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.
2023-2024 SeasonThe Asheville Performing Arts Academy facilitates a life-long appreciation and advocacy of the arts by providing a loving community where students discover the tools needed to navigate life on and off the stage. MissionThe Asheville Performing Arts Academy is a school based on unlimited opportunities for students to explore their interests in music, dance, and drama. We foster a love and appreciation for the arts through student-teacher relationships, which encourage and help you to excel at your dream. We offer high quality instruction and educational experiences because we are committed to the art of teaching and the teaching of the arts. It is our hope to build art and awareness in the community and provide a home for families to pursue their dreams. With classes for students of all ages, the Asheville Performing Arts Academy is your place to discover the love of music, drama, and dance in your life. Asheville Performing Arts Academy… where the arts come alive! |
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February 2-4, 2024 Mean Girls, Jr.
February 9-11, 2024 Mean Girls HS Version
March/April 2024 A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Homeschool Academy) |

What is a Youth Production?
An ACT Youth Production is an immersive performance workshop that is specially tailored for young artists who aspire to learn and grow in the performing arts. This hands-on experience offers a unique opportunity for students to undergo a comprehensive exploration of the theatrical process. Starting with auditions, they are taught how to prepare and present their best selves, and throughout the rehearsal process, students collaborate with the cast in a dynamic and supportive environment. A distinctive feature of this program is the inclusion of choreography and voice training sessions that enable students to discover and improve their vocal prowess and dancing abilities, thus turning them into well-rounded performers. Every aspect is designed to nurture creativity, foster teamwork, and instill a genuine love for theatre. All students are encouraged to participate, regardless of their previous experience or exposure to theatre.
Interested in Technical Theatre classes?
If you’re interested in getting hands-on experience with technical theatre, our Tech & Run Crew class is tailored just for you. Whether you’re a beginner with a budding interest or a seasoned tech enthusiast aiming to sharpen your skills, you will get the opportunity to work on real productions in an education environment.
2023-2024 SeasonThe Asheville Performing Arts Academy facilitates a life-long appreciation and advocacy of the arts by providing a loving community where students discover the tools needed to navigate life on and off the stage. MissionThe Asheville Performing Arts Academy is a school based on unlimited opportunities for students to explore their interests in music, dance, and drama. We foster a love and appreciation for the arts through student-teacher relationships, which encourage and help you to excel at your dream. We offer high quality instruction and educational experiences because we are committed to the art of teaching and the teaching of the arts. It is our hope to build art and awareness in the community and provide a home for families to pursue their dreams. With classes for students of all ages, the Asheville Performing Arts Academy is your place to discover the love of music, drama, and dance in your life. Asheville Performing Arts Academy… where the arts come alive! |
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February 2-4, 2024 Mean Girls, Jr.
February 9-11, 2024 Mean Girls HS Version
March/April 2024 A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Homeschool Academy) |
Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
Every Friday from April through November (weather permitting),
check out the Hike and Sip Tour at Souther Williams Vineyard, a unique opportunity to hike our scenic rolling vineyards and enjoy
five different wines along the way, led by a private tour guide who will share the history of the farm and while you hike through the
vines, This educational experience will delight as you live the life of grape throughout its annual pilgrimage to the glass, This 1
hour tour requires moderate walking through hillside vineyards and appropriate farm/field attire, and can accommodate up to 12
people and reservations are required 2 days in advance, $50 per person, Souther Williams Vineyard, Hendersonville,
Sandburg Home Tours – Thursday to Sunday at 11am, 1pm, 2pm.
*As of April 2022, tours are free until further notice. See rates below if they change before your visit. Online reservations are available at recreation.gov.
The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.
- Tour Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.
- Passes: The park does not currently sell the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
*These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
*You can purchase a pass online at America the Beautiful – National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass | USGS Store. - 30-minute house tours are offered year-round, schedule varies by season. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
- Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
- Tours are limited to 6 persons.
- Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.
Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee
*Tours are free until further notice, this chart is the rate when fees resume.
