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Fall is a very busy time for various street festivals, events, art tours, and more in Asheville and our mountain small towns. Most are free to enjoy! The autumn foliage color show adds to the excitement. See our Fall Foliage Forecast for a week-by-week color report. For events throughout the year, see our list of seasonal calendars.
Upcoming Fall Events & Festivals: September & October
Drum Circle
Hear and feel the beat at the weekly drum circle every Friday night in downtown Asheville in Pritchard Park from April-October. And dance the night away!
Concerts on the Creek, Sylva
Enjoy free outside live music in downtown Sylva every Friday from 7-9 PM starting Memorial Day through Labor Day at Bridge Park, two blocks from Main Street with shops, restaurants, and breweries…
Groovin on the Green
Groovin’ on The Green are free concerts held rain for shine. They begin at 6:00 pm and last until 8:30 pm. Bring your own law chairs and blankets to The Village Green Common’s Lawn. This is a kid… More Information
Sapphire Valley Arts and Crafts Show
This Blue Ridge celebration brings together local artisans showcasing pottery, textiles, woodwork, paintings, and fine jewelry alongside live regional music and family-friendly activities. Kids… More Information
Luminere Immersive Nightscapes at Biltmore
Experience Biltmore after dark with illuminated displays across the house and gardens. Arrive before sunset to enjoy picnic dinners and beverages, then watch as projected light and sound transform… More Information
Art on the Greene, Banner Elk
Art on the Greene transforms Banner Elk's historic school grounds into an outdoor gallery featuring 40-60 regional artists. Browse ceramics, glass, metal, and wood work, watercolor, acrylics, and oil paintings in perfect mountain weather at 3,701 feet! 10 am - 5 pm.
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Earl Scruggs Music Festival at Tryon International Equestrian Center
Held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center, enjoy 20+ artists on three stages. The 2026 lineup includes The Avett Brothers, Greensky Bluegrass, The Del McCoury Band, Béla Fleck, and more… More Information
NC Apple Festival
The Street Fair is located in downtown Hendersonville, North Carolina on beautiful Main Street.10 AM-10 PM Friday-Sunday, 10 AM-5 PM on Monday.
Boomtown Arts & Heritage FestAVL, Asheville
Three days of live performances, local artisans, drum circles, wellness sessions, and community storytelling fill Pack Square Park over Labor Day Weekend. Interactive workshops and exhibits… More Information
FAB Fest, Fall Dates
FAB Fridays run from April-October, featuring the best in local Food, Arts, and Brews (FAB) on Central Street in Downtown Rutherfordton. Come out for live music, a variety of food trucks, beer,… More Information
Grandfather by Night: Twilight Hike, September 4
Join a small group after sunset at the Mile High Swinging Bridge for a unique hike. Explore Grandfather Mountain's forest for salamanders, owls, flying squirrels, and fireflies. For ages 8 and… More Information
NC Hellbender Festival
Named for the Eastern Hellbender salamander, this Labor Day weekend festival fills downtown Spruce Pine with live music, local food, artisan vendors, and hands-on conservation exhibits celebrating… More Information
Art on the Greene, Labor Day Weekend
Escape the heat in Banner Elk and discover 60+ juried artists displaying works in a variety of media, including metal, glass, clay, wood, watercolor, acrylics, and more. Many restaurants, shops,… More Information
Morganton Festival
A big street festival in downtown Morganton that includes fine arts and crafts, festival cuisine, a beer garden, teen and kid zones, four stages of entertainment, and much more. Free admission! 12…
Morganton Festival
This 44th annual small-town festival fills eight blocks of downtown Morganton with hundreds of vendors, three stages of live entertainment, carnival rides, arts and crafts, and a beer and wine…
Brews & Bears at WNC Nature Center
Don't miss this end-of-the-season event. It is the final installment of the 2026, 10th anniversary mini-festival series. Enjoy craft beer, food trucks, live music, and animal programs under the…
Fall Art in the Park, Blowing Rock
Art in the Park in Blowing Rock, NC, hosts dozens of fine art and handcraft vendors at each show. Some of the best local and regional artists and craftspeople showcase their handcrafted jewelry,…
Highlands-Cashiers Film Festival
This annual celebration of storytelling brings together filmmakers, media artists, and audiences from around the world for four days of film, conversation, and creative exchange. Proceeds benefit… More Information
Flock to Rock Birding Day
Led by birding experts, events at Chimney Rock Park includes bird walks, workshops ranging from bird photography to hummingbirds, hawk watches and family nature walks.
