There’s always something going on in Asheville, and the fall season is no exception.
From vibrant craft fairs and lively music festivals to cozy harvest celebrations, there’s no shortage of autumn activities to partake in. Round up your loved ones and start filling up your calendars – our guide to the best festivals & events has got something for everyone.
2024 Fall Festivals and Events in Asheville
Boomtown AVLFest
September 6-7, 2024 | Pack Square Park
This free festival will be a vibrant tribute to Asheville's rich history, arts, and culture, showcasing an eclectic mix of performances, trail tours, and community-driven activities. From the city's storied past as a turn-of-the-century boomtown to its current status as a hub of creativity and innovation, the festival aims to celebrate and preserve the unique heritage that makes Asheville a beloved destination. Attendees can look forward to a dynamic lineup of main stage performances, interactive workshops, heritage exhibits, and trail tours that highlight Asheville's architectural marvels, pioneering figures, and stories of resilience.
Sow & Grow Fest
September 14, 2024 | Hickory Nut Gap Farm
This event features the soulful sounds of Laura Blackley and Ashley Chambliss, a seed and plant share, interactive gardening demonstrations, local vendors, craft beverages for sale, family activities, and a community potluck from 1-2 p.m. The festival, which runs 1-5 p.m., is free, but the $20 potluck ticket supports the Organic Growers School's Grow for Good Fund, which supports farmer training programs, scholarships, mentorships, and a savings incentive program.
September 14, October 12, November 9, 2024 | River Arts District
There are over 300 artists working in the historic warehouses in the mile-long River Arts District, and this monthly studio stroll (held the second Saturday of each month) is an ideal opportunity to access the artists and shop their wares ahead of the holidays. Prime hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From noon to 6 p.m., two trollies offer free transport around the area, which also has plenty of places to eat, drink, and rest along the way.
Downtown After 5
September 20, 2024 | Downtown Asheville
Head to Lexington Avenue downtown and celebrate the finale of Downtown After 5's 36th season. The series closes with Outdoor Rec Fest, in partnership with Riverlink, a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting the environmental and economic vitality of the French Broad River. Nashville singer-songwriter Paul McDonald opens for headliner, indie-folk outfit Oliver Hazard. Attendees can also enjoy local beers, ciders and seltzers on tap, as well as plenty of local food vendors. This free summer monthly series runs every third Friday, April through September, from 5pm to 9pm on North Lexington Avenue near the I240 overpass.
Eliada Fall Festival and Corn Maze
September 20 - October 27, 2024 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only)
Enjoy family fun and make memories all while helping local children! One hundred percent of the $15 per ticket proceeds goes toward helping the children at Eliada Home. In addition to the Maze, take a spin on the giant jumping pillow, fire the corn canons or go for a tractor ride.
Flock to the Rock
September 21, 2024 | Chimney Rock
Grab your binoculars and get ready for Chimney Rock State Park's annual feathered frenzy. This event was designed so birders of all skill sets can enjoy one of the country’s fastest growing hobbies – bird watching – during the fall bird and butterfly migration season. This family-friendly event features live bird demos, guided walks, activities for kids, and an annual hawk watch.
Clawtoberfest
September 21, 2024 | Highland Brewing
Prost, y’all! Clawhammer, Highland Brewing's seasonal Marzen Lager, is back and the brewery is celebrating its return with an Oktoberfest-style party filled with music, food, games, special small-batch release beers and more! The brewery will be hosting Oktoberfest games like a keg roll, stein hoist and stein race, and live music from Lagerhosen and Hustle Souls from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Blue Ride Pride Festival
September 21, 2024 | Downtown Asheville
Y'all means all in Asheville! Blue Ridge Pride Festival comes together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community through inclusion, entertainment, education, art and more. Held in downtown Asheville, the annual event features a Welcome Parade to Pack Square Park at 9:30 a.m., followed by a colorful all-day festival of musical acts, food and dozens of vendors.