(credit card only)
$10.00 for Adults 16 and older
$6.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
Free for Children age 15 and under
Included with admission
Back by popular demand, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition offers guests:
- An opportunity to view rarely-seen treasures from the Biltmore collection
- A first-hand look at the Vanderbilts’ lifestyle
- Deeper insights into George, Edith, and Cornelia’s personalities, both at home and on their extensive travels
Access to exhibitions at The Biltmore Legacy is included with Biltmore daytime admission.
Autumn Amble leaf tours are back, and they’re better than ever! As the leaves begin to don their vibrant hues and the crisp autumn air fills the atmosphere, the Highlands Nature Center invites you on an enchanting journey through the beauty of the season.
Every Friday and Saturday in October at 4:00 p.m., join the Nature Center for FREE guided leaf tours open to the public. It’s the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the breathtaking transformation of nature while exploring the captivating colors of fall foliage.
Weather dependent.
Join us on a walking tour of the Foundy in the River Arts District where we learn about the only existing Street Art Gallery in Asheville and all the artists who have created graffiti and mural installations that have made our town an urban art destination.
Wanna hear the best local music and drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.
The premiere of “Romeo and Juliet: In Memoriam” is a celebration of youth, talent, and the enduring power of Shakespeare’s work. Audiences can expect a moving, mesmerizing performance paired with an original score that blends classic and contemporary elements. This adaptation is more than just a play – it’s a testament to the potential and creativity of the younger generation, with every aspect of the production in the hands of Asheville-area teens.

GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.
- Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
- 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
- $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue
*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.
The nation’s largest comedy club network is back! After a popular run last season, this hilarious collective returns to bring top-notch comedians for four weekends of side-splitting laughter. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today — seen in specials on Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Hulu and more — deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines and hysterical anecdotes that will keep you laughing all night long. Contains adult content.
Headliner Leonard Ouzts
At 26 years old, Leonard Ouzts is a distinct rising voice in the world of stand-up comedy. A native of Virginia, his southern upbringing shaped his down to earth, observational comedic style. Leonard can most recently be seen in a breakout role of the producer Lawrence in season two of the Netflix series MASTER OF NONE. He has performed stand-up on CONAN, ADAM DEVINE’S HOUSE PARTY, and AXS’ GOTHAM COMEDY LIVE. He can also be seen in multiple episodes of TruTV’s COMEDY KNOCKOUT, MTV’s JOKING OFF, upcoming episodes of the MTV series WILD N OUT. Leonard was selected as a NEW FACE at the prestigious Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and was most recently named by RollingStone.com as a Top Ten Comic To Watch. Leonard can currently be seen playing James on the NBC comedy Abby’s opposite Natalie Morales.
The Sublime Theater presents the world premiere of David Brendan Hopes’ “Ben & Angela,” starring Scott Fisher & Kirby Gibson, directed by Steven Samuels. “No matter how long people have been doing it, marriage remains a mystery. In “Ben & Angela,” a young couple follow the twisty, sometimes hilarious, road from first infatuation through the kinks and perils of living life together for the long haul. They each know the other’s weakness. They each know each other’s strength. They know what it will look like when it is perfect.”
Written by Samuel D. Hunter
Keith, a mortgage broker and Ryan, a yogurt plant worker, are two men who, at first glance, have nothing in common. Their meeting, in Keith’s cubicle, evolves from a business discussion to a thoughtful exploration of parenthood, financial insecurity, and empathy. Both intimate and expansive, Samuel D. Hunter’s heartbreaking new play argues for hope even in the face of extreme disappointment as two men with seemingly very different lives grow to care for one another.
Content advisory: strong language
By Arthur Miller
On the Steve Lloyd Stage
Directed by Doug Savitt
A small man can be just as exhausted as a great man.
Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer-Prize winning American classic is a poignant look at the life of everyman Willy Loman, complete with grand hopes and heartbreaking missteps. Willy is on a quest for the American Dream, and wants more than anything for his family to achieve it alongside him. But their own visions of that dream – and their perceptions of who Willy really is beyond his façade – don’t necessarily match up with his reality. Through a series of tragic soul-searching revelations of the life he has lived with his wife, his sons, and his business associates, we discover how his quest for the “American Dream” kept him blind to the people who truly loved him. A thrilling work of deep and revealing beauty that remains one of the most profound classic dramas of the American Theatre.
Suitable for all audiences. Contains heavy subject matter.
Our Black Box series continues as we welcome to the stage the magnificent work of William Shakespeare. Surrender to a haunting story of ambition and its dark consequences, as a military hero and his wife conspire to seize political power. A terrifyingly prophetic tale of revenge, murder, and madness, Macbeth lays bare the fallout when the darkest side of humanity cheats its way into a position of power. One of Shakespeare’s bloodiest, scariest, and yet, most popular tragedies.
Written by Will Storrs
Directed by Deanna Braine Smith
Just in time for Halloween, local playwright Will Storrs brings us this World Premiere reimagining Alice and the characters of Lewis Carroll’s story in a seasonally-appropriate way. Sure to be a horribly good time!
All shows will run Fridays through Sundays and all will be presented at 7:30pm and prime seats can be reserved.
Montford Park Players has been bringing some of theater’s greatest works to Western North Carolina for over 50 years. Montford Park Players continues its mission of bring free theater to the community. The summer season allows everyone to come spend an evening under the stars, seeing some of the best live performances presented in Asheville.
THE SPLATTER PLAY
By Abby Auman
Directed by Jessica Johnson
It’s the day of the open house for Tina’s childhood home, which also happens to be her deceased mother’s evil laboratory. Determined to turn the terrors of the lab into selling points, Tina and her optimistic realtor parade a cast of unsavory potential buyers through the home, tormented all the while by the resident creepies and crawlies who aren’t quite as ready to move on as Tina would hope. *Note: there will be blood, so much blood.
By Abby Auman
Directed by Jessica Johnson
It’s the day of the open house for Tina’s childhood home, which also happens to be her deceased mother’s evil laboratory. Determined to turn the terrors of the lab into selling points, Tina and her optimistic realtor parade a cast of unsavory potential buyers through the home, tormented all the while by the resident creepies and crawlies who aren’t quite as ready to move on as Tina would hope. *Note: this is an immersive experience and there will be blood, so much blood.
**Content notification: language; violence; blood; gore; strobe light effects; audience-immersive scenes that may include audience members being splattered with stage blood and gore.
Our Halloween Show!
a world premiere, written by Will Storrs
Directed by Deanna Braine Smith
The nation’s largest comedy club network is back! After a popular run last season, this hilarious collective returns to bring top-notch comedians for four weekends of side-splitting laughter. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today — seen in specials on Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Hulu and more — deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines and hysterical anecdotes that will keep you laughing all night long. Contains adult content.
Headliner Leonard Ouzts
At 26 years old, Leonard Ouzts is a distinct rising voice in the world of stand-up comedy. A native of Virginia, his southern upbringing shaped his down to earth, observational comedic style. Leonard can most recently be seen in a breakout role of the producer Lawrence in season two of the Netflix series MASTER OF NONE. He has performed stand-up on CONAN, ADAM DEVINE’S HOUSE PARTY, and AXS’ GOTHAM COMEDY LIVE. He can also be seen in multiple episodes of TruTV’s COMEDY KNOCKOUT, MTV’s JOKING OFF, upcoming episodes of the MTV series WILD N OUT. Leonard was selected as a NEW FACE at the prestigious Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and was most recently named by RollingStone.com as a Top Ten Comic To Watch. Leonard can currently be seen playing James on the NBC comedy Abby’s opposite Natalie Morales.
