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The Asheville art scene is booming. Each year, more artist studio tours, events and art shows appear. Here are our favorite annual Asheville art events. Plan your next trip around one of these! AmericanStyle Magazine names Asheville as the Number Two Small City for Arts in USA
Asheville Art Events Guide for 2010
For art any day of the year (along with special openings and shows), see our Asheville Gallery Guide or get the Craft Heritage Trails Book. Or visit the Folk Art Center.
February 18-21, 2010: Arts & Crafts Antique Show and Conference
For the past nineteen years Arts and Crafts enthusiasts - including new collectors, veterans, curators, craftsperson, authors, builders, architects, designers, editors, and bungalow owners - have traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains and The Grove Park Inn for this show. Admission.
Read more about the Arts and Crafts Conference
April 2, 2010: Center City Art Walk
Galleries stay open Friday evenings four times a year to showcase new shows and artists. Walk to 30 galleries downtown. Free.
Go to the Downtown Asheville Galleries Web site.
April 14-18, 2010: Asheville HATCHfest
Don't miss the inaugural creative artist festival. Read more about Asheville HATCHfest.
April 24, 2010: Fire on the Mountain Blacksmith Festival
Held in Downtown Spruce Pine from 10am-4pm featuring vendors, live demonstrations, hands-on tent with rotating teachers and visiting blacksmiths from around the region and country.
April 24-25, 2010: Weaverville Art Safari
Weaverville, 10 miles north of Asheville, is the home and workplace of many of the area artists. The core activities of the Weaverville Art Safari are self-guided driving tours of the various artists' studios, tucked away in the countryside communities of Weaverville, Barnardsville, and Alexander. Free.
Go to the Art Safari Web site.
May 1-2, 2010: E.A.S.T. (East of Asheville Studio Tour) Spring Tour
Artists of the Black Mountain, Swannanoa, and East Asheville area, present the East of Asheville Studio Tour. The studio tour takes place twice a year - Spring and Fall. Everyone is welcome to visit any or all of the studios during the tour, whether they are serious art patrons or just browsers of beautiful and interesting works. Saturday & Sunday, 10am - 6pm.
Go to the EAST Web site.
May 6-9, 2010: Lake Eden Arts Festival
Celebrate Music, Discover Community, and Experience Culture at LEAF in a beautiful lakefront setting near Black Mountain (about 12 miles from downtown Asheville). 5 Stages of Folk & World, Bluegrass, Blues, African, Celtic, and jams with headline performers. Handcrafts, folk art, dancing, Poetry SLAM, healing arts workshops, water recreation, and camping. Admission.
See our LEAF Guide.
May 22, 2010: Montford Arts and Music Festival
This street festival, including musical acts, food, and a juried art show, highlight the artistic strength of one of Asheville’s oldest neighborhoods. Celebrating its sixth anniversary, this festival is free to the public, and sponsored by the Montford Neighborhood Association. 11 AM-7 PM. Free.
Go to their Web site.
May 29, 2010: Burnsville Spring Arts Festival
Food, live music and handmade crafts from 10 am to 4 pm on the Burnsville Town Square. Free.
June 4, 2010: Center City Art Walk
Galleries stay open Friday evenings four times a year to showcase new shows and artists. Walk to 30 galleries downtown Asheville. Free.
Go to the Downtown Asheville Galleries Web site.
June 5, 2010: Clay Day at Folk Art Center
This free event (10AM-4PM) features craft demonstrations and hands-on activities for children and adults. Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild demonstrate throwing on the potter's wheel, hand building and surface design on clay, among other techniques.A highlight of the day is the Make and Take Raku Firing. Buy a $10 pot, glaze it and watch as expert potters raku fire it for you. Raku is a ceramic firing process which uses fire and smoke to create unique patterns and designs.
Read more about the Folk Art Center.
June 11-13, 2010: Toe River Studio Tour
About an hour north of Asheville, tucked in the lush green mountains is one of the finest collections of artists and craftsmen in the world and the acclaimed Penland School of Crafts. A unique blend of contemporary and traditional cultures. More than 100 fine artists and crafts people in every medium open their studios for a free, self-guided cultural adventure. Free.
Read more about Toe River Studio Tour.
June 12-13, 2010: River District Artists Studio Stroll
The Studio Stroll is your chance to tour the studios, meet with the artists and purchase artwork. Within just a few blocks are dozens of eclectic mix of creative artists - from traditional to cutting-edge. Near downtown Asheville. Free.
Read more about the River Arts District.
June 12, 2010: Bluff Mountain Festival in Hot Springs, NC
This free, family-friendly festival features great old-time and bluegrass music, ballads, clogging and square dance, and a silent auction and raffle of regional art work, local crafts, vacation packages, and more. The festival produced by Madison County Arts Council, begins at 10am, offers an array of delicious foods and ends with a square dance until dark.
Go to Madison County Arts Web site.
June 19, 2010: Dillsboro Arts & Music Festival
Traditional & contemporary mountain crafts, fine art, live music, dance and storytelling. Front Street is lined with tents featuring all kinds of art and fine crafts including basketry, pottery, weaving, quilting, woodworking, jewelry, stained glass, painting, photography and more. Free.
Go to the Dillsboro Web site.
July 15-18, 2010: Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
The Craft Fair, held in the Civic Center in downtown Asheville, has been an eagerly anticipated event in the mountains since 1948. The fair showcases work by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, with over 900 members throughout the mountain regions of nine states. Members' work must be juried and accepted by a committee of peers, based on quality, design and craftsmanship. Admission.
See our Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Guide.
July 23-25, 2010: Bele Chere
Many artists display at the largest free outdoor street festival in the Southeast.
See our Bele Chere Guide.
