Alebrijes: Pedro’s Magical Spirit Creatures

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Presented in partnership with the Bluegrass Youth Ballet The Bluegrass Youth Ballet brings back its fantastical production of “Alebrijes: Pedro’s Magical Spirit Creatures.” This one-hour performance is based on the true story of Pedro Linares, a Mexican piñata maker. Bluegrass Youth Ballet performances are educational and incorporate other disciplines such as music, world culture, language arts, social studies or Spanish.

An Evening with Emily St. John Mandel

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Presented by University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities Join us on Oct. 17 for a moderated conversation with Gaines Center Director Michelle Sizemore and award-winning author of "Station Eleven," Emily St. John Mandel. The conversation will focus on the role of humanities in a world navigating climate change, global pandemics and fracturing leadership.

Transylvania Preview Day

Transylvania University

Are you curious, bold and ready to go? Join us for Transylvania's Preview Day! Discover our innovative academic programs, meet our expert faculty and explore our beautiful campus. At Transy, you'll broaden your knowledge, discover your passions and develop the skills employers and grad programs seek. Register today and join us Oct. 19 in Lexington.

‘The Moors’ presented by Transylvania Theater

Lucille C. Little Theater

Directed by Tosha Fowler Oct. 23-27 A delicious dark comedy full of dangerous queer desire. On the wind-blown, desolate moors, two sisters and their mastiff scheme to wrest their destinies from the systems and the savage land around them. A governess is summoned and a moor-hen drops in, forcing all to ask what price they might pay for autonomy and for love. This savage comedy

‘The Moors’ presented by Transylvania Theater

Lucille C. Little Theater

Directed by Tosha Fowler Oct. 23-27 A delicious dark comedy full of dangerous queer desire. On the wind-blown, desolate moors, two sisters and their mastiff scheme to wrest their destinies from the systems and the savage land around them. A governess is summoned and a moor-hen drops in, forcing all to ask what price they might pay for autonomy and for love. This savage comedy

PumpkinMania Festival

Old Morrison Lawn

This year's PumpkinMania Festival presented by UK Federal Credit Union is Oct. 25-27. Events include Joseph Tran's Comedy Magic show Friday, Oct. 25, a SPOOKTACULAR Halloween Concert on Oct. 26, a community jack-o'-lantern carving Oct. 27 and much more! Get tickets to the magic show and pumpkin carving at transy.edu/tickets.

Joseph Tran, Comedy Magic

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Part of the 2024 PumpkinMania Festival As one of the most sought after Los Angeles magicians who travels internationally, a regularly performing member of the Magic Castle, and magic consultant for TV/film, Joseph Tran “makes boring disappear!” Joseph Tran has lived a pretty colorful life: he’s been a stuntman and an actor who has appeared on film, TV and video games speaking multiple languages and

‘The Moors’ presented by Transylvania Theater

Lucille C. Little Theater

Directed by Tosha Fowler Oct. 23-27 A delicious dark comedy full of dangerous queer desire. On the wind-blown, desolate moors, two sisters and their mastiff scheme to wrest their destinies from the systems and the savage land around them. A governess is summoned and a moor-hen drops in, forcing all to ask what price they might pay for autonomy and for love. This savage comedy

SPOOKTACULAR Halloween Concert

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

The strains of spine-tingling music will set the mood for Transylvania’s PumpkinMania Festival presented by UK Federal Credit Union. Transylvania’s choirs, band and orchestra join the Scott County and Great Crossing high school choirs for a free SPOOKTACULAR Halloween Concert. Get more info on the 14th annual PumpkinMania Festival, which also includes a family-friendly jack-o’-lantern carving, magic show, food trucks and more. Tickets for the Oct. 27

‘The Moors’ presented by Transylvania Theater

Lucille C. Little Theater

Directed by Tosha Fowler Oct. 23-27 A delicious dark comedy full of dangerous queer desire. On the wind-blown, desolate moors, two sisters and their mastiff scheme to wrest their destinies from the systems and the savage land around them. A governess is summoned and a moor-hen drops in, forcing all to ask what price they might pay for autonomy and for love. This savage comedy

‘The Moors’ presented by Transylvania Theater

Lucille C. Little Theater

Directed by Tosha Fowler Oct. 23-27 A delicious dark comedy full of dangerous queer desire. On the wind-blown, desolate moors, two sisters and their mastiff scheme to wrest their destinies from the systems and the savage land around them. A governess is summoned and a moor-hen drops in, forcing all to ask what price they might pay for autonomy and for love. This savage comedy

Delcamp Visiting Writer Poetry reading

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Poet Fady Joudah will be next year's Delcamp Visiting Writer and will give a reading open to the campus and Lexington communities. The reading will be followed by book signing.

Halloween Party Open House

Transylvania University

Get to know Transy during the spooky season — plus tomb tours, trick or treating and a costume contest.

American Bar Association President Bill Bay Lecture

W. T. Young Campus Center

American Bar Association President Bill Bay is presenting Transylvania University’s third annual Pre-Law Society Distinguished Lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The public talk is at 4 p.m. in the Campus Center Pioneer Rooms. RSVPs are requested.

