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.

Friday, December 27, 2019
Early Bird Special $40 off 23rd annual French Broad River Festival
Dec 27 all-day
French Broad River

 

The 23rd annual French Broad River Festival will be held May 1-3, 2020 at the beautiful Hot
Springs Campground on the banks of the French Broad River.
FBRF has a loyal following and if you’ve been there, you know. Participate in the river cleanup to kick it off, hike the AT, ride bikes, go fishing, soak in the hot springs, get a massage, go whitewater rafting, check out the vendors, and enjoy the music.
The music is diverse and always on point for such a “small” festival and the setting is incredible.
It’s for a good cause, with over $200,000 donated over 20 years to American Whitewater, Hot Springs Community Learning Center, Homeward Bound, Eliada Home, Mountain Area Child & Family Center, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of WNC, Manna Food bank and more.
A Wild Food Stroll at The Grove Park Inn
Dec 27 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
The Grove Park Inn

Ready to go WILD? Join us for a trip “off the eaten path.” You’ll learn how to safely gather edible wild plants, mushrooms, and other “extreme cuisine.” Stay for a stunning view of the sunset and enjoy dinner at Vue 1913 featuring a free appetizer with the edibles you met on your tour. Suitable for all ages and abilities. To register or for more info, see here. Three-hour foraging tours also available, year-round, by arrangement.

Wild food is the ultimate natural food: ultra-local, fresher, more flavorful, 10 to 100 times more nutritious than its garden-variety descendants, AND it’s free! With over 300 wild edibles, Western North Carolina is the richest temperate ecosystem on Earth. For a taste of the wild life, forage ahead and experience the life of a modern hunter-gather firsthand. It’s a unique experience in self-catering, a memorable lesson in high-class survival.

Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Dec 27 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

The Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley Tour
Dec 27 @ 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Departs From: Olde World Christmas Shoppe
  • Hop on board the Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley for a fun and festive celebration of the season featuring the sights and soundsof the holidays!

 

  • This seasonal favorite features an entertaining blend of holiday storytelling and traditional Christmas caroling. Enjoy stories of local lore and holiday traditions, then join-in with our on-board musician singing classic carols and songs of Christmas. And all the while the Holly Jolly Trolley is rolling past festive holiday decorations in downtown Asheville, Biltmore Village and the Montford and Grove Park neighborhoods.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Early Bird Special $40 off 23rd annual French Broad River Festival
Dec 28 all-day
French Broad River

 

The 23rd annual French Broad River Festival will be held May 1-3, 2020 at the beautiful Hot
Springs Campground on the banks of the French Broad River.
FBRF has a loyal following and if you’ve been there, you know. Participate in the river cleanup to kick it off, hike the AT, ride bikes, go fishing, soak in the hot springs, get a massage, go whitewater rafting, check out the vendors, and enjoy the music.
The music is diverse and always on point for such a “small” festival and the setting is incredible.
It’s for a good cause, with over $200,000 donated over 20 years to American Whitewater, Hot Springs Community Learning Center, Homeward Bound, Eliada Home, Mountain Area Child & Family Center, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of WNC, Manna Food bank and more.
Adventure Center of Asheville- Twilight in the Treetops- Holiday Night Climb
Dec 28 @ 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Adventure Center of Asheville

Adventure Center of Asheville- Twilight in the Treetops- Holiday Night Climb

Watch the world transform from dusk to night while climbing in the trees at our Asheville Treetops Adventure Park. Trails will be illuminated to give climbing the obstacles a new perspective. Over 15,000 colored lights, plus colorful lasers sparkling on thousands of leaves, cables, rope, and platforms throughout the park will create a mystical tree climbing experience like you can’t imagine. Ages 4 and over. Reservations are suggested: www.adventureavl.com or 877.547.5539

  • Holidays in the Treetops Dec 28 at 4:30

Rates: $49/person

Tweetsie Christmas
Dec 28 @ 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tweetsie Railroad

November 22-23, 29-30, December 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, & 27-28
Open 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. Advance Tickets Required.

