ahead program aims to provide financial empowerment for low-income women of all ages and backgrounds to make choices that positively impact themselves, their families, and their community. -
Early Learning Program
YWCA’s Early Learning Program provides 5-star childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Our experienced and compassionate teachers not only provide exceptional care for little ones, but also prepare young children to succeed cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. We prioritize families using childcare vouchers or caring for children in the foster care system. -
Empowerment Childcare
The YWCA provides up to 12 hours of free childcare per week for parents who are in transition, continuing their education, accessing social services, or looking for employment. ECC works closely with the Family Justice Center, Buncombe County Health and Human Services, A-B Tech, Green Opportunities, and Mary Benson House.
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A Helping of Graditude
River lovers are encouraged to support RiverLink and other community nonprofits through Give!Local, the annual philanthropy program organized by MountainXpress. The first 10 donors of $100 or more to RiverLink will be entered into a drawing for a kayak tour on the French Broad River with Renee Fortner, RiverLink’s expert water resources manager. First Bank is waiving transaction fees, so 100 percent of your donation goes to the nonprofits you select.
Participate in Give!Local
RiverLink deeply appreciates the contributions this community makes directly to the organization — whether as gifts of stock, required IRA distributions, donor-advised funds, donations made in memory of others, and all the ways you give. Please reach out to Susan Andrew at [email protected] for assistance with any of these giving modes. And anyone can use the handy Donate button at the bottom of our newsletters. Thank you! Sincere gratitude to RiverLink’s recent business supporters — we are honored by your contributions:
- Astral
- Bottle Riot
- Burial Beer Co.
- Cedar Rock Adventures
- Curtis Wright Outfitters
- East Fork Pottery
- Edgewater Resources
- Ferguson Waterworks
- Fresh Market
- Hellbender Paddleboards
- High Five Coffee
- Preserving a Picturesque America
- Whole Foods
- Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins
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We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.
What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!
We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! 
You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?
Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)
Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.
The Council on Aging for Henderson County (COAHC) wants to make sure all seniors receive a gift this holiday season, and they need your help. For the 25th year, the COAHC will be collecting shoebox gifts filled by community members, then deliver those gifts to Henderson County seniors. Last year they delivered more than 350 boxes to COAHC clients. This year all additional boxes will be donated to clients of Henderson County Department of Social Services Adult Services.
Participants fill a shoe box with small, useful items and gifts, such as hygiene items, gloves, large-print books and puzzles, notepads, calendars, flashlights, and any other small gifts a senior would appreciate. Then bring the wrapped shoebox to the Council on Aging office (105 King Creek Boulevard) during their business hours: Mon-Fri, between 9am and 4pm. Please mark if the box is for a male, female or either. Gift collection ends on Friday, December 8th.
This gift drive is in conjunction with a Meals on Wheels gift drive for requested items from their clients. Participants can choose a client, shop for their requested items, then bring the wrapped gift to the Council on Aging office, where volunteers will distribute the gifts to clients in late December.
Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Every Friday Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country.
Blake Wexler started doing stand-up at the age of 15 as a high school student in Philadelphia, continued performing in Boston while attending Emerson College, and ultimately moved to Los Angeles in 2011.
In addition to writing for and appearing on Comedy Central & ABC, Blake also has been a featured performer in (too) many comedy festivals and can be regularly heard on The Cracked, Daily Zeitgeist & The Todd Glass Show podcasts.
All four of Blake’s critically acclaimed stand-up comedy records debuted at #1 on the iTunes & Amazon comedy charts, and his album 12 Years of Voicemails from Todd Glass to Blake Wexler charted on Billboard.
Blake’s debut hour stand-up special “Daddy Long Legs” is now streaming on YouTube.
Social Media: @blakewexler
featuring Zlata Cass
ages 18+
Doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm
The nation’s largest comedy club network is back! After a popular run last season, this hilarious collective returns to bring top-notch comedians for four weekends of side-splitting laughter. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today — seen in specials on Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Hulu and more — deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines and hysterical anecdotes that will keep you laughing all night long. Contains adult content.
Headliner Maryellen Hooper
A veteran in the world of stand-up, Maryellen Hooper’s comedy has taken her from clubs and colleges to theaters and television. She’s appeared on many late-night talk shows including several appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. Her half-hour special on Comedy Central, called “Lounge Lizards,” received rave reviews and was played on heavy rotation. In 1998, the comedy industry awarded Maryellen “Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic” at the American Comedy Awards. Recently, the Walt Disney Company has asked Maryellen to perform on all four of its beautiful cruise ships. making her one of the very few comics who have.
A physical storyteller, Maryellen’s act is an ever-evolving saga about her life as a woman, wife, and mother. Never crude or offensive, her accounts of life’s little annoyances leave audiences exhausted from laughter. From home repairs on her family’s “Fixer Upper” to raising two odoriferous boys, no story is too sacred to share with her audiences.
