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.
Asheville’s longest running comedy open mic happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 8:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform can sign up starting at 7pm, and will get four minutes on stage. Local and not-so-local, professional and not-so-professional comics perform or just anyone wanting to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Always fun. Always free.
Grease
September 19 – October 12, 2025
Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays & Sundays at 2:30 PM
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Sponsored by: HomeTrust Bank
Bursting with high-octane fun and unforgettable songs like “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” and “You’re the One That I Want,” Grease is the ultimate rock-and-roll celebration. Step back into the 1950s as Rydell High’s senior class navigates the ups and downs of love, identity, and teenage rebellion. One of the most popular musicals of all time, Grease is a rollicking good time.
Supported by a live five-piece band!
Grease
September 19 – October 12, 2025
Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays & Sundays at 2:30 PM
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Sponsored by: HomeTrust Bank
Bursting with high-octane fun and unforgettable songs like “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” and “You’re the One That I Want,” Grease is the ultimate rock-and-roll celebration. Step back into the 1950s as Rydell High’s senior class navigates the ups and downs of love, identity, and teenage rebellion. One of the most popular musicals of all time, Grease is a rollicking good time.
Supported by a live five-piece band!
DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, A SECOND PERFORMANCE TIME FOR THIS SHOW HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR 9:30PM ON OCT. 10!
Come on out for a night of fun and laughter.
Grease
September 19 – October 12, 2025
Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays & Sundays at 2:30 PM
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Sponsored by: HomeTrust Bank
Bursting with high-octane fun and unforgettable songs like “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” and “You’re the One That I Want,” Grease is the ultimate rock-and-roll celebration. Step back into the 1950s as Rydell High’s senior class navigates the ups and downs of love, identity, and teenage rebellion. One of the most popular musicals of all time, Grease is a rollicking good time.
Supported by a live five-piece band!
With special guest Derrick Stroup
John Crist is one of today’s fastest-rising stand-up comedians, earning more than one billion video views, more than 7.5 million fans on social media, and sold-out shows from coast to coast — continuously charting as one of Pollstar’s Top 10 Global Touring Comedians. John has sold out the majority of his 2025 U.S. ‘Jokes For Humans’ dates and continues to add multiple shows in select cities.
His latest comedy special John Crist: Emotional Support, released February 18, showcases his skills in delivering witty, pop culture commentary through clean humor. Filmed just six miles from his childhood home in Lilburn, GA, John Crist: Emotional Support sees the viral comedian diving into the ever-changing dynamics of growing up Christian in the 90s, navigating family group texts, mediating fights on the neighborhood Facebook page and more. In its first three weeks, the special earned more than 2.1 million stand-alone views, with social media clips surpassing 20 million views, as it continues to grow in viewership.
Grease
September 19 – October 12, 2025
Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays & Sundays at 2:30 PM
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Sponsored by: HomeTrust Bank
Bursting with high-octane fun and unforgettable songs like “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” and “You’re the One That I Want,” Grease is the ultimate rock-and-roll celebration. Step back into the 1950s as Rydell High’s senior class navigates the ups and downs of love, identity, and teenage rebellion. One of the most popular musicals of all time, Grease is a rollicking good time.
Supported by a live five-piece band!
Asheville’s longest running comedy open mic happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 8:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform can sign up starting at 7pm, and will get four minutes on stage. Local and not-so-local, professional and not-so-professional comics perform or just anyone wanting to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Always fun. Always free.
Vote for your favorite comic of the night!!
The Slice of Life Comedy Asheville Fall/Winter Standup Contest – round 2
Thursday October 16, 7:30p-9:30p, doors at 6:30p
The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge
103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Tickets: $17 (available at door or The Orange Peel website)
These shows sellout!
Hosted by Hilliary Begley from Netflix & Amazon Prime!
Cocktails available while you laugh the night away to some of the area’s best Stand Up Comics in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
Free snacks while availability lasts! You may bring your own food in (no drinks)!
How it Works:
Audience votes thru ballot. Comics on the show will do 4 minutes of comedy. This show’s 3 top comics will be brought back with winners from round one to compete in our pageant finale, date TBA.
Want to compete? These limited spots go fast. Free to signup if room is still available. Contact Michele at [email protected]!
Growing up with a bipolar father and a schizophrenic brother left Aaron Foster with a combination of survivor’s guilt, depression and anxiety that has invalidated his every accomplishment, destroyed his every relationship and invaded his every waking thought. A comedy!
“Mostly Jokes” was named ”Best Solo Show” at the Tucson Fringe Festival in January and has received reviews such as: “A laugh every twenty seconds.” “I’ve never laughed so hard about mental health.” “Subversively hilarious, laugh out loud gallows humor.”
