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.

Sunday, November 17, 2019
Queer Comedy Party ft. Bobby Higley
Nov 17 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fleetwood's

Asheville’s monthly all queer stand up comedy showcase! This months headliner is Bobby Higley

“Bobby Higley turns anxiety, depression, and PTSD into comedy Gold.” – Stranger Magazine

Bobby Higley is wild eyed, sassy, gay-ex-Mormon, middle child of 7. Fashionable, dark, & deeply irreverent. Picture abused gender-bent Martha Stuart. Played by a Sassy Stoner Twink, post-prison.

Bobby’s been a participant of both the Midwest and Portland Queer Comedy Festivals, Mutiny Radio Comedy Festival, & the Altercations festival in Austin.

He regularly features & headlines in the PNW & has opened for Sandra Valls, Patti Harrison, Matteo Lane, Derek Sheen, Sabrina Jalees, & BenDeLaCreme. He also runs the successful traveling Kink/Consent comedy show “Safeword” & Gutter Twink Productions.

Bobby is also a recurring personality on Cut Casting, and his Youtube videos have gotten over 34 million views.

Featuring Jenn Snyder
Hosted by Moira Goree

Tickets $7 advance, $10 day of; visit www.eventbrite.com/e/queer-comedy-party-ft-bobby-higley-tickets-71315038199.

Friday, November 22, 2019
LaZoom Comedy: Katie Hughes
Nov 22 @ 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
LaZoom Room

Originally from Hendersonville, Katie Hughes is back in town for one killer night! Don’t wanna miss her!

Katie Hughes is a perfect combination of snarky and spunky. Her stand-up is delightfully irreverent and aggressively silly. Dogs love her. Audiences love her, You’ll love her.

Featuring Katherine Blanford

Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of; visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-katie-hughes-tickets-78531053495.

Saturday, November 23, 2019
LaZoom Comedy: Gabe Pacheco
Nov 23 @ 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
LaZoom Room

Gabe Pacheco, originally from Washington, DC, is an actor, comedian, host, friend, and roving academic. He’s an entertainer who inspires you to think, moments after you’ve already laughed. A bilingual performer with progressive leanings, watching 10 minutes of Gabe on stage can feel like you’ve smoked a joint of Ghost Train Haze sativa and mockingly laughed at headlines from the Sunday Times.

Animated, literate, and with a touch of sly post-Millennium wit, Gabe shimmies and flickers his way through a set. No one gyrates their hips better to the notion of the world crumbling around us, and no one better evokes the spirit of norteño music with the message of early-80’s DC hardcore. It’s comedy that is steeped in the present, while hoping for a less ridiculous future.

With a decade of experience on the NYC scene under his belt, Gabe has appeared on stages as big as Caroline’s, as experimental as The Creek & The Cave, and as buzzed about as the Knitting Factory. He’s been accepted into the Asheville Comedy Festival and the Accidental Comedy Festival. He’s shared insights on Sirius XM’s “Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang” and “Affirmative Reaction with Xorje Olivares”, while also sitting in as the permanent guest host of the widely popular, left-wing humor and journalism podcast, “The Katie Halper Show”.

Gabe has trained at the UCB Theater in NYC and is a veteran in the Story Pirates Acting Company, preparing him for his starring role in the short film “Leaves in Autumn”, which was screened at the Anthology Film Archives (NYC) as part of the New Filmmakers Festival in 2018.

Gabe Pacheco is a performer. And a storyteller. And an informed bystander of the seemingly never-ending spectacle of current world affairs and humanity that demand our attention…moments after we’ve already laughed.

Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of; visit www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-gabe-pacheco-tickets-71321718179.

Sunday, November 24, 2019
Guided Walk in Historic Oakdale Cemetery “Look Homeward Angel”
Nov 24 @ 2:15 pm – 3:45 pm
Oakdale Cemetery

Join me along the pathways of Hendersonville’s Historic Oakdale Cemetery where the “Look Homeward Angel” statue is located. Grave markers throughout this place tell interesting stories and whisper secrets from the past … so come along to discover illustrious and notorious characters of long ago. These 90-minute walks occur rain or shine.
Meeting place: Oakdale Cemetery, U.S. 64 W. at Valley St.

