Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Saturday, September 11, 2021
Chow Chow Culinary Festival: SUSTAINABLE WATERS
Sep 11 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
JETTIE RAE'S OYSTER HOUSE

Dive in with us for a tasting feast exploring sustainable seafood and fish from the mountains
to the sea. Learn about the best choices you can make to ensure you are eating seafood and
fish that are well managed and caught or farmed responsibly. Conversation will address the
challenges and opportunities in the fish and seafood industry, and how we all, from the water
to the plate, can work together for a more sustainable future.

Jump Off Rock Music Festival
Sep 11 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Jump Off Rock
Sunday, September 12, 2021
NC Mountain State Fair
Sep 12 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Western North Carolina Agricultural Center Fletcher, NC

NC Mountain State Fair

The NC Mountain State Fair is the third-largest fair in North Carolina. The Fair runs from September 10th – 19th, 2021 at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center. It celebrates the heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including agriculture, music, crafts, art, food, entertainment, display of livestock, competitions, & midway amusement rides. Check the website for hours, price of admission, tickets, Special Promotions, Discount Days, and much more! http://www.wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefair  For more information call 828-687-1414

Chow Chow Culinary Festival: ROOT TO BLOOM
Sep 12 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
YESTERDAY SPACES

Root to bloom eating encourages us to enjoy our food to its full potential by using forgotten or
often discarded parts of fruits, flowers and vegetables. This practice can increase the amount
of edible food for consumption, using the same amount of resources, while also reducing food
waste. Join Chow Chow for a flavorful vegetarian whole plant dinner, taking guests on a multisensorial dining journey starting from the seed in the ground all the way to the flower and
its essence. This experience will leave you more mindful about food waste and aware of the
benefits derived from eating plants in their entirety. Learn about natural plant-based dyes with
a demonstration from Echoview Fiber Mill, including indigo and black walnuts, and dyes that
can be made from vegetable scraps including onion skins and avocado pits.

Monday, September 13, 2021
AniMonday! Anime Games, Music All Day
Sep 13 @ 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Retrocade

May be an image of one or more people and hair

Join us for Animoday! Every Monday all day. Listen to anime music, play anime games, watch anime, and talk anime!

Friday, September 17, 2021
NC Mountain State Fair
Sep 17 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Western North Carolina Agricultural Center Fletcher, NC

NC Mountain State Fair

The NC Mountain State Fair is the third-largest fair in North Carolina. The Fair runs from September 10th – 19th, 2021 at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center. It celebrates the heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including agriculture, music, crafts, art, food, entertainment, display of livestock, competitions, & midway amusement rides. Check the website for hours, price of admission, tickets, Special Promotions, Discount Days, and much more! http://www.wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefair  For more information call 828-687-1414

Saturday, September 18, 2021
NC Mountain State Fair
Sep 18 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Western North Carolina Agricultural Center Fletcher, NC

NC Mountain State Fair

The NC Mountain State Fair is the third-largest fair in North Carolina. The Fair runs from September 10th – 19th, 2021 at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center. It celebrates the heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including agriculture, music, crafts, art, food, entertainment, display of livestock, competitions, & midway amusement rides. Check the website for hours, price of admission, tickets, Special Promotions, Discount Days, and much more! http://www.wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefair  For more information call 828-687-1414

Art in Autumn
Sep 18 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Main Street Weaverville

The 14th annual Art in Autumn Outdoor Arts and Crafts Festival is a much loved event held on Main Street in downtown Weaverville, North Carolina, located in Buncombe County 7 miles from downtown Asheville. The festival features over 100 juried artists and craftspeople, and live music.

HERITAGE DAY
Sep 18 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Folk Art Center

Join us from 10 am-4 pm for a celebration of Southern Appalachian culture on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This festival has old-time music and demonstrations of the crafts of yesteryear.

Activities:
Chairmaking, quilting, heirloom apples, sheep shearing, cornshuck dolls, woodcarving, blacksmithing, weaving, stone carving, soap making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, rifle making, natural dyeing, basketry.

Band Schedule:

10:00-11:00 Cary Fridley and Old Time Friends
11:15-12:15 Highland Highlights
12:30-1:30 Split Rail
2:00-2:45 World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition
3:00-4:00 Buncombe Turnpike

Don’t Miss the World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition at 2:00 pm!!

