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.
Hello Flat Rock Playhouse Patrons, Donors, Friends, and all-around ‘Peeps!’
Please take a few minutes to take the survey and help us as we begin planning for the 2021 season and beyond. We’ve listed a pretty large range of shows because we want to know what you’re interested in seeing on the stage. Please choose your TOP 10 favorites in each category; Musicals and Plays. You will also have the opportunity to write in a title or author that may not otherwise be listed. Please only choose ten of each so we can narrow down your preferences.
As an added note, we endeavor to give you exactly what your heart most desires. That said, there are many factors that go into selecting shows. Are the rights available? Can we afford to produce it properly? Does it align with our Union obligations? These questions and many more are all part of the process and influence what productions we select. It’s important to everyone at Flat Rock Playhouse that we deliver as much of what the audience desires as we can whenever we can.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your preferences with us. We are hugely grateful for the insight!
Sincerely,
The Artistic Team
Flat Rock Playhouse
February is “Love Your Body Month” and Epiphany Wellness Center is proud partner with the Western North Carolina Chapter of iadep (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals) and YAM (Yoga and Massage) to educate the community about positive body image, the dangers of disordered eating, and Health at Every Size. Events will be held throughout the month at YAM, located at 410 South King Street in Hendersonville. Below is a list of open houses and special class offerings that will be by donation only. Proceeds from the first three weeks of February classes will go to support iadep and proceeds from the last week will go to support The Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders:
Saturday 2/1 6:00pm (Full Moon) Relax, Reiki, & Restore w/ Bitsy
Wednesday 2/5 3:30pm HOT 26 w/ Marybeth
Thursday 2/6 1:30pm Slow Mindful Flow w/ Denise
Saturday 2/8 4:30-6:30pm OPEN HOUSE
Wednesday 2/12 3:30pm HOT 26 w/ Marybeth
Tuesday 2/18 3:45 Embody Your Body (Gentle Yoga w/ Therapy Balls) w/ Loretta
Wednesday 2/19 3:30pm HOT 26 w/ Marybeth
Wednesday 2/26 3:30pm HOT 26 w/ Marybeth
Thursday 2/27 2:00pm Self-Love/Self-Confidence Flow w/ Lindsay
YAM is a yoga and massage studio that strives to create a safe space for all members of the community to explore how body movement, breathing techniques, positive body awareness, and meditation can manage stress and anxiety and lead to a more balanced way of life.
“We are partnering with Epiphany for ‘Love Your Body Month’ because we wholeheartedly believe in this cause,” states Averee Refshauge, owner and founder of YAM. “It also reinforces our goal of providing a place for nurturing, healing and to just ‘be’. We are grateful to be a part of ‘Love Your Body Month’”.
Epiphany Wellness Center offers outpatient services for those struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating, as well as trauma, anxiety, and depression. In addition, Epiphany offers groups that range from mindfulness and stress reduction to emotional eating, as well as a veterans’ support group.
Hello Flat Rock Playhouse Patrons, Donors, Friends, and all-around ‘Peeps!’
Please take a few minutes to take the survey and help us as we begin planning for the 2021 season and beyond. We’ve listed a pretty large range of shows because we want to know what you’re interested in seeing on the stage. Please choose your TOP 10 favorites in each category; Musicals and Plays. You will also have the opportunity to write in a title or author that may not otherwise be listed. Please only choose ten of each so we can narrow down your preferences.
As an added note, we endeavor to give you exactly what your heart most desires. That said, there are many factors that go into selecting shows. Are the rights available? Can we afford to produce it properly? Does it align with our Union obligations? These questions and many more are all part of the process and influence what productions we select. It’s important to everyone at Flat Rock Playhouse that we deliver as much of what the audience desires as we can whenever we can.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your preferences with us. We are hugely grateful for the insight!
Sincerely,
The Artistic Team
Flat Rock Playhouse

