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.

– FULLY SEATED SHOW
THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle on the third Thursday of each month through December at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….
HAPPY: Prepare a five-minute story about smiles and sunshine. Think unbridled joy—landing the dream job, winning the talent show, or bowling a perfect game. The quest for your soul mate or for the perfect cup of coffee. The Midas touch. The good old days. Tales of finding happiness or letting it slip through your fingers.
Stand Up Comedy is back in the Asheville Pizza Gameroom with the hottest comics in town. Hosted by Cody Hughes, featuring Petey Smith McDowell, Mario T & Jess Cooley
Comedy Open Mic sign up at door, free entry & pizza 3-5m
Contact Michele at [email protected] for more info
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
The Hot Girls’ End of Summer Report
Friday August 26
The Orange Peel
101 Biltmore Ave, Downtown Asheville
8p, doors at 7p • fully seated show
Standup Comedy Show
Featuring the HOTTEST and FUNNIEST female identifying comedians from around the region!
Hosted by Morgan Bost
Featuring Lace Larrabee who was recently on NBC’s America’s Got Talent with yesses from all the judges. This actress, comedian and podcaster is best known for “Queen America,” “Punchline” and “Flophouse.” with Hilliary Begley, fresh off her European tour, best known for Dumplin’ on Netflix and Amazon Prime. plus Moira Goree, Becca Steinhoff and more great regional comedians
Show: 8pm | Doors: 7pm
$17 – $20
The Hot Girls’ End of Summer Report
Friday August 26 at The Orange Peel
101 Biltmore Ave, in Downtown Asheville
8p, doors at 7p • fully seated show
You wont want to miss this Standup Comedy Show as the HOTTEST and FUNNIEST comedians from around the region get back in town to give us their Hot Girl End off Summer report!
Featuring Lace Larrabee who was recently on NBC’s America’s Got Talent with yesses from all the judges. This actress, comedian and podcaster is best known for “Queen America,” “Punchline” and “Flophouse.” with Hilliary Begley, fresh off her European tour, best known for Dumplin’ on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
plus Moira Goree, Becca Steinhoff and more great regional comedians you don’t want to miss this HOT evening out!!
Hosted by the amazing Morgan Bost
9.01. 22 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULPWhat: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday 9.01.22.
8p-11p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge
103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $13 (available at door or https://theorangepeel.net/…/slice-of-life-comedy-open…/e)
Cocktails, taps & menu available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!! .
Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]
[Music before show provided by Buzz Radio Asheville, “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All the Time.”]
Stand up comedy featuring Mario Trevzo with special guest James Harrod. Hosted by Cody Hughes
Mario Trevizo
Originally from the suburbs of Maryland, Mario has made a home for himself with stand up comedy in Asheville, North Carolina. His style focuses on the awkward moments that come with being a non Spanish speaking Mexican living in the south. Beyond hosting various events around town, he is mainly known for his animated performances, quirky faces, and crying randomly at movies.
James Harrod
James is a stand up comedian originally from Raleigh now living in Asheville, North Carolina. In addition to hosting the Comedy Freakshow every Tuesday night at The Odditorium, he also performs around the east coast opening for comedians like Sean Patton, Yedoye Travis, Michael Palascak, Brandie Posey and many more. Out of all the comics in his scene he was voted most needy and desperate for compliments.
Host Cody Hughes
Cody is a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
We will also be signing people up for the Sweet Sweepstakes for Jubilee Alternative Shelter for Women, please donate items or tix ar sliceoflifecomedy.com or get tix at: https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/jams/
9.8.22 Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company Gameroom (for 18+)
What: Stand up Comedy at Asheville Pizza & Brewing,
When: Thursday 9.8.22. 7:30p-9:30p, doors at 6:30p
Where: Asheville Pizza & Brewing Gameroom, 675 Merrimon Ave, Asheville 28804
Tickets: $13 (available at door or Asheville Pizza website)
Cocktails, taps & menu available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!! .
Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free pizza at comics table]
[Music before show provided by Buzz Radio Asheville, “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All the Time.”]
Hosted by Blaine Perry
Featuring: Jess Cooley, Julia Macias & Allison Shelnut
We will also be signing people up for the Sweet Sweepstakes for Jubilee Alternative Shelter for Women, please donate items or tix ar sliceoflifecomedy.com or get tix at: https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/jams/

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
10.13.22 Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company Theatre 2 (for 18+)
What: Stand up Comedy at Asheville Pizza & Brewing,
When: Thursday 9.8.22. 7:30p-9:30p, doors at 6:30p
Where: Asheville Pizza & Brewing Theatre 2, 675 Merrimon Ave, Asheville 28804
Tickets: $13 (available at door or Asheville Pizza website)
Cocktails, taps & menu available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!! .
Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free pizza at comics table]
[Music before show provided by Buzz Radio Asheville, “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All the Time.”]
Hosted by Hilliary Begley
Featuring: Jess Cooley, Niko Gonzalez & Petey Smith McDowell

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1st Annual Asheville Comedy Halloween Beauty Pageant
A +18 Comedy Show
The Orange Peel
October 22, 2022
8p/doors at 7p
$15 online/$17 at box office
Fully seated show
The area’s best comedians will be in character (think vampire, Batman or Alice from Wonderland,a politician, a dog, a witch, a game character, cartoon character or alien …so many possibilities!) and will be playing their part in this ridiculous pageant which will test these very special contestants in “beauty,” “talent,” “swimsuit” and standup comedy!
Decided by audience participation, YOU are in charge of who wins the prizes and is crowned the Asheville Monarch of Halloween for 2022!
You don’t want to miss the funnest event of the season! Free candy & Popcorn! Come early to enjoy Buzz Radio Asheville “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All Original, All Styles, All The Time.”
Produced by Slice of Life Comedy, Buzz Radio Asheville, The Hot Seat & Disclaimer Standup Comedy
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
11.03 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULP
What: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday11.03.22. 7:30p-10p, doors at 7p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $13 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!! A perfect blend between professional paid featured Comedians and a comedy open mic. [signup at the door to get 3-5m. Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]
[Music before show provided by Buzz Radio Asheville, “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All the Time.”] Hosted by Cody Hughes, a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge.

Join us for our monthly poetry event featuring three poets and coordinated by Mildred Barya. This month, we welcome Sarah Cooper, Barbara Costas-Biggs, and AE Hines. This is a hybrid event, meaning there is an option to attend virtually and a limited amount of seats available to attend the event in-store. The event is free but registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance.
Please click here to register for the VIRTUAL event. The link required to attend will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.
Please click here to register for the IN-PERSON event.
This event includes a book signing. If you are not attending in person but would like a signed book you may request one using the comments field when you order online or by call the store at 828-254-6734 during store hours.
If you decide to attend and 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. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you! Feel free to email [email protected] with questions. We look forward to seeing you, whether in-person or online!
Sarah Cooper is the author of two poetry collections: Permanent Marker (Paper Nautilus, 2020) and most recently, 89% (Clemson University Press 2022). Her poems also appear in Lunch, Sinister Wisdom, Iron Horse and other anthologies and literary journals. Currently, Sarah is a PhD candidate in Rhetorics, Communication and Informational Design at Clemson University. Her dissertation project explores how spatial practices intersect with lesbian identity. She is a professor of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies at Clemson University where she received the Holman Award for teaching, was a 2021 LGBTQ+ Faculty Excellence Award winner, a 2022 Gentry Award winner for teaching excellence and the 2022 Tee A. Corrine Fellow at the University of Oregon. For more, visit https://www.sarahcooperpoet.com/poetry
Sometimes, a poem can show us a map of the human heart and all its pumping valves, all the blood it welcomes and lets go. In 89%, Sarah Cooper gives us that map from all angles-the love and loss of a mother, the loss and love of self, the way romantic love can scare us into silence. In this stunning debut collection, Cooper splays open these moments of tenderness with precision and skill. This book is both the carving knife and the soothing balm. These poems have an unflinching eye-they see all the way through us and then swaddle us in whole, critical heartbeat of truth. 89% won the poetry prize for the Clemson-Converse Literature Series.
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Barbara Costas-Biggs is a poet and librarian from Southern Ohio. Her work has appeared in Appalachian Review, Northern Appalachian Review, The Pikeville Review, 8Poems, and elsewhere. Her chapbook, The Other Shore, was a finalist for the Washburn Prize from Harbor Review. She holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and an MLIS from Kent State University. For more, visit http://stilljournal.net/interview-barbara-costas-biggs.php
“Things can be idyllic and then ugly,” Barbara Costas-Biggs writes. “A basket of pears in ochre, then piss the same color.” In Broken On the Wheel, the familiar is made strange, as it is in dreams. The speaker of these poems is a mother, a griever, a “hope-against-hoper,” so it’s no wonder this collection is packed with epiphanies and memories and crapshoots—“That in-between stuff./ What we, I hope, are mostly made of.” Broken On the Wheel is a perceptive, masterful debut.