Feature Joel Byars
Joel Byars is an award winning comedian, podcaster, and Trophy Husband. His unique clean comedy style has helped him win both the Kenan Thompson Comedy Contest and Search for the One Competition. Both of these events seek out the top clean comedians in the country. Beyond the stage, Joel has been a writer for Comedy Central, The Weather Channel, and even the author of his own book, Finding Your Funny. His podcast, Hot Breath!, has been described by NPR as “discovering the desire to be a comedian, their craft and their unifying bond found within the world of stand up comedy.” Everyone of all ages is guaranteed to laugh and learn at a Joel Byars show.
A battle for your soul is being waged from an office in hell! Recommended for ages 13+. Children under age 4 are not admitted.
Don’t miss The Screwtape Letters, the provocative, faithful, and wickedly funny theatrical adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ classic novel about spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view.
The Screwtape Letters creates a topsy-turvy, morally inverted universe, set in an eerily stylish office in hell, where God is called the “Enemy,” and the devil is referred to as “Our Father Below.” The play follows His Abysmal Sublimity, Screwtape, as he strives to ruin the life and damn the soul of an unsuspecting human on earth.
Based on the book by the creator of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Wall Street Journal called it, “One hell of a good show!” Newsweek ranked it among the best productions of the year in New York City. The New York Times found it, “Clever and satirical,” and Christianity Today said it is a “Profound experience.”
The Screwtape Letters has played to capacity audiences in major cities across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Salt Lake City, Orlando, Seattle, Dallas, and in London. Over 500,000 people have seen the production, which continues to attract a national following.
Starring Brent Harris as Screwtape (Scar in The Lion King national tour), it is directed by Fellowship for Performing Arts Founder and Artistic Director Max McLean.
The nation’s largest comedy club network is back! After a popular run last season, this hilarious collective returns to bring top-notch comedians for four weekends of side-splitting laughter. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today — seen in specials on Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Hulu and more — deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines and hysterical anecdotes that will keep you laughing all night long. Contains adult content.
Headliner Maryellen Hooper
A veteran in the world of stand-up, Maryellen Hooper’s comedy has taken her from clubs and colleges to theaters and television. She’s appeared on many late-night talk shows including several appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. Her half-hour special on Comedy Central, called “Lounge Lizards,” received rave reviews and was played on heavy rotation. In 1998, the comedy industry awarded Maryellen “Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic” at the American Comedy Awards. Recently, the Walt Disney Company has asked Maryellen to perform on all four of its beautiful cruise ships. making her one of the very few comics who have.
A physical storyteller, Maryellen’s act is an ever-evolving saga about her life as a woman, wife, and mother. Never crude or offensive, her accounts of life’s little annoyances leave audiences exhausted from laughter. From home repairs on her family’s “Fixer Upper” to raising two odoriferous boys, no story is too sacred to share with her audiences.
Feature Joel Byars
Joel Byars is an award winning comedian, podcaster, and Trophy Husband. His unique clean comedy style has helped him win both the Kenan Thompson Comedy Contest and Search for the One Competition. Both of these events seek out the top clean comedians in the country. Beyond the stage, Joel has been a writer for Comedy Central, The Weather Channel, and even the author of his own book, Finding Your Funny. His podcast, Hot Breath!, has been described by NPR as “discovering the desire to be a comedian, their craft and their unifying bond found within the world of stand up comedy.” Everyone of all ages is guaranteed to laugh and learn at a Joel Byars show.
Spread Joy this Holiday Season: Support a YWCA Family Through Angel Tree.
Our Virtual Angel tree is up for this holiday season. This gift tree provides our broader YWCA community a path to join us as we aim to support our program participants and their families with a holiday season full of love and support. If you would like to support a family this holiday season please click here or email Holly Olsen, Director of Women’s Empowerment to get the details of how you can fulfill a family’s holiday wish.
Programs Served by the Angel Tree:
-
MotherLove
YWCA’s MotherLove program supports pregnant and parenting teens throughout Buncombe County. Our goals are to help young parents to stay in school and graduate, access higher education and vocational training, develop the skills and knowledge needed to become strong parents and delay another teen pregnancy. -
Getting Ahead In a Just Getting By World
YWCA’s Getting Ahead program aims to provide financial empowerment for low-income women of all ages and backgrounds to make choices that positively impact themselves, their families, and their community. -
Early Learning Program
YWCA’s Early Learning Program provides 5-star childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Our experienced and compassionate teachers not only provide exceptional care for little ones, but also prepare young children to succeed cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. We prioritize families using childcare vouchers or caring for children in the foster care system. -
Empowerment Childcare
The YWCA provides up to 12 hours of free childcare per week for parents who are in transition, continuing their education, accessing social services, or looking for employment. ECC works closely with the Family Justice Center, Buncombe County Health and Human Services, A-B Tech, Green Opportunities, and Mary Benson House.
|
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|
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|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|

A Helping of Graditude
River lovers are encouraged to support RiverLink and other community nonprofits through Give!Local, the annual philanthropy program organized by MountainXpress. The first 10 donors of $100 or more to RiverLink will be entered into a drawing for a kayak tour on the French Broad River with Renee Fortner, RiverLink’s expert water resources manager. First Bank is waiving transaction fees, so 100 percent of your donation goes to the nonprofits you select.
