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.
It’s not too early to make your plans to travel down the yellow brick road to the merry old land of Oz! We’re deep into the rehearsal process, are building the sets and the costumes, and are hearing LOTS of super cool ideas from the artistic team!
- Opening Weekend and Thursday night tickets are cheaper than other performances ($26 for adults vs $30)
- Tickets for children 17 and under are $15 for any Wizard of Oz performance!
- Keep up with what’s happening in rehearsals with the “We’re Off to See the Wizard” blog series written by our Cowardly Lion, John O’Neil!
Performed in 35below. There are some stories that are just so good they need to be shared with an assembled audience. Local actor/comedian Tom Chalmers invites you to take part in what is quickly becoming one of Asheville’s most popular series, Listen to This. A storytelling format in the vein of “This American Life,” Listen to This is an evening hosted by Chalmers with stories and songs from some of Asheville’s most interesting writers, performers, and citizens. Each installment features a central theme (past shows have featured stories about everything from gluttony to mistaken identity). Real people. Real stories. Real good times.
The Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction is the largest annual fundraiser for the Literacy Council of Buncombe County and features a presentation by a New York Times bestselling author. We have hosted the event for eleven years, previously featuring:
• Barbara Kingsolver 2018
• Ann Patchett, 2017
• Wiley Cash, 2016
• David Baldacci, 2015
• James Patterson, 2014
• Charles Frazier, 2013
• Jill Conner Browne, 2012
• Ron Rash, 2011
• John Hart, 2010
• Sara Gruen, 2009
• Elizabeth Kostova, 2008
The Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction begins with a cocktail hour silent auction for general admission guests while our Platinum Corporate Partner and other VIP pass-holders join the featured author for a private reception. During the reception, the author will be available to answer questions, take photographs, and personally inscribe books. (Note: VIP guests will have an opportunity to enlist a proxy bidder so that they, too, can participate in the silent auction.) Next, all guests enjoy a three-course dinner, a presentation by a Literacy Council student, and a keynote presentation by the featured author. The evening will close with a book signing for the general admission guests.
Funds raised at the Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction benefit the Literacy Council’s programs that teach reading, writing, spelling, and English language skills to individuals in Buncombe County. We serve 300 students and over 2,000 book recipients annually through four programs: Adult Literacy, Youth Literacy, English for Speakers of Other Languages, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. We give opportunities to people who don’t believe they have a second chance to learn.
Besides being a principal fundraiser, Authors for Literacy is also a vehicle to promote the Literacy Council’s mission: to increase comprehensive literacy and English language skills through specialized instruction by trained tutors and access to literacy resources. The event increases community awareness of our programming and recruits new volunteers, donors, and board members.
THE MAGNETIC THEATRE invites you to the Red Room… where there is no place to run or hide from what haunts you most. The Horror Show is a theatrical homage to cinematic horror anthologies (Creepshow, The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt), featuring eerie, tense and terrifying one-act plays written by some of Asheville’s most innovative writers.
It’s not too early to make your plans to travel down the yellow brick road to the merry old land of Oz! We’re deep into the rehearsal process, are building the sets and the costumes, and are hearing LOTS of super cool ideas from the artistic team!
- Opening Weekend and Thursday night tickets are cheaper than other performances ($26 for adults vs $30)
- Tickets for children 17 and under are $15 for any Wizard of Oz performance!
- Keep up with what’s happening in rehearsals with the “We’re Off to See the Wizard” blog series written by our Cowardly Lion, John O’Neil!
“It Didn’t Happen” by Judy Calabrese
Ages 18+
October 18-19, 2019 • 8 PM
October 25-26, 2019 • 8 PM
Tina McGuire Theatre
This performance contains nudity and artistic representations of adult themes. Individuals under the age of 18 are not permitted.
This raw, darkly comedic exploration of shame and desire takes us on a rollercoaster ride through Judy’s secret sexual relationships with women over a lifetime.
“The Turn of the Screw”
Prepare yourself for a night of suspense, enchantment, and chills as Flat Rock Playhouse brings to life the psychological thriller: The Turn of the Screw. When a new governess arrives at a remote country estate, she discovers that her employer and his children might not be all that they appear to be. Before long, the governess wonders if there might be more figures wandering around the estate than just the children. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for mystery and thrills.
Wednesdays and Thursdays 2:00PM and 7:30PM
Fridays 8:00PM
Saturdays 2:00PM and 8:00PM
Sundays 2:00PM
On Friday OCT the 25th, DJ AUDIO + Brent Brown are coming to Ole Shakey’s to kill everything! Get ready to dance that ass off to big beats under the most amazing light show ever . Music Powered by the Hottest Dj’s in the city. NO COVER. 21+. RSVP NOW & Tag a friend!
