What to do this Weekend in the Mountains

Mountain events and festivals are everywhere in the month of May as Western North Carolina comes alive with wildflowers, rhododendron and mountain laurel and the beautiful shades of green in new foliage. Warm sunny days and cool evenings offer the perfect setting of outdoor adventures and festivals.  Get links for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 19, 2017
NC City:  ASHEVILLE
Event:     Downtown After Five   Free live music entertainment in downtown Asheville. Headlining this month is CHA WA. The celebration is every third Friday, May through September, with the goal of encouraging locals and visitors to enjoy downtown Asheville and support local businesses and entertainers.  The event is located on North Lexington Avenue (between Hiawassee and the I-240 overpass). Food and beer vendors will be available.   Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 19 - June 3 , 2017   
NC City:  FLAT ROCK
Event:     Flat Rock Playhouse presents: A Tuna Christmas  By popular demand, Scott Treadway and Preston Dyar serve up Christmas a little early on the Mainstage of the Flat Rock Playhouse. This hilarious comedy features the residents of Tuna, Texas – the “third smallest” town in the state. 2 actors. 22 characters. 2 million laughs! Admission: $15 - $50   Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017 
NC City:  BLOWING ROCK
Event:     Art in the Park   A juried arts and craft show featuring 90 artists held in the picturesque downtown park once a  month from May through October.  Some of the best local and regional artists and craftspeople showcase their handcrafted jewelry, pottery, fiber, glass, photography, painting and more.  
Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017 
NC City:  MARION
Event:    Carolina Donut Festival   Come out for food and fun in downtown Marion with the 1st Annual Carolina Donut Festival, hosted by Marion's own Mr. Bob's Donuts. Enjoy a variety of "doughy" goodness, games, music and more.    Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017
NC City:  ROBBINSVILLE (Stecoah Valley)
Event:     Stecoah's Annual Bluegrass Festival    Enjoy bluegrass music ALL DAY LONG outside, or inside if the weather turns bad. You'' also find arts, crafts and food vendors.  Performers include Graham County Line • The Wilson Family • Jonah Riddle • The Pressley Girls  • a Jam Session with Larry Barnett and the Stecoah JAM kids. The Schoolhouse Cafe will be open all day. 11 AM - 5 PM.    Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017  
NC City:  SALUDA
Event:     Saluda Arts Festival   This  year's annual festival will include  almost 90 artists and craftspeople, lively and award winning music, the children's art tent, several art and craft demonstrators and delicious food from our local restaurants. The festival also pays tribute this year to the late artist Johnny Waddill with a special exhibit displaying his work during the festival at the Saluda Center, 64 Greenville St., Saluda, NC. 
Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017  
NC City:  BLACK MOUNTAIN
Event:     12th Annual Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale   The Garden Sale selection of plants cover perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetables, native trees, shrubs, maples, iris, daylilies, hostas and garden accessories. Garden related workshops will be conducted throughout the day. Come early to purchase items from the Clothesline Fundraising Event which supports the Black Mountain Beautification Committee. Parking is free and food is available at the hotel. Returning vendors and new vendors make this an annual event not to be missed. Admission: Free    Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017  
NC City:  NORTH WILKESBORO
Event:    Concerts on the Deck     Dance the evening away to jazz, beach music and country rock. Free outdoor music series with food, drinks and a large dance floor. Sponsored by Window World. Convenient parking deck located at the intersection of 9th Street and the CBD Loop. Held the 3rd Saturday rain or shine, May - October. Admission: Free   Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017  
NC City:  NEBO
Event:     MTA Triathlon at Lake James   Join the McDowell Trails Association for the 8th Annual Lake James Triathlon on the grounds of spectacular Lake James State Park with hundreds of acres of forest land, a swimming beach, hiking trails, tent and picnic sites plus an interpretive area. Begin with a 750 meter swim in Lake James followed by a 22 mile bicycle ride ending with a 3.1 mile foot race to the finish line.  Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017  
NC City:  MARS HILL
Event:     Madison County Barn Tour Event   From barns to barbecue, from Appalachian arts to country music, Madison County Barn Day will celebrate mountain culture and good times. The big event begins with a narrated bus tour of several historically significant barns of Madison County. The tour will be followed by a dinner with entertainment by local musicians and a country auction. Admission: $40, or $75 for 2 tickets  Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017
NC City:  NEBO
Event:     Vineyard Deck Music Series - WNC artist Ginny McAfee   Come to South Creek Winery and a listen to great local music. Tastings include the glass and are $6, $7 or $10 depending on the wines you choose. The music events are rain or shine (if questionable weather, please call to inquire) and provided to South Creek Customers at no admission fee, unless it is a stated ticketed event. Tasting room opens at 11 am with wine tasting for a nominal fee; music begins at 1 PM.    Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20, 2017 
NC City:  WILKESBORO
Event:     Candle Light Ghost Tours   Come out for an evening of tales, mystery and haunts at the Candle Light Ghost Tours. Learn about the ghosts that haunt the old buildings that make up downtown Wilkesboro. Visit a cemetery where Civil War Soldiers are buried, stand in the jail cell Tom Dooley spent his last days, and listen to the stories of the haunted Smithey Hotel. Tickets will be sold on the Courthouse lawn at the museum and at the Wilkesboro Open Air Market the Friday before. Tours start at 8 PM   Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 20 - 21, 2017
NC City:  CHIMNEY ROCK
Event:     Spring Girl Scout Day and Campout    Girl Scouts of all ages may enjoy their own special days at Chimney Rock State Park. Nearly 1,000 acres make an incredible backdrop to a variety of programs that are educational and fun. And the fun doesn't stop when the sun goes down - the 5-acre Meadows is the perfect place to spend a night under the stars. See the Scouts page for detailed program descriptions.   Get a link for details on our NC Events Calendar