Participate in Give!Local
RiverLink deeply appreciates the contributions this community makes directly to the organization — whether as gifts of stock, required IRA distributions, donor-advised funds, donations made in memory of others, and all the ways you give. Please reach out to Susan Andrew at [email protected] for assistance with any of these giving modes. And anyone can use the handy Donate button at the bottom of our newsletters. Thank you! Sincere gratitude to RiverLink’s recent business supporters — we are honored by your contributions:
- Astral
- Bottle Riot
- Burial Beer Co.
- Cedar Rock Adventures
- Curtis Wright Outfitters
- East Fork Pottery
- Edgewater Resources
- Ferguson Waterworks
- Fresh Market
- Hellbender Paddleboards
- High Five Coffee
- Preserving a Picturesque America
- Whole Foods
- Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins
|
|
We need your help and the help of your network to make this holiday drive as successful as possible in putting new books into the hands of Buncombe County elementary and middle school students during the holiday break.
What better way to spread holiday cheer than by donating books? Imagine the joy on a child’s face when they receive a brand-new book. It’s like sprinkling a little bit of magic into their lives!
We’ve partnered with over a dozen local organizations serving K-12 students throughout the county. They’re eagerly waiting for book drop-offs like kids waiting for the first snowfall! 
You can make a positive impact right now by donating directly using the button below, or why not turn giving back into an outing?
Holiday Book Drive 2023 (givebutter.com)
Visit the Barnes & Noble on Tunnel Road at the Asheville Mall to shop in-store and donate them on the spot.
Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Kids’ Comedy Tour: Wildly funny, this educational and entertaining tour features the perfect blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically toward the 5–12 year old crowd, you’ll explore the town with our famously outlandish tour guides leading the way.
- Perfect for birthday parties
- Makes for memorable school field trips
- Tickets are $27 per person
- Beverages available for purchase at the LaZoom Room
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
A battle for your soul is being waged from an office in hell! Recommended for ages 13+. Children under age 4 are not admitted.
Don’t miss The Screwtape Letters, the provocative, faithful, and wickedly funny theatrical adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ classic novel about spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view.
The Screwtape Letters creates a topsy-turvy, morally inverted universe, set in an eerily stylish office in hell, where God is called the “Enemy,” and the devil is referred to as “Our Father Below.” The play follows His Abysmal Sublimity, Screwtape, as he strives to ruin the life and damn the soul of an unsuspecting human on earth.
Based on the book by the creator of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Wall Street Journal called it, “One hell of a good show!” Newsweek ranked it among the best productions of the year in New York City. The New York Times found it, “Clever and satirical,” and Christianity Today said it is a “Profound experience.”
The Screwtape Letters has played to capacity audiences in major cities across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Salt Lake City, Orlando, Seattle, Dallas, and in London. Over 500,000 people have seen the production, which continues to attract a national following.
Starring Brent Harris as Screwtape (Scar in The Lion King national tour), it is directed by Fellowship for Performing Arts Founder and Artistic Director Max McLean.
You better not pout, you better not cry, you better watch out we’re telling you why – the Reasonably Priced Babies are coming to town! You’ll be sure to laugh with your belly like a bowl full of jelly at this improv comedy show. Audience participation helps the babies make a list and check it twice so no two shows are the same. Ring in December in style with this show full of holiday hootenanny!
The nation’s largest comedy club network is back! After a popular run last season, this hilarious collective returns to bring top-notch comedians for four weekends of side-splitting laughter. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today — seen in specials on Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Hulu and more — deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines and hysterical anecdotes that will keep you laughing all night long. Contains adult content.
A veteran in the world of stand-up, Maryellen Hooper’s comedy has taken her from clubs and colleges to theaters and television. She’s appeared on many late-night talk shows including several appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. Her half-hour special on Comedy Central, called “Lounge Lizards,” received rave reviews and was played on heavy rotation. In 1998, the comedy industry awarded Maryellen “Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic” at the American Comedy Awards. Recently, the Walt Disney Company has asked Maryellen to perform on all four of its beautiful cruise ships. making her one of the very few comics who have.
Headliner Maryellen Hooper
A physical storyteller, Maryellen’s act is an ever-evolving saga about her life as a woman, wife, and mother. Never crude or offensive, her accounts of life’s little annoyances leave audiences exhausted from laughter. From home repairs on her family’s “Fixer Upper” to raising two odoriferous boys, no story is too sacred to share with her audiences.
Feature Joel Byars
Joel Byars is an award winning comedian, podcaster, and Trophy Husband. His unique clean comedy style has helped him win both the Kenan Thompson Comedy Contest and Search for the One Competition. Both of these events seek out the top clean comedians in the country. Beyond the stage, Joel has been a writer for Comedy Central, The Weather Channel, and even the author of his own book, Finding Your Funny. His podcast, Hot Breath!, has been described by NPR as “discovering the desire to be a comedian, their craft and their unifying bond found within the world of stand up comedy.” Everyone of all ages is guaranteed to laugh and learn at a Joel Byars show.