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |
Hello Flat Rock Playhouse Patrons, Donors, Friends, and all-around ‘Peeps!’
Please take a few minutes to take the survey and help us as we begin planning for the 2021 season and beyond. We’ve listed a pretty large range of shows because we want to know what you’re interested in seeing on the stage. Please choose your TOP 10 favorites in each category; Musicals and Plays. You will also have the opportunity to write in a title or author that may not otherwise be listed. Please only choose ten of each so we can narrow down your preferences.
As an added note, we endeavor to give you exactly what your heart most desires. That said, there are many factors that go into selecting shows. Are the rights available? Can we afford to produce it properly? Does it align with our Union obligations? These questions and many more are all part of the process and influence what productions we select. It’s important to everyone at Flat Rock Playhouse that we deliver as much of what the audience desires as we can whenever we can.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your preferences with us. We are hugely grateful for the insight!
Sincerely,
The Artistic Team
Flat Rock Playhouse

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in cooperation with the I.R.S, N.C. Dept. of Revenue, Buncombe County Library System and Council on Aging, Inc. will again offer free tax Preparations for low and moderate income taxpayers, with special attention to those age 60 and older. Both Federal and N.C. State tax returns will be electronically filed for safe and accurate preparation with faster refunds.
This service will be available from Feb. 1-April 15, at sites listed below. Please note that some locations have different start dates as several libraries will be hosting early voting for the Presidential primaries in February.
Tax help for Weaverville will be held at the Brookstone Baptist Church and tax help for West Asheville will be held at the West Asheville Presbyterian Church. All tax help locations can be found at irs.gov.
Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center celebrated the opening of its newest traveling exhibit, “Steeped in Time: Tea and Traditions” on Saturday, January 18, 2020. The exhibit will run through the July 4th weekend at MGM, located at 24 Water Street in Old Fort. Admission is free.


Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |
Cherith Fuller is a writer and comedian in Atlanta, GA. She performs regularly at clubs across the country like the Laughing Skull Lounge and The Comedy Attic, and has opened for everyone from Big Jay Oakerson to Moshe Kasher to Janeane Garofalo. She has written for Reductress and been featured on Audible. She has also performed at the Limestone Comedy Festival, the Laughing Skull Comedy festival, and Gilda’s Laughfest among others.
Tickets $7 advance, $10 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-at-fleetwoods-cherith-fuller-tickets-86022259895
Ramon Rivas is a laid back, largely unemotional stand up comedian, writer, actor, independent artist & eminent latino from Lorain, OH. Ramon resonates a low-fi swag with the finest taste in jokes, juices & dope experiences one can have while immaculately navigating as an ambiguously brown man in America.
Initially making a name for himself by building up the Cleveland comedy scene through ACCIDENTAL COMEDY productions while traveling around the country to cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles & more, Ramon eventually started garnering respect around the country for his comedic chops & sandwich acumen, being recognized by COMEDY CENTRAL as a COMIC TO WATCH in 2015 and by most bodega bois across the country.
He founded his own festival, ACCIDENTAL COMEDY FEST in 2011. The festival has grown to be one of the countries best kept secrets, and garners industry attendees & out of state visitors to Cleveland. His work and the overall growth of the Cleveland scene was featured in the documentary film MAKE FUN (2013) available now to stream on AMAZON PRIME.
Rivas made his television debut in 2016, when he was one of 17 artists selected to record THE HALF HOUR with COMEDY CENTRAL. An outlier from the middle of the country, without a manager or an agent getting that sort of opportunity gave the streets hope.
Rivas also has a burgeoning career sounding like he just woke up from a nap on TV shows, with appearances as a contestant on @MIDNIGHT twice, as a cannabis shaman on numerous segments on VICELAND & began acting seriously on S4E3 of BROAD CITY and followed that up with an appearance on S2E7 of HBO’s CRASHING. His stand up was also featured on HBO Latino’s stand up special ENTRE NOS.
You can catch Ramon touring the country or highly chatting with people in these streets or highly eating snacks on COOKING ON HIGH on Netflix or listen to his dulcet tones every week on PREBAKED, where he uses his cannabis sommelier skills to pair a specific strain to match every guests characteristics. He’s a regular at some of the countries most respected comedy institutions.
ages 18+
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-ramon-rivas-tickets-89426062761
Hello Flat Rock Playhouse Patrons, Donors, Friends, and all-around ‘Peeps!’
Please take a few minutes to take the survey and help us as we begin planning for the 2021 season and beyond. We’ve listed a pretty large range of shows because we want to know what you’re interested in seeing on the stage. Please choose your TOP 10 favorites in each category; Musicals and Plays. You will also have the opportunity to write in a title or author that may not otherwise be listed. Please only choose ten of each so we can narrow down your preferences.
As an added note, we endeavor to give you exactly what your heart most desires. That said, there are many factors that go into selecting shows. Are the rights available? Can we afford to produce it properly? Does it align with our Union obligations? These questions and many more are all part of the process and influence what productions we select. It’s important to everyone at Flat Rock Playhouse that we deliver as much of what the audience desires as we can whenever we can.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your preferences with us. We are hugely grateful for the insight!
Sincerely,
The Artistic Team
Flat Rock Playhouse

