Asheville NC Events and Festivals

Weekly Drumming Circle
Listen and dance to the many drums on Friday nights in a downtown park.
Read more.

Biltmore Estate Events
Many events at Biltmore, including Festival of Flowers and Christmas at Biltmore.
Go to their Web site.

Chimney Rock Park Events
Guided hikes, demonstrations, music and many more.
Go to their Web site.

Diana Wortham Theatre
City’s finest theatre, offering live music, theatre and dance by nationally touring artists as well as professional and avocational regional arts groups.
Go to their Web site.

Asheville Art Museum Events
Many impressive exhibits and programs.
Go to their Web site.

Asheville FringeArts Festival
A performing extravaganza on the fourth weekend of January, with artists of all types of genres and media (theatre, movement, music, puppetry, spectacle, whatever!) presenting original performance to culturally adventurous audiences. Experience late night experimental theatre with the 10 PM Thursday, Friday and Saturday offerings of Rock Saber, a tale of a wannabe metal band's trials and triumphs.
Go to their Web site.

Blue Grass First Class
The entire Crown Plaza Resort will become a haven for blue grass music lovers with plenty of live music and jamming. Second weekend of February.
Go to their Web site.

Arts & Crafts Antique Show and Conference
Arts and Crafts enthusiasts - including new collectors, veterans, curators, craftsperson, authors, builders, architects, designers, editors, and bungalow owners - travel to Grove Park Inn for this show. Admission. Third weekend of February.
Read more about the Arts and Crafts Conference

Greening Up the Mountains
Get ready for a fun-filled day in downtown Sylva at this spring street festival. Greening Up the Mountains is named for the way spring creeps up the mountain sides. Main Street is lined with vendors that include local artisans, live music stages, children’s activities, environmental education groups and food vendors. Fourth Saturday in April.
Go to their Web site.

Asheville Wordfest
Four days of poetic diversity with a variety of poetry performances and events designed to appeal to—and unite—a variety of people. Free events downtown, late April.
Go to their Web site.

Downtown after Five
Celebrating its 20th year of providing free live music and entertainment in downtown Asheville. The celebration, presented by the Asheville Downtown Association, happens every third Friday, May through September, with the goal of encouraging locals and visitors alike to enjoy downtown Asheville while supporting local businesses and entertainers. A new location on North Lexington Avenue (between Hiawassee and the I-240 overpass). Stellar line up of food and beverages from local restaurants and local micro-breweries. Free.
Read more about Downtown After Five.

French Broad River Festival, Hot Springs
This annual grassroots festival has grown steadily from a one night benefit party on the banks of the French Broad to an all weekend festival featuring some of the best music in the area and a number of outdoor events in celebration of this beautiful river and setting. First weekend in May.
Go to their Web site.

Breakaway Jazz Festival, May, Mars Hill
Fun, food, arts and crafts, jazz by local bands Current Invention, Orange Krush, D-Jazz Band.
Go to their Web site.

Biltmore Village May Day Festival, Asheville
First Saturday of May. May Day Festival includes a traditional may pole dance, live music, Victorian-clad & white-dressed May Day greeters, strolling musicians and horse-drawn carriage rides. Everyone is invited to enjoy this free event which is re-creating the popular early 1900s Biltmore Village May Day Festival sanctioned by Mrs. Vanderbilt. Please bring canned food items as a donation to MANNA Food Bank.

LEAF (Lake Eden Arts Festival)
Celebrate Music, Discover Community, and Experience Culture at LEAF in a beautiful lakefront setting near Black Mountain every May & October.
See our LEAF Guide.

French Broad River Festival
Early May in Hot Springs with music, whitewater raft and mountain bike races, food, outdoor gear and prizes, and more.
Go to their Web site

Mountain Sports Festival
This Spring ( late May) tradition features pro and amateur level competitions in paddling, adventure racing, cycling, running, disc golf, climbing, and many other events including entertainment at the Festival Village along the river.
See our Mountain Sports Festival Guide.

Tour de Falls
Take a 12-mile ride on a shuttle bus in Dupont State Forest to four beautiful waterfalls. Mid May weekend.
Go to their Web site.

Garden Jubilee Festival
This downtown Hendersonville event features 100 vendors selling handmade arts and crafts, plants and items to enhance your outdoor living area. Nurseries selling many varieties of annuals, perennials, vegetables, trees, shrubs, and hard to find plants will be located on every block of the festival. There will also be delicious food to satisfy any appetite. Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend.
Go to their Web site.

White Squirrel Festival
Held on Memorial Day weekend in downtown Brevard, it honors Brevard's famous albino squirrels. Enjoy national & international entertainers, squirrel box derby, and plenty of street vendors with arts and food.
Go to their Web site.

Something Special in Beautiful Lake Lure
Enjoy arts, crafts, live music and food on Memorial Day weekend across from the beach in Lake Lure.
Read more about Lake Lure.

Vettes in the Valley
The annual Corvette show is held Memorial Day weekend in Maggie Valley with 400+ corvettes. Events includes vendors, judging and live entertainment. Open to public.
Go to their Web site.

Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week
Students and music lovers of all ages and backgrounds come together in this relaxed and supportive environment at Mars Hill College in June. Improve your skills, learn new tunes, and make friends who share your passion for old time music.
Go to their Web site.