Date:      May 21, 2017
NC City:  MAGGIE VALLEY
Event:    Haywood Community Band Concert Series   Held every 3rd Sunday starting at 6:30 PM at the Maggie Valley Pavilion, 3987 Soco Road. Enjoy musical renditions by the Haywood Community Band. Concerts offered FREE to the public from May to October.     

   

88th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville NC this Weekend

August 6 - 8, 2015    88th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival   The nation’s longest running folk festival. The 88th annual edition of this three-day event showcases the best of the region’s old-time and bluegrass musicians, mountain dance groups, cloggers, and ballad singers. A different show is presented every night, beginning at 7:00 PM at Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place in downtown Asheville NC.

The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival showcases performances by hundreds of the Southern Appalachians' best traditional mountain musicians and dancers. Bound by the tradition of "Along About Sundown" these gatherings call to mind, and continue the tradition, of the era when local folks of all ages regularly gathered at the end of the day on front porches and the like, with fiddles, banjos and guitars in hand and dancing feet at the ready. Celebrate the treasured cultural heritage of Western North Carolina throughout the weekend, organized by Asheville's Folk Heritage Committee.

Swanannoa Gathering for Mandolin, Banjo and Fiddle Begins Today

Date: August 3 - 9, 2014 : Swanannoa Gathering - Mando and Banjo Week and Fiddle Week Classes in two of the instruments that are at the core of several of the most popular folk genres, including bluegrass, old-time, Irish and Scottish, as well as some of the more adventurous blendings of traditional and jazz flavors known variously as ‘newgrass’ or ‘new acoustic’ music. Fiddle Week at the Swannanoa Gathering celebrates the universality of the fiddle with classes in traditional and contemporary styles ranging from Irish to Mexican, from Cajun to blues.

Public Concerts:

Monday, August 4, 2014: Fiddle/Mando & Banjo Concert I

Featuring Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Liz Knowles, Jeremy Kittel, Matt Flinner, Caterina Lichtenberg, Anne Lederman, Lisa Gutkin, David Surette and, Juan Rivera, in concert at Kittredge Theatre at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC. Showtime: 7:30 pm.
General admission tickets: $20, under 12 $10. Box Office: (828) 771-3024.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014: Fiddle/Mando & Banjo Concert II

Featuring Michael Doucet, Joe Craven, Bruce Molsky, Barbara Lamb, Bob Carlin, Kevin Kehrberg, Michael Ismerio, Julia Weatherford, Steve Baughman, Natalya Weinstein, Adam Tanner, in concert at Kittredge Theatre at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC. Showtime: 7:30 pm.
General admission tickets: $20, under 12 $10. Box Office: (828) 771-3024.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014: Fiddle/Mando & Banjo Concert III

Featuring Tony Trischka, Woody Paul, Alan Munde, Emory Lester, John Reischman,
Don Stiernberg, Mark Johnson, Ned Luberecki, Andy Stein, Tony Marcus, Ed Dodson in concert at Kittredge Theatre at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC. Showtime: 7:30 pm.
General admission tickets: $20, under 12 $10. Box Office: (828) 771-3024.


Swanannoa is a suburb of Asheville NC.  

 

Live Concert Tonight in Asheville's Pritchard Park

June 27   Homegrown in Pritchard Park - John Wilkes Booth and the Black Toothe. Free performances by local singer/songwriters each Thursday between Memorial Day and Labor Day at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville. Held from 6 PM - 8 PM and sponsored by 98.1 The River radio station.