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AE Hines’s debut collection, Any Dumb Animal, received Honorable Mention in the North Carolina Poetry Society’s 2022 Brockman-Campbell Book contest, and was also a daVinci Eye finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book award. His work has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, The Southern Review, Rhino, American Poetry Review, Poet Lore, The Greensboro Review, Ninth Letter, The Missouri Review, Tar River Poetry and elsewhere. Born and raised in rural North Carolina, AE resides in Charlotte and Medellín, Colombia. For more, visit https://www.aehines.net
Any Dumb Animal (Main Street Rag, 2021), AE Hines’s poetry collection, presents a memoir-in-verse as told by a gay man raised in the rural South who comes of age during the AIDS crisis. Flashing back and forth in time, a cast of recurring characters and circumstances are woven into a rich tale of survival and redemption, exploring one man’s life as a queer son, father, and husband, over a span of more than thirty years.
Inspired by nature and following the self-published released of How to Heal the Planet from Wherever You Are, Cortina Jenelle introduces Oshanna Church of Spiritual Activism, with Oshanna debuting as a dynamic experience rooted in ceremony and inviting nature as a co-facilitator through theater, art and spoken word. After each production, all ticket proceeds are donated to a mission partner who is doing work in service to Mother Earth while also furthering truth, healing and reconciliation across race, gender and class.
Black Starseed: Immaculate Conception is the second installment of the Black Starseed series, which goes back in time as a prelude to Black Starseed: Revolutionary Reimagination (2020) – a debut partnership between adé PROJECT and PechaKucha Asheville co-creating a storytelling experience in voice of Black women at the intersection of creativity x spirituality. In this prelude, the life story of Cortina Jenelle becomes a moving memoir and an embodiment of a shared story from the matriarchs of Black, indigenous descent in a world where femininity, Blackness, sovereignty and indigeneity were not just criminal, but a threat to society. Black Starseed: Immaculate Conception may appear to just tell the story of one, yet is actually one version of the same story that constantly loops through time. Do you know how purposeful, brilliant and divine you already are, Starseed? This is heart song of the black sheep generation + millennials, and those born torn between ancestral remembrance and playing the game of life to win. Join us in a gathering of art, theater, ceremony (with a bonus book signing post-show) and storytelling and leave reminded of how to heal the planet from wherever you are.
Ticket proceeds benefit cleanup of the French Broad River with our mission partner for this show, Asheville Greenworks.
11.17 The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement PULP
What: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday11.17.22. 7:30p-10p, doors at 7p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $13 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!! A perfect blend between professional paid featured Comedians and a comedy open mic. [signup at the door to get 3-5m. Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]
[Music before show provided by Buzz Radio Asheville, “All Asheville Music & Comedy, All the Time.”] Hosted by Cody Hughes, a comedian who cut his teeth in Chicago and Atlanta. He is now based out of West North Carolina and tours the Southeast. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver and Maria Bamford among others and hosts the regular Slice of Life Comedy shows at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge.
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
12.01 PULP Featuring Katie Hughes plus Comedy Open Mic
What: Stand up Comedy at The Orange Peel’s Pulp Lounge
When: Thursday 12.01.22. 8p-10p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $15 (available at door or The Orange Peel Website)
Katie Hughes is an Atlanta-based comedian and writer who Creative Loafing Atlanta named Critics’ Choice Best Comedian & Readers’ Choice Best Celebrity of 2019. Her album “Queen of the Castle” debuted at #1 on iTunes. Katie can be heard frequently on SiriusXM and seen on HBOmax and [adult swim].
Comedy open mic. [signup at the door to get 3-5m. Free entry for performing comics, free snacks at comics table]
Hosted by Cody Hughes.
Katie Hughes Videos:
FB EVENT: https://fb.me/e/22QEIpORh
We are grateful to offer a benefit event again this December, the first since 2019.
This year’s performance will feature Chautauqua performer Carol Kessler, as Emily Dickinson, and the Asheville Flute Choir lending their talents to benefit Our Voice.
In the spirit of inclusivity and equity, PAN HARMONIA offers donation-based, pay-as-you-can community concerts. All are welcome.