Foster is the former host of HGTV’s FreeStyle who turned to stand up to manage his depression and anxiety. He has performed at clubs all over the West Coast and has been touring this show for the past year. Some of his main influences are Mike Birbiglia, Maria Bamford, Gary Gulman, Marc Maron, Taylor Tomlinson and Neal Brennan. Do with that information what you will.
Candice Guardino: Italian Bred
Saturday October 18, 2025 at 8:00 p.m.
Candice Guardino’s Italian Bred is a “5 STAR ⭐ ” and “MUST SEE!” from New York
Critics to Chicago and Los Angeles. After selling out across the country, Candice visits
for one show only! Italian Bred is a hilarious and heartwarming theatrical comedy based
on true life events about growing up Italian Style. Candice slips in and out of multiple
family characters, story-tells hilarious childhood moments and sings songs that all make
this woman one incredible talent. A new take on solo shows is exactly what Candice
does best and it’s not to be missed!
Asheville’s longest running comedy open mic happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 8:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform can sign up starting at 7pm, and will get four minutes on stage. Local and not-so-local, professional and not-so-professional comics perform or just anyone wanting to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Always fun. Always free.
Thur, Oct 23 • 7 pm
After winning Last Comic Standing, Josh Blue skyrocketed to fame, delivering knockout sets on The Tonight Show and earning 3rd place on America’s Got Talent. Headlining 200+ shows annually, he shatters stereotypes about disabilities through his hilarious, unforgettable performances worldwide.
“I think it’s the year of Josh Blue”—Howie Mandel, America’s Got Talent
Spotlight on Josh Blue:
First comedian to perform stand-up on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Represented Team USA in 8 countries as a Paralympic soccer player
His hit specials can be seen on Netflix, Showtime, Hulu, and Amazon
Featured in People Magazine, The New York Times, and on NPR’s Talk of the Nation
Asheville gets just one shot at this tour stop!
Fri & Sat, Oct 24 & 25 • 8 pm
Orlando Leyba is a stand-up comedian known for his animated storytelling and relatable humor. He’s appeared on The Tonight Show, AGT18, MAX, TruTV, NBC, and his own special Adorable on Max. A finalist in NBC’s Stand Up Showcase, he’s also a regular at comedy festivals and clubs.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Fri & Sat, Oct 24 & 25 • 8 pm
Orlando Leyba is a stand-up comedian known for his animated storytelling and relatable humor. He’s appeared on The Tonight Show, AGT18, MAX, TruTV, NBC, and his own special Adorable on Max. A finalist in NBC’s Stand Up Showcase, he’s also a regular at comedy festivals and clubs.
The Comedy Zone: Back with a fresh lineup of powerhouse talent, this hit comedy series features comics seen on Netflix, Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and more. Smart, fast, and fiercely funny—get ready to laugh out loud and leave smiling.
VIP table upgrades available.
Asheville Vaudeville and special guest, Danbert Nobacon of the legendary anarcho-punk band, Chumbawamba, will collaborate in the upcoming installment of Asheville Vaudeville’s seasonal brunch time entertainment. The performance will feature Danbert Nobacon’s original acoustic music whilst a ragtag group of clowns and freaks come together to create an amusing array of mayhem and maybe even rescue democracy from the threat of a nefarious fascist regime by using their superpowers of comedy, comradery, common sense, sensuality, and an earnest exercising of their collective free-speech muscles. This is an 18+ show.
Asheville Vaudeville and special guest, Danbert Nobacon of the legendary
anarcho-punk band, Chumbawamba, will collaborate in the upcoming
installment of Asheville Vaudeville’s seasonal Sunday noon spectaculars. The
performance will feature Danbert Nobacon’s original acoustic music whilst a
ragtag group of clowns and freaks come together to create an amusing array of
mayhem and maybe even rescue democracy from the threat of a nefarious
fascist regime by using their superpowers of comedy, comradery, common
sense, sensuality, and an earnest exercising of their collective free-speech
muscles.
Asheville Vaudeville is WNC’s largest and longest-running variety show, known
for bringing together a revolving lineup of WNC’s best comedy, juggling, magic,
belly dance, burlesque, acrobatics, aerialists, clowns, short plays, sideshow,
puppetry, music, and more into entertaining Vaudeville revue-style
performances. The ever-evolving group of artists has been collaborating under
this banner since 2002, with notable long-time staples including Toybox,
America’s Favorite Cartoon Witch; Rigel the Clown; Claire Dima, Barefoot
Bellydancer Extraordinaire; and others.
Asheville’s longest running comedy open mic happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 8:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform can sign up starting at 7pm, and will get four minutes on stage. Local and not-so-local, professional and not-so-professional comics perform or just anyone wanting to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Always fun. Always free.