Friday, November 29, 2019
Black Friday: Holiday Dance Party Orange Peel
Nov 29 @ 8:00 pm
Orange Peel

Ages 18+

8pm – Doors x Networking x Face Painting
9pm – ( Guest Dj )
10pm – Dj Brent Brown (Throwbacks x Hip Hop)
11pm – Dj Audio (Hip Hop/ R&B x Twerk

After Party: Room 9 | Midnight – 2am**

A % of Profits will go to supporting the YMICC + Brother Wolf**

LaZoom Comedy: Mary Kennedy
Nov 29 @ 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
LaZoom Room

Boston Native Mary Kennedy can be seen as recurring character “New Fiona” on Shameless, Season 7. She wrote and stars in her one woman show, Mid Life Mood Swing, about being a roadie for her mom’s wedding band in the 80’s. It premiered in Los Angeles and now is touring.

In Los Angeles, she was in the theatre production of AfterGlow the Musical Experience with the #originalgorgeousladiesofwrestling (GLOW) as the legend manager, Jackie Stallone. Tiffany Johnson’s Girl Callin with production company REFINERY 29 has cast Kennedy in their new short, as the Waitress. The waitress plays a pivotal role in the dark comedic ending plot.

She is in the feature film, Shattered starring, Ray Wise, Arianne Zucker and Molly Burnett. Guest star on People Magazine Investigates-ID Discovery. She is a supporting character in the short, The Layover. She co-stars in the feature film Creative Differences. You can also see her comedic acting regularly in various sketches for CONAN, TBS.

Was a featured mom commentator on The Mom Rules Webseries, TLC Pilot and did the pilot, for Nickelodeon’s new network, NickMOM called Road Mamas which she also Co-Created. She was a featured dancer in Allee Willis’ BADEYA BABY! with choreographer, Keith Young (RENT). She was also a recurring on NBC’s ER as “Officer Trudy Lange” for Season 12. Recently she appeared as Queen Elizabeth, on VanityFair.com which accompanied their cover, The Queen and Her Corgis.

You have seen her in national commercials for, FLIR, HULU Plus, FORD, Vonage, Cingular Wireless, Sony Ericcson, Captain Morgan and E-Trade. Promos, for George Lucas’ Star Wars and CBS Sports, with sports personality, Jim Rome.

A Professional Comedian, she Headlines all over the country and appears regularly at The Laugh Factory, The Ice House and Flappers Comedy Clubs in Los Angeles.

Featuring Craig Holcombe

Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of; visit www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-mary-kennedy-tickets-79789838555.

Period Bomb//Snake Prophecy//Jane and Tonic
Nov 29 @ 9:00 pm
Fleetwood's

Period Bomb//Snake Prophecy//Jane and Tonic

BabyMartian-digging-thru-a-radioactive-toy-box-that’s-on-fire

Saturday, November 30, 2019
Festival of Lights Walk Thru-Lake Julian
Nov 30 @ 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.  Walk through the park and view the dazzling displays.  Santa, hot chocolate and more awaits you.
*More details will be available in early November

Sunday, December 1, 2019
Comedy at Fleetwood’s: Dan Perlman
Dec 1 @ 8:00 pm
Fleetwood's

Dan Perlman is a stand-up comedian and writer from New York City. Dan was recently named one of the 2018 New Faces in stand-up at Montreal Just For Laughs and headlined Caroline’s on Broadway. Most recently, Dan co-starred/wrote/directed the award-winning comedy series, Flatbush Misdemeanors, which became Oscar-qualified after winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short at the 2018 Florida Film Festival. Dan created and wrote an animated series, That’s My Bus!, which received a pilot order from FOX. Dan has appeared on TruTV, MTV2, and as a cast member on MTV’s Vidiots. As a writer-filmmaker, he has had four projects featured in the New York Television Festival. On radio, Dan was a writer for SiriusXM’s Bennington and Comedy Contributor for Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk Radio. Dan wrote for the 2017-19 WGA Awards, for hosts including Roy Wood Jr. and Lewis Black. As a stand-up, Dan’s festival credits include Montreal Just For Laughs, New York Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, and Limestone Comedy Fest.

Featuring Cody Daniel Hughes

Tickets $10
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comey-at-fleetwoods-dan-perlman-tickets-73202371263

Monday, December 2, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 2 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 3 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 4 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Thursday, December 5, 2019
Balsam Range Art of Music Festival Kickoff
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Folkmoot Center

Tickets for Balsam Range Art of Music Festival Kickoff in Waynesville from ShowClix

For the second year, Balsam Range opens its December Art of Music Festival with an official Waynesville kickoff at the Queen Auditorium, at Folkmoot Center in the Historic Hazelwood School.

