Friday, Jan. 6

POET’S LECTURE, 9:30 a.m., Fellowship Hall, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa. Poet Rodney Jones will present a lecture on “Poetic Language and Credibility: The Poem That Does Not Seem To Be a Poem” as part of WWC’s Master of Fine Arts Writers Program series.

POET’S LECTURE, 10:45 a.m., Fellowship Hall, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa. Poet Margot Livesey will present the lecture “Mrs. Turpin Reads the Stars,” which focuses on creating fictional characters, as part of WWC’s Master of Fine Arts Writers Program series.

DENNIS MILLER SHOW,  8 p.m., Peace Center, Greenville, S.C. Comedian Dennis Miller, former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, talk show host and political comic, will perform. For tickets, call (800) 888-7768.

READINGS, 8:15 p.m., Fellowship Hall, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa. Robert Boswell, Heather McHugh, Margot Livesey, Ellen Bryant Voight and Peter Turchi will read as part of WWC’s Master of Fine Arts Writers Program series.

Saturday, Jan. 7

TREE RECYCLING DAY,  9 a.m.-2 p.m., Jackson Park, Hendersonville. Henderson County’s annual Christmas Tree Recycling Event will be held. Christmas trees will be chipped into mulch, a fragrantly fresh pile of chips will be available for free gathering. In addition, hot apple cider will be served by volunteers with the Environmental and Conservation Organization. Christmas trees may be dropped off to the parking lot for Field No. 6 at the park, beginning the day after Christmas. However, trees wii be chipped only on Jan. 7. No balled trees, wreaths or greenery with wire will be accepted.

GUN/KNIFE SHOW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Western North Carolina Ag Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd. (off I-26, Exit 40), Fletcher. The two-day Land of the Sky Gun & Knife Show will conclude from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 8. Admission is $7.

BOOK SIGNING, 3 p.m., Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville. Charles Dodd White will sign “Sinners of Sanction County” and “The Lambs of Men.”

Monday, Jan. 9

DEMOCRATS’ MEETING,  6:30-8 p.m., Democratic Headquarters, 951 Old Fairview Rd., Asheville. The Buncombe County Democratic Party will hold a public meeting with party officers.

WEST COAST SWING CLASSES,  7:30 and 8 p.m., The Hangar, Clarion Hotel, Fletcher. Free beginners’ lessons for West Coast Swing will be held at 7:30, followed by intermediate lessons at 8 every Monday. The lessons are free. After the lessons, an open dance will be held.

CONTRA DANCE, 8 p.m.,Grey Eagle. 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville. A contra dance is held weekly. Admission is $6.

Tuesday, Jan. 10

TANGO LESSON/DANCE, 6 p.m., The Boiler Room, Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove St., downtown Asheville. Tango lessons will precede a dance.

SWING LESSON/DANCE, 6:30 p.m., Club Eleven, Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove St., downtown Asheville. A lesson will be followed by a dance, with live music.

COIN CLUB MEETING, 7 p.m., basement conference room, Grove Arcade, downtown Asheville. The Buncombe County Coin Club will meet.

SHAG DANCE, 7-11 p.m., The Hangar, Clarion Inn Airport, 550 Airport Road, Fletcher. The Mountain Shag Club’s weekly dance will feature a DJ. At 6:30 p.m., free lessons will be offered by Paul and Debbie Peterson. Admission is $5.

Wednesday, Jan. 11

3:30 p.m., Harvest House, 205 Kenilwoth Rd., Asheville. The city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department will offer an eight-week session of tai chi chih classes, beginning Jan. 11. Cost is $70 for the eight weeks, with a minimum of five students required. For more information or to register, call 350-2051 or visit This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

TEA TIME SOCIAL, 6 p.m., Apollo Flame, 1025 Brevard Rd., Asheville. The Asheville Tea Party will hold its weekly Tea Time Social. All interested are invited to attend.

Thursday, Jan. 12

BOOK DISCUSSION, 7 p.m., Accent on Books, 854 Merrimon Ave., Asheville. Book Discussion X will discuss “Lady Chatterley’s Lover.”

“GREAT QUOTES” PROGRAM, 7-9 p.m., Smoky Mountain Auditorium, Lake Pointe Landing, Hendersonville. The speaker will be Fred Hoffstadt and his quote (of Ayn Rand) is: “I swear — by my live and my love of it — that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” He will explain the quote, including its background, and will suggest how it could apply to one’s life. A donation will be requested.

CONTRA DANCE, 8 p.m., Bryson Gym, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa. A contra dance is held weekly, preceded by beginner’s lessons at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $6.

Friday, Jan. 13

CONCERT, 8 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The American Players will perform in the Asheville Chamber Music Series.

STEEP CANYON RANGERS CONCERT, 9 p.m., The Orange Peel, downtown Asheville. The Steep Canyon Rangers will perform. For tickets, which are $20 in advance and $22 at the door, visit www.theorangepeel.net.