Enjoy the wonder of the park dazzlingly lit for the holidays, with a nighttime train and more.

Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Dec 28 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

The Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley Tour
Dec 28 @ 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Departs From: Olde World Christmas Shoppe
  • Hop on board the Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley for a fun and festive celebration of the season featuring the sights and soundsof the holidays!

 

  • This seasonal favorite features an entertaining blend of holiday storytelling and traditional Christmas caroling. Enjoy stories of local lore and holiday traditions, then join-in with our on-board musician singing classic carols and songs of Christmas. And all the while the Holly Jolly Trolley is rolling past festive holiday decorations in downtown Asheville, Biltmore Village and the Montford and Grove Park neighborhoods.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Early Bird Special $40 off 23rd annual French Broad River Festival
Dec 29 all-day
French Broad River

 

The 23rd annual French Broad River Festival will be held May 1-3, 2020 at the beautiful Hot
Springs Campground on the banks of the French Broad River.
FBRF has a loyal following and if you’ve been there, you know. Participate in the river cleanup to kick it off, hike the AT, ride bikes, go fishing, soak in the hot springs, get a massage, go whitewater rafting, check out the vendors, and enjoy the music.
The music is diverse and always on point for such a “small” festival and the setting is incredible.
It’s for a good cause, with over $200,000 donated over 20 years to American Whitewater, Hot Springs Community Learning Center, Homeward Bound, Eliada Home, Mountain Area Child & Family Center, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of WNC, Manna Food bank and more.
Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Dec 29 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

Monday, December 30, 2019
Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Dec 30 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

Science Fiction Book Club
Dec 30 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Allison Beatty to dive into the wreck of the wily and wonderful world of sci-fi, weird fiction, speculative fiction, literary horror, and disturbing fiction with a healthy mix of underappreciated classic and contemporary books. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets the at Malaprop’s on the last Monday of every month at 7:00pm.

 

Event date:
Monday, December 30, 2019 – 7:00pm
Monday, January 27, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, February 24, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, March 30, 2020 – 7:00pm
The Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley Tour
Dec 30 @ 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Departs From: Olde World Christmas Shoppe
  • Hop on board the Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley for a fun and festive celebration of the season featuring the sights and soundsof the holidays!

 

  • This seasonal favorite features an entertaining blend of holiday storytelling and traditional Christmas caroling. Enjoy stories of local lore and holiday traditions, then join-in with our on-board musician singing classic carols and songs of Christmas. And all the while the Holly Jolly Trolley is rolling past festive holiday decorations in downtown Asheville, Biltmore Village and the Montford and Grove Park neighborhoods.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Dec 31 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020
New Year’s Sunrise Grandfather Mountain
Jan 1 @ 6:30 am – 9:30 am
Grandfather Mountain

There are sunrises, and then there are Grandfather Mountain sunrises. And then there are Grandfather Mountain New Year’s Day sunrises.

Ring in an epic New Year on Wednesday, Jan. 1, for the first sunrise of 2020 — atop Grandfather Mountain.

This special event will allow guests the rare opportunity to visit Grandfather Mountain outside of regular operating hours.

Sunrise is at 7:38 a.m. Jan. 1, 2020, and Grandfather’s gates will open at 6:30 a.m. Due to safety regulations, participants may only visit the Mile High Swinging Bridge area, including the Top Shop, during the event.

To help warm up on a likely cold winter’s morning, the mountain will offer complimentary coffee, cocoa and bearclaws for sunrise guests.

Participants are encouraged to bring a flashlight and to wear heavy winter jackets, hats, gloves and rubber-soled shoes, as there may be slick surfaces on the mountain. The event may be cancelled upon short notice in case of inclement weather.

Admission to the New Year’s sunrise event costs $15, in addition to general admission, meaning $35 for adults and $24 for children. Guests are free to remain in the park all day, but those who leave before 9:30 a.m. will have their general admission charge refunded. Bridge Club members, who receive free admission to the mountain, will only pay $10 for the sunrise event.