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Heritage Weekend at Folk Art Center
This free festival features traditional music, dancing and heritage craft demonstrations. A highlight is the World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition on Saturday.
Art in Autumn Fest
Art in Autumn turns 19 on the 19th! Fun outdoor arts and crafts festival in Weaverville that includes 100 juried artists, food, and live music. Parking is available at the Weaverville Primary…
Mountain Heritage Days
Western Carolina University expands its 51-year Mountain Heritage Day tradition into Mountain Heritage Days—a week-long Appalachian cultural celebration in Sylva, NC. The festival features faculty lectures, heritage demonstrations, Friday night concerts, and Saturday's beloved family activities including live music, clogging, mule rides, traditional crafts, and authentic mountain food from 11am-5pm.
Black Mountain Blues Festival
Plan now for a trip to Black Mountain for the three-day Black Mountain Blues Festival. Billed as a world-class festival with an amazing mountain vibe, past performers on stages set throughout Downtown Black Mountain have included Eric Gales, Robert Randolph, Corey Harris and Sugaray Rayford. Launch party on June 9, 2026, at White Horse Black Mountain.
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Hot Springs Arts Trail
The Hot Springs Arts Trail is scheduled for Saturday September 26. Details to come!
Hilltop Fall Festival
The first Friday and Saturday in October bring the the annual Hilltop Fall Festival in downtown Rutherfordton and Forest City. Activites typically include a Friday night Soapbox Derby for big kids… More Information
Asheville Art in the Park, Fall Dates
October 3, 10, and 17, 2026: From pottery to jewelry, sculpture to two-dimensional art, this art festival brings together a wide array of traditional and contemporary mountain art downtown in Pack…
Mars Hill Lunsford Heritage & Music Festival
For 2026, this event will be held on the Upper Quad on the campus of Mars Hill University. The festival is the second longest-running folk festival in Western North Carolina. It gets its name from… More Information
ColorFest
The artsy village of Dillsboro welcomes 40 demonstrating artists along Front Street with their colorful creations. Browse many nearby galleries too. Free admission. 10 AM-4 PM.
Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival
Held on the Village Green in the middle of Cashiers, see the works of 90+ artists while enjoying live music and great food. The free festival is open 10 am - 5 pm on Friday, Saturday, and… More Information
NC Mountaineer & Apple Butter Festival, Bakersville
Enjoy the sights, smells, and tastes of autumn on the Creekwalk with music, crafts, and homemade apple butter making during peak fall color. Free admission. 92 Crimson Laurel Way. 10 AM-4 PM…
Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
Meet over one hundred artists, makers, and craftspeople who come together in downtown Asheville at Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville. Shop pottery, sculpture, furniture, tapestry, apparel,…
Harvest Festival at Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center
The tiny community of Stecoah (near Robbinsville, in Graham County) consistently offers amazing art, craft, and entertainment. See it for yourself! The third weekend in October each year, the Arts Center hosts the Harvest Festival. It begins with a free Friday evening campfire, followed on Saturday with music, dance, and craft and food vendors, and a headliner bluegrass group in the auditorium.