August 7-8, 2010: Village Art & Craft Fair
Held on the grounds of the Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village near the entrance to the Biltmore Estate, the fair hosts 125 artists from 20 states representing the full spectrum of craft media - jewelry, ceramic, wood, fiber, metals, two-dimensional art and more. Free.
Go to the Village Art & Craft Fair Web site.
August 6, 2010: Center City Art Walk
Galleries stay open Friday evenings four times a year to showcase new shows and artists. Walk to 30 galleries downtown. Free.
Go to the Downtown Asheville Galleries Web site.
August 14-15, 2010: Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair, Downtown Burnsville
The streets of this "Norman Rockwell" town come to life for this special festival, named one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events for the summer of 2009. Quality crafters will display hand-made furniture, wrought iron, blown glass, beaded jewelry, locally-made quilts, home-made jams and jellies, and a wonderful collection of food vendors. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Free.
Go to the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce Web site
August 7, 2010: Wood Day
Wood Day is an event that brings together the woodworkers of the Southern Highland Craft Guild to demonstrate a wide range of woodworking techniques and skills. This event takes place at the Folk Art Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
August 21-22, 2010: Leicester Studio Tour
Take a self-guided tour to the studios of 22 artists in Leicester, a community nestled in the mountains near Asheville.
Go to the Leicester Studio Tour Web site.
August 27-29, 2010: Goombay! Festival
Goombay! brings a variety of entertainment, from Steel Drums, African-America Dancers, local Gospel Groups, and Contemporary Rhythm Bands, the activities are geared for families. The Festival-goer can enjoy an authentic Caribbean Meal at "Island of Delight" Caf and see vendors line the streets with everything from ice cream to Third World Crafts. Free
Read more about Goombay.
September 5, 2010: Lexington Ave. Arts and Fun Festival.
This fantastically fabulous, freaky jam-packed day will showcase the many diverse talents that Asheville has to offer. Three blocks of downtown will be lined with all local art, food, beer and street performers. Three stages and two courtyards of music and performance. 11am – 10pm on N. Lexington Ave between College Street and the I-240 overpass in downtown Asheville. Free. Read more details about LAAFF.
Go to the LAAFF Web site.
September 10-11, 2010: Carolina Mountains Literary Festival
Readers and writers alike will love this literary festival. The weekend in Burnsville will provide intimate settings for novice writers and fans to listen to panel discussions, converse with authors, participate in workshops, and have books signed. Admission.
Go to the Literary Festival Web site.
September 18-19, 2010: Heritage Weekend
This is the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s weekend to celebrate heritage crafts of the Appalachian Mountains. Guild members and other traditional craftspeople show craft techniques with hand tools, native materials, and lots of ingenuity through demonstrations in the native arts. In addition to crafts, several other traditional aspects of Appalachian life will be featured, such as traditional music and storytelling. Don’t miss the 26th Annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition on Saturday, 2:00-3:00pm. This popular autumn tradition brings mountain toys, live music and wacky fun to the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Folk Art Center. Free.
September 18, 2010: Art in Autumn
Downtown Weaverville street festival with more than 100 juried artists and craftspeople, along with an exciting array of food and live music. 10am-5pm on Main Street. Six miles north of Asheville. Free.
Go to their Web site.
October 1, 2009: Center City Art Walk
Galleries stay open Friday evenings four times a year to showcase new shows and artists. Walk to 30 galleries downtown. Free.
Go to the Downtown Asheville Galleries Web site.
October 9-10, 2010: East of Asheville Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.)
Self-guided tour of artist studios in the Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Fairview and East Asheville area. Many will have demos and art raffles!
Go to their Web site.
October 21-24, 2010: Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
The Craft Fair, held in the Civic Center in downtown Asheville, has been an eagerly anticipated event in the mountains since 1948. The fair showcases work by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, with over 900 members throughout the mountain regions of nine states. Members' work must be juried and accepted by a committee of peers, based on quality, design and craftsmanship. Admission.
Go to the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Guide.
October 14-17, 2010: Lake Eden Arts Festival
Celebrate Music, Discover Community, and Experience Culture at LEAF in a beautiful lakefront setting near Black Mountain (about 12 miles from downtown Asheville). 5 Stages of Folk & World, Bluegrass, Blues, African, Celtic, and jams with headline performers. Handcrafts, folk art, dancing, Poetry SLAM, healing arts workshops, water recreation, and camping. Admission.
See our LEAF Guide.
November 6, 2010: Western North Carolina Pottery Festival
A juried event in Dillsboro with approximately 35 potters from across the Southeast, including members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Includes demostrations and Raku firings, as well as featured national potter John Fulwood of New Jersey. Annual highlight is the midday opening of the coffin wood kiln at Tree House Pottery.
See our Pottery Festival Guide.
November 6-7, 2010: Weaverville Art Safari
Weaverville, 10 miles north of Asheville, is the home and workplace of many of the area artists. The core activities of the Weaverville Art Safari are self-guided driving tours of the various artists' studios, tucked away in the countryside communities of Weaverville, Barnardsville, and Alexander. Free.
Read more about the Weaverville Art Safari.
November 13-14, 2010: River District Artists Studio Stroll
The Studio Stroll is your chance to tour the studios, meet with the artists and purchase artwork. Within just a few blocks are dozens of eclectic mix of creative artists - from traditional to cutting-edge. Near downtown Asheville. Free.
Read more about the River Arts District.
December 3-5, 2010: Toe River Studio Tour
About an hour north of Asheville, tucked in the lush green mountains is one of the finest collections of artists and craftsmen in the world and the acclaimed Penland School of Crafts. A unique blend of contemporary and traditional cultures. More than 100 fine artists and crafts people in every medium open their studios for a free, self-guided cultural adventure. Free.
Read more about Toe River Studio Tour.
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