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 Biltmore Blooms festival of flowers and Christmas at Biltmore.
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.

North Carolina Arboretum Events
Plant shows, guided tours, garden seminars, arts programs and much more.
See the Arboretum's Calendar of Events.

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 our FringeArts Festival Guide.

Bluegrass First Class Festival
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.
Read more about the Bluegrass Festival

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

HATCHfest
Creative artists from around the world bring their talents to Asheville each April.
See our HATCHfest Guide.

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.
Read more about Greening Up the Mountain

Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage
Weekend event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville Biology Department and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville with many guided field trips, lectures and plant sale.
Read more about the Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage.

ActionFest Film Festival
The world's first film festival devoted exclusively to action cinema, and to the people who make it possible, from filmmakers to stuntmen and fight choreographers.
Read more about ActionFest.

Downtown after Five
Free live music and entertainment in downtown Asheville, every third Friday, May through September, with food and beverages from local restaurants and 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.
Read more about the French Broad River Festival

Carolina Mountain Ribfest, Asheville
WNC Agricultural Center Fairgrounds in July. This Asheville food festival features mouth watering BBQ ribs, chicken, and pulled pork prepared by world class, award winning barbecue rib vendors from around the country.
Read more about Ribfest.

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.

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.
Read more about Tour de Falls.

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.
See our Hendersonville Guide.

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.
Read more about the White Squirrel Festival

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. Early 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.
Read more about the Blue Ridge Barbecue & Music Festival.

Shindig on the Green
Gather on Saturday nights during July and August for bluegrass on stage and in informal jam sessions under the trees in downtown Asheville. A genuine glimpse into the traditions of Appalachia.

Mountain Dance and Folk Festival
Since 1928, mountain fiddlers, banjo pickers, dulcimer sweepers, dancers, balladeers and others join together on the first weekend in August in downtown Asheville.
Read more about the Folk Festival.

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.
See our Grandfather Mountain Highland Games Guide.

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

Sharks in the Mountains Rally
Fans of the Porsche 928 can witness the nation’s largest gathering of this powerful sports car in June atop Beech Mountain.
Read more about the Sharks in the Mountains Rally.

Festival of Native Peoples and Cherokee Indian Art Market
Annual gathering of tribes in Cherokee from throughout the Americas takes its rightful place as the finest showcase of native dance, art, and culture in the southeast. Mid July Weekend.
See our Guide to the Festival of Native Peoples and Cherokee Indian Art Market with photos and video

Dirty Dancing Festival
Join fans of the cult-classic Dirty Dancing will relive memories of Baby's first dance at the inaugural "Dirty Dancing Festival" in the film’s original, breathtaking backdrop of Lake Lure.
Read more about the Dirty Dancing Festival.

Field of Fun Corn Maze
Three trails in 12 acres of corn, haunted maze, live music nights, more. Late September through October.
See our Asheville Corn Maze Guide.

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 Festival Guide.

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.

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.

NOC Guest Appreciation Festival
This big festival on the Nantahala River includes a big end-of-season sale for outdoor lovers and plenty of entertainment.
See our NOC GAF Guide.

North Carolina Mountain State Fair
Enjoy a large midway, plenty of entertainment, exhibits, food and more at one of biggest fairs in the southeast! Mid September.
See our NC Mountain State Fair Guide

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

Moogfest
In addition to fantastic concerts by renowned performers of all kinds, Moogfest offers opportunities to engage with the artists in panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and workshops.
Read more about Moogfest

Land of Oz
Tour the former Land of Oz theme park during the first weekend of October.
Read more about the Land of Oz.

HardLox Jewish Festival
Plenty of Jewish food, dancing, music and crafts in downtown Asheville in mid October.
Read more about the HardLox Jewish Festival

Woolly Worm Festival
Race a woolly worm 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.

Oktoberfest
Sample beer and enjoy the fun in downtown Asheville. Mid October.
Read more about Oktoberfest.

TEDx Asheville
TED (Technology, Entertainment & Design) Conference is a clearinghouse spreading “ideas worth spreading” from the world’s most inspired thinkers.
Read more about TEDx Asheville

Taste of Asheville
30 chefs are featured as this grand food event in downtown Asheville in November.
Read more about Taste of Asheville

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 Events Calendar for NC Mountains