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.
Covid-19 hasn’t stopped us from making an impact on local rivers and communities throughout WNC — so we’re adapting our 8th Annual Root Ball End of Season Party to celebrate quarantine-style… Save the dates for three awesome ways to participate!
Online silent auction (Oct 2nd-18th). We’ll have an incredible collection of items and experiences focused on outdoor recreation, arts + culture, food + beverage, and other offerings that are uniquely Asheville.
Online native tree and plant sale (Oct 2nd-18th). Individuals will be able to purchase from a wide variety of plants and trees provided by participating partner nurseries (with all proceeds going to GreenWorks programs).
Virtual Dance Party on October 16th: Gather up your pod and safely dance the evening away in your own living room. The event will be kid-friendly and have lots of opportunities for audience participation.
Stay tuned for more information on how to join in these exciting events!
If you’d like to offer support by donating an item or service to our silent auction, please contact [email protected].
Calling all spoken word artists 15 years or older
ABOUT WORDplay©
WORDplay© is a twelve month slam poetry competition featuring Spoken Word Poets from all over Western North Carolina. Each month ten to twelve Poets will be selected via video submissions, for the chance to compete for Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective’s WORDplay© championship and a $1,000.00 cash prize. The monthly online competition, hosted by local Poets Barbie Angell and Shanita Jackson, is open to regional Poets who are at least 15 years of age. One Poet from each month’s competition will be selected to compete in front of a live audience in the October and November 2021 Semi-Finals. Two remaining Poets will vie for the WORDplay© championship in December 2021. The second place Poet will receive $500.00. Each Semi-Finalist will receive $100.00.
We are accepting submissions for January and February rounds now through November 23, 2020. Selected Poets will be notified by December 23, 2020.
Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to partner with The Breath Project to create an archive of 8 minute and 46 second works of live theater from multidisciplinary theater artists of color who are responding to this moment in history. All submissions that meet the Breath Project guidelines will be featured in the archive, and as partners in the project, CJ Barnwell will be the curator from our theater who will help select pieces from the archive to feature in a virtual festival in Fall 2020. For those who do not have access to video recording equipment, the Playhouse is able to offer the use of the Mainstage and video recording support. If you are interested in recording on the Mainstage, please email [email protected].
To be considered for the Fall 2020 virtual festival, please submit your piece by Sept. 14, 2020. For more information on the submission process, the mission of the Breath Project and other partner theaters, visit www.thebreathproject2020.com.
SHOP THE ROCK!
Our online gift shop is now open, and just in time for your holiday shopping. T-shirts are available in a variety of colors with Adult and Youth sizing, and we have additional apparel items like sweatshirts, hats, polos, and totes. We have unique gift options like our 50th-anniversary book with a detailed history of Flat Rock Playhouse and prints designed by some of your favorite Vagabonds.
Another Cuba Trip!
Pandemic Arts is a series “where performing artists from various genres discuss how the global pandemic is affecting their careers, their creativity, their finances, and their plans for the future.” The FRP episode is live and features a candid interview with Lisa K. Bryant about the history of the Playhouse and the challenges of running a theatre during the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll also see performances by beloved Vagabonds Matthew Glover, Bill Muñoz, and Scott Treadway. Click here to watch the video!
Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre is a professional theatre company in residence at the historic Owen Theatre on the campus of Mars Hill University. Since its founding in 1975 by visionary director and theatre educator Jim Thomas, SART has produced scores of plays, musicals, and original works, many portraying the rich culture and heritage of Southern Appalachia. After operating for many years as a program of MHU, SART became an independent nonprofit organization in 2003 and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. In recognition of its artistic excellence and cultural importance to the community, SART has received major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, Madison County Arts Council, and the Shubert Foundation. SART also receives major support from Mars Hill University, along with donations and sponsorships from many generous individuals and business owners.
All payments for the silent auction will be made upon the conclusion of item bidding. We will reach out to our top bidders to arrange individual payments. Pick-up of all items will be held at the SART box office, by appointment only. Bidders will be responsible for shipping costs, if needed. Once we conclude the silent auction we will then schedule pickups with the winning bidders.
THANK YOU for your participation!
Use Your Voice – Support The Arts
This May, we made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 season due to COVID-19. The entire industry of live entertainment has been severely impacted by the pandemic, and your support is needed now more than ever by asking your representatives to support the Save Our Stages Act. Click here to easily contact your congressional representatives.