Adam Mamawala is a stand-up comedian based out of New York City. Named one of Funny or Die’s “Top 30 Under 30: Comedians to Watch”, Adam has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, BET and SeeSo, and his debut album One of the Good Ones debuted at #1 on the iTunes Comedy Charts in December of 2017. Adam has headlined over 200 colleges across more than 35 states and his recent festival appearances include the NBC/Second City Breakout Comedy Festival, Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, and New York Comedy Festival. Adam has been a freelance contributor to Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update and a writer for Someecards.
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
FRIDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adam-mamawala-at-lazoom-friday-tickets-70464738931
SATURDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adam-mamawala-at-lazoom-saturday-tickets-70464921477
Known for whip-quick wit and rollicking improvisations, Sam Tallent is one of the sharpest, most original rising talents in comedy today. Fresh off his New Faces debut at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, Sam has been called “the absurd voice of a surreal generation” by the Denver Post, and, when not maintaining a “Black Flag esque tour schedule” (Savage Henry Magazine), Sam has worked alongside many of the biggest names in comedy, including Russel Peters, Ron White, Dave Chappelle, Doug Stanhope, Dana Carvey and Hannibal Buress. He recently won his battle on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, and was seen on VICELAND’s Flophouse as well as the Chris Gethard Show. His writing has been published on VICE.com. His debut novel, “Running the Light”, will be available this fall wherever fine books are sold. He lives in Denver with his wife and dog.
Featuring Steve Vanderploeg
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
FRIDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-sam-tallent-friday-tickets-70464738931
SATURDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-sam-tallent-saturday-tickets-70464921477
Buncombe County Special Olympics’ annual Coffee for Champions fundraiser returns for a third year on October 1. During the month of October, local coffee shops donate up to five cents for each cup of coffee purchased at their establishments to support Special Olympics training and competitions for area youth and adults.
“We are a completely volunteer-driven, donation-funded program focused on inclusionary sporting opportunities for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities,” said Karla Furnari of Buncombe County Recreation Services, who is also a Buncombe County Special Olympics coach and Local Coordinator. “Coffee for Champions helps build connections between our athletes and the community. It also allows us to move away from labor intensive fundraising campaigns that often pull volunteers from other critical program needs such as coaching and transporting athletes.”
A map on the organization’s website lists participating coffee shops:
- Donating Five Cents Per Cup
- Ivory Road Café & Kitchen (1854 Brevard Road in Arden)
- Mosaic Café & Coffee House (1 Town Square Boulevard in Biltmore Park)
- Trout Lily Market (1297 Charlotte Highway in Fairview)
- Donating One Cent Per Cup
- Dynamite Roasting Company (3198 US Highway 70 in Black Mountain)
- PennyCup Coffee Company West (362 Depot Street in Asheville’s River Arts District)
- PennyCup Coffee Company East (6 Beverly Road in Asheville’s Haw Creek)
- PennyCup Coffee Company North (857 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville)
- Round Earth Roasters (518 Hendersonville Road in Asheville)
Buncombe County Special Olympics is made possible through funding from donors and support from Buncombe County Government. To donate or volunteer, visit buncombecountyspecialolympics.org.
Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy in 1968 to celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities. Buncombe County Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for youth and adults. Sports include alpine skiing and snowboarding, aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, and tennis. The organization also offers the Adaptive Athlete Program in a partnership with South Slope CrossFit and Buncombe County Recreation Services.
#1 HALLOWEEN DANCE PARTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
3-DANCE FLOORS ~ 4-DJ’s ~ 5-BARS
THREE VENUES / ONE PRICE
$1,000 COSTUME CONTEST
The GROVE HOUSE Entertainment Complex is famous for the scariest and BEST annual Halloween costume and dance party in WNC! This year will be the most frightening and fun to-date!
You’ll be terrified by monsters lurking around every corner…beware as you walk through each themed-area dripping with creepy décor. You will succumb to your fears as you migrate throughout the HAUNTED GROVE HOUSE INFERNO’s three levels – themed to Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell.
Enchanted Forest
Descent
Disembodied Heretics
Spider Chasm
Psychedelic Passage
Limbo
Lost Souls
Abyss
THREE LEVELS OF DANCING
4-DJ’s playing a variety of music genres
REMEMBER!!! – $1,000 IN CASH COSTUME CONTEST…so deck-out in your most terrifying best (or worst), and you may end the night with a fist-full of cash! Gates open at 9pm and ONE price gives you access to the ENTIRE complex (Club Eleven On Grove, Scandals Nightclub, and BOILER ROOM.)
