Lucky you. You just found AVLtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events that are taking place throughout Asheville each month.
Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading into March. Psst: Don’t forget to bookmark this page and come back; we update our guide monthly.
Festivals, fairs + markets
Chai Pani Holi Celebration | Friday, March 6 | 4-9 p.m. | Banks Ave | Free | Banks Avenue will shut down for a lively celebration of spring, love, and renewal with a bhangra dance floor, street food stalls, a photo booth, and plenty of vibrant Holi colors.
Flannel Fest | Saturday, March 7 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Appalachian Mountain Brewery Taproom & Kitchen, Mills River | $10 | Arrive in your favorite flannel for an afternoon of axe-throwing, hearty eats, live music, and lumberjack-inspired challenges.
Westival | Saturday, March 14 | 5-8 p.m. | Archetype Brewing | $50 | This fest is all about food and fellowship — savor flavors from 10+ wonderful West Asheville restaurants to support Asheville Poverty Initiative, which operates 12 Baskets Cafe.
Asheville Fringe Arts Festival | Sunday, March 15-Sunday, March 22 | Times vary | Various locations | Prices vary | For 24 years running, Asheville is the canvas for this celebration of experimental art — tickets go on sale March 1.
Asheville Orchid Festival | Saturday, March 28-Sunday, March 29 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | The North Carolina Arboretum | $5, parking fees apply | The stunning annual plant show will showcase world-class orchid growers, hundreds of carefully crafted displays, and thousands of orchids for sale.
Theatre, dance + comedy
“A Taste of Ireland” | Friday, March 6 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Wortham Center for the Performing Arts | $41+ | Straight from London’s West End, this off-Broadway show brings the energy of modern Ireland with melodic folk tunes, acapella battles, and heartfelt storytelling.
“Mean Girls: High School Edition” | Saturday, March 7-Sunday, March 8 | Times vary | Asheville Community Theatre | $15 | Adapted from the blockbuster film, this story of The Plastics, popularity, and pecking order is so fetch.
BODYTRAFFIC | Friday, March 13-Saturday, March 14 | 8 p.m. | Wortham Center for the Performing Arts | $75 | The explosively energetic contemporary dance show spans ballet, modern, Afro-Cuban, and hip-hop.
“Swan Lake: International Ballet Stars” | Friday, March 13 | 6 p.m. | Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville | $41+ | World-renowned dancers will bring the story of love and magic to life, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score.
“All Things Equal: The Life & Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg” | Wednesday, March 25-Thursday, March 26 | 8 p.m. | Wortham Center for the Performing Arts | $60 | Written by Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes, this witty play traces Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s rise from Brooklyn valedictorian to trailblazing Supreme Court justice.
Concerts
Aly & AJ | Sunday, March 1 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $45 | The sister duo is best known as a staple of the mid 2000s Disney era, with hits like “Potential Breakup Song” and “Like Whoa.”
Ratboys | Tuesday, March 10 | 8 p.m. | The Grey Eagle | $27 | The up-and-coming indie rock band will share the stage with the gritty alt-country band Florry.
Gary Numan | Thursday, March 12 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $45 | An earlier pioneer of electronic pop, Numan is known for the hit “Cars.”
moe. | Friday, March 20-Saturday, March 21 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $52 | The jam band is back for two nights of free-wheeling melodies.
Old Crow Medicine Show | Sunday, March 22 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $61+ | The “Wagon Wheel” band is on tour with a run of intimate shows celebrating the band’s earliest recordings in the places where the songs first took shape.
See Old Crow Medicine Show light up the stage.
Photo by Artaxerxes via Wikimedia Commons
All about the arts
Hunter Gatherer: An Artist Talk with Photographer David Ricci | Wednesday, March 4 | 5:30-6:30 p.m. | Pack Memorial Library | Free | The photographer speaks to his latest decade-long project, “Hunter Gatherer: Salvaged Stories of American Culture,” exploring themes of consumerism and objectification through scenes at resale markets.
Community Day: “In a New Light” | Saturday, March 7 | 12-5 p.m. | Asheville Art Museum | Free | See the American Impressionism exhibit for free and enjoy live jazz, art tours, painting demonstrations, and hands-on impressionism art projects.
Best of East Coast Screening with 48 Hour Film Project | Monday, March 16 | 5-6:30 p.m. | Pack Memorial Library | Free | Sit back for a selection of standout short films and a live Q&A with a local filmmaker.
For the fam
Night at the Nature Center | Friday, March 6 | 6-8 p.m. | Western North Carolina Nature Center | $25+ | Explore the center after-hours and see which animals are active in the dark.
2026 SoCon Downtown Dribble & Kids Fest | Saturday, March 7 | 9:30-11:45 a.m. | Roger McGuire Green at Pack Square Park | Free, RSVP | Asheville’s youngest hoops fans will take over downtown with an energized morning of inflatables, pep bands, cheerleaders, and the downtown dribble parade.
Nature Play Day | Saturday, March 14 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | The North Carolina Arboretum | Free, parking fees apply | The special family day encourages outdoor play with fairy house and gnome home building, stick fort building, storytelling, and pond life exploring.
PokeKon-Fest | Saturday, March 21 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Holiday Inn Asheville - Biltmore West by IHG | $13 | Join the all-day PokéParty to battle, trade, and catch em’ all.
For the foodies
The Second Annual Souper Duper | Sunday, March 1 | 3 p.m. | The Mule | $23 | To local businesses, this is their souper bowl — each biz will compete for the judge’s and people’s choice titles, all while supporting Lamplight AVL and 12 Baskets Cafe.
Pi Day Community Bake-Off | Saturday, March 14 | 3-6 p.m. | The Mule | Free | See if your signature recipe is a slice above the competition, or simply come and indulge.
Raclette Dog Day Afternoon Pop-Up | Sunday, March 22 | 1-3 p.m. | Botanist and Barrel | Price of purchase | Dig into Hickory Nut Gap hot dogs with luscious melted Alpine cheese on top.
Sports + outdoor adventures
Ingles Southern Conference Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships | Thursday, March 5-Monday, March 9 | Times vary | Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville | $26+ | The road to the NCAA Final Four starts in Asheville — don’t miss the chance to see all the action.
Birding Walk | Saturday, March 7, Saturday, March 28 | Times vary | Lake Julian Park, Arden | Free, RSVP | Get to know the flying fauna at one of Buncombe County’s birding hotspots.
New Belgium Asheville Marathon and Half | Saturday, March 21 | 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. | Pack Square Park | $82+ | Months of training have come to this — cheer on the incredible athletes as they run through historic neighborhoods, greenway, and downtown streets.
The Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour | Saturday, March 21 | 5 p.m. | Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville | $46+ | Celebrate a century of jaw-dropping tricks, dunks, and thrills.
Have an event of your own you want to share with us? Follow these easy steps to add your events to our calendar:
- Go to our Events page.
- Click “Add Event” in the top right-hand corner.
- Make sure to include a link and fill out important information like the date, time, location, and price of your event.
- Click “Submit,” and you’ve just added an event to our website calendar.