How ’bout them Apples?
We post each Thursday morning any ripening updates in the orchard. Remember we are an heirloom apple orchard. Our mission is to save the good stuff…including apple varieties. In addition to trees that fruit during the normal late September/October season in greater quantity, also we plant small batch numbers of heirloom apple trees. Some ripen earlier (an unexpected gift); all have their uses from apple sauce, to butters, to juice and ciders, and just fresh eating off the trees. They won’t all be available all the time. But, when they are, we’ll let you know. Please come and see for yourself.
Covid-19 hasn’t stopped us from making an impact on local rivers and communities throughout WNC — so we’re adapting our 8th Annual Root Ball End of Season Party to celebrate quarantine-style… Save the dates for three awesome ways to participate!
Online silent auction (Oct 2nd-18th). We’ll have an incredible collection of items and experiences focused on outdoor recreation, arts + culture, food + beverage, and other offerings that are uniquely Asheville.
Online native tree and plant sale (Oct 2nd-18th). Individuals will be able to purchase from a wide variety of plants and trees provided by participating partner nurseries (with all proceeds going to GreenWorks programs).
Virtual Dance Party on October 16th: Gather up your pod and safely dance the evening away in your own living room. The event will be kid-friendly and have lots of opportunities for audience participation.
Stay tuned for more information on how to join in these exciting events!
If you’d like to offer support by donating an item or service to our silent auction, please contact [email protected].
Calling all spoken word artists 15 years or older
ABOUT WORDplay©
WORDplay© is a twelve month slam poetry competition featuring Spoken Word Poets from all over Western North Carolina. Each month ten to twelve Poets will be selected via video submissions, for the chance to compete for Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective’s WORDplay© championship and a $1,000.00 cash prize. The monthly online competition, hosted by local Poets Barbie Angell and Shanita Jackson, is open to regional Poets who are at least 15 years of age. One Poet from each month’s competition will be selected to compete in front of a live audience in the October and November 2021 Semi-Finals. Two remaining Poets will vie for the WORDplay© championship in December 2021. The second place Poet will receive $500.00. Each Semi-Finalist will receive $100.00.
We are accepting submissions for January and February rounds now through November 23, 2020. Selected Poets will be notified by December 23, 2020.
Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to partner with The Breath Project to create an archive of 8 minute and 46 second works of live theater from multidisciplinary theater artists of color who are responding to this moment in history. All submissions that meet the Breath Project guidelines will be featured in the archive, and as partners in the project, CJ Barnwell will be the curator from our theater who will help select pieces from the archive to feature in a virtual festival in Fall 2020. For those who do not have access to video recording equipment, the Playhouse is able to offer the use of the Mainstage and video recording support. If you are interested in recording on the Mainstage, please email [email protected].
To be considered for the Fall 2020 virtual festival, please submit your piece by Sept. 14, 2020. For more information on the submission process, the mission of the Breath Project and other partner theaters, visit www.thebreathproject2020.com.
SHOP THE ROCK!
Our online gift shop is now open, and just in time for your holiday shopping. T-shirts are available in a variety of colors with Adult and Youth sizing, and we have additional apparel items like sweatshirts, hats, polos, and totes. We have unique gift options like our 50th-anniversary book with a detailed history of Flat Rock Playhouse and prints designed by some of your favorite Vagabonds.
Another Cuba Trip!
Pandemic Arts is a series “where performing artists from various genres discuss how the global pandemic is affecting their careers, their creativity, their finances, and their plans for the future.” The FRP episode is live and features a candid interview with Lisa K. Bryant about the history of the Playhouse and the challenges of running a theatre during the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll also see performances by beloved Vagabonds Matthew Glover, Bill Muñoz, and Scott Treadway. Click here to watch the video!
Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre is a professional theatre company in residence at the historic Owen Theatre on the campus of Mars Hill University. Since its founding in 1975 by visionary director and theatre educator Jim Thomas, SART has produced scores of plays, musicals, and original works, many portraying the rich culture and heritage of Southern Appalachia. After operating for many years as a program of MHU, SART became an independent nonprofit organization in 2003 and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. In recognition of its artistic excellence and cultural importance to the community, SART has received major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, Madison County Arts Council, and the Shubert Foundation. SART also receives major support from Mars Hill University, along with donations and sponsorships from many generous individuals and business owners.