Members of Balsam Range will be joined by a strong lineup of special guests to launch their popular weekend festival with a performance on Thursday, December 5.

In a special night honoring the art of songwriting, Balsam Range welcomes John Wiggins, Milan Miller, Aaron Bibelhauser and Missy Armstrong, and adds an appearance by Terry Baucom, a founding member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out and Boone Creek, and current leader of his band The Dukes of Drive.

Balsam Range will follow the songwriters with its own performance, and will give a sneak-peek of some material from its upcoming album (Note: no recording devices allowed in the auditorium). In addition, Balsam Range’s Marc Pruett will sign copies of his new autobiography “Rascally Mountain Boy”, and may share a tale of two from the book.

The event begins with a social gathering at 6pm, with barbeque and fresh beer available for purchase.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door, and can be purchased in advance at Folkmoot.org or by calling 828.452.2997. Tickets sales and contributions support Folkmoot programs that sustain cultural arts for youth and families in Western North Carolina.

Food will be available at the event:
BBQ chopped pork with a choice of 2 sides from; slaw, beans or collards: $12.00
Peach Cobbler: $3.00

Serving: 5:30pm-7:00pm

Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Comedy at Fleetwood’s: Jessica Michelle Singleton
Dec 5 @ 8:00 pm
Fleetwood's

Comedians Jessica Michelle Singleton and Buddy Hutton have been friends for nearly a decade. They work together. They live together. They cannot f*cking stand each other.

Come laugh at them on the #PlatonicEnemies Tour!

Internationally touring comedy phenom, Jessica Michelle Singleton has gained worldwide fans with her live headlining performances from North America and Europe to Africa and Asia, as well as her debut comedy album “Please. Don’t. Leave. Me.” which reached #1 on iTunes and was considered for the “Best Comedy Album” Grammy.

Jessica Michelle is a Paid Regular at The World Famous Comedy Store where she can be seen performing whenever she’s in Los Angeles between touring and she’s the idiot host of her popular podcast, “Ignorance is #Blessed”. She is a recurring guest on The Stephanie Miller Show on Free Speech TV and Sirius XM. Her comedy can be heard regularly on Sirius XM’s Raw Dog Comedy Channel and she has been a featured guest on Playboy TV’s “Talking Dirty” and Ari Shaffir’s “Skeptic Tank”.

JMS was the first English speaking female to perform at the prestigious Montreux Comedy Festival in Switzerland. Recently, JMS completed a 9 city sold out European tour on the heels of the debut of her critically-acclaimed one woman show, “Codependent Arising”, (a hilariously unique and emotional immersive experience about her real life experience at a 10 day silent meditation) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

JMS co-hosts several series’ on the DumbWits comedy network along with Buddy Hutton including “Slob Ross” a live drinking (drunken) art show, and the popular series “Twitch Makes A Movie”, a live-stream interactive sketch show that utilizes viewers suggestions to create, write, shoot and release a tiny movie in 5 hours.

Jessica Michelle Singleton has a unique style of comedy which delivers in a stream of consciousness flow, combining introspective observations and vulnerable personal stories coupled with ideas from what some people refer to as a hyperactive, weird and slightly deranged imagination to make people laugh so hard they cry at things they didn’t even know they could smile about.

Featuring: Buddy Hutton
Buddy Hutton is the co-host of DumbWits comedy network series’ “Twitch Makes A Movie” and “Slob Ross” as well as a producer, writer, director, cinematographer, comic, actor, editor, graphic artist, host, dog dad and anything else he thinks will make his mother proud of him. He has worked with CBS, Warner Brothers, IGN and he runs his own production company Hutton Media. ARE YOU F***ING HAPPY MOM?! … I’ll call you as soon as the show is over.
Hosted by Becca Steinhoff

Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-at-fleetwoods-jessica-michelle-singleton-tickets-79807238599

Friday, December 6, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 6 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Red, White & Boobs: A Jug Band Comedy Christmas (FRIDAY)
Dec 6 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
LaZoom Room