Heritage Weekend
September 21 & 22, 2024 | Folk Art Center
Celebrate Southern Appalachian culture at the Folk Art Center on Saturday from 10am-4pm and Sunday, 12pm-4pm. This weekend features old-time music and demonstrations of the crafts of yesteryear. Activities include chairmaking, quilting, heirloom apples, sheep shearing, cornshuck dolls, woodcarving, blacksmithing, weaving, stone carving, soap making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, rifle making, natural dyeing and basketry. Don’t Miss the World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition at 2:00 pm!
ASAP Farm Tour
September 21 & 22, 2024 | Various Locations
ASAP’s annual Farm Tour is a chance to experience how food is grown and raised in Western North Carolina through guided tours, demonstrations, hands-on activities and tastings. The self-driving tour includes around 20 farms spread across four to six counties. It's a great outing for visitors of all ages, abilities, and interests. Passes are $35 in advance and $45 if purchased during the weekend (pending availability). To help you plan your excursion, maps will be available at asapconnections.org and printed guides can be found around the region and at participating farms.
Asheville Quilt Show
September 26-28, 2024 | WNC Agricultural Center
See more than 300 quilts from around the country. This regional craft fair features over 20 vendors, live demonstrations, a gift shop, silent auction, special exhibits, a kids sewing station, quilts available for purchase, food and more. $10 general admission; $5 students; free ages 12 & under
Asheville Greek Festival
September 27 & 28, 2024 | Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Explore the sights, sounds, and flavors of Asheville's Greek community. Learn about Greek heritage and culture through traditional dances and music or take a tour of the church to discover Byzantine iconography. There are also plenty of vendors and lots of Greek food. Participants can even pre-order delicious, homemade Greek cuisine for pick-up at the festival's drive-thru. General admission is $3 for ages 12 and up. Festivities take place Friday and Saturday, 11am-9pm.
Goombay Festival
September 27-29, 2024 | Pack Square Park
The Goombay Festival was created in 1982 to celebrate the richness and diversity of the African diaspora and Asheville’s African American community. The YMI Cultural Center hosts this weekend festival attracting thousands to downtown Asheville each year, and is preceded by the YMI's grand re-opening event. This free, family event connects community, and showcases Black culture, art, food and entertainment.
Oktoberfest Half Marathon & 5K
September 28, 2024 | Hi-Wire Brewing, River Arts District
Grab your lederhosen and lace up your running shoes for the 2nd annual Oktoberfest Half Marathon and 5K. Participants will receive a complimentary beer post-race at Hi-Wire Brewing in the River Arts District. The Oktoberfest Half Marathon & 5k celebrates the season of hops and malts with a beautiful run through the River Arts District (RAD), historic Montford neighborhood, and West Asheville while also enjoying over 8 miles of greenway. Festive costumes encouraged, but not required!
Haunted Trail at Adventure Center of Asheville
Oct. 4 & 5, 11 & 12, 18-20, 24 - 27, 2024 | Adventure Center of Asheville
For some family spooky fun, take the crew to Adventure Center of Asheville where you can walk the haunted trail filled with live actors, Halloween lights, spooky sounds and funny jokes. You can also check out the aerial glow trails at the treetops adventure park or visit the pirates and mermaids at Pirate Cove. This experience is recommended for children ages 3-13 and is a benefit for MANNA FoodBank.
Asheville Art in the Park
October 5, 12, & 19, 2024 | Pack Square, Downtown Asheville
Explore and purchase one-of-a-kind works of art by some of the finest artists in the region. Asheville Art in the Park takes place on three consecutive Saturdays in downtown Asheville. Some of the local artists who exhibit at these events are nationally-known.
Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest
October TBD, 2024 | Oak & Grist, Black Mountain
Experience things all things cheese with demos, workshops and more than 20 food and beverage vendors. This fundraiser benefits the WNC Cheese Trail, a local nonprofit whose mission is to spread the word about Western North Carolina's cheese industry.
Asheville VeganFest
October 6, 2024 | Pack Square Park, Downtown Asheville
Asheville is known as one of the nation's best cities for vegans, with plentiful options at local restaurants and strong culture. This outdoor festival celebrates the vegan lifestyle with food trucks, clothing and artisan booths showcasing the best there is on the vegan market.
