The most well known Asheville festival is undoubtedly Bele Chere, but there are several others that offer great music, food, and fun. Downtown After Five is always sure to bring out a good crowd, as are Jazz After Five, Shindig on the Green, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, the Mountain Sports Festival, the Asheville Film Festival, and the Goombay Festival.
Some of the bigger events, like Bele Chere, draw crowds from all over the southeast. Others, like Jazz After Five, are much more intimate. The outdoors events restrict some streets to foot traffic only and employ numerous food vendors along with beer tents supplied with beers from local breweries.
Asheville Film Festival
The Asheville Film Festival, which takes place each November, attracts thousands of people. Although the festival is only in its fifth year it is already a huge success! Famous name and faces flock to Asheville to attend numerous parties, movie screenings, and award ceremonies.
Bele Chere
Bele Chere, which means beautiful living, is a celebration that embraces Asheville’s culture, diversity and beauty. Surrounded by the beautiful mountains in the heart of downtown, Asheville’s Bele Chere is a free, three day festival held in late July. It is the largest event of its kind in the southeast and brings in people from all over the country. The city blocks off a large section of its downtown area in order to accommodate six music stages, hundreds of arts and crafts booths, food and beer vendors, and over 350,000 happy people.
The musical line-up is always an impressive collection of big name bands, along with a generous portion of local talent. There are a wide variety of musical genres represented so you can see your favorites and enjoy something new.
Downtown After Five
Every summer, the Asheville Downtown Association hosts Downtown After Five, a free concert held in Pack Square that features some of the Southeast’s favorite bands. Local food and beer vendors line the streets and lots of people come out to celebrate summer.
Downtown after Five takes place every third Friday, May through September. There is an alcohol-free kids zone.
Goombay Festival
The Goombay Festival is a celebration of African and Caribbean culture that is held each year in Asheville. The street festival features steel drum bands and African-American dancers, plus local gospel and rhythm bands. Local and third world crafts are sold as well as authentic Caribbean and African foods. The Goombay Festival takes place in late August.
Jazz After Five
Jazz After Five is a free event hosted by the Asheville Downtown Association. Located inside of the Grove Arcade, two different jazz bands entertain guests as they stroll the arcade and enjoy food and cocktails from local vendors. This event takes place the third Friday of each month, January through April.
Mountain Dance and Folk Festival
The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival is Asheville’s salute to the Southern Appalachian music and dance traditions. In its eightieth year, the festival has become a bit of a tradition itself. Each year, numerous mountain fiddlers, banjo pickers, ballad singers, string bands and square dance teams come together on the stage at the Diana Wortham Theatre, in downtown Asheville.
The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival takes place in early August. Tickets are very reasonably priced.
Mountain Sports Festival
Asheville’s Mountain Sports Festival is a free three day event featuring numerous races that all are welcome to join, as well as paddling, disc golf, mountain biking, climbing, skateboarding, ultimate Frisbee, and skateboarding competitions. You don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy this festival as there are plenty of demos from exhibitors, food and beer vendors, and there is always an impressive line up of live music.
The Mountain Sports Festival takes place in early May in west Asheville, at the Festival Village at Carrier Park.
Shindig on the Green
Every Saturday night, families and friends meet in downtown Asheville to enjoy Shindig on the Green, a celebration of mountain traditions. Mountain and clog dancing, bluegrass, old-time string bands and storytellers are just the beginning of the fun.
Beginning around sundown and running until about 10:00 PM, Shindig on the Green lasts from late June through early September.
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