The event is open to no more than 100 participants, and registration is required. To register, please contact Judi Sawyer at [email protected] or 828-733-2013.

New Year’s Resolution Run
Jan 1 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Pack Square Park

The 5th Annual New Year’s Resolution Run is a great way to get your new year off to the right start! Choose from a 5k Run/Walk or 10 Mile Run, both of which go through the heart of Downtown Asheville. The race starts at a reasonable 10am, so there’s no excuse not to ‘run into’ 2020!

Malaprops New Year’s Day Special store hours and Annual Sale!
Jan 1 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Malaprops Bookstore

Happy New Year! We don’t know what 2020 will bring, but we know that life is better with books! Malaprop’s will be open from 12 noon to 5 pm and almost every item in the store will be 25% off!

Discount applies to in-stock merchandise only. Excludes cafe items, gift cards, and previously discounted items. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Jan 1 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

Thursday, January 2, 2020
Michael Diettrich-Chastain presents Changes
Jan 2 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe

Changes: The Busy Professional's Guide to Reducing Stress, Accomplishing Goals and Mastering Adaptability Cover Image

Why do people struggle with creating the changes they say they want? With over a decade of work with thousands of clients in the fields of organizational consulting, executive coaching and psychotherapy, author Michael Diettrich-Chastain reveals the seven life dimensions that impact our ability to make professional and personal changes…as well as why we succeed at making certain changes and fail at others. Ever wonder why things aren’t going the way you planned? Why things are happening TO you instead of YOU making them happen? Have you set out to create change in your life and then been drawn back into old patterns that you tried so hard to avoid?
Do you know what questions to ask to get you moving and excited about your personal and professional life again? CHANGES will help you ask the right questions, integrate the various parts of your life experience, and translate understanding into behavior.

Michael Diettrich-Chastain is a leader in the field of personal and professional change. His expertise is in the integration of self.  Since 2005, he has helped thousands of individuals make a wide range of personal and professional changes. Michael truly understands what is necessary to create sustainable positive change. He holds a BA in Psychology and Spanish, a MA in Counseling and is certified in multiple assessment tools used to help leaders and teams improve performance in the workplace. Michael is a speaker, executive coach, trainer and founder of Arc Integrated, an independent organizational consulting and professional coaching practice that helps executives and ambitious individuals around the world focus specifically on developing their emotional intelligence, leadership and communication. Michael’s purpose is to help clients connect the various parts of their lived experience in order to create sustainable growth in work and life. He lives in Asheville, NC.

This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.

Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Jan 2 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

Crime and Politics Book Club
Jan 2 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop’s Bookstore

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.

 

Event date:
Thursday, January 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, February 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, March 5, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, April 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Friday, January 3, 2020
A Wild Food Stroll at The Grove Park Inn
Jan 3 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
The Grove Park Inn

Ready to go WILD? Join us for a trip “off the eaten path.” You’ll learn how to safely gather edible wild plants, mushrooms, and other “extreme cuisine.” Stay for a stunning view of the sunset and enjoy dinner at Vue 1913 featuring a free appetizer with the edibles you met on your tour. Suitable for all ages and abilities. To register or for more info, see here. Three-hour foraging tours also available, year-round, by arrangement.

Wild food is the ultimate natural food: ultra-local, fresher, more flavorful, 10 to 100 times more nutritious than its garden-variety descendants, AND it’s free! With over 300 wild edibles, Western North Carolina is the richest temperate ecosystem on Earth. For a taste of the wild life, forage ahead and experience the life of a modern hunter-gather firsthand. It’s a unique experience in self-catering, a memorable lesson in high-class survival.

Mark Powell presents Firebird
Jan 3 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Firebird Cover Image

In this stunning new literary thriller, a U.S. arms deal gone south takes you into the underground world of political operatives, Ivy League criminals, and a hedge fund billionaire with eyes on the presidency.

