Pride Ride, Piedmont Park, Atlanta, 8 am.

20 mile or 40 mile bicycle course options 20 mile course runs though the eastern neighborhoods. 40 mile route tours those as well as Atlantic Station and Oakland City. Helmets are required for all riders and all skill levels are welcome. 40 Mile Ride - $25 20 Mile Ride - $25 On-site registration - $30 A t-shirt is included in your registration. For more information, or to register, please visit atlantapride.org.

Bus Stop, Centre Stage Theatre, Greenville, 8 pm.

A freak snowstorm has blocked all roads, stranding a busload of strangers together overnight at a small diner near Kansas City. Their stories emerge to form a vivid tapestry of love and hope. Tickets are $25 and $20 for adults, with discounts available for students and seniors. For tickets and more information, please visit www. centrestage.org or call the box office at 864-233-6733.

Fall Tree Identification Walk, UNC-Asheville, 9 am.

Walking through the changing forest we’ll cover the basics of tree identification, discuss the changes the trees are undergoing and why they are doing so, and just generally enjoy the beauty and cooler temperatures of an Appalachian autumn. For registration, which is $24 and for more information, please contact Mike McCreary at 828-251-6198 or mmccrear@unca.edu.

Sun., November 2

Jazz Concert, Lipinsky Auditorium, UNC Asheville, 4 pm.

The UNCA Jazz Band and Studio 18 Vocal Jazz Ensemble will perform in concert. Tickets, which are $5, will be available at the door. Wed., November 5 In The Round, presented by the Writer’s Block LIVE Concert Series at the Knoxville Museum of Art, 6:30 pm. Featuring CJ Watson, Steve Peavey and Jeff Gilkinson. Tickets are $8 at the door or in advance through www. knoxtix.com or by calling 865-523-7521.

Thurs., November 6

Stop The Hate Train the Trainer, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC.

Event goes through November 8. Since its creation in 2001, Stop The Hate has trained over 1000 students, faculty and campus officials on college campuses across the country with the 250+ page training manual and bias prevention curriculum. Stop The Hate is currently accepting invitations to bring the Stop The Hate program to college campuses around the United States. You can participate by becoming a trainer! For more information, visit our website at www. stophate.org or contact the National Program Coordinator Greg Miraglia at 707-253-3035 or by email at greg@stophate.org.

6th Annual Asheville Film Festival, Asheville area.

This annual four-day festival celebrates Western North Carolina as a strong film location and as the film festival destination for filmmakers and tourists alike. The festival features a variety of independent films; including feature length, documentaries, shorts, and animation, as well as a student film competition, industry panel discussions, location tours and opening and awards night galas. For more information, please visit www.ashevillefilmfestival. com. Fri. November 7 1st Annual Bluegrass Festival.

The Peace Center, Greenville.

Featuring performances by Cherryholmes, Punch Brothers with Chris Thile, and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. The festival will also feature a full schedule of free concerts throughout the weekend, as well as barbecue, pickin’ parlors and other family-friendly events. The free concerts will include the area’s best bluegrass bands and musicians, including 5th String Band, Al Osteen Band, Blue Highway, Curtis Blackwell & the Dixie Bluegrass Band, Lonesome Road Band, and Steep Canyon Rangers. For tickets, call The Peace Center’s Box Office at 864-467-3000 or 1-800-888- 7768 or order online: www.peacecenter.org.

GIRLS ROCK, Carolina Theatre of Durham/Fletcher Hall, Durham, 5:45 pm.

Girls Rock! is a documentary about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls based in Seattle. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls is a place where 8-18 year-old girls come from all over the country to learn rock DIY-style--forming bands, writing songs and building a community. Tickets are $10 and are available online through www.carolinatheatre.org/tickets. Sat., November 8 BIG-BAND CONCERT, Hendersonville High School, 8 pm. The Hendersonville Swing Band will perform bigband favorites from the 1930s and ‘40s in concert. For tickets, which are $10, call 828-696-8031.

Tues., November 11

Town Hall Forum on Immigration, St. Eugene’s Catholic Church, Asheville. 7pm.

No speakers and no panel of experts. It’s just a forum of you and your neighbors sharing your opinions, experiences and questions. Sponsored by the Asheville Buncombe Community Relations Council, in an effort to eliminate discrimination and promote positive community relations. Sat., November 15 2008 Equality Conference & Gala, Duke University, Durham. Let’s all elect to be gay-la! Join us for our gala at the fantastic Nasher Museum of Art as we proudly present our legislative leadership award to Representative Paul Luebke for his longtime support of North Carolina’s LGBT community. Our dinner will be prepared by the amazing chefs of Parizade and we’ll be absolutely fabulous! To register, please visit http:// equalitync.org/conference/registration.

Sun., November 16

Whose World Is It Anyway? - Stories of Sustainability, Asheville Playback Theatre, YWCA, 185 S French Broad Ave., Asheville, 3 pm.

Asheville Playback Theatre will continue their stimulating Community Concerns series of performances. The theme will be “Whose World Is It Anyway? --- Stories of Sustainability”. Audience members will be invited to tell their stories of living on the Earth; then the playback actors will create theatre spontaneously from those stories, with live music. Admission is $10 at the door, $5 for students and seniors, with no one turned away for lack of funds.

Wed., November 19

Bell, Book and Candle, Triad Stage, Greensboro.

Triad Stage continues its 2008-2009 “Season of Spirit” with Bell, Book and Candle, an enchanting romantic comedy by John Van Druten. Love is a magical thing. It’s the 1950s and Gillian Holroyd is living the life of a restless witch in the hip Murray Hill district of New York City. When she casts a spell on her handsome upstairs neighbor, Shep Henderson, to keep him from marrying her old college rival, it works a little too well. Now Shep’s absolutely mad for Gill and Gill finds she’s starting to feel the same about him. Will she give into the one thing that will take away her magical powers forever – falling in love? Tickets available at ww.triadstage.org.

Fri., November 21

April Verch, The Great Aunt Stella Center, Charlotte.

The Charlotte Folk Society is very pleased to present Canadian fiddle and stepdancing champion April Verch in her premier Charlotte concert. Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for ages 15 and younger. Tickets purchased at the door will cost $17 for adults and $12 for those 15 and younger. For tickets and more information, please visit www.folksociety.org. Evening of Reflection for Gay and Lesbian Christians. St. Eugene Catholic Church, Asheville, 6:30-9:00 pm. For more information please contact Guy Morris at (828) 230-1607 or guybo12@charter.net.

Sun., November 23

Always Our Children, for parents and family members of gay and lesbian Catholics.

St. Joan of Arc Church, 768 Asbury Road, Candler, NC 28715. For more information please contact Fr. Morris Boyd (828) 252-6042, ext. 14.