The 11-day, biennial celebration of music and the arts kicks off April 30 with a special-release beer and party at Appalachian Mountain Brewery in Mills River.
Smart Bets: Hobbit Affair
The Middle Earth fantasy immersion happens Saturday, April 26, at Sweeten Creek Brewing.
Smart Bets: Let It Be Art!
The April 25 performance from Ronald Rand brings famed drama critic, theater director and author Harold Clurman to life on the Black Mountain Center for the Arts stage.
Smart Bets: William Matthews Poetry Prize reading
The April 23 event at Malaprop’s celebrates Asheville Poetry Review’s 30th anniversary.
Smart Bets: Wild Life
The local poet’s latest collection was published March 17.
Smart Bets: Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast
The local roots rockers kick off this year’s Downtown After 5 on Friday, April 18 in Pack Square Park.
Smart Bets: Music Is Life — Band Day
N.C. Central University’s Marching Sound Machine visits the Asheville High School football field on Thursday, April 17.
Smart Bets: Breast Cancer Journeys — Women’s Stories
The exhibit will be displayed at the First Congregational United Church of Christ’s Gallery through April 30.
Moving beyond surf and garage, Seattle’s La Luz shines brightly
Released in May 2024, La Luz’s latest full-length album, News of the Universe, continues the group’s creative progression, building on what they’ve done before but always moving outward in multiple directions.
Art brings healing to Asheville creatives and community
Works from local artists in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene offer outlets for personal and collective processing of the disaster.
Smart Bets: Death Comes to Play
The Sublime Theater’s latest play opens April 17 at the BeBe Theatre.
Sustaining community: The RAD finds new ways to support its artists
“The light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter, and I have no doubt that the RAD will emerge more resilient and vibrant than ever,” says Jeffrey Burroughs, president of the River Arts District Association (RADA).
Smart Bets: Hub Scrub
The April 13 fundraiser features music by the Travis Book Band.
New novel reenvisions a fabled Black kingdom in Henderson County
Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s latest historical novel, Happy Land, offers a bold interpretation of the real-life Kingdom of the Happy Land.
Smart Bets: Josh Phillips
All proceeds from sales of the local artist’s new EP will go directly to BeLoved Asheville.
Smart Bets: Kathi Littlejohn
The Cherokee storyteller kicks off the 2025 Pigeon Community Conversations with Storytellers Series on April 10.
Smart Bets: Roots So Deep
Hickory Nut Gap Farms and UNCA co-host this film screening and discussion on April 9.
Bathroom break: Exploring Asheville’s dive bar restrooms with Braulio Pescador-Martinez
The Asheville DJ and Xpress writer searches for art and inspiration in some unlikely locales.
Golden Agers: Law and music — and one man’s passions for both
For Alan Graf, both law and music are more than passions — they’re tools for activism, ways to spark change in the world around him.
Local author pens memoir about his life as a Hare Krishna
“One of the major misconceptions about Hare Krishna is that it’s a cult and it’s totally controlled by certain gurus,” says local author Rishi Waterman. “That’s not the fact.”
Smart Bets: Connect Beyond Festival
The annual event moves to Third Room, April 5-6.