Saturday, Jan. 14

CHARLEY PRIDE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Charley Pride will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $30, call (800) 745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

B.B. KING CONCERT, 8 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, downtown Asheville. B.B. King will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $39.50, $49.50 and $75, visit the box office, call (800) 745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

BOB SEGER CONCERT, 8 p.m., Bi-Lo Center, Greenville, S.C. Rocker Bob Seger will perform in concert. For tickets, call (800) 745-3000, or visit 222.livenation.com.

Sunday, Jan. 15

STAMP CLUB MEETING,  2 p.m., Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community Center, 1617 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville. The Asheville Stamp Club, featuring stamp-collecting for all ages, will hold its monthly meeting.

PEACE/VIOLENCE PROGRAM, 2-3:30 p.m., YMI Cultural Center, 39 S. Market St., downtown Asheville. John Spitzberg will honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with a presentation on “Peace and Violence: Two Perspectives into Action — MLK Jr. and Johann Galtung.” Tying in his work and belief system to that of MLK Jr., Spitzberg will introduct Galtung, a Norwegian man in his 80s who also is known for his work for peace and nonviolence. A discussion will follow the presentation. Afterward, time for informal conversation will be provided.

Monday, Jan. 16

WEST COAST SWING CLASSES,  7:30 and 8 p.m., The Hangar, Clarion Hotel, Fletcher. Free beginners’ lessons for West Coast Swing will be held at 7:30, followed by intermediate lessons at 8 every Monday. The lessons are free. After the lessons, an open dance will be held.

CONTRA DANCE, 8 p.m.,Grey Eagle. 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville. A contra dance is held weekly. Admission is $6.

Tuesday, Jan. 17

TEA PARTY DINNER/MEETING, The Bay Breeze Restaurant, 1830 Asheville Hwy., Hendersonville, 5:30 p.m., The Henderson County TEA Party will meet for dinner, followed at 6 by a business meeting. The HCTP will welcome its new general coordinator and organization for the future. At 6:30, Kenny West, a Clay County businessman, will give the first of the HCTOP’s 2012 Cooper Union addresses, followed by a question-and-answer session. At 7:30, a town hall meeting on county issues will be led by Bill O’Connor, vice chairman of the Henderson County Board of Commissioners. O’Connor also was among the founders of the HCTP.

TANGO LESSON/DANCE, 6 p.m., The Boiler Room, Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove St., downtown Asheville. Tango lessons will precede a dance.

SWING LESSON/DANCE, 6:30 p.m., Club Eleven, Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove St., downtown Asheville. A lesson will be followed by a dance, with live music.

SHAG DANCE, 7-11 p.m., The Hangar, Clarion Inn Airport, 550 Airport Road, Fletcher. The Mountain Shag Club’s weekly dance will feature a DJ. At 6:30 p.m., free lessons will be offered by Paul and Debbie Peterson. Admission is $5.

FLUTE RECITAL, 7:30 p.m., Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College, East Flat Rock. A flute recital will be held. For tickets, which are $10 for the general public and $3 for students, call 694-1743.

Wednesday, Jan. 18

TEA TIME SOCIAL, 6 p.m., Apollo Flame, 1025 Brevard Rd., Asheville. The Asheville Tea Party will hold its weekly Tea Time Social. All interested are invited to attend.

Thursday, Jan. 19

DEMOCRATIC WOMEN'S DINNER,  6 p.m., Democratic Headquarters, 951 Old Fairview Rd., Asheville. The Buncombe County Democrtic Party Women’s Club Dinner will be held. Dinner is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Attendees are asked to contact JoAnn Morgan vie e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call her at 626-2112.

SPEAKER,  7 p.m., Lipinsky Auditorium, UNC Asheville. Damali Ayo will speak in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week. Ayo, an activist, speaker and artist, will use her humorous stories and award-winning art to provide practical tools for building better communities.  “Her creative, pragmatic and satirical approach makes hard conversations about racial justice more accessible,” UNCA noted in a promotional brochure. Audience members will receive a copy of her “I Can Fix Racism” guide following her talk. Admission is free and open to the public.

ACOUSTIC CONCERT, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, Pack Place, downtown Asheville. Depue Brothers Band will perform. For tickets, which are $30 for the general public, $25 for students and $12 for children, call 257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com.

CONTRA DANCE, 8 p.m., Bryson Gym, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa. A contra dance is held weekly, preceded by beginner’s lessons at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $6.

Saturday, Jan. 21

WINTER BEER FESTIVAL,  3-7 p.m., Asheville Civic Center, downtown Asheville. The fourth annual Winter Warmer Beer Festival will be held. Tickets, which are $39, include a souvenir mug, samples during the event, live music and food provided by a local caterer. Brewing participants from Asheville and the region include French Broad Brewing Co., Highland Brewing Co., Green Man Ales, Pisgah Brewing Co., Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co., Heinzelmannchen Brewery, Appalachian Craft, Wedge, Craggie, Lexington Avenue Brewing and Catawba Brewing Co. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to RiverLink, a local nonprofit working to revitalize the French Broad River as a place to live, work and play.