Mark Powell has been called the ” best Appalachian novelist of his generation” by Ron Rash, and a writer “on the verge of greatness” by Pat Conroy. He is the author of six novels, including Small Treasons (Simon & Schuster) and The Sheltering (Story River). Powell has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Breadloaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences, and in 2014 was a Fulbright Fellow to Slovakia. In 2009 he received the Chaffin Award for contributions to Appalachian literature. He holds degrees from Yale Divinity School, the University of South Carolina, and the Citadel. He lives in the mountains of North Carolina where he teaches at Appalachian State University.

This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.

Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Jan 3 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

Saturday, January 4, 2020
Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
Jan 4 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights

Experience Asheville’s BRIGHTEST holiday tradition at Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum. Open nightly November 22, 2019 – January 4, 2020, from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk through an outdoor winter wonderland and see the Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes dressed in more than half-a-million holiday lights. Listen to the sounds of your favorite holiday tunes or enjoy a cup of holiday-inspired cocoa, cider or beer.

$18-$8. See website for tickets and specials.

Specials

Friends & Family Discount Night – Tuesdays

Tickets are reduced to $15 for adults and $10 for children. Arboretum members receive an additional $2 off each ticket. (Excludes Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.)

Available on Thursdays through Saturdays only, this special ticketed event offers visitors the chance to enjoy a holly, jolly ride from downtown Asheville or Biltmore Village to Winter Lights courtesy of The Trolley Company. Upon arrival, guests will receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and access to the Winter Lights. Pick-up is at 6:00 p.m. from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville and 6:15 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Biltmore Village. Guests will be dropped back off at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 per person (children 4 & under are free) and can be purchased through The Trolley Company’s website here(Note: Arboretum member discounts do not apply for this tour). For additional questions, please call Eva Ritchey at The Trolley Company at 828.606.8606.

Monday, January 6, 2020
LGBTQ Book Club
Jan 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malaprop’s Bookstore

Join host Alex Ruiz to discuss a wide-ranging selection of fiction and non-fiction focused on the LGBTQ community.  Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at Malaprop’s the first Monday of every month at 7:00 pm.

Event date:
Monday, January 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, February 3, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, March 2, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, April 6, 2020 – 7:00pm
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Mark de Castrique launches Murder in Rat Alley
Jan 7 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore

Murder in Rat Alley Cover Image

Iraq War veteran Sam Blackman with his prosthetic leg and his no-nonsense private eye partner Nakayla Robertson love their investigations which always carry a thread from the past–and they love each other. An interracial couple in the new South, the Asheville, NC, pair has surrounded themselves with a terrific support team including an unorthodox lawyer and a veteran cop. They deploy humor both to bind them together and to deflect insults. Plus, it helps deal with the tragedies their work uncovers.

Such a tragedy interrupts a meeting between the PIs and the neighboring law office when a body is unearthed from the grounds of the nearby Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute. During the Cold War it monitored developing space programs. Today it plays a vital role gathering weather and climate data. The body has been in the ground a long time. Why would its discovery spark off a new murder in Asheville’s mountain music scene, the victim found amid the garbage of dark, dank Rat Alley?

She was the fiancée of the man murdered long ago. But surely this case is more than a domestic drama playing out over time….

The Blackman Agency Investigations excel at merging past and present, bringing little-known history to light, and are perfect for fans of James Lee Burke, Stephen Mack Jones, Margaret Maron, and Robert B. Parker.

Mark de Castrique grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina where many of his novels are set. He’s a veteran of the television and film production industry, has served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte teaching The American Mystery, and he’s a frequent speaker and workshop leader. He and his wife, Linda, live in Charlotte, North Carolina. www.markdecastrique.com

This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.

WILD (Women in Lively Discussion) Book Club
Jan 7 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Battery Park Book Exchange

Join former Malaprop’s General Manager Linda-Marie Barrett for this woman-only book club that seeks to have fun by reading books (fiction & non) by women writers. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!

The club meets at 6:30 P.M. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Battery Park Book Exchange.

Event date:
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 – 6:30pm
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 – 6:30pm
Adult Book Discussion “How to Walk Away” by Katherine Center
Jan 7 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Enka-Candler Library