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Harvest Festival, Stecoah Valley
Experience quintessential traditional mountain life with Appalachian dance, music, food, arts and crafts in the beautiful Nantahala National Forest at Stecoah Valley, near Fontana Lake and…
Lake Lure Autumn Arts Festival
See and buy craft and art by 90+ artists from many different disciplines. Also enjoy live music and entertainment, many food vendors and the beauty of the lake. Free admission. Be sure to follow… More Information
Stecoah Fall Arts & Crafts Drive-About Tour
A Fall self-guided driving tour through studios and workshops across Swain and Graham counties, including Bryson City. Meet local artisans, watch them work, and shop handmade crafts. Printed maps… More Information
Beaverdam Studio Tour
Take a self-guided tour of 17 artists’ studios plus 7 visiting artists in North Asheville’s scenic Beaverdam Valley. Browse art in ceramics, sculpture, book arts, enamels, jewelry, painting, glasswork, textiles, photography, and wood. Saturday 10 am-5 pm. Sunday 10 am to 4 pm.
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Holiday Season Top 50 Events (November & December)
See our favorite events, festivals and art shows during the holiday season in Asheville and western North Carolina mountains, including many small towns and Biltmore Estate.
Christmas at Biltmore
It is not too early to book your tickets to see the elaborate holiday decorations inside and outside the Biltmore House.
Western North Carolina Pottery Festival
Meet 40+ master potters from across the country at this premier juried art event. Watch them in action and buy amazing creations that you will treasure for a lifetime.
Winterfest & Christmas Light Show @ Tryon
Drive through an extravangant, 2-mile Christmas light show, synchronized to music at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. Open every night of the week. Check website for prices.
Toe River Fall Studio Tour
The Fall Studio Tour lets you explore 80+ artist studios and galleries across Mitchell and Yancey Counties. Drive scenic country roads, meet artists in their creative spaces, and discover diverse…
Past Events
FAB Fest, Spring Dates
FAB Fridays run from April-October, featuring the best in local Food, Arts, and Brews (FAB) on Central Street in Downtown Rutherfordton. Come out for live music, a variety of food trucks, beer,… More Information
Asheville Community Square Dance
Asheville Community Square Dance welcomes dancers of all experience levels—no partner, no worries—every First Saturday from September through May from 7-9:30 pm. Each dance features taught old-time square dances, waltzes, a cakewalk, lively flatfooting, and a friendly old-time jam. Admission: $10 for adults; $5 for kids 12 & under. Location: Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Road, Asheville, NC
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National Gingerbread Competition
The 2026 National Gingerbread House Competition will be held in November 2026. Please check back for details. The Omni Grove Park Inn and Spa will host the National Gingerbread House Competition.…
Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures at Biltmore
This captivating exhibition invites you to delve into one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries in history—the unearthing of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
Explore the rich… More Information
Forest City Hometown Holiday Lights
Check back for 2026 dates and details! See the million lights that create a magical Main Street in our top Christmas Town Forest City with many events throughout, including carriage rides.…
River Arts District Art Market
The River Arts District (RAD) Art Market invites you shop artwork made by hundreds of working artists displaced by Hurricane Helene. Includes food trucks and family-friendly activities. Located in the parking lot of Pine Gate Renewables, 130 Roberts Street, Asheville. 10 am-5 pm each Saturday in November, 2025.
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Arts & Crafts Drive-About Tour
Twice a year you are invited to take a free self-guided driving tour of the galleries and working studios of Graham and Swain Counties and buy arts and crafts directly from the artist. Pick up a…
RAD Fest 2025
Celebrate art and resilience throughout the River Arts District. Explore open studios and galleries featuring 500+ working artists, plus 100 displaced creators now back to making and exhibiting their work. Enjoy live music, DJs, art demonstrations, food trucks, and family-friendly activities—all free!
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WNC Pottery Festival, Sylva
This one-day juried event showcase features 40+ master potters, with many demonstrations in a variety of techniques. IT's one of the top arts events in our mountains, attended annually by several… More Information
Asheville Eliada Corn Maze
Corn maze fun can be found just five miles from downtown Asheville! Eliada's Fall Festival & Corn Maze offers corn cannons, custom corn maze, hay rides, food trucks, and pumpkins for sale. All… More Information