The super hilarious and Asheville favorite Blaire Postman is back with another group of fantastic femme comics from Washington D.C. for two silly and slightly festive nights of comedy at LaZoom.
Sponsored by BRÖÖ Craft Beer Hair

Tickets $12, VIP* $18
FRIDAY
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-white-boobs-a-jug-band-comedy-christmas-friday-tickets-80609133087
VIP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-white-boobs-a-jug-band-comedy-christmas-friday-vip-tickets-80609417939

SATURDAY
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-white-boobs-a-jug-band-comedy-christmas-saturday-tickets-81867749643
VIP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-white-boobs-a-jug-band-comedy-christmas-saturday-vip-tickets-81869087645

*VIP tickets come with VIP seating and a BRÖÖ product gift bag!

Saturday, December 7, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 7 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Red, White & Boobs: A Jug Band Comedy Christmas (SATURDAY)
Dec 7 @ 9:00 pm
LaZoom Room

The super hilarious and Asheville favorite Blaire Postman is back with another group of fantastic femme comics from Washington D.C. for two silly and slightly festive nights of comedy at LaZoom.
Sponsored by BRÖÖ Craft Beer Hair

Tickets $12, VIP* $18
FRIDAY
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-white-boobs-a-jug-band-comedy-christmas-friday-tickets-80609133087
VIP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-white-boobs-a-jug-band-comedy-christmas-friday-vip-tickets-80609417939

SATURDAY
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-white-boobs-a-jug-band-comedy-christmas-saturday-tickets-81867749643
VIP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-white-boobs-a-jug-band-comedy-christmas-saturday-vip-tickets-81869087645

*VIP tickets come with VIP seating and a BRÖÖ product gift bag!

Sunday, December 8, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 8 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Comedy at Fleetwood’s: Blaire Erskine
Dec 8 @ 8:00 pm
Fleetwood's

Blaire Erskine is a weekend regular at Atlanta’s Laughing Skull Lounge, where she entertains audiences with silly observations and stories inspired by her eccentric family, rural upbringing, and love for cats. When she’s not telling jokes in Atlanta, you can catch her performing at venues all across the Southeast.

Featuring Brittany Dent

Tickets $7 advance, $10 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-at-fleetwoods-blaire-erskine-tickets-81865262203

Monday, December 9, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 9 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 10 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 11 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Thursday, December 12, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 12 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Friday, December 13, 2019
Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 13 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.

Ugly Holiday Sweater Disco Party benefit Planned Parenthood Votes!
Dec 13 @ 8:00 pm – 12:00 am
The Odditorium

Dance and Vote for reproductive autonomy and rights!

Come out Friday, December 13 for the first-ever Ugly Holiday Sweater Disco Party benefiting Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic and our critical advocacy and political work.

Let’s throwback to the 1970s when abortion was made legal in the landmark supreme decision, Roe v. Wade, the outfits were incredible, and the dance moves were totally groovy!

Rock your ugliest sweater or your coolest disco outfit and come shake it out for PPVSAT!

Friday, December 13
8 pm – 12 am
The Odditorium
1045 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806
$10 suggested donation at the door
Click here for more info!

Reach out with any questions, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Dancing Strong,
Nikki Harris and Katlynn Millette

Saturday, December 14, 2019
2nd Annual Winter In The Weave Holiday Pop-Up Market
Dec 14 all-day
Gotta Have It Antiques

This 2 day indoor holiday market will feature 20 local artists and small businesses. Watercolor paintings, wire bonsai tree art, jewelry, organic clothing, natural home cleaning products, locally sourced seasonings and herbs, leather goods, home décor and much more! Event will also offer a drawing for a raffle basket filled with products from all of the vendors!
Dec 13th 5pm-8pm AND Dec 14th 10am-2pm

Be The Change Festival
Dec 14 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Asheville Middle School

Get ready for the Be The Change Festival hosted by SaulPaul from America’s Got Talent on Saturday, December 14th from 11AM-3PM! Join us at this FREE family festival for interactive exhibits, live musical performances, fun games, delicious food, DJs and more! We will be giving away $5,000 in gift cards, multiple 40″-50″ flat screen TVs, and a free gift to the first 300 people who register and attend. Enjoy fun times and free food at Asheville Middle School on 211 S. French Broad Ave in Asheville, NC!

Festival of Lights -Lake Julian
Dec 14 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lake Julian Park

Come enjoy the holiday lights at Lake Julian Park.