Sunday, September 19, 2021
NC Mountain State Fair
Sep 19 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Western North Carolina Agricultural Center Fletcher, NC

NC Mountain State Fair

The NC Mountain State Fair is the third-largest fair in North Carolina. The Fair runs from September 10th – 19th, 2021 at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center. It celebrates the heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including agriculture, music, crafts, art, food, entertainment, display of livestock, competitions, & midway amusement rides. Check the website for hours, price of admission, tickets, Special Promotions, Discount Days, and much more! http://www.wncagcenter.org/p/mountainstatefair  For more information call 828-687-1414

Monday, September 20, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Sep 20 all-day
online
AniMonday! Anime Games, Music All Day
Sep 20 @ 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Retrocade

May be an image of one or more people and hair

Join us for Animoday! Every Monday all day. Listen to anime music, play anime games, watch anime, and talk anime!

Tuesday, September 21, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Sep 21 all-day
online
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Sep 22 all-day
online
Thursday, September 23, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Sep 23 all-day
online
Chow Chow Culinary Festival: RECIPES FROM RABBIT’S MOTEL
Sep 23 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Smoky Park Supper Club

Opened in 1948 by Fred “Rabbit” Simpson, Rabbit’s Motel was a crown jewel of Black-owned
Tourist Courts for African-American travelers in the segregation-era South, and provided
lodging and soul-food dining for many Black travelers. Rabbit’s Motel sat in the heart of
Southside, a flourishing African-American community that was one of many early-Asheville
vibrant Black communities in Asheville. SoundSpace@Rabbit’s, opened in 2020, will create a
creative arts hub in Asheville including music rehearsal studio space, soul food kitchen and
artist studios, and will promote historic pride while embracing a model of diversity in the most
authentic way possible, through music, art, community, and food. Join us for a lively event
featuring music, drinks and bites inspired by the original Rabbit’s Motel and Cafe

Friday, September 24, 2021
Guest Appreciation Festival Nantahala Outdoor Center
Sep 24 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

guests standing outside looking at canoe

Guest Appreciation Festival is our annual celebrating bringing together guests, visitors, paddlers, and staff for a weekend festival of incredible sales, whitewater, outdoor fun, and gratitude!

Snag the best in outdoor gear and apparel at stunningly low prices from our new and used gear sale with names including The North Face, Chaco, Dagger Kayaks, KEEN and more. Boaters can take advantage of free shuttles for the Cascades and Upper Nantahala recreational releases. Shop crafts and handmade goods from regional and local vendors. Join in on the fun with our family-friendly riverside games and activities including giant Jenga, face painting, and more! Dance the night away to live music on the banks of the Nantahala River. Enjoy a weekend of fun and community in the Nantahala Gorge!

LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Sep 24 all-day
online
12th annual Dirty Dancing Festival 2021 Kick-Off Party
Sep 24 @ 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Lake Lure

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Experience The Time of Your Life at the 12th annual Dirty Dancing Festival in Lake Lure, NC!

Whether you have been coming for years, or always wanted to see what the hype is all about, we have a chance for you to WIN a weekend getaway to the namesake film’s backdrop where It’s all Crazy for Swayze.

Join us for singalongs, watermelon carrying, Lift Scenes, lots and lots of dancing, and much more on September 24-25, 2021. Proceeds benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and festival organizers, The Chamber of Hickory Nut Gorge.

Show-stopping Dance Performances

Live Music  by The Soul Psychedelique Orchestra

The return of Hot Lake Lure Nights dance lessons
hosted by Coach Natalie Foreverland

A Message from PanCAN

Nighttime Lakeside Screening of Dirty Dancing

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Saturday, September 25, 2021
Guest Appreciation Festival Nantahala Outdoor Center
Sep 25 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

guests standing outside looking at canoe

Guest Appreciation Festival is our annual celebrating bringing together guests, visitors, paddlers, and staff for a weekend festival of incredible sales, whitewater, outdoor fun, and gratitude!

Snag the best in outdoor gear and apparel at stunningly low prices from our new and used gear sale with names including The North Face, Chaco, Dagger Kayaks, KEEN and more. Boaters can take advantage of free shuttles for the Cascades and Upper Nantahala recreational releases. Shop crafts and handmade goods from regional and local vendors. Join in on the fun with our family-friendly riverside games and activities including giant Jenga, face painting, and more! Dance the night away to live music on the banks of the Nantahala River. Enjoy a weekend of fun and community in the Nantahala Gorge!

LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Sep 25 all-day
online
12th annual Dirty Dancing Festival 2021
Sep 25 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Lake Lure

Experience The Time of Your Life at the 12th annual Dirty Dancing Festival in Lake Lure, NC!

Whether you have been coming for years, or always wanted to see what the hype is all about, we have a chance for you to WIN a weekend getaway to the namesake film’s backdrop where It’s all Crazy for Swayze.

Join us for singalongs, watermelon carrying, Lift Scenes, lots and lots of dancing, and much more on September 24-25, 2021. Proceeds benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and festival organizers, The Chamber of Hickory Nut Gorge.

Picture

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Professional Dance Lessons to the Original
Movie Soundtrack

Film-Inspired Dance Performances by the Asheville Ballet

Top-notch  Live Music by  DJ Michael Sprouse,  Envision, and ACE Party Band.

Watermelon Races for PanCAN

Selfie  Portraits with scenes from Dirty Dancing filmed here in Lake Lure

A Car Show featuring the 1957 Chevy Bel Air “Swayze” look-alike car

A variety of Movie-inspired Games

The Lake Lift Competition

And much more!

 

Mountain Heritage Day
Sep 25 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
WCU's Intramural Field

dancing in front of stage

Enjoy one of the top 20 events in the Southeast with live entertainment, 130+ food and craft vendors, tons of family-friendly activities, interactive kids area, along with performances and demonstrations celebrating the Southern Appalachian mountain culture. Mountain Heritage Day is diligently working to create a safe environment for everyone, whereby booths and seating are spaced for physical distancing.

Chow Chow Culinary Festival: BURTON STREET GARDEN GATHERING
Sep 25 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
PEACE GARDENS & MARKET

The past, present, and future of African-Americans in Asheville is a story of resilience. Join
DeWayne Barton and Hood Huggers International for a Garden Gathering in the Peace Gardens
& Market in West Asheville. Hood Huggers builds greater communication, connection and
wealth in systematically marginalized neighborhoods in the Affrilachian region through
the arts, environment, and social enterprise. The Peace Gardens & Market–a labor of love in
the heart of the Burton Street Community–is a sanctuary for positive action, designed to
create neighborhood food security, community cohesion, and a vibrant, sustainable local
economy. The Gardens are also a vibrant sculpture park, featuring installations created by
DeWayne Barton and other artists, telling a compelling story of social and environmental
justice and black history. The Gardens will be activated with food, drink, art, music, poetry and
performance

Sunday, September 26, 2021
Guest Appreciation Festival Nantahala Outdoor Center
Sep 26 all-day
Nantahala Outdoor Center

guests standing outside looking at canoe

Guest Appreciation Festival is our annual celebrating bringing together guests, visitors, paddlers, and staff for a weekend festival of incredible sales, whitewater, outdoor fun, and gratitude!

Snag the best in outdoor gear and apparel at stunningly low prices from our new and used gear sale with names including The North Face, Chaco, Dagger Kayaks, KEEN and more. Boaters can take advantage of free shuttles for the Cascades and Upper Nantahala recreational releases. Shop crafts and handmade goods from regional and local vendors. Join in on the fun with our family-friendly riverside games and activities including giant Jenga, face painting, and more! Dance the night away to live music on the banks of the Nantahala River. Enjoy a weekend of fun and community in the Nantahala Gorge!

LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Sep 26 all-day
online
The Gathering Festival At Paint Rock Farm
Sep 26 all-day
Paint Rock Farm
Chow Chow Culinary Festival: FOOD STORIES
Sep 26 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
FUNKATORIUM

Food is universal and central to all our lives. Chow Chow brings together diverse community
leaders who will be paired with chefs to tell their stories through food. Each lived experience
will inspire a multi-course, paired beverage tasting dinner, interpreting the personal stories
through food. The Chefs & Narrators will share with us their stories, and the process for
transforming a life story into a meal

Monday, September 27, 2021
LEAF Announces Fall LINE UP Global Citizen
Sep 27 all-day
online
AniMonday! Anime Games, Music All Day
Sep 27 @ 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Asheville Retrocade

May be an image of one or more people and hair

Join us for Animoday! Every Monday all day. Listen to anime music, play anime games, watch anime, and talk anime!