Burton Street Community Fair
TBD | West Asheville
The Burton Street Community Association, Hood Huggers International and the City of Asheville will be hosting this long-time African-American agricultural fair in West Asheville's Burton Street community. Celebrate the harvest season with an afternoon full of music, craft vendors, local food and fresh produce!
Black Mountain Home Fall Festival
October 12, 2024 | Black Mountain
Bring your family and friends to the campus of Black Mountain Home for this free fall signature event! The festival, happening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature a silent auction, live music, a car show, horse show, hayrides, games for the kids, and so much more!
Burnpile
October 12, 2024 | Burial Beer Company
Burnpile, Burial Beer Co.'s annual music and beer festival returns this fall. Hosted at Burial's Forestry Camp facility near Biltmore Village, attendees will enjoy sampling beer from more than 60 of the world's best breweries and a music lineup featuring John Moreland, Woods, and a few surprise guests, and more.
3rd Annual Lovely Asheville Annual Fall Festival
October 12 & 13, 2024 | Carrier Park
The third annual Lovely Asheville Fall Festival celebrates the beauty and preservation of nature and humanity with two days of live music, food vendors, art, family-friendly activities, poetry and more.
Hola Asheville
October 13, 2024 | Pack Square Park
Downtown Asheville comes alive with the sights, sounds, music, pageantry, colorful costumes and extraordinary talent of Latin America. Attendees can journey through over 20 represented countries and experience their people, music, art, food and culture.
Thomas Wolfe 8K
October 20, 2024 | Downtown Asheville
Pounding the pavement since 1976, the Thomas Wolfe 8k is Asheville's oldest timed leg race event. The event benefits the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, as well as Read to Succeed Buncombe County/ Asheville. The route winds through downtown to the historic Montford neighborhood and into Riverside Cemetery, past Thomas Wolfe's final resting place, before heading back to the house. The registration fee includes a finisher medal and long-sleeved race T-shirt.
Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
October 17-20, 2024 | Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville
Showcasing the finest artwork of nearly 200 craftspeople from around the region, this four-day festival offers a unique opportunity to watch artists practice their craft in live demonstrations. Live music also helps set the stage for this event, which features work across every medium, including clay, glass, fiber, paper, wood, jewelry, leather and metal.
LEAF Global Arts Festival
October 17-20, 2024 | Lake Eden, Black Mountain
This family-friendly festival is all about connecting cultures and building community. Several stages showcase dozens of musical acts from nearby and from around the globe. Past festivals have seen noteworthy headliners like Zap Mama, Mavis Staples, and Mickey Hart, though the diversity of genres is vast, from Afrobeat to Saharan Blues, to Columbian hip-hop. Arts & crafts, healing arts, ample food vendors, a fantastic poetry slam, and outdoor activities round out this popular local festival.
Beaverdam Studio Tour
October 26 & 27, 2024 | Beaverdam Valley, North Asheville
This self-drive studio tour features some two dozen artists living in the North Asheville Beaverdam Valley. Media includes ceramics, painting, jewelry, sculpture, textiles, paper art, photography, and more. Maps are available at beaverdamstudiotour.com.
Black Mountain Old Depot Art by the Tracks
October 26, 2024 | Black Mountain, NC
This fine art and craft show features works by over 50 regional artists as well as live music. The event raises funds for The Old Depot Association, which works to preserve the historic 1909 Southern Railway Depot that's situated right in Black Mountain's quaint downtown, full of shops and eateries.
Wicked Spooky 5K
October 26, 2024 | Wicked Weed's Funkatorium
Get into the Halloween spirit with this race that starts and finishes at Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium on the South Slope of downtown Asheville. The race starts at 9AM behind the building on Federal Alley. Show off your most creative, terrifying, or quirky costume for a chance to win great prizes. Whether you’re a spooky monster, a mystical creature, or a pop culture icon, this is your chance to shine!
North Carolina Ceramic Arts Festival
November 9, 2024 | A-B Tech Conference Center
Take a spin at ceramics at this arts celebration. Ceramic artists from across the country gather to explore all genres of ceramics including tilework, sculpture, jewelry, and pottery. The festival includes nearly 35 national ceramic art vendors.