Live Concert This Weekend at Asheville's Grove Arcade

March 22 at The Grove Arcade,  The Emory Haynes Band will be performing a free concert from 6 to 8 PM.  Band members include Joe Laughter on guitar and vocals, Buzzy Cannady on guitar, Tim Emory on guitar and vocals, Robby Moore on drums and Wes Farmer on bass. The playlist includes classic rock, easy listening and blues. Visitors might hear songs such as Dock of the Bay, House of the Rising Sun, Stormy Monday, Spooky, Last dance with Mary Jane and more.


Stop by one of the Arcade's restaurants and wine bars  to begin or cap off an evening spent downtown.  Support local businesses and celebrate the change of season's this weekend.

The Grove Arcade is located at One Page Avenue in the heart of downtown Asheville NC.  Get a link for the free concert, The Grove Arcade and other Asheville attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.Built by E.W. Grove, the visionary and creator of the Grove Park Inn, the Grove Arcade opened in 1929 and thrived until World War II as one of the country’s leading public markets. The historically renovated Grove Arcade reopened to the public in 2002 as a destination featuring locally-owned shops, galleries, restaurants and businesses.  A lively and beloved downtown landmark, the Arcade is open daily.  Take the self-guided architectural tour, download the period podcast or view the new stop-motion video produced to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Grove Arcade reopening..

What to do this weekend in Asheville

August 14-18    6th Annual Laugh Your Asheville OFF   One of the largest and most respected stand-up comedy events in the country. The event attracts top comedy producers and representatives that will be in attendance to scout the hottest new comedic talent.

August 17     A Movable Feast  at Biltmore   5:30 PM on the Biltmore Estate in the "Walled Garden" -  An evening of al fresco dining and wine brought to you by Estate Executive Chef Damien Cavicchi. The event begins with a cocktail reception featuring hors d’oeuvres and live music. The “Southern French Countryside” menu will be served at a feasting table located on a secluded vista in the Biltmore vineyards. Tickets are $185 per person and include tax and gratuity. In the event of rain, dinner will be held on August 19. For reservations, call (828) 257-5995

August 17   Downtown After 5  The Asheville Downtown Association brings together some of the best musicians in the area and throughout the Southeast.   The concert series features biodegradable food and beverage containers, staffed compost and recycling stations, a solar-powered main stage and a complimentary bike corral.

August 18     Biltmore Concert Series   Award-winning musicians perform on the South Terrace and on Biltmore's newest event venue - Diana at Biltmore, an intimate setting on the vista overlooking Biltmore House. This Concert: KC and the Sunshine Band  AND The Village People

August 18    Dog Day Afternoon Festival at Carrier Park   The event kicks off at 10:30 AM with a dog-friendly fun run sponsored by Dr. Kani Nicolls, around Carrier Park and will continue until 4 PM with two bands, dog contests including a Weiner Dog race, "Best Heinz 57", "Most Ear- resistible" and the Fastest Dog in Asheville Competition. The Companion Dog Training School will also host an agility course and offer training tips for dog owners.  The festival will feature a large cooling tent as well as doggie pools to keep both dogs and humans beat the heat

August 18   Shindig on the Green     Held outdoors at Pack Square Park in the heart of downtown Asheville, this FREE event  was voted the #1 Local Outdoor Concert in the Mountain Xpress "Best of WNC" survey for four years. Bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays.

August 18    Ooh La La Curiosity Market   An outdoor market in Pritchard Park  featuring works by local painters, leather smiths, jewelry makers, potters ,up-cycled crafters, and other curious delights, all beneath the colored canopies of large market umbrellas. In addition to the artists, the market will also feature live local music with up three musical acts performing each Saturday and will include everything from a solo saxophonist to folk, blues, acoustic, and jazz acts.

August 18-19     7th Annual Leicester Studio Tour  A free, self-guided studio tour including painting, prints, jewelry, pottery, fiber, brooms and more. To begin the tour, head northwest on Leicester Highway (NC 63) from Patton Avenue and follow the bright yellow signs to the studios, the first of which is only 15 minutes from downtown Asheville. Visitors can also take Newfound Road to Morgan Branch Rd. and follow the signs to the Wildberry Lodge, 135 Potato Branch Road in Leicester. Wildberry, the founding sponsor of the Leicester Artists organization and there will be samples of each of the artists' works to help tour participants plan out their visits. The tour also will feature food vendor stops, one located centrally on South Turkey Creek Road and the other at the intersection of Leicester Highway and North Turkey Creek.

Get links for these Asheville events and other local information on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.