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |
Hello Flat Rock Playhouse Patrons, Donors, Friends, and all-around ‘Peeps!’
Please take a few minutes to take the survey and help us as we begin planning for the 2021 season and beyond. We’ve listed a pretty large range of shows because we want to know what you’re interested in seeing on the stage. Please choose your TOP 10 favorites in each category; Musicals and Plays. You will also have the opportunity to write in a title or author that may not otherwise be listed. Please only choose ten of each so we can narrow down your preferences.
As an added note, we endeavor to give you exactly what your heart most desires. That said, there are many factors that go into selecting shows. Are the rights available? Can we afford to produce it properly? Does it align with our Union obligations? These questions and many more are all part of the process and influence what productions we select. It’s important to everyone at Flat Rock Playhouse that we deliver as much of what the audience desires as we can whenever we can.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your preferences with us. We are hugely grateful for the insight!
Sincerely,
The Artistic Team
Flat Rock Playhouse

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in cooperation with the I.R.S, N.C. Dept. of Revenue, Buncombe County Library System and Council on Aging, Inc. will again offer free tax Preparations for low and moderate income taxpayers, with special attention to those age 60 and older. Both Federal and N.C. State tax returns will be electronically filed for safe and accurate preparation with faster refunds.
This service will be available from Feb. 1-April 15, at sites listed below. Please note that some locations have different start dates as several libraries will be hosting early voting for the Presidential primaries in February.
Tax help for Weaverville will be held at the Brookstone Baptist Church and tax help for West Asheville will be held at the West Asheville Presbyterian Church. All tax help locations can be found at irs.gov.
Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center celebrated the opening of its newest traveling exhibit, “Steeped in Time: Tea and Traditions” on Saturday, January 18, 2020. The exhibit will run through the July 4th weekend at MGM, located at 24 Water Street in Old Fort. Admission is free.

Yedoye Travis is a stand up comedian, actor, and writer from Atlanta, GA. He is the creator and host of the Dark Tank podcast, which AV Club called “one of the most deliciously daring shows of the moment.” He was named a New Face at the Montreal Just For Laughs festival in 2017 and has since headlined festivals around the country and appeared on Comedy Central, TBS, CBS, and Netflix and written for MTV, IFC, Viceland, Crunchyroll, and Frederator. His debut album, OK, produced by Comedy Dynamics, was released January 2018.
ages 18+
Tickets $10 advance, $14 day of
FRIDAY Doors at 7:30, show at 8pm: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-yedoye-travis-friday-tickets-90845544469
SATURDAY doors at 9, show at 9:30: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-yedoye-travis-saturday-tickets-90847568523