Asheville Halloween Bar Crawl 2025
Prepare for the ultimate Halloween celebration with our Official Halloween Bar Crawl! On October 31st, 2025, starting at 5:00 PM, get ready to experience a night full of spine-chilling fun, electrifying energy, and unforgettable memories. Join fellow goblins, witches, vampires, and party enthusiasts as we take over the city’s top bars and venues. Don’t miss the Halloween Event of the Year-secure your tickets now and let’s make this Halloween legendary!
Asheville Halloween Event Details
– Date: October 31st, 2025
– Time: 5:00 PM
– Location: Multiple Venues The City
– Tickets and Info: Visit PubCrawls.com
What Is Included with Your Asheville Halloween Bar Crawl Ticket?
Over 4+ Venues!
FREE Entry Into Asheville’s Best Bars
FREE Kickoff Party
FREE After Party
2-3 FREE Drinks Or Shots (1 Per Day)
Party 3 Days For The Price of One!
Generously Low Drink Specials
Select Food Specials
Detailed Custom Digital pub crawl map
Tasty Holiday-Themed Drinks
Hundreds of Crawlers
$2000 Prize Value Social Media Costume Contest
Live DJs At Select Venues
PubCrawls.com Wristbands
Photographer and Videographer to Capture the Best Moments
Look out for a feature on our social media!
Helpful Pubcrawls.com Staff On-Site
Finish The Crawl and Get A FREE Pub Crawl Ticket on Pubcrawls.com
(Take a picture in each bar and tag us)
Easy Steps to Join the Fun
Secure Your Ticket: Buy early for the best deals and guaranteed access.
Check-In: Arrive at your designated check-in location (details provided in your ticket) to receive your wristband.
Start the Crawl: Use your wristband for waived door covers, exclusive drink deals, and access to all participating venues.
Insider Tips for an Unforgettable Halloween Bar Crawl
Stay Updated: Check your email for event updates, including promotions.
Use the Digital Map: Navigate the crawl effortlessly with our interactive map.
Be On Time: Check-in promptly to receive your wristband and avoid delays.
Party Safely: Always arrange for a safe ride home and drink responsibly.
Social Media Costume Contest Rules
Follow @pubcrawlers on Instagram.
Post a photo from the bar crawl in your costume.
Tag @pubcrawlers and use our official hashtag for a chance to win $2,000 in prizes!
Important Guidelines
Age Requirement: Participants must be 21+ with valid ID.
No Refunds: All ticket sales are final. Check our FAQ for more details.
Drink Responsibly: Prioritize safety for an enjoyable experience. Never drink and drive.
Need Assistance?
Our customer service team is available 24/7 to answer any questions about tickets, venues, or event details. Contact us at [email protected] or visit PubCrawls.com for more information and exclusive discounts.
Let’s make this Halloween a night to remember! Grab your tickets now and join most thrilling bar crawl!
Use promo code ECRAWL for 10% OFF on pubcrawls.com
Date and Time: On Friday October 31, 2025 at 17:00 – 23:00
Venue details: Urban Orchard, 24 Buxton Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina, 28801, United States
Category: Community | Bars / Pubs
Price:
General Admission: USD 6.99
October 31, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and a spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. Time magazine, in the March 2020 “Best of” issue, listed Paula’s HBO special, Cats, Cops and Stuff as one of The 5 Funniest Stand-Up Specials Ever. Paula can be heard weekly as the host of the comedy podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone and as a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!
Also an author, Poundstone’s second book, The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness (Algonquin 2017) was one of eight semi-finalists for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, the highest recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. The audiobook was one of five finalists for the Audio Book of the Year AUDIE award.
Paula was the first female comic, in its then 73rd year, to perform at the White House Correspondents dinner. She was the first female standup, in its then 5th year, to win the ACE award for Best Comedy Special on Cable television. She is included in innumerable lists, documentaries and literary compendiums noting influential standup comedians of our time.
Signup begins 6pm / Perform 6:30-8:30.
Everyone is welcome! Any genre…song, music, spoken word, poetry, storytelling, comedy, short films, demos, etc. Supportive listening room in an art gallery setting. Each performer gets up to 12 minutes each. All performances will be livecast.
Actor and comedian Jamie Lissow is currently a regular weekly guest on the #1
rated late night talk show, Gutfeld! on Fox. Jamie is best known for his starring
role in two seasons of the Netflix Original Series “Real Rob”, alongside SNL
alums Rob Schneider, Adam Sandler, Norm MacDonald and David Spade; a show
Jamie co-wrote and co-produced. Jamie has appeared on The Tonight Show, The
Late Late Show, Last Comic Standing, has his own half hour Comedy Central
special and a Dry Bar Comedy Special with over 20 Million views. Jamie recently
wrapped his first movie, Daddy Daughter Trip, where he appears alongside John
Cleese, Rob Schneider, and Micheal Bublé – a movie he co-wrote and produced.
Jamie is currently writing and will be starring in the feature film, The Animal 2,
for Fox/Tubi and headlining stand-up comedy shows across the country.
Everyone is welcome! Any genre…song, music, spoken word, poetry, storytelling, comedy, short films, demos, etc. Supportive listening room in an art gallery setting. Each performer gets up to 12 minutes each. All performances will be livecast.
Friday November 14th Neon Moon Comedy presents Comedy Night at Lookout Brewing Company at 7pm
With Headliner Ryan Cox Comedy (upcoming Drybar Comedy special coming soon!)
Featuring Sarah Love, Jordan Julius and Jason Reel
Hosted by Chris Gullo (As seen in movies on Amazon Prime Video and Tubi)
Tickets are only $15 and will be available on Tickpick.com and in the taproom!
Tickets available at
https://tinyurl.com/bdetu922
Come on out for a fantastic night of laughs and great drinks!
Lookout Brewing is located at 103 S Ridgeway Ave #1 Black Mountain, NC, 28711
MaxxMusic presents: GARRISON KEILLOR TONIGHT!
Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Garrison Keillor Tonight is an evening of stand-up, storytelling, audience song, and poetry. One man, one microphone. There are sung sonnets, limericks, and musical jokes, and the thread that runs through it is the beauty of growing old. Despite the inconvenience, old age brings the contentment of LESS IS MORE.
Your mistakes and big ambitions are behind you, nothing left to prove, and small things give you great pleasure because that’s what’s left. (“I was unhappy in college because it was a requirement for an ntellectual, but then I went into show business and discovered that people won’t pay to be made inhappy; their kids will do it for free.”)
There is the News from Lake Wobegon, a town booming with new entrepreneurs, makers of artisanal firewood and gourmet meatloaf, breeders of composting worms, and dogs trained to do childcare. But some things endure, such as the formation of the Living Flag on Main Street, citizens in tight formation wearing red, white, or blue caps, and Mr. Keillor among them, standing close to old neighbors, Myrtle Krebsbach (“Truckstop”) and Julie Christensen (“Bruno, The Fishing Dog”) and Clint Bunsen. And an a – cappella sing-along with the audience singing from memory an odd medley of patriotic songs, pop standards, hymns, and ending with the national anthem.
Asheville’s longest running comedy open mic happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 8:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform can sign up starting at 7pm, and will get four minutes on stage. Local and not-so-local, professional and not-so-professional comics perform or just anyone wanting to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Always fun. Always free.
Signup begins 6pm / Perform 6:30-8:30.
Everyone is welcome! Any genre…song, music, spoken word, poetry, storytelling, comedy, short films, demos, etc. Supportive listening room in an art gallery setting. Each performer gets up to 12 minutes each. All performances will be livecast.
Standup Comedy Picture Show with headliner Petey Smith McDowell
Comics on the show do standup with slide show pictures to illustrate their sets. This is sure to keep you in your seats figuring out what you just looked at!
Thursday November 20, 7:30-9p in The Orange Peel’s comedy basement. PULP is a bourbon speakeasy (400+ varieties) located under the iconic stage. No food is served but we do have free snacks while they last and outside food is permitted (no drinks of any kind).
$17 tickets available at door or The Orange Peel’s website
Host is Hilliary Begley voted repeatedly Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” and Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Feature Cloud Hudson is a comedian, lighting designer, and weather forecaster (licensed meteorologist) with a knack for finding the silver lining around every storm cloud. Their comedy blurs the lines between science and magic in a quest for collective understanding. But don’t let this intellectual spirituality fool you- Cloud uses only the most unhinged examples of the disgustingly divine to draw clouds of laughter from crowds that matter.
Plus comedians Derek Boskovich & Aaron Naylor!
For more info contact Michele at [email protected]
New Show Added! Coming off of a big year and the success of his 2024 The Be Funny Tour, Comedian Nate Bargatze comes to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena for his 2025 BIG DUMB EYES WORLD TOUR. Two shows: 3pm and 7pm.
Hailed as “The Nicest Man in Stand-Up,” by The Atlantic Magazine and “One of the Funniest People,” by CBS Morning, Grammy nominated comedian, podcaster, director and producer Nate Bargatze is selling out shows and breaking venue attendance records with more than 1.2 million tickets sold on his The Be Funny Tour. He is currently the #1 earning comedian in the world according to Pollstar’s recent report, and #12 in overall live tour tickets sales, putting him in the company of Coldplay, Madonna and U2.
Bargatze recently hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time in one year, to rave reviews with Vulture.com asking the question, “Has Nate Bargatze Cracked The SNL code?” Bargatze hosted SNL for the first time in 2023, securing high ratings for the program with Vanity Fair calling him, “A Great Saturday Night Live Host,” and Entertainment Weekly exclaiming, “A frighteningly funny Halloween episode.”