Celebrate Yoga, Pride, Black Culture, and More at Asheville, N.C.'s Top Festivals

While Asheville, North Carolina, was once mainly celebrated for its craft beer and stunning fall foliage from the Blue Ridge Mountains, it has evolved into a vibrant, multicultural year-round hub for travelers. The culinary landscape is thriving and award-winning, with neighborhoods bustling with festivals that highlight Celtic, Black, Latinx cultures, a spirited Pride celebration, and an annual tribute to the city’s favorite condiment, alongside a festival dedicated to all things bread.

As you dive into these festivals, you’ll delight in the city's flavors and sounds while experiencing the welcoming spirit of the mountain community. So, be sure to mark your calendars for 2024 and plan your visit to Asheville around these exciting events.

Celtic Festival in Asheville

• Best for: traditional step dancing
• Dates: February 17 & 18, 2024

During the heart of winter, the Asheville Celtic Festival brings the spirit of the Seven Celtic Nations—Brittany, Cornwall, Galicia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, and Wales—alive in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Experience a nostalgic journey with characters clad in 1700s period attire. At the Davis Center at the WNC Agricultural Center, immerse yourself in two days filled with lively Celtic folk music, traditional crafts, armored sword fighting, Irish step dancing, and a wealth of customs from each Celtic heritage.

Asheville Bread Festival

• Best for: bread lovers
• May 2024 (dates to be announced)

If you're a fan of carbs, the Asheville Bread Festival is a must-visit. Arrive hungry to sample bagels, perfectly baked sourdough, Spanish-style pastries, baguettes, croissants, and even gluten-free treats. As the Southeast's first bread festival (with plenty across Europe), it focuses on both the craft and the enjoyment of baking, featuring some of the nation’s top bakers. In 2023, notable talents included French master baker Lionel Vatinet of La Farm in Cary, N.C., and Peter Reinhart, a renowned baker and author. This two-day event gathers local farmers, millers, and bakers for a unique experience filled with shared knowledge, hands-on workshops, and informative talks about grains and breadmaking.

LEAF Global Arts Festival

• Best for: arts and culture under the stars
• May 9-12 and October 17-20, 2024

While “leaf peeping” is a cherished tradition in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the LEAF Global Arts Festival offers a unique twist. Known as the Lake Eden Arts Festival, this biannual event has been a staple since 1995, renowned as one of the Southeast's premier festivals. Imagine a celebration in the woods, where people gather to jam, sing, perform, and dance around the lake. Founded to unite the community through music and arts—both local and global—the nonprofit also offers educational programs, workshops, and mentorship. Attendees can enjoy live music, learn new skills, and camp beneath the stars with friends.

GRINDfest

• Best for: celebrating local Black entrepreneurs
• May 2024 (dates to be announced, typically around Memorial Day weekend)

“Let’s demonstrate that the celebration is louder than the struggles and that the future is brighter than the past,” states the festival's website. A newer addition to the city’s lineup, GRINDfest is a three-day gathering honoring Black entrepreneurs and business owners in a lively block party atmosphere at 8 Rivers Arts Place. Last year featured performances by OutKast’s Big Boi and rapper Waka Flocka Flame, along with a screening of Black in Asheville, a documentary by Asheville community elder Todd Gragg that chronicles the Black experience from the Antebellum period to the present through interviews with local historians and residents. The festival also includes a Poetry Slam, a Black Wall Street AVL marketplace, “extreme hip-hop aerobics,” storytime sessions with elder residents, cooking classes, a highlight entrepreneurship lunch, and plenty of mouthwatering food.

Blue Ridge Pride Festival

• Best for: being your true self
• Usually a Sunday in mid-June (dates to be confirmed)

As the largest LGBTQ pride festival in western North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Pride Festival draws over 15,000 attendees, embodying the city’s welcoming “come as you are” spirit. This inclusive, fun-filled celebration takes place in downtown Asheville’s Pack Square Park, featuring more than 100 vendors and entertainment that kicks off early with a dedicated kids' area, live music throughout the day, pool parties, a Silent Disco, and the festival's standout event—the annual Drag Pageant, where contestants vie for the title of Miss/Mr./Mx. Blue Ridge Pride. The festival aims to advocate, celebrate, educate, and serve, and it truly succeeds in all areas. You’ll leave with sore cheeks from smiling nonstop.

Hola Asheville

• Best for: discovering Asheville’s Latinx culture
• June 2024 (dates to be announced)

Organized by Hola Carolina, a nonprofit based in Asheville, this multi-day festival celebrates the city's vibrant Latinx community through a rich array of food, art, dance, and communal spirit. Enjoy culinary delights inspired by Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela; learn to dance salsa, bachata, zamba, tango, or merengue; and browse handcrafted items from local artisans. Highlights from last year included comedian Nélida López-Fernández, a community Zumba class, and performances by Chilean reggae band Petah Iah and The Mind Renewing. This essential Asheville nonprofit not only shares Spanish news but also supports the Hola Community Food Bank, VAMOS Carolina transportation services, and the Latino Economic Empowerment Program. Savor delicious food and dance your heart out in Pack Square Park while contributing to a worthy cause.

LoveShinePlay

• Best for: yogis enchanted by the mountains
• July 25-28, 2024

The LoveShinePlay yoga festival, founded in 2016, brings together yogis, artists, friends, and crafters in the vibrant heart of Downtown Asheville. This expansive four-day event features over 70 different styles of offerings, including Bhakti, anatomy, Kundalini, Yin, and, naturally, plenty of yoga. During the day, renowned instructors present a variety of sessions, from “yin yoga and story time” to practical astrology. When not in session, participants can unwind with evening concerts, explore hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or try stand-up paddleboarding on the French Broad River. The Mountain Air Market serves as the festival's hub, hosting more than 65 vendors selling herbs, body care products, delightful teas, health elixirs, and yoga apparel. It’s often regarded as a reunion for yogis who gather in the same place at the same time each year.

Mountain Dance and Folk Festival

• Best for: those eager to dance their hearts out
• August 1-3, 2024

Established in 1928 by Bascom Lamar Lunsford, a folklorist and attorney from Western North Carolina, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival holds the title of the oldest festival of its kind in the United States. Lunsford's vision was to help locals and visitors appreciate the rich music and dance heritage of Southern Appalachia, showcasing the finest Appalachian singers, string bands, and square dancers. Each evening features performances that celebrate the diverse cultural influences of the Great Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountains, including Scottish, English, Irish, Cherokee, and African traditions, highlighting the talents and dedication of hundreds of musicians, dancers, and storytellers at Lipinsky Hall on the UNC Asheville campus. It’s a truly unique experience.

Chow Chow

• Best for: food lovers eager to explore Appalachian food traditions
• Dates to be announced

At its inaugural event in 2019, Nobel Peace Prize-nominated chef José Andrés prepared a massive paella in a park, showcasing his deep appreciation for the community and his close friendship with chef Katie Button. Founded by James Beard Award-winning chefs Button, Meherwan Irani, and John Fleer, along with East Fork Pottery co-founder Connie Matisse, Chow Chow has evolved into an engaging and educational festival celebrating the culinary landscape of Southern Appalachia.

Named after the beloved pickled relish from Southern Appalachia, the festival emphasizes the region's rich array of produce, purveyors, artisans, chefs, and bakers within the creative economy. It goes beyond mere food and drink sampling; attendees can forage for ingredients with local chefs, learn about the cultural significance of a community Fish Fry, and visit local farms to meet some of the area’s esteemed producers. The festival offers “pay what you can” events to ensure participation from locals and visitors of all ages and backgrounds.