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |

Each spring, hundreds of locals 50+ years-old enjoy participating in the Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts. This year’s program will be held at locations throughout Buncombe County from Tuesday, April 14-Friday, May 15. Registration is $5 before March 9 or $10 after that date. Military veterans may register for free.
To register, fill out a registration form (see documents below) or register online at ncseniorgames.org. Archery and pickleball have registration deadline dates.
Sports include basketball, bocce, croquet, football throw, softball throw, golf, cycling, track and field, archery, cheerleading, bowling, swimming, billiards, badminton, cornhole, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, tennis, and table tennis. Miniature golf, rowing, and team softball and basketball are new this year. Age categories start at 50 and increase at five year intervals.
Silver Arts categories are classified as Heritage (quilting, woodwork, crochet, basket weaving, jewelry, needlework, tole painting, weaving, knitting, pottery, stained glass, woodcarving, and woodturning), Visual (solo, small group, and large group), Performing, Literary (poem, short story, essay, and life experience), and Contemporary. Art pieces will be displayed at Buncombe County Libraries in April and May.
A full schedule can be accessed below as a PDF.
Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram.
| File Name | Size | Type | Date & Time Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 209 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM | |
| Schedule | 45 KB | 02/04/2020 7:52 AM |
Hello Flat Rock Playhouse Patrons, Donors, Friends, and all-around ‘Peeps!’
Please take a few minutes to take the survey and help us as we begin planning for the 2021 season and beyond. We’ve listed a pretty large range of shows because we want to know what you’re interested in seeing on the stage. Please choose your TOP 10 favorites in each category; Musicals and Plays. You will also have the opportunity to write in a title or author that may not otherwise be listed. Please only choose ten of each so we can narrow down your preferences.
As an added note, we endeavor to give you exactly what your heart most desires. That said, there are many factors that go into selecting shows. Are the rights available? Can we afford to produce it properly? Does it align with our Union obligations? These questions and many more are all part of the process and influence what productions we select. It’s important to everyone at Flat Rock Playhouse that we deliver as much of what the audience desires as we can whenever we can.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your preferences with us. We are hugely grateful for the insight!
Sincerely,
The Artistic Team
Flat Rock Playhouse
ASHEVILLE!
Get glammed up with Magical Fairy Hair!
You can wash, brush, comb, curl, flat iron, (up to 450°!), color, perm, blow it dry, get your haircut, etc.
Do whatever you normally do to your hair -but most of all; ENJOY IT!
Lasts until your hair sheds!
Space is limited. Sign up now for your Fairy Hair Sparkles!
Sign up at FairyKimSparkles.com/calendar
Hello Flat Rock Playhouse Patrons, Donors, Friends, and all-around ‘Peeps!’
Please take a few minutes to take the survey and help us as we begin planning for the 2021 season and beyond. We’ve listed a pretty large range of shows because we want to know what you’re interested in seeing on the stage. Please choose your TOP 10 favorites in each category; Musicals and Plays. You will also have the opportunity to write in a title or author that may not otherwise be listed. Please only choose ten of each so we can narrow down your preferences.
As an added note, we endeavor to give you exactly what your heart most desires. That said, there are many factors that go into selecting shows. Are the rights available? Can we afford to produce it properly? Does it align with our Union obligations? These questions and many more are all part of the process and influence what productions we select. It’s important to everyone at Flat Rock Playhouse that we deliver as much of what the audience desires as we can whenever we can.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your preferences with us. We are hugely grateful for the insight!
Sincerely,
The Artistic Team
Flat Rock Playhouse

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in cooperation with the I.R.S, N.C. Dept. of Revenue, Buncombe County Library System and Council on Aging, Inc. will again offer free tax Preparations for low and moderate income taxpayers, with special attention to those age 60 and older. Both Federal and N.C. State tax returns will be electronically filed for safe and accurate preparation with faster refunds.
This service will be available from Feb. 1-April 15, at sites listed below. Please note that some locations have different start dates as several libraries will be hosting early voting for the Presidential primaries in February.
Tax help for Weaverville will be held at the Brookstone Baptist Church and tax help for West Asheville will be held at the West Asheville Presbyterian Church. All tax help locations can be found at irs.gov.
Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center celebrated the opening of its newest traveling exhibit, “Steeped in Time: Tea and Traditions” on Saturday, January 18, 2020. The exhibit will run through the July 4th weekend at MGM, located at 24 Water Street in Old Fort. Admission is free.

