This weekend on a shoestring

Thursday, Dec. 1

• “Award-winning songwriter and performer Paul Edelman — The Jangling Sparrow —
fronts his red hot rock trio, Pick Your Switch,” begins the band’s bio, “already acclaimed by fans and peers throughout the region for their raw and explosive live shows.” Catch the band at The LAB (39 N. Lexington Ave.) with Nikki Talley and Grass Monkey. 10 p.m. $5.

Friday, Dec. 2

• It’s official: the Christmas season is in full swing, and that means a dizzying number of holiday-themed events. From the Henderson County Travel and Tourism site, “Bring the whole family to charming downtown Hendersonville and experience the atmosphere of an Olde Fashioned Christmas with carolers, entertainment, merchants’ open houses and refreshments.” Free trolly and carriage rides available. 5-9 p.m. Info: 233-3216.

• “Working Girls Studio and Gallery is the collaboration between artists Eli Corbin and Lynne Harty,” reads the gallery’s website. “Two studio/gallery spaces allow them to work from separate rooms but show their work together. Eli’s paintings and Lynne’s manipulated photographs are on display for visitors to view, and the studios are used as a place to create, teach, work and play.” Browse the works and meet the artists as Working Girls hosts an opening celebration and open house at 30 Battery Park Ave. from 5-8:30 p.m. Free. 

• Join George and Elizabeth Ellison, editor and illustrator, respectively, of High Vistas: An Anthology of Nature Writing from Western North Carolina and the Great Smokey Mountains, for a reading and book signing at The Captian’s Bookshelf, 31 Page Ave. “This anthology is the first of its kind devoted to nature writings on Western North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains,” according to a synopsis from the publisher. “Every selection features a biographical essay introducing each author — including celebrated naturalists like John Muir and William Bartram — and reveals how they explored and depicted the wonders they encountered, from rare wildflowers and medicinal plants to giant rattlesnakes and timber wolves.” 6-8 p.m. Free. Info: 253-6631.

• Take in some free theater as UNCA presents Perspectives, a festival of six short plays directed and performed by students. From the university’s website, “Works by Jean Paul Sarte and Jean Genet will be presented together. Senior Bobby Abrahamson will direct Genet’s dark drama of violent fantasy, The Maids, and Sartre’s existentialist classic, No Exit, will be directed by senior Garrett Funk. To lighten the mood, the production will finish with John Cariani’s romantic comedy, Almost Maine. Described by the New York Times as ‘love in the time of frostbite’ when it opened off-Broadway in 2005, Almost Maine will be directed by junior Cory Cheeks.” A number of other works will be staged as well. Performances run through Mon., Dec. 5. See website for a complete schedule.

Saturday, Dec. 3

• Bring a dream or dream fragment to the Jewish Community Center, 236 Charlotte St., and delve into the subconscious as Jungian dream analyst Heather Cohen, MFT, presents an introductory dream interpretation workshop. 12:30-1:30 p.m. Info: heathercohen16@hotmail.com.

• Enjoy games, songs, art and performances at a carnival in Pritchard Park as Occupy Asheville presents Occupy the Future, “a day of families standing up together.” Carnival begins at noon and will be followed by a general assembly of Occupy Asheville, a parade to the Vance Monument at 4 p.m. and a picket at 5 p.m.

• Kick off the holiday season with selections from The Nutcracker, performed by The Asheville Buncombe Youth Orchestra, with dancers from the Asheville Ballet. Held at the Lelia Patterson Center, 1111 Howard Gap Road, Fletcher. $5/under 12 free.

• From the band’s bio, “The Southern Lights are a four-piece Southern rock/Americana band based in Asheville, N.C. Born from the mountains of Boone in 1998 and settling in Asheville in the summer of 2000, they hand-built a recording studio where they began work on their first full-length album. From the Seed was released the very next year, and The Southern Lights began touring the Eastern U.S. that summer. Over the next seven years, the band included a number of other musicians, including saxophone and keyboard players, and experimented as a trio for several shows, but regrouped into its original formation in 2009 to begin work on new songs and to play stages locally and regionally again.” See the band at Emerald Lounge (112 N. Lexington Ave.) 10 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 4

• “Jinglefest is back!” exclaims the Asheville Downtown Association‘s website. “On Dec. 4, we’ll start off at 2 p.m. at Roger McGuire Green Terrace in Pack Square Park with traditional Christmas caroling, dance performances, lots of holiday games and contests for kids, parents and even grandparents. Since Downtown JingleFest is sponsored by Fun Depot this year, you know it will be FUN! And of course, in keeping with tradition, we expect to see Santa stop by to meet with the kids. There will be elves and reindeer and hot cider and cocoa and snacks and snowmen and snowballs and just some good old-fashioned holiday spirit in the air. At dark, just pop into Pack’s Tavern‘s Century Room (second floor) for some JingleFest special bites and hot toddies and maybe some more games … Did someone say ‘Pin the tail on the reindeer?’


“In keeping with the season of giving, we ask those inclined to bring a blanket, gloves, scarf, etc. for ABCCM and/or cans of non-perishable food for MANNA FoodBank.