All payments for the silent auction will be made upon the conclusion of item bidding. We will reach out to our top bidders to arrange individual payments. Pick-up of all items will be held at the SART box office, by appointment only. Bidders will be responsible for shipping costs, if needed. Once we conclude the silent auction we will then schedule pickups with the winning bidders.
THANK YOU for your participation!
Use Your Voice – Support The Arts
This May, we made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 season due to COVID-19. The entire industry of live entertainment has been severely impacted by the pandemic, and your support is needed now more than ever by asking your representatives to support the Save Our Stages Act. Click here to easily contact your congressional representatives.
How ’bout them Apples?
We post each Thursday morning any ripening updates in the orchard. Remember we are an heirloom apple orchard. Our mission is to save the good stuff…including apple varieties. In addition to trees that fruit during the normal late September/October season in greater quantity, also we plant small batch numbers of heirloom apple trees. Some ripen earlier (an unexpected gift); all have their uses from apple sauce, to butters, to juice and ciders, and just fresh eating off the trees. They won’t all be available all the time. But, when they are, we’ll let you know. Please come and see for yourself.
Please join us for our October Zoom gathering of The Magnetic Theatre’s Playreading Club. This month we have 5 original short plays with a Halloween theme, about 7-10 mins long with 2-5 characters each. There will be heroes, gangstas, aliens and a little brains and blood thrown in! There’s plenty of room for a handful of readers and listeners as well. Dress up if you dare, and let’s have fun! Sunday, October 18th at 11:00am. Please sign up to either be a reader or just to watch the fun. We will send you the Zoom link right before we start.
TheatreUNCA will bring Sophocles’ ancient Greek tragedy Antigone to life as a radio drama podcast with an online debut set for 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18 on the UNC Asheville Department of Drama’s Vimeo channel. Visit drama.unca.edu/engage/theatreunca to register for this free event and receive a password-protected link to listen to the show between Oct 18 and 25.
This all-student performance will be directed by senior Bri Stewart, and will feature a new translation and adaptation by UNC Asheville students working under Sophie Mills, professor of classics. The play chronicles Antigone’s decision to bury her deceased brother – a former ruler killed in battle against a rival for the throne – despite a decree by the new king that he be neither mourned nor buried.
This production has challenged UNC Asheville’s students to adapt not just the language and themes of the ancient drama, but every aspect of logistics and performance to remain physically distanced while rehearsing and recording.
The cast includes Mack Moseley, Lindsey Wheeler, Thomas Townsend, Maycen Ellis, Brian Badesco, Jada Smith, Sam Pate, Sam McIntosh, Lilly Huebner and Ria Mark.
Calling all spoken word artists 15 years or older
ABOUT WORDplay©
WORDplay© is a twelve month slam poetry competition featuring Spoken Word Poets from all over Western North Carolina. Each month ten to twelve Poets will be selected via video submissions, for the chance to compete for Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective’s WORDplay© championship and a $1,000.00 cash prize. The monthly online competition, hosted by local Poets Barbie Angell and Shanita Jackson, is open to regional Poets who are at least 15 years of age. One Poet from each month’s competition will be selected to compete in front of a live audience in the October and November 2021 Semi-Finals. Two remaining Poets will vie for the WORDplay© championship in December 2021. The second place Poet will receive $500.00. Each Semi-Finalist will receive $100.00.
We are accepting submissions for January and February rounds now through November 23, 2020. Selected Poets will be notified by December 23, 2020.
SHOP THE ROCK!
Our online gift shop is now open, and just in time for your holiday shopping. T-shirts are available in a variety of colors with Adult and Youth sizing, and we have additional apparel items like sweatshirts, hats, polos, and totes. We have unique gift options like our 50th-anniversary book with a detailed history of Flat Rock Playhouse and prints designed by some of your favorite Vagabonds.
Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre is a professional theatre company in residence at the historic Owen Theatre on the campus of Mars Hill University. Since its founding in 1975 by visionary director and theatre educator Jim Thomas, SART has produced scores of plays, musicals, and original works, many portraying the rich culture and heritage of Southern Appalachia. After operating for many years as a program of MHU, SART became an independent nonprofit organization in 2003 and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. In recognition of its artistic excellence and cultural importance to the community, SART has received major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, Madison County Arts Council, and the Shubert Foundation. SART also receives major support from Mars Hill University, along with donations and sponsorships from many generous individuals and business owners.
