Calendar of Events

About This Trip

Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.

The hilarious Big and Tall Comedy Tour raises money for veterans all across America! A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to American Legion Post 28 and Spartanburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9539!
The show is a hilarious stand-up comedy event featuring comedy veterans Ernesto “Big Ern” Galano and headliner Mike Bova! Big Ern brings 30 minutes of laugh out loud stand-up, and then Mike Bova takes the stage. Mike’s one hour set is a combination of 30 minutes of side splitting stand-up, then he picks up his guitar for the last 30 minutes and sings hysterical parodies, funny songs and adds celebrity impressions. This is a one-of-a-kind show you don’t want to miss and won’t soon forget! Content is R-rated and recommended for adults 18+

About This Trip

Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.

Forty-five crafters of handmade arts come together to help you get started on your holiday shopping. Wide variety of crafts and gifts in all price ranges. Lunch and refreshments will be available.

This event at the Salvage Station celebrates art and craft from 30+ local makers. Come enjoy live music, food and beverages – and you can buy locally made, beautiful handcrafts from vendors that include community members as well as staff, students and ACS families! Parent and family teams from Asheville Primary, Claxton Elementary, Hall Fletcher Elementary, Ira B. Jones Elementary, Vance Elementary, Isaac Dickson Elementary, North Star, and Asheville Middle are joining in this year to make this a great community event that.

The matinee performance will feature an all-American program including Sousa marches, ragtime, favorites from the Great American Songbook, American folk music, Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Weiser has a Doctorate in Piano/Chamber Music from the Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Samuel Sanders and Robert MacDonald and won the Richard Franko Goldman prize for outstanding contribution to musical and education life. He has performed on many great stages, including the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and on the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago.

Community Box Partner

Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!

Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

About This Trip

Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.

About This Trip

Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.

Asheville’s favorite improv comedy troupe comes to the ACT Mainstage for one night only! Reasonably Priced Babies (RPB) consists of the very talented performers Tom Chalmers, Mondy Carter, Karen Stobbe, Kim Richardson and Josh Batenhorst, with Aaron Price providing musical accompaniment. Stay after the show for a first-ever talk-back session with Reasonably Priced Babies – and have a chance to ask RPB any questions and take part in a RPB giveaway!

By purchasing tickets for this fun-filled evening, you will also be supporting your community, as all proceeds from this special production will go to supporting Asheville Community Theatre.

About This Trip

Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.

$45 VIP
(includes macaroni and cheese samples and beer)

$8 advance/$12 at the door GENERAL ADMISSION

How it Works: 150 Vip Tickets available for purchase which include macaroni and cheese samples, unlimited beer, and a commemorative stadium cup. General admission tickets holders can purchase samples of macaroni and cheese and beverages.

A portion of proceeds benefits Asheville Music School programs. 

Community Box Partner

Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!

Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

Community Box Partner

Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!

Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).

“Dressing for the Occasion” offers visitors a window into the style, culture, and feel of mid-century America. The family’s clothing and accessories weave together the roles of Carl Sandburg as a prominent writer, celebrity, father, and husband. This temporary exhibit offers an exciting opportunity for the public to view objects that are normally in storage or in the possession of Sandburg family members. Tours of the Sandburg Home are offered daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Tickets are available first come, first served, each day from the visitor information area in the ground level of the Sandburg Home.

Nearly every room in the historically furnished house museum will be included in the exhibit. Visitors will see the characteristic scarves Carl Sandburg wore as he played his guitar and sang folk songs to entertain his family and guests, the dress Lilian Sandburg wore to meet President Lyndon B. Johnson, and many other mid-century pieces worn by the Sandburgs and their daughters. Historic photographs, paired with the clothing, will provide context.

Community Box Partner

Each month, we are honored to be a community partner to a local non-profit that is working to make Asheville a better place. Over the past year we have supported the following non-profits who are making a difference in our community: Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy Center, Asheville City Schools Foundation, Helpmate, The Montford Players, Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Symphony, BeLoved, Food Connection, The Montford Neighborhood Association, Immediate Theatre Project, The Asheville Humane Society, Western North Carolina Aids Project, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Great food in Montford and when diners leave donations for the Literacy Council, Chiesa will match up to $500!

Chiesa (Italian for church) is a quaint Italian restaurant featuring generations of family recipes, house-made pasta, and local ingredients. Located in the historic Montford neighborhood, Chiesa (pronounced kee-ay-sa) is housed in a building that has been at the center of the community for over one hundred years, serving as the local grocery store, then as a church, and since 2014, the neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our friendly staff welcomes all guests as family, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere for both inside and patio dining (when weather permits).