We’re putting our build crew back together and we’d love to have you join us. Every 2 weeks, we’ll meet at 9 am for hands-on set construction! Whether your talents are building, painting, or you just want to learn, come out and join us every other Saturday for some creative fun. Tools and work gloves are helpful but not required
Class cost: $50
Min students: 8
Max students: 20
Class Dates: Saturday, October 14th
Time: 10am-2pm
Location: Hendersonville Theatre Main Stage
Must be 18+ to attend. The last day to receive a full refund is September 28, 2023. After September 28, 2023, no refund will be issued.
Advance registration is required. Registration deadline is Wednesday, October 11th at 5 pm.
Due to the time of day, feel free to bring some non-disruptive snacks and a water bottle.
Need-based scholarships are available upon application.
Class Description:
Do you feel like auditions are scary or overwhelming? Have you gone to several, but never gotten cast in a show? SO MUCH goes into the decisions directors make in the casting room. Let us help you get a leg up.
In this workshop, you will learn how to put your best foot forward, be the most prepared one in the room, and make dynamic and interesting choices that will make a lasting impression. This class will be rooted in the fundamental teachings of Michael Shurtleff’s book, Audition. We will take his lessons and apply them to cold readings and monologues* during the workshop. By the end of our time, we hope that you will feel more confident, creative and assured when you walk into your next audition.
*If you have an audition monologue or have one you have been considering, please feel free to bring it, along with a copy for the instructor. We will talk about how to cut a monologue for time without losing the meat of the piece. We will also talk about pairing monologues with songs for auditions.
Take a 90-plus minute stroll along 7th Avenue/Historic Depot District, where the action was when the first steam engine locomotives rolled into town starting in 1879 bringing hundreds of tourists. The district surrounding the historic Railroad Depot was where it was happening in the Gilded Age of Hendersonville from 1879, when the first steam locomotive arrived with hundreds of tourists daily, till the Crash of 1929 … learn about the drays, the hustle, the inns, the summer visitors, the shoot-outs, growth of agriculture, and popular candy stores. These 90-plus minute walks occur rain or shine. Please make a reservation, 828-545-3179.
All tours: $10 per person age 10 and over. Children under 10 yrs. free with paying adult.
Meeting Place: Hendersonville City Hall, front steps (at corner of 5th Ave. E. and King St.)
Schedule a private tour anytime for your group.
Reservations/information: 828-545-3179
Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.
- Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
- 90-Minutes – tours run daily
- 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
- $39 per person (ages 13+ only)
A groundbreaking reimagining of William Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy, “Romeo and Juliet: In Memoriam” is poised to make its debut on Friday, October 13, 2023, in Asheville.
The adaptation is written by Elias Hamilton and Ronnie Z. Nielsen of Asheville. Their unique vision transports audiences to the solemn and emotional setting of the star-crossed lovers’ funeral, infusing new life into Shakespeare’s iconic play and exploring themes of love, loss and reconciliation in a fresh way.
Don’t miss your chance to witness this exceptional adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet,” where young visionaries take center stage, breaking boundaries and proving that age is no barrier to artistic excellence.
“Romeo and Juliet: In Memoriam” premieres on Friday, October 13, 2023, at Attic Salt Theater and runs through Sunday, October 21.
Every Friday from April through November (weather permitting),
check out the Hike and Sip Tour at Souther Williams Vineyard, a unique opportunity to hike our scenic rolling vineyards and enjoy
five different wines along the way, led by a private tour guide who will share the history of the farm and while you hike through the
vines, This educational experience will delight as you live the life of grape throughout its annual pilgrimage to the glass, This 1
hour tour requires moderate walking through hillside vineyards and appropriate farm/field attire, and can accommodate up to 12
people and reservations are required 2 days in advance, $50 per person, Souther Williams Vineyard, Hendersonville,
Kids’ Comedy Tour: Wildly funny, this educational and entertaining tour features the perfect blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically toward the 5–12 year old crowd, you’ll explore the town with our famously outlandish tour guides leading the way.
- Perfect for birthday parties
- Makes for memorable school field trips
- Tickets are $27 per person
- Beverages available for purchase at the LaZoom Room
- Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