Hundreds of Dealers & collectors. Thousands of electric and acoustic guitars, amps, effects and accessories.
NEW, OLD, VINTAGE AND USED
.
Join us on Saturday, March 14 for the first annual NOC Work Hard, Play Hard Job Fair!
Managers from NOC’s Adventure, Retail, Restaurant and HR Departments will be available for open interviews, giving you the opportunity to be hired on the spot! To register in advance, send your resume to our HR office by clicking “Register Now”! Browse a list of open opportunities at noccareers.com.
All offers will be conditional pending successful background and reference checks.
Join us for the grand opening celebration!
‘Wake’, Mel Chin’s giant animatronic sculpture, installed in New York City’s Times Square last summer, will be on view in Asheville, from March 15 to September 7, at 44 Collier Avenue. Chin, a WNC based conceptual artist, was named a MacArthur Fellow in September 2019.
This event is free and open the public.
Starting March 16th, visitors can experience Wake daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The full schedule of programs is available at ashevillearts.com/public-art
Hundreds of Dealers & collectors. Thousands of electric and acoustic guitars, amps, effects and accessories.
NEW, OLD, VINTAGE AND USED
.
in subtle and clinical trauma, this workshop will educate participants about the effects of trauma and stress on the mind and body, along with providing tools for creating relaxation and healing. Each class begins with a lecture of how the nervous system functions in the body including relevant research on the impacts of trauma, moving into how yoga helps us work with trauma through research, and finally learning and practicing some skills that can help anyone to feel more at ease, empowered and in control in any yoga class.About the instructor: Holly Edmonson is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) who currently teaches yoga at YWCA and the Charles George VA Medical Center.
The Releasing Trauma with Yoga series will be held every third Sunday of the month from November through March, 11:15 am – 1:15 pm in YWCA’s upstairs Group Fitness Studio. This workshop is free for YWCA of Asheville Fitness and Aquatics Members and $5 per session for non-members. Participants can register for the entire series or come to an individual session. All attendees must register in advance at YWCA’s Guest Services, online through this link, via email by emailing Fitness Coordinator Marty Edes at [email protected] or by phone by calling Marty at (828) 254-7206 x 213.
This Discovery Channel documentary released in 2015, is full of beautiful and horrifying images that are not easily forgotten. From majestic whale sharks to slaughtered manta rays, the subjects of this new documentary reveal nature’s beauty and force viewers to confront the detrimental effects of human activity on the planet.
The documentary introduces its viewers to the Anthropocene, the geological age that began when human activities became a driving force for major geological changes. The film mixes cogent scientific facts with captivating images to convey the urgency of the crisis facing our planet—an emergency stemming from global climate change and mass species extinction.
Scientists predict that within the next 100 years, 50 percent of Earth’s species will become extinct if we continue down this path. Species go extinct regardless of human interference, but in the next decade alone, humans will drive other species to extinction ten times faster than normal.
Most of the film is dedicated to ocean quality because oceans are crucial to global stability. “When carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere, between a third and a half gets absorbed by the oceans, making them more acidic,” said Louie Psihoyos, director of Racing Extinction, in the documentary. This increased acidity kills phytoplankton—the organisms responsible for producing half of the world’s oxygen supply—and harms many other oceanic creatures.
The film highlights recent and massive decreases in shark populations. The film also highlights the illegal market for shark fins in China, which claims the lives of 1.3 to 2.7 million sharks every year. Sharks have survived four mass extinctions in the earth’s history, but now human activity has decreased the shark population by 90 percent in one generation.
The documentary exposes specific ways that humans contribute to the changing geochemistry of the planet. According to Psihoyos, our livestock contribute more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than all direct emissions from the transportation sector. However, the film also recognizes our ability to solve these problems by providing pathways for people to live more sustainably: “If every American skipped meat and cheese just one day a week for a year, it would be like taking 7.6 million cars off the road,”
The film concedes that large-scale geological changes are not simple problems to solve, but it advocates for people to find a way to help alleviate the problem. Overall, Racing Extinction drives home the message that saving the planet is worthwhile by unveiling the hidden beauty of the earth. The film inspires its viewers to maintain hope and convinces them to see and hear the beauty and vibrancy of the world that surrounds them.
http://www.yalescientific.org/2016/03/documentary-review-racing-extinction/
Join Dr. Neal Barnard on Mon., Mar. 16, 2020 at The Collider in Asheville to celebrate the release of his new book, Your Body in Balance: The New Science of Food, Hormones, and Health. Guests will hear remarks from Dr. Barnard about food’s effects on hormones and health.
Books will be available for purchase, and Dr. Barnard will be available to sign books.
Space is limited for this free event—reserve your spot now!