All payments for the silent auction will be made upon the conclusion of item bidding. We will reach out to our top bidders to arrange individual payments. Pick-up of all items will be held at the SART box office, by appointment only. Bidders will be responsible for shipping costs, if needed. Once we conclude the silent auction we will then schedule pickups with the winning bidders.
THANK YOU for your participation!
Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more.
The Dave Hart Scholarship Fund was created in memory of Studio 52’s friend, artist, and educator Dave Hart.
Dave believed that all students, no matter their background or resources, benefit from participating in theatre.
A small number of full and partial need-based scholarships are available upon application.
Applications are due by September 4. Please fill out the Scholarship Application Form which includes basic student, guardian, and household information as well as a short written statement outlining the purpose and significance of a scholarship. Recipients will be notified via email by September 9.
Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more.
Mondays from 3 – 3:45 PM
Sep. 21 – Nov. 16
K – 2nd Grades
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: Tania Battista
$150
Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more.
Mondays from 3 – 3:45 PM
Sep. 21 – Nov. 16
K – 2nd Grades
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: Tania Battista
$150
Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more.
Mondays from 3 – 3:45 PM
Sep. 21 – Nov. 16
K – 2nd Grades
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: Tania Battista
$150Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then join us for a fun and physical virtual theatre class that combines reading, creative movement, acting, music, and art! In lively Zoom classes rooted in creative play and inspired by literature, students will explore improvisation, acting through movement, character development, and more.
Mondays from 3 – 3:45 PM
Sep. 21 – Nov. 16
K – 2nd Grades
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: Tania Battista
$150
Explore improvisation, characterization, voice and speech, costume design, and more as you create an original virtual play! With a combination of weekly in-person classes and one private 20-minute session with your instructor, students will develop, memorize, film, and share a video of their role in the play. At the end of the semester, each actor’s part will be edited together to create a virtual performance!
3rd – 5th Grades
Weekly Zoom class, one 20-minute private lesson
Instructors: Anna Kimmell, Tania Battista
Dive into the development of full and fun characters in this imaginative acting class where students learn about character creation and analysis. With an emphasis on improvisation, collaboration, and self-scripting, actors will leave feeling more confident making 
bold and specific choices on screen, on stage, and in life. At the end of the semester, actors will share their original characters in a one-of-a-kind virtual showcase.
| Students learn about character creation and analysis. Actors will share their original characters in a virtual showcase. |
Weekly Zoom class
Instructor: TJ Medel
This class will be offered in person on the ACT Mainstage, following all the recommended protocols for safety and sanitation. Class is limited to 8 students.
Incorporating aspects of the top improv programs in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, this course covers the fundamentals of improvisational acting with an emphasis on comedy; such as listening, commitment, adding information, agreement, intuitive reaction over desperate invention, as well as recognizing and capitalizing on emerging patterns. The class is crafted in such a way to have participants gradually gain their improv instincts through enjoyable and achievable exercises rather than teaching them the taste of disappointment and frustration. Students will gain experience and confidence in unscripted comedic performance through a series of improvised stories, scenes, and group structures; all done from a safe distance.
*In person classes are 50 minutes with an added 10 minutes for temperature checks*
TheatreUNCA will bring Sophocles’ ancient Greek tragedy Antigone to life as a radio drama podcast with an online debut set for 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18 on the UNC Asheville Department of Drama’s Vimeo channel. Visit drama.unca.edu/engage/theatreunca to register for this free event and receive a password-protected link to listen to the show between Oct 18 and 25.
This all-student performance will be directed by senior Bri Stewart, and will feature a new translation and adaptation by UNC Asheville students working under Sophie Mills, professor of classics. The play chronicles Antigone’s decision to bury her deceased brother – a former ruler killed in battle against a rival for the throne – despite a decree by the new king that he be neither mourned nor buried.
This production has challenged UNC Asheville’s students to adapt not just the language and themes of the ancient drama, but every aspect of logistics and performance to remain physically distanced while rehearsing and recording.
The cast includes Mack Moseley, Lindsey Wheeler, Thomas Townsend, Maycen Ellis, Brian Badesco, Jada Smith, Sam Pate, Sam McIntosh, Lilly Huebner and Ria Mark.