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 September. Psst: Don’t forget to bookmark this page and come back; we update our guide monthly.
Festivals, fairs + markets
Goombay Festival | Thursday, Sept. 4-Sunday, Sept. 7 | Times vary | Pack Square Park | Free | The fest returns to celebrate the richness and diversity of the African diaspora and Caribbean culture with a full weekend of wellness events, music, food, and art, from a film festival to a fashion show.
NC Mountain State Fair | Friday, Sept. 5-Sunday, Sept. 14 | Times vary | Western North Carolina Ag Center, Fletcher | $5+ | Scream and shout on 35+ carnival rides, savor mouth-watering fair food, and enjoy local livestock shows during this all-out celebration of all things NC.
Historic Burton Street Ag Fair | Saturday, Sept. 13 | 12-6 p.m. | Burton Street Community Center | Free | The festival pays homage to the Burton Street neighborhood’s founder, Edward W. Pearson, with live music, games, food, and a basketball tournament on the brand new basketball court at the community center. Note: This event was rescheduled from Sept. 6 due to weather.
103.3 Asheville FM Record Fair | Sunday, Sept. 7 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville | $10+ | Add to your record collection all while supporting the community radio station.
AshevilleCon | Saturday, Sept. 20 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Haywood Park Hotel | $20 | The pop culture and comic convention welcomes fandoms of multiple genres, with exhibitors featuring comic books, anime, video games, and more.
ASAP’s 2025 Farm Tour | Saturday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 21 | 12-5 p.m. | Various Locations | $35+ | See the diversity of working farms across WNC and experience how food is grown and raised through guided tours, demonstrations, and tastings.
Black Mountain Blues | Friday, Sept. 26-Sunday, Sept. 28 | Times vary | Downtown Black Mountain | $50+ | Get on your feet to groove to artists like Nik West, Robert Randolph, and Eric Gales.
Eliada Annual Fall Festival & Corn Maze | Friday, Sept. 26-Saturday, Nov. 1 | 3-7 p.m. | Eliada | $15 | Find your way through the eight-acre corn maze, embark on a tractor ride, and let the kids go wild with fun fall games.
Blue Ridge Pride Festival | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Pack Square Park | Free | Each year, the fest draws thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies to the streets of Asheville to celebrate, support, and speak out while enjoying vendors, live performances, and community.
Uncommon Market Asheville | Sunday, Sept. 28 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | AB Tech | Free | The market enters its 11th season, showcasing incredible antiques, art, vintage decor, jewelry, and more.
Carolina Mountain Cheese Festival | Sunday, Sept. 28 | 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. | Oak and Grist Distillery, Black Mountain | $15+ | Indulge in an unbrielievable selection of cheeses from regional makers to benefit the WNC Cheese Trail.
All about the arts
Asheville Tattoo Arts Festival | Friday, Sept. 12-Sunday, Sept. 14 | 2-8 p.m. | Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville | $20+ | Artists from across the country convene for the annual festival — and it’s more than just tattoos, with circus performances and seminars throughout the day.
RAD Resilience | Saturday, Sept. 13 