Our VOICE serves all individuals in Buncombe County affected by sexual assault and abuse, through counseling, advocacy and education. https://www.ourvoicenc.org/
Advanced reservations are encouraged, as seating is limited. Those planning to attend are expected to be fully vaccinated for the safety of our community.
Email [email protected] or call the office at (828) 254-7123, if you have questions.
panharmonia.org
Punch Bucket Lit, West Asheville’s reading series at Cellarest Beer Project is back for more live readings in our taproom featuring authors Alysia Li Ying Sawchyn and Emily Paige Wilson. While the authors vary month-to-month you can always count on inspiring poetry, moving essays and heartfelt original literary works read aloud in the contemplative company of other lit nerds and creative types alike. We’ll booze, we’ll listen, we’ll feel feelings and we’ll see the world through a different lens for an evening.
– FULLY SEATED SHOW
THE MOTH resumes their recurring monthly Asheville StorySLAM at The Grey Eagle on the third Thursday of each month through December at 7:30pm! This month’s theme is….
ANNIVERSARY: Prepare a five-minute story about milestones. Enduring love or loss. The fondness of nostalgia and the lessons of growth. Seconds, minutes, hours, or when time stood still. Paper or silver…extra points if you make it to platinum. Rejoice or reflect on the past while plotting the course ahead. Cheers to many more years!
12/18 Asheville Pizza & Brewing
What: Asheville’s Premier Standup Feature & Open Mic comedy
When: Sunday, December 18, 6:30pm
Where: Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co., Theater 2
675 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville (onsite parking)
Tickets: $14
Comedy open mic. [signup at the door to get 3-5m. Free entry for performing comics, free pizza at comics table]
Hosted by Mario Trevizo featuring Moira Goree, Art Sturtevant and Jason Webb
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
12/28 The Blackout Diaries is BACK!
What: The Blackout Blackout Diaries
When: December 28, 2022 show starts at 8p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Age 21+
Tickets: $17 (available at door ot The Orange Peel website)
During this year’s holiday break, forget all the craziness and bring the whole (drinking age) family & friends out to hear tales of triumph (but mostly hilarious tragedy) while drinking heavily. Starting its roots in Chicago, and hosted by the hilarious Alex Joyce, The Blackout Diaries is an interactive comedy show were standup comedians, plus ‘regular’ people (cops, firefighters, teachers, etc) tell true drinking stories with photos from the events. Then you, the audience, can ask questions.
The Blackout Diaries has been selected as ‘Critics’ Choice in The Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times and more. Segments from the show have appeared on Comedy Central, NPR, Sirius Radio and more. A review once described the show as “a reverse AA meeting”. We still don’t know if that was a positive review or not, but we feel it sums the show up well.
Hosted by Alex Joyce. Alex has been performing stand up comedy for 12 years. After graduating from The University of Alabama he moved to Chicago where he studied at the Second City Training Center for Sketch Writing. He is co producer and performer in The Blackout Diaries, a weekly show at The Lincoln Lodge Theater where comedians tell wild drinking stories and the audience gets to ask questions. Joyce returns to Asheville regularly to visit family and perform. Joyce lives in Chicago.
The speakeasy inspired hideaway offers a cozy space for show-goers to relax and enjoy a beverage during the concert. Boasting over 200 different Bourbons and Whiskeys, alongside a myriad of other spirits, it is a must-visit for cocktail lovers and Bourbon sippers alike. Pulp will also open various other nights to feature local artists and “Slice of Life” open-mic comedy nights. To stay informed with the happenings at Pulp, visit the Orange Peel’s website, and follow @pulp_avl on Instagram.
For more info about this show contact Michele [email protected]
BlackOut Diaries Videos:
FB: https://fb.me/e/33BCJ3rg
This virtual event is free but registration is required.
Jameka Williams holds an MFA in poetry from Northwestern University. Her poetry has been published in Prelude Magazine, Muzzle Magazine, and Gulf Coast, among others. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she resides in Chicago, Illinois.
Diamond Forde’s debut collection, Mother Body, is the winner of the 2019 Saturnalia Poetry Prize. Forde has received numerous awards and prizes, including a Pink Poetry Prize, a Furious Flower Poetry Prize, and was a finalist for the 2022 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. You can find more at her website, www.diamondforde.com.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Kendra Allen is the author of The Collection Plate and When You Learn the Alphabet, an essay collection that won the 2018 Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction. She writes the music column Make Love in My Car for Southwest Review, and her memoir, Fruit Punch, is out now. You can keep up with her work at KendraCanYou.com.
Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