Asheville's Americana Burlesque & Sideshow Festival
Boylesque? Burlesque? Aerialists, fire eaters, jugglers and acrobats? The international Vaudeville Revival is in full bloom and gets a big stage. Mid June.
Read more about the Burlesque & Sideshow Festival.

Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival
Two days and nights in June of nonstop fun, music, carnival rides, crafts, fireworks, and championship quality barbecue and all the trimmings in Tryon. The North Carolina State Barbecue Championship competition lures cook teams from all across the country.
Go to their Web site.

Asheville Gem Fest
Asheville’s premier gem and mineral show with dealers from all over the world at Colburn Earth Science Museum. Mid June.
Go to their Web site.

Toe River Storytelling Festival
Spend the day under a tent on the banks of the Toe River in Spruce Pine, listening to Appalachian stories. Held on a Saturday in mid July.
Go to their Web site

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games
Modeled after the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland, itis considered to be the grandfather of Scottish Games in the United States. Second weekend of July at the base of Grandfather Mountain.
Go to their Web site.

Bele Chere
The biggest street festival in the Southeast takes over downtown each July.
Go to our Bele Chere Guide.

Asheville Antiques Fair
More than 50 invited dealers from across the US at the Civic Center on the first weekend of August.
Go to their Web site.

Asheville Quilt Show
Held the first weekend of August at the NC Arboretum.
Go to their Web site.

Goombay
Join in the fun with this African-Caribbean style festival in August downtown.
Go to their Web site.

Drumming Circle
Listen and dance to the drumming circle which gathers in Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville from Spring through Fall on Friday evenings.
See our photos of the Drumming Circle.

Brevard Music Center Festival
80 summer music concerts, June-August.
See our Brevard Music Center Guide.

Folkmoot International Festival
A two week festival each July
See our Folkmoot Guide

The Urban Trail Block Party
Live music, food, crafts. Pritchard Park in Downtown Asheville on four Saturdays during the summer. The dates for 2009 are June 13th, July 4th, August 8th, and September 5th from 4pm until 9pm.

Valley Auto and Truck Classic
Late August in Maggie Valley includes auction, vendors, judging. Open to public.
Go to their Web site.

Heritage Weekend at the Folk Art Center
Celebrates heritage crafts of the Appalachian Mountains in mid September with craftspeople showing craft techniques, music, storytelling, and the Annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition.
Go to their Web site for this and more events at the Folk Center.

Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad
HNGO is an annual family sports festival in September at Lake Lure for amateurs of all ages (5 to 85+) with four days of fun and serious sports events hosted by 200 volunteers.
Go to their Web site.

Carolina Mountains Literary Festival
Regionally and nationally known authors convene in Burnsville in mid September to give readings, lead workshops, answer questions, and sign books. Unlike many festivals and book fairs, this event is not about selling or buying and is geared for those who love to read as much as it is for the aspiring writer.
Go to their Web site.

NC Apple Festival
Downtown Hendersonville on the Labor Day Weekend. More than 150 vendors line eight blocks of the main event area. There is continuous entertainment from 10am to 10pm Friday through Sunday. The King Apple Parade, always held on Labor Day, culminates the Main Street activities.
See our NC Apple Festival Guide.

Flat Rock Music Festival
Two stages of music plus workshops. This is a LIVE music festival in late September! If you play a lot, or just a little, bring any and all of the instruments you have! There are tons of musicians from everywhere who jam together, and make sweet, sweet music.
Go to their Web site.

Western North Carolina State Fair
Enjoy a large midway, plenty of entertainment, exhibits, food and more at one of biggest fairs in the southeast! Mid September.
Go to their Web site.

Taste of Asheville
September last weekend: Four days of delicious events taking place in the Asheville area's independent restaurants.
Go to their Web site.

Brewgrass Festival
40 American breweries to showcase more than 100 different beers with a great lineup of national and regional bluegrass musicians. September.
Read more about Brew Pubs & Brewgrass in Asheville

Smoky Mountain Folk Festival
Enjoy two nights of the finest traditional music and dance of the Southern Appalachian Region. Held annually on Labor Day weekend near Asheville at Lake Junaluska.
Go to their Web site.

Woolly Worm Festival
Race a woolly warm to see which warm will predict this winter's weather at this fun street festival in Banner Elk.
Read more about the Woolly Worm Festival.

Asheville Film Festival
See some of the 100 films, enjoy parties, see interesting exhibits, and attend seminars in downtown Asheville in early November.
Read more about the Asheville Film Festival.

Dickens Festival
Historic Biltmore Village transforms itself into a quaint Victorian village on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of December. Enjoy three days of concerts, refreshments, horsedrawn carriage rides, and strolling vocalists and instrumentalists in costumes of the period.
Read more about Biltmore Village.

Gingerbread House Competition
See the 200+ entries and winners for the annual National Gingerbread House Competition at Grove Park Inn during November and December. (Free Admission)
See our Grove Park Inn Gingerbread House Display Guide.

Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau Events Calendar
See a very complete list of all area events.
Go to their Web site.

Asheville Events Calendar for NC Mountains