Gates open at 9pm (18 & over)
Contest registration/pre-judging from 9:30pm-12:30am
Contest on main stage at 1am
Closing is at 3am
“The Turn of the Screw”
Prepare yourself for a night of suspense, enchantment, and chills as Flat Rock Playhouse brings to life the psychological thriller: The Turn of the Screw. When a new governess arrives at a remote country estate, she discovers that her employer and his children might not be all that they appear to be. Before long, the governess wonders if there might be more figures wandering around the estate than just the children. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for mystery and thrills.
Wednesdays and Thursdays 2:00PM and 7:30PM
Fridays 8:00PM
Saturdays 2:00PM and 8:00PM
Sundays 2:00PM
Put on your best formal wear, slip into your dancing shoes, and join Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective on October 26 for an elegant, exclusive Masquerade Ball. With a red carpet, live music by Rhoda Weaver (Best Vocalist, Mountain Xpress Best of X 2018), silent and live auctions, and catering by Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Win season tickets to Different Strokes! in the best-decorated mask contest (judged by a panel of experts), and get to party in the brand-new Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.
All proceeds benefit Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective and its mission of Making Theatre that Makes a Difference.
Everyone is welcome at the CommUnity Square Dance. Caller Kyle Johnston will teach and call all dances to old-time music led by Lillian and Sara Nell Chase. No experience necessary!
THE MAGNETIC THEATRE invites you to the Red Room… where there is no place to run or hide from what haunts you most. The Horror Show is a theatrical homage to cinematic horror anthologies (Creepshow, The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt), featuring eerie, tense and terrifying one-act plays written by some of Asheville’s most innovative writers.
It’s not too early to make your plans to travel down the yellow brick road to the merry old land of Oz! We’re deep into the rehearsal process, are building the sets and the costumes, and are hearing LOTS of super cool ideas from the artistic team!
- Opening Weekend and Thursday night tickets are cheaper than other performances ($26 for adults vs $30)
- Tickets for children 17 and under are $15 for any Wizard of Oz performance!
- Keep up with what’s happening in rehearsals with the “We’re Off to See the Wizard” blog series written by our Cowardly Lion, John O’Neil!
“It Didn’t Happen” by Judy Calabrese
Ages 18+
October 18-19, 2019 • 8 PM
October 25-26, 2019 • 8 PM
Tina McGuire Theatre
This performance contains nudity and artistic representations of adult themes. Individuals under the age of 18 are not permitted.
This raw, darkly comedic exploration of shame and desire takes us on a rollercoaster ride through Judy’s secret sexual relationships with women over a lifetime.
“The Turn of the Screw”
Prepare yourself for a night of suspense, enchantment, and chills as Flat Rock Playhouse brings to life the psychological thriller: The Turn of the Screw. When a new governess arrives at a remote country estate, she discovers that her employer and his children might not be all that they appear to be. Before long, the governess wonders if there might be more figures wandering around the estate than just the children. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for mystery and thrills.
Wednesdays and Thursdays 2:00PM and 7:30PM
Fridays 8:00PM
Saturdays 2:00PM and 8:00PM
Sundays 2:00PM
Adam Mamawala is a stand-up comedian based out of New York City. Named one of Funny or Die’s “Top 30 Under 30: Comedians to Watch”, Adam has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, BET and SeeSo, and his debut album One of the Good Ones debuted at #1 on the iTunes Comedy Charts in December of 2017. Adam has headlined over 200 colleges across more than 35 states and his recent festival appearances include the NBC/Second City Breakout Comedy Festival, Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, and New York Comedy Festival. Adam has been a freelance contributor to Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update and a writer for Someecards.
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
FRIDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adam-mamawala-at-lazoom-friday-tickets-70464738931
SATURDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adam-mamawala-at-lazoom-saturday-tickets-70464921477
Known for whip-quick wit and rollicking improvisations, Sam Tallent is one of the sharpest, most original rising talents in comedy today. Fresh off his New Faces debut at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, Sam has been called “the absurd voice of a surreal generation” by the Denver Post, and, when not maintaining a “Black Flag esque tour schedule” (Savage Henry Magazine), Sam has worked alongside many of the biggest names in comedy, including Russel Peters, Ron White, Dave Chappelle, Doug Stanhope, Dana Carvey and Hannibal Buress. He recently won his battle on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, and was seen on VICELAND’s Flophouse as well as the Chris Gethard Show. His writing has been published on VICE.com. His debut novel, “Running the Light”, will be available this fall wherever fine books are sold. He lives in Denver with his wife and dog.
Featuring Steve Vanderploeg
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
FRIDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-sam-tallent-friday-tickets-70464738931
SATURDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-sam-tallent-saturday-tickets-70464921477
“The Turn of the Screw”
Prepare yourself for a night of suspense, enchantment, and chills as Flat Rock Playhouse brings to life the psychological thriller: The Turn of the Screw. When a new governess arrives at a remote country estate, she discovers that her employer and his children might not be all that they appear to be. Before long, the governess wonders if there might be more figures wandering around the estate than just the children. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for mystery and thrills.