ACOUSTIC CONCERT,  8 p.m.,Diana Wortham Theatre, Pack Place, downtown Asheville. Susan Werner and David Wilcox will perform. For tickets, which are $30 for the general public, $25 for students and $12 for children, call 257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com.

Monday, Jan. 23

WEST COAST SWING CLASSES,  7:30 and 8 p.m., The Hangar, Clarion Hotel, Fletcher. Free beginners’ lessons for West Coast Swing will be held at 7:30, followed by intermediate lessons at 8 every Monday. The lessons are free. After the lessons, an open dance will be held.

CONTRA DANCE, 8 p.m.,Grey Eagle. 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville. A contra dance is held weekly. Admission is $6.

Tuesday, Jan. 24

TANGO LESSON/DANCE, 6 p.m., The Boiler Room, Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove St., downtown Asheville. Tango lessons will precede a dance.

SWING LESSON/DANCE, 6:30 p.m., Club Eleven, Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove St., downtown Asheville. A lesson will be followed by a dance, with live music.

COIN CLUB MEETING, 7 p.m., basement conference room, Grove Arcade, downtown Asheville. The Buncombe County Coin Club will meet.

SHAG DANCE, 7-11 p.m., The Hangar, Clarion Inn Airport, 550 Airport Road, Fletcher. The Mountain Shag Club’s weekly dance will feature a DJ. At 6:30 p.m., free lessons will be offered by Paul and Debbie Peterson. Admission is $5.

Wednesday, Jan. 25

TEA TIME SOCIAL, 6 p.m., Apollo Flame, 1025 Brevard Rd., Asheville. The Asheville Tea Party will hold its weekly Tea Time Social. All interested are invited to attend.

Thursday, Jan. 26

CONTRA DANCE, 8 p.m., Bryson Gym, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa. A contra dance is held weekly, preceded by beginner’s lessons at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $6.

Saturday, Jan. 28

CANDIDATES’ FORUM,  1 p.m., Skyland Fire Department, 7 Miller Rd., Skyland. The Asheville Tea Party will hold an N.C. 11 Congressional Candidate Bipartisan Forum. The forum will be precededed at noon by a meet-and-greet the candidates reception.

, 2 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. A lecture on “Rebels and Tories in the Mountains” will be presented by Steve Nash of East Tennessee State University. Nash’s talk is part of a three-lecture series on the “Civil War in the Mountains,” co-sponsored by the Western North Carolina Historical Association, N.C. Center for Creative Retirement and the Zubulon Vance Birthplace State Historic Site. As seating will be limited, reservations are recommended by calling 253-9231 or visiting This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The lectures are free to WNCHA membes and $5 for nonmembers.

The Soweto Gospel Choir will perform at 4 p.m. Jan. 29 in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in downtown Asheville.

GOSPEL CONCERT,  4 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville Civic Center, Hawood Street, downtown Asheville. The Soweto Gospel Choir will perform. For tickets, which are $15 to $60, visit www.ticketmaster.com, or call 225-5887.

Monday, Jan. 30

WEST COAST SWING CLASSES,  7:30 and 8 p.m., The Hangar, Clarion Hotel, Fletcher. Free beginners’ lessons for West Coast Swing will be held at 7:30, followed by intermediate lessons at 8 every Monday. The lessons are free. After the lessons, an open dance will be held.

CONTRA DANCE, 8 p.m.,Grey Eagle. 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville. A contra dance is held weekly. Admission is $6.

Tuesday, Jan. 31

TANGO LESSON/DANCE, 6 p.m., The Boiler Room, Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove St., downtown Asheville. Tango lessons will precede a dance.

SWING LESSON/DANCE, 6:30 p.m., Club Eleven, Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove St., downtown Asheville. A lesson will be followed by a dance, with live music.

SHAG DANCE, 7-11 p.m., The Hangar, Clarion Inn Airport, 550 Airport Road, Fletcher. The Mountain Shag Club’s weekly dance will feature a DJ. At 6:30 p.m., free lessons will be offered by Paul and Debbie Peterson. Admission is $5.

Wednesday, Feb. 1

TEA TIME SOCIAL, 6 p.m., Apollo Flame, 1025 Brevard Rd., Asheville. The Asheville Tea Party will hold its weekly Tea Time Social. All interested are invited to attend.

Thursday, Feb. 2

CONTRA DANCE, 8 p.m., Bryson Gym, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa. A contra dance is held weekly, preceded by beginner’s lessons at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $6.

Saturday, Feb. 4

DANCE-A-THON, 11:59 a.m.-11:59 p.m., Justice Athletic Center, UNC Asheville. The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center will hold its inaugural Asheville Dance-a-Thon featuring a crew of Asheville’s dancers and instructors, with 16 genres of dance available. The 12-hour, all-ages, all levels event will include two dance floors. Tickets can be purchased to dance all night long for $75 or simply to watch, $15. For tickets and more information, visit www.ashevilledanceathon.com.