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.

Tuesday, December 20, 2022
December Book club: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Dec 20 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dobra Tea

Let’s read The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow!

Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Beauty Parlor Comedy: Stephen Taylor
Dec 21 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Beauty Academy

Beauty Parlor Comedy: Stephen Taylor

Originally a Louisiana native, Stephen moved to Kansas City to escape his traditional southern roots. He’s a fast rising talent in the region that has worked with comics like Theo Von, Karlous Miller, and Mark Normand. Combining his unique perspective with some sweet southern charm, Stephen headlines and features at your favorite clubs, bars, and colleges across the country. He is the house Feature at the KC Improv and has been accepted into festivals like Flyover Fest, B4UDIE, and SF Sketchfest. He is also the co-founder of the Barrel of the Bottoms studio in Kansas City, and the co-host of the Set to Destroy Podcast.

featuring TBA

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

Thursday, December 22, 2022
Book Club for cognitive support
Dec 22 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
The 2nd Act

This is a book club that intends to be a support for people with cognitive decline. The first book has an enormous amount of information and it would be great to discuss it with like minded individuals. The End of Alzheimer’s Program: The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and Reverse Decline at Any Age by Bredesen MD. We will meet on the fourth Thursday of the month at The 2nd Act in Hendersonville at 5:30. I will also be hosting an online meetup at 8pm EST so message me if you would like the link to the Zoom meeting.

Gluten-free comedy open mic at Ginger’s Revenge  
Dec 22 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Ginger's Revenge  

  • Gluten-free comedy open mic at Ginger's Revenge
  • 6:00pm – 8:00pm

    Open mic comedy every Thursday from 6-8pm at Ginger’s Revenge Tasting Room.

    Rotating hosts each week Clay Jones, James Burks and Katy Hudson

    No cover
    Signup starts at 5:30, and signup order will not necessarily be show order. Each comic gets 5 mins of stage time

Poetry Open Mic
Dec 22 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Friday, December 23, 2022
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians ​
Dec 23 @ 7:30 pm
Attic Salt Theatre

A battle so epic, it could only be shown in the dumbest way possible!

Acclaimed local playwright and director Rodney Smith has offered to take the usual holiday fare and turn it on its head by adapting this campy and (unintentionally) funny film from the 1960s for our stage. I’d explain the plot, but there’s not much to it outside the title.

Whether you’re a fan of the movie or just looking for an alternative to Christmas schmaltz, you’re going to laugh and cheer at the bumbling Kinmar, Voldar, Dropo and the sexy Mrs. Candi Clause. And isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

Saturday, December 24, 2022
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Dec 24 @ 2:30 pm
Attic Salt Theatre

A battle so epic, it could only be shown in the dumbest way possible!

Acclaimed local playwright and director Rodney Smith has offered to take the usual holiday fare and turn it on its head by adapting this campy and (unintentionally) funny film from the 1960s for our stage. I’d explain the plot, but there’s not much to it outside the title.

Whether you’re a fan of the movie or just looking for an alternative to Christmas schmaltz, you’re going to laugh and cheer at the bumbling Kinmar, Voldar, Dropo and the sexy Mrs. Candi Clause. And isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Romance Book Club
Dec 27 @ 7:00 pm
zoom

Romance Book Club is a space to celebrate love in literature. Whether it’s set in early 1800s London, a distant planet years into the future, a fantasy world of magic, or our own contemporary universe, we are here for the stories that end with a happily-ever-after (or at least a happily-for-now).

Meetings will take place at 7:00 PM ET on the last Tuesday of each month via Zoom. Please visit the Romance Bookclub page for the monthly selection, and email Samantha at [email protected] for the link to join.