Wednesdays and Thursdays 2:00PM and 7:30PM
Fridays 8:00PM
Saturdays 2:00PM and 8:00PM
Sundays 2:00PM
It’s not too early to make your plans to travel down the yellow brick road to the merry old land of Oz! We’re deep into the rehearsal process, are building the sets and the costumes, and are hearing LOTS of super cool ideas from the artistic team!
- Opening Weekend and Thursday night tickets are cheaper than other performances ($26 for adults vs $30)
- Tickets for children 17 and under are $15 for any Wizard of Oz performance!
- Keep up with what’s happening in rehearsals with the “We’re Off to See the Wizard” blog series written by our Cowardly Lion, John O’Neil!
BRANDIE POSEY Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, Brandie Posey is a stand up comedian, writer and producer who now calls LA’s comedy scene home. She has been featured as a performer at the Bentzen Ball, New York Comedy Festival, RIOT Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, FEST in Gainesville, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, High Plains in Denver, among many others. She has opened for all of your favorite comics, including Kyle Kinane, Maria Bamford and the legendary punk band Against Me! Brandie has appeared on MTV, E! and Comedy Central. She made her feature film debut in the indie dark comedy, “The Worst Year Of My Life” directed by Jonathan Smith and her first stand up record Opinion Cave debuted at #1 on iTunes & #12 on Billboard.com. Brandie’s comedic style has been described as a “Riot Grrl on acid”.
Brandie tours the country, headlining every dark corner with a microphone that will have her – from a basement in Whitesburg, KY to the stages of the Kennedy Center (twice!). She is the co-creator & host of Picture This!, the popular comedy-animation show with consistently sold out shows in Los Angeles & New York. In 2018 Picture This! shot a pilot for TruTV in partnership with Page Hurwitz & Wanda Sykes’ Push It Productions. At the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre & The Hollywood Improv, Brandie co-hosts Lady to Lady alongside Barbara Gray & Tess Barker. Lady to Lady is also a celebrated weekly podcast with over 7 million downloads & loyal fans around the world.
Tickets $10
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-at-fleetwoods-lisa-curry-brandie-posey-tickets-71705806999
Buncombe County Special Olympics’ annual Coffee for Champions fundraiser returns for a third year on October 1. During the month of October, local coffee shops donate up to five cents for each cup of coffee purchased at their establishments to support Special Olympics training and competitions for area youth and adults.
“We are a completely volunteer-driven, donation-funded program focused on inclusionary sporting opportunities for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities,” said Karla Furnari of Buncombe County Recreation Services, who is also a Buncombe County Special Olympics coach and Local Coordinator. “Coffee for Champions helps build connections between our athletes and the community. It also allows us to move away from labor intensive fundraising campaigns that often pull volunteers from other critical program needs such as coaching and transporting athletes.”
A map on the organization’s website lists participating coffee shops:
- Donating Five Cents Per Cup
- Ivory Road Café & Kitchen (1854 Brevard Road in Arden)
- Mosaic Café & Coffee House (1 Town Square Boulevard in Biltmore Park)
- Trout Lily Market (1297 Charlotte Highway in Fairview)
- Donating One Cent Per Cup
- Dynamite Roasting Company (3198 US Highway 70 in Black Mountain)
- PennyCup Coffee Company West (362 Depot Street in Asheville’s River Arts District)
- PennyCup Coffee Company East (6 Beverly Road in Asheville’s Haw Creek)
- PennyCup Coffee Company North (857 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville)
- Round Earth Roasters (518 Hendersonville Road in Asheville)
Buncombe County Special Olympics is made possible through funding from donors and support from Buncombe County Government. To donate or volunteer, visit buncombecountyspecialolympics.org.
Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy in 1968 to celebrate changing attitudes about the talents of people with intellectual disabilities. Buncombe County Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for youth and adults. Sports include alpine skiing and snowboarding, aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, and tennis. The organization also offers the Adaptive Athlete Program in a partnership with South Slope CrossFit and Buncombe County Recreation Services.
The Friends of the Library, Immediate Theatre Project, and Asheville Community Theatre present “The Belle of Amherst” by William Luce, adapted and performed by Sybil Rosen, an award-winning novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and actress.
A funny, wise, poignant, one-woman show that takes us into the vivid heart and mind of America’s favorite poet, Emily Dickinson.
The two performances are a fundraiser where proceeds benefit the Friends of Pack Memorial Library and the Whitesburg, GA Public Library.
Suggested donation: $10.
Everyone is welcome.No ticket required.
The second performance of this show will be Monday, October 28 at 6pm.
*Presented with permission from the Dramatist Play Service