The 36th annual celebration of dance, music and culture from around the world runs July 18-28 across Western North Carolina.
Clan Destiny Circus debuts at Diana Wortham Theatre
The musical shares the story of misfit refugees and performers who band together for survival in a war-torn world.
Stories on Asheville’s Front Porch returns for its 10th season
Becky Stone, a professional storyteller in Asheville for 30 years, organizes SAFP for the Asheville Storytelling Circle. “We want to showcase story in all of its forms,” she says.
Smart Bets: Death by Sparkle
The staged reading of Barbie Angell’s play opens The Magnetic Theatre’s New Play Development Program on June 27.
Smart Bets: Asheville Celebrates 50 Years of PRIDE
The dance party fundraiser for local LGBTQ nonprofits takes place June 21 at Eleven on Grove.
Xpand Fest activates the local creative community
This year’s Xpand Fest takes place Saturday, June 8, in the South Slope neighborhood. Nashville-based funk-rock collective Dynamo headlines a lineup of otherwise Asheville-area entertainment.
ABSfest returns to Asheville for its 13th year
“We all know burlesque is sexy, but for me, having a joyful pairing of sexy with comedy and other skills is really important,” Madam Onca says.
Variety show spotlights local artists and benefits Our VOICE
The second iteration is slated for Monday, April 22, at The Mothlight with Chris Rodrigues and Abby the Spoon Lady, Laura Blackley and Tina & Her Pony; Forty Fingers & a Missing Tooth; Hilliary Begley; Tom Peters; Josh McClure of Jus Twerk; Kathleen Hahn of Danceclub Asheville; Kevin Evans and Lauren Napoli of Aerial Space.
Connect Beyond Festival returns for a second year
Nick Lowe, Victor Wooten, Bob Boilen and Fantastic Negrito are among the performers and presenters for the festival’s second edition.
The ninth {Re}HAPPENING explores global sound and cross-genre collaboration
In the spirit of exploration, many of the {Re}HAPPENING’s concerts and exhibitions delve into and build off of the concepts engaged by mid-century Black Mountain College teachers and students.
Smart Bets: Appalachian Storytelling Extravaganza
Michael “Badhair” Williams, Freeman Owle and Ronnie Pepper perform March 28 at Blue Ridge Community College’s Flat Rock campus.
Storyteller Connie Regan-Blake releases an album
The tracks on the CD comes from the recording of a live show Regan-Blake gave at Black Mountain Center for the Arts in 2017. The stories are a mix of traditional folk tales and personal stories, and they’re suitable for all ages.
Smart Bets: OpenDoors Art Affair
The tenth annual art-filled fundraiser is set for March 9 at Ambrose West.
The 12th annual Asheville Mardi Gras Parade is ready to roll
This year’s parade theme is Wild, Wild Asheville. “It can refer to the wild spirit Ashevilleans embrace, the wild nature that surrounds our mountain town, or the wild ingredients found in our beers and food,” says Diane Curry, Asheville Mardis Gras’ executive committee chair.
Smart Bets: Keep Asheville Beard
The inaugural competition and fundraiser for Xpand takes place Feb. 24 at the Hi-Wire Big Top.
Theater review: ‘The Gin Game’ at HART Theatre
The Gin Game resounds with witty humor by poking fun at the matters of aging. It then cleverly challenges our comfort-zone with deep drama, scolding us for making light of such a serious subject.
Smart Bets: Valentine’s Day at Fleetwood’s
The mass fake wedding extravaganza returns for a second year on Feb. 14.
Asheville Fringe Arts Festival expands to a full week
One of the nation’s fringier fringes celebrates its 17th year, Jan. 20-27.
Smart Bets: We Shall Overcome
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. receives a diverse musical tribute on Jan. 22 at Diana Wortham Theatre.
Harlem Globetrotters to make a fun-filled stop in Asheville
Don’t doubt that the Globetrotters are all-American athletes. They defeated the world champion Minnesota Lakers in 1948 and ’49, victories that helped integrate the National Basketball Association.
Outstanding local theater
As this year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on some truly extraordinary theater ranging from splashy musicals, moving dramas and locally written plays.