David Howley

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Step into an exclusive, up-close concert with David Howley, founding member of Billboard No.1 band We Banjo 3. This indie folk artist from Ireland weaves soulful vocals, enchanting melodies and evocative storytelling into a mesmerizing blend of music and history. With influences ranging from traditional roots to modern poetry, Howley's music creates a timeless, transcendent experience.  Tickets on sale now.

David Williams: The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx

The Cowgill Center for Business, Economics, and Education

From Princeton University Website: “Economic inequality is one of the most daunting challenges of our time, with public debate often turning to questions of whether it is an inevitable outcome of economic systems and what, if anything, can be done about it. But why, exactly, should inequality worry us? The Greatest of All Plagues demonstrates that this underlying question has been a central preoccupation of

Music Tech Concert

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Concerto Aria Competition

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

The music department presents the annual Concerto and Aria Competition. The winner of the competition will perform with the Transylvania Symphony Orchestra at its free, public concert this spring.

Greg Partain, Pianist

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Join Gregory Partain for an evening of inspiring piano music by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt. In his nearly four decades on the concert stage, Partain has performed as recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber music collaborator throughout the United States and internationally. The longtime professor and chair of music at Transylvania University is also a recording artist and specialist in 19th-century Romantic repertoire. He was

Moosnick Lecture

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

David Fishman will give this year's Moosnick Lecture on “The Book Smugglers of the Vilna Ghetto: Jewish Spiritual Resistance During the Holocaust." The next evening, he will discuss “The Jews and the War in Ukraine” at Ohavay Zion Synagogue.

Jazz Ensemble

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Makers Market

W. T. Young Campus Center

Students, faculty and staff are invited to set up a booth during the market to sell their wares at the annual event. Spots are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Contract rquery@transy.edu for more info. Want to set up a booth? We are accepting applications through Nov. 22.

A Gift of Holiday Music

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

The Transylvania University Division of Fine Arts Presents our annual holiday concert "A Gift of Holiday Music." The concert will feature The Chamber Orchestra, The Concert Band, and Combined Choirs performing holiday themed music. This event is free and open to the public.

Central Kentucky Concert Band

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

The Central Kentucky Concert Band is performing at Transylvania University Dec. 8 and March 2 as part of its 2024-25 season.

Winter Festival of Song

Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Presented in partnership with Uniting Voices Lexington. The Transylvania and Lexington communities are invited to celebrate the season on campus at Uniting Voices Lexington’s Winter Festival of Song. Through a geographically and culturally diverse repertoire of songs, as well as a deep emphasis on the historical context of various musical traditions, the structure of Uniting Voices’ programs allow students to discover meaningful connections between their

Choir Concert

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Swan Lake

Mitchell Fine Arts Center

The Grand Kyiv Ballet presents Tchaikovsky's Timeless Tale of Tragic Love and Enchanted Elegance.

Kenan Lecture with Maria Hinojosa

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Join us for this year's 2025 Kenan Lecture with Maria Hinojosa, anchor and executive producer of the Peabody Award-winning show “Latino USA”, distributed by NPR, as well as co-host of “In The Thick,” Futuro Media’s new political podcast. Over the decades, Transylvania’s Kenan series has drawn such notables as Beverly Sills, Kurt Vonnegut, Salman Rushdie, Elie Wiesel and, most recently, former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy

The Magic of Bill Blagg, Live!

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

A 250Lex Event To say that Bill Blagg has led a life filled with grand illusions and breathtaking magic would be an understatement. He received his first professional magic book from his great-grandfather, which eventually led to building magic props with his dad. These early beginnings paved the way for what is now known as The Magic of Bill Blagg.     Today, Bill is one of

The Magic of Bill Blagg, Live!

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

A 250Lex Event To say that Bill Blagg has led a life filled with grand illusions and breathtaking magic would be an understatement. He received his first professional magic book from his great-grandfather, which eventually led to building magic props with his dad. These early beginnings paved the way for what is now known as The Magic of Bill Blagg.     Today, Bill is one of

Central Kentucky Concert Band

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

The Central Kentucky Concert Band is performing at Transylvania University Dec. 8 and March 2 as part of its 2024-25 season.

American Spiritual Ensemble presents Broadway and All That Jazz

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

A 250Lex Event The American Spiritual Ensemble brings the music of Broadway and the West End to Transylvania’s stage. Enjoy selections of Broadway pieces that highlight the African-American experience as well as celebrate human perseverance through faith, as well as jazz music that was composed, arranged or written by African-American artists. ASE is a critically-acclaimed ensemble that is dedicated to performing provocative, dynamic concerts around

Smith Music Series: American Spiritual Concert

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

The American Spiritual Ensemble presents Broadway and All That Jazz as part of the Mitchell Fine Arts performance season and Smith Music Series. Tickets go on sale Nov. 29.

Ross Gay reading and book signing

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Ross Gay is an essayist and poet. He will give an evening talk open to the campus and Lexington communities, followed by book signing.

Jazz Ensemble

Carrick Theater — Mitchell Fine Arts Center

Senior Awards

Haggin Auditorium — Mitchell Fine Arts Center