Modelface Comedy Presents Comedian Michael Palascak
Dec 27 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

Michael Palascak is a comedian who grew up in Indiana and now lives in LA.  He performed on both The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the same year.   He has over 1 million views on YouTube.  In addition, his resume includes A Little Late with Lilly Singh, The Tonight Show, LettermanCraig FergusonConan, has a Comedy Central Half Hour special, and was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing where one judge claimed, “My first impression of Michael was a great likability.  This is a guy that could star in a sitcom.”  Michael’s likability allows him to relate to his audiences in a real way which sets up the huge laughs he gets from his sharp, personal material.  Consistently writing and performing, this summer Michael released both a new album— The Internet Live through 800 Pound Gorilla and a new stand-up special on the Dry Bar app— 1984.  Available for free streaming.  Drew Hunt of The Chicago Reader wrote about Michael, “In a lot of ways, he represents the ideal antidote to the sort of unbridled cynicism that pervades much of contemporary stand-up.”  Michael’s optimism continues in the new National Lampoon series — The Bright Side where he takes a positive stance on a negative topic streaming on YouTube.

Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Foodie Book Club
Dec 28 @ 7:00 pm
online

The Foodie Book Club is a club about food writing. The club meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM.  Click here for details and monthly picks!

Wednesday, October 26, 2022 – 7:00pm
Wednesday, November 30, 2022 – 7:00pm
Wednesday, December 28, 2022 – 7:00pm
The Black Out Diaries
Dec 28 @ 8:00 pm
Pulp

12/28 The Blackout Diaries is BACK!
What: The Blackout Blackout Diaries
When: December 28, 2022 show starts at 8p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Age 21+
Tickets: $17 (available at door ot The Orange Peel website)
During this year’s holiday break, forget all the craziness and bring the whole (drinking age) family & friends out to hear tales of triumph (but mostly hilarious tragedy) while drinking heavily. Starting its roots in Chicago, and hosted by the hilarious Alex Joyce, The Blackout Diaries is an interactive comedy show were standup comedians, plus ‘regular’ people (cops, firefighters, teachers, etc) tell true drinking stories with photos from the events. Then you, the audience, can ask questions.
The Blackout Diaries has been selected as ‘Critics’ Choice in The Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times and more. Segments from the show have appeared on Comedy Central, NPR, Sirius Radio and more. A review once described the show as “a reverse AA meeting”. We still don’t know if that was a positive review or not, but we feel it sums the show up well.
Hosted by Alex Joyce. Alex has been performing stand up comedy for 12 years. After graduating from The University of Alabama he moved to Chicago where he studied at the Second City Training Center for Sketch Writing. He is co producer and performer in The Blackout Diaries, a weekly show at The Lincoln Lodge Theater where comedians tell wild drinking stories and the audience gets to ask questions. Joyce returns to Asheville regularly to visit family and perform. Joyce lives in Chicago.
The speakeasy inspired hideaway offers a cozy space for show-goers to relax and enjoy a beverage during the concert. Boasting over 200 different Bourbons and Whiskeys, alongside a myriad of other spirits, it is a must-visit for cocktail lovers and Bourbon sippers alike. Pulp will also open various other nights to feature local artists and “Slice of Life” open-mic comedy nights. To stay informed with the happenings at Pulp, visit the Orange Peel’s website, and follow @pulp_avl on Instagram.
For more info about this show contact Michele [email protected]
BlackOut Diaries Videos:

FB: https://fb.me/e/33BCJ3rg

The Blackout Diaries Comedy Show at The Pulp
Dec 28 @ 8:00 pm
Pulp Lounge

12/28 The Blackout Diaries Comedy Show
What: The Blackout Blackout Diaries
When: December 28, 2022 show starts at 8p, doors at 7:30p
Where: The Orange Peel’s Comedy Basement, Pulp Lounge 103 Hilliard Ave, Downtown Asheville
Age 21+
Tickets: $17 (available at door ot The Orange Peel website)
During this year’s holiday break, forget all the craziness and bring the whole (drinking age) family & friends out to hear tales of triumph (but mostly hilarious tragedy) while drinking heavily. Starting its roots in Chicago, and hosted by the hilarious Alex Joyce, The Blackout Diaries is an interactive comedy show were standup comedians, plus ‘regular’ people (cops, firefighters, teachers, etc) tell true drinking stories with photos from the events. Then you, the audience, can ask questions.
The Blackout Diaries has been selected as ‘Critics’ Choice in The Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times and more. Segments from the show have appeared on Comedy Central, NPR, Sirius Radio and more. A review once described the show as “a reverse AA meeting”. We still don’t know if that was a positive review or not, but we feel it sums the show up well.
Hosted by Alex Joyce. Alex has been performing stand up comedy for 12 years. After graduating from The University of Alabama he moved to Chicago where he studied at the Second City Training Center for Sketch Writing. He is co producer and performer in The Blackout Diaries, a weekly show at The Lincoln Lodge Theater where comedians tell wild drinking stories and the audience gets to ask questions. Joyce returns to Asheville regularly to visit family and perform. Joyce lives in Chicago.
The speakeasy inspired hideaway offers a cozy space for show-goers to relax and enjoy a beverage during the concert. Boasting over 200 different Bourbons and Whiskeys, alongside a myriad of other spirits, it is a must-visit for cocktail lovers and Bourbon sippers alike. Pulp will also open various other nights to feature local artists and “Slice of Life” open-mic comedy nights. To stay informed with the happenings at Pulp, visit the Orange Peel’s website, and follow @pulp_avl on Instagram.
For more info about this show contact Michele [email protected]
BlackOut Diaries Videos:

FB: https://fb.me/e/33BCJ3rg

Thursday, December 29, 2022
Gluten-free comedy open mic at Ginger’s Revenge  
Dec 29 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Ginger's Revenge  

  • Gluten-free comedy open mic at Ginger's Revenge
  • 6:00pm – 8:00pm

    Open mic comedy every Thursday from 6-8pm at Ginger’s Revenge Tasting Room.

    Rotating hosts each week Clay Jones, James Burks and Katy Hudson

    No cover
    Signup starts at 5:30, and signup order will not necessarily be show order. Each comic gets 5 mins of stage time

Friday, December 30, 2022
AVL Underground Comedy: Mandal
Dec 30 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
GiGi's Underground

AVL Underground Comedy: Mandal

MANDAL is a comedian out of Atlanta, Ga. He has been seen on Don’t Tell Comedy, Netflix is a Joke Radio, and adult swim

Featuring Khaled Elchoufi

ages 18+

doors at 7pm, show at 8pm

Where Ya From? a crowd work show with Cody Hughes
Dec 30 @ 10:00 pm
GiGi's Underground

Where Ya From? a crowd work show with Cody Hughes

Be bold and sit up front because you might just be part of the show!

Cody Hughes and a few of Asheville’s best comedians will be telling jokes and taking shots this Friday night at GiGi’s Underground

Featuring: Mandal, Khaled Elchoufi and more!

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

doors at 10pm, show at 10:30pm

Saturday, December 31, 2022
NYE Comedy with Caleb Synan
Dec 31 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
GiGi's Underground

Go into 2023 laughing with Caleb Synan!

Caleb Synan is one of the hottest young comics in the country. (Funny AND good looking!) His unique background as a preacher’s kid from a small southern town gives him the ability to relate to any and every crowd — even though he’s a big old millennial who lives in LA. Want proof? He’s performed on CONAN (twice!), Last Comic Standing (once!), Bill Burr’s stand up show “The Ringers” on Comedy Central, and his first Comedy Central special “30” in 2022 (You can watch it on YouTube!)

He’s also entertained our troops in South Korea and Japan. What a guy! It’s no wonder he won the title of “Wittiest” in Franklin County High School’s 2009 Yearbook. He even wrote this bio himself. And he’ll have a margarita with you if you play your cards right.

 

featuring Jenny Jennings

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

NYE Comedy with Caleb Synan (late show)
Dec 31 @ 10:00 pm – 12:30 pm
GiGi's Underground

Go into 2023 laughing with Caleb Synan!

Caleb Synan is one of the hottest young comics in the country. (Funny AND good looking!) His unique background as a preacher’s kid from a small southern town gives him the ability to relate to any and every crowd — even though he’s a big old millennial who lives in LA. Want proof? He’s performed on CONAN (twice!), Last Comic Standing (once!), Bill Burr’s stand up show “The Ringers” on Comedy Central, and his first Comedy Central special “30” in 2022 (You can watch it on YouTube!)

He’s also entertained our troops in South Korea and Japan. What a guy! It’s no wonder he won the title of “Wittiest” in Franklin County High School’s 2009 Yearbook. He even wrote this bio himself. And he’ll have a margarita with you if you play your cards right.

 

featuring Jenny Jennings

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

Tickets $18 advance, $22 day of

Tuesday, January 3, 2023
ONLINE- Enka-Candler Library Evening Book Club
Jan 3 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
online

ONLINE- Enka-Candler Library Evening Book Club

Chat with other book lovers about this month’s book selection.

Interested in reading ahead? Here’s what we have coming up in the next few months!
– November- “Once Upon A River” Diane Setterfield
– December- “Dutch House” Ann Patchett
– January- “Mexican Gothic” Silvia Moreno-Garcia
– February- “The Rose Code” Kate Quinn

To reserve your copy of the book, visit buncombe.nccardinal.org or swing by the library to pick one up from the book clubs holds shelf.

To join the book club email [email protected] or call us at 250-4758.

Friday, January 6, 2023
Chaotic Comedy
Jan 6 @ 7:00 pm
GiGi's Underground

Chaotic Comedy at GiGi's Underground

Chaotic Comedy is a night of Improv, Sketch, Magic and Stand Up Comedy all in one show!!! Anything can happen

Lineup: Marlene Thompson, Joe Carroll, Christian Lee and more!!!

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

Sunday, January 8, 2023
Modelface Comedy presents: Samantha Ruddy
Jan 8 @ 6:00 pm
Catawba Brewing Company South Slope

Samantha Ruddy tells jokes, writes funny stuff, and has strong opinions on Mountain Dew iterations.

Until the show’s cancellation in July of 2022, Samantha was a full-time digital producer and copywriter at Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Samantha’s work at Full Frontal included writing straight to camera promos for Sam Bee, crafting funny copy for the show’s social media accounts, and contributing to scripts for web series including the Emmy Award-nominated Beeing At Home.

Samantha has performed standup on both The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She’s also been heard on NPR and appeared in videos for Comedy Central and Marvel. She has performed at comedy festivals like New York Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Her debut comedy album, Logging Out, was named one of the best comedy albums of 2020 by NPR and is the reason Paste Magazine referred to her as a “joke machine.”

Samantha is a skilled joke writer and her comedy is clever, disarming, and sly. Her writing can be read on Collegehumor, The Cut, and Reductress. She’s been nominated for both Shorty and Queerty awards for her online presence. Follow her on Twitter @Samlymatters. You’ll be glad you did. And she will too!

 

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

doors at 6pm, show at 6:30pm

Thursday, January 12, 2023
Arboretum Reads: Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature by Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Jan 12 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
The North Carolina Arboretum

Children’s literature gives the young and young at heart permission to connect in the natural world in ways that are engaging and easily understood. Join Adult & Continuing Education Specialist Ann Kast, a former elementary school teacher and children’s literature enthusiast, in a discussion of how Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature aptly shares the natural process of rest and speaks to the child in each of us.

parking fees apply 16.00 +

Friday, January 13, 2023
AVL Underground Comedy: Kenyon Adamcik
Jan 13 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
GiGi's Underground

After realizing that getting a decent SAT score wasn’t Kenyon’s true calling in life, he started stand up in high school and has gone on to open for Todd Glass, Tim Dillon, Ian Edwards, and Big Jay Oakerson. He has also appeared on Sirius XM. Kenyon is a regular at the Laugh Factory Chicago and Zanie’s. Growing up biracial with disabled parents, Kenyon brings a unique perspective to the stage that has left audiences at clubs and festivals in ruins all over the country.

featuring Harrison Tweed

ages 21+

doors at 7:30, show at 8pm

Sunday, January 15, 2023
Black Cat Book Club: Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
Jan 15 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
New Origin Brewing Company

Let’s read Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom!

Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Free info Live Stream | Jameka Williams presents American Sex Tape™ with Diamond Forde and Kendra Allen
Jan 18 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
online

This virtual event is free but registration is required.

Jameka Williams holds an MFA in poetry from Northwestern University. Her poetry has been published in Prelude Magazine, Muzzle Magazine, and Gulf Coast, among others. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Diamond Forde’s debut collection, Mother Body, is the winner of the 2019 Saturnalia Poetry Prize. Forde has received numerous awards and prizes, including a Pink Poetry Prize, a Furious Flower Poetry Prize, and was a finalist for the 2022 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. You can find more at her website, www.diamondforde.com.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Kendra Allen is the author of The Collection Plate and When You Learn the Alphabet, an essay collection that won the 2018 Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction. She writes the music column Make Love in My Car for Southwest Review, and her memoir, Fruit Punch, is out now. You can keep up with her work at KendraCanYou.com.

Thursday, January 19, 2023
Rory Scovel Pre-Sale
Jan 19 @ 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
online w/ The Orange Peel

USE CODE:   RORYPEEL   w/ this link: Rory Scovel Tickets | Asheville, NC | The Orange Peel (etix.com)

Rory Scovel can currently be seen starring as Danny in Apple TV+’s hour-long series PHYSICAL, as well as in Paramount Picture’s BABYLON. Prior to that, he starred in I FEEL PRETTY opposite Amy Schumer and can be seen in New Line’s feature THE HOUSE, ABC’s MODERN FAMILY, and NBC’s SUPERSTORE, as well as in his Comedy Central series ROBBIE, which he also created. His hour stand-up special RORY SCOVEL TRIES STAND-UP FOR THE FIRST TIME is currently streaming on Netflix.

Flat Rock Book Club
Jan 19 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
The 2nd Act

Please join us at The 2nd Act in Hendersonville, NC for our first monthly book club meeting that strives to read books that create a closer knit and more inclusive community! We will meet virtually and in person monthly to discuss a book, so read the book and then join in the discussion in person or online every third Thursday. All are welcome! At the end of each meeting we will vote on the next book! The virtual club meeting will be in Zoom format and will meet 2.5 hours after the in-person meeting (8:00pm EST). After the meeting there is live acoustic music so stay and enjoy the vibe with your new friends! Put us down on your calendar for every third Third Thursday!

The first book is going to be called Disability Visibility.

Synopsis from the back cover: One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love. Preview:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51456746-disability-visibility
Message me for the Zoom link to the online meetup. Thanks!

Hybrid | Sandra E. Johnson presents The Resilience Journal: 365 Days to Balance and Peace of Mind
Jan 19 @ 6:00 pm
Malaprop's Bookstore and Virtual

This is a hybrid event, meaning there is an option to attend virtually and a limited number of seats are available to attend the event in-store. The event is free but registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance. 

Please click here to register for the VIRTUAL event. The link required to attend will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.

Please click here to register for the IN-PERSON event. Note the important event details on the RSVP form.

This event includes a book signing. If you would like a signed book but can’t attend in person, use the order comments field when you order below to request a signed copy and tell us to whom the book should be personalized.

If you decide to attend and to purchase books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!


A beautiful guided journal with 365 days of thought-provoking quotes and prompts to help you reflect on the past, examine the present, and work towards a more resilient future.

Everyone yearns to become more resilient. We all experience setbacks and problems on an individual level, and the state of the world doesn’t provide overarching reassurance. But resilience is much more than the ability to bounce back from a single catastrophe. You need to work at it, to strengthen it as you would a muscle in your body.

The Resilience Journal starts you on this path with an initial self-assessment using fifteen statements such as “I cope well with change.” Then, through completing the wide range of daily interactive prompts and exercises, you will discover ways to not only cope with difficulties but grow stronger from them. At the end of the journal there’s another self-assessment quiz. Fill it out to see how much your self-knowledge, compassion, patience, and resilience has improved.

Sandra E. JohnsonLMSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who has been practicing for over thirty years. She is also an author, freelance editor, and conference speaker. She has taught meditation and other stress reduction techniques to individual patients, social workers, counselors, and therapists. She has written for the Washington Post and The State, South Carolina’s most widely read newspaper, for which she covered topics ranging from education reform to race relations. Johnson is the author of Standing on Holy Ground: A Triumph over Hate Crime in the Deep South; a novel, Flowers for the Living, which was nominated for a PEN/Faulkner Award; and The Mind-Body Peace Journal: 366 Mindful Prompts for Serenity and Clarity.

Delighted Tobehere in Simply Delighted!
Jan 19 @ 7:30 pm
The Magnetic Theatre

This show contains ONE ingredient: Delighted Tobehere. No GMO’s, No Additives, No Gluten. Simply Delighted.

Delighted is thrilled to return to The Magnetic Theatre in Asheville, NC for this one night only event! This 7 foot tall, award winning southern queen will serve up charm, talent, and a heapin’ helpin’ of funny that is sure to satisfy your worst drag craving in her one-woman show SIMPLY DELIGHTED! Along with her celebrated appearance on America’s Got Talent, Delighted has performed to sold out houses from Hawaii to London, Alaska to Key West, Chicago, New York City, and even Budapest, Hungary! Featuring favorites from Disney to Country, and Pop to Broadway, Delighted will present an ADHD all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of live singing enjoyment that you don’t want to miss! Get your tickets TODAY! You’ll be SIMPLY DELIGHTED you did!

*Unofficial Health Notice: Watch Simply Delighted as a part of a well balanced diet and exercise regimen. Burn up to 200 calories from simply laughing!

Thursday, January 19, 2023
7:30pm

Poetry Open Mic
Jan 19 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shakedown Kava Lounge, Hendersonville

Poetry Open Mic Hendo is the all-new sister event of Poetry Open Mic Asheville, the longest-running open mic in Western North Carolina, this weekly event welcomes all people and all forms of creative expression at Hendersonville’s only Kava lounge.

Saturday, January 21, 2023
Land of the Sky 101 Book Club
Jan 21 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

Land of the Sky 101 is a community learning circle for those who are interested in an introduction to the history of Asheville, Buncombe County and Western North Carolina. A nine -part series of readings and discussions is modeled after the themes of the exhibit “An Incomplete History of Buncombe County” mounted in the BCSC reading room. From October 2022 through July 2023 (with a break in December) participants will explore the history of our region focusing on themes ranging from ancient history to the late 20th century revitalization of the Downtown area.

Read
Each month readers can choose from two selections; one light read like a novel, or groups of essays and poems, and one rigorous non-fiction read written by an expert on the subject. Pick one or both! The choice is yours!

Learn
Each session will be facilitated by a Buncombe County Special Collections librarian or special guest who will share their expert knowledge, additional resources, and set the context for the conversation.

Discuss
At least 45 minutes of each session will be set aside for group discussion. The learning circle is a place to get curious about your community and meet new friends. Come for the history, stay for the fellowship!
Click here to view a complete list of dates and titles.

Registration is limited and required. Sessions for the 2022-2023 cohort will be held at 10:30 am on the third Saturday of each month at Pack Memorial Library. Sessions run from October 2022 until July 2023. Your registration will reserve your place for all nine sessions, and we hope participants will plan to attend each meeting.  If you cannot attend a session, please let us know in advance so we may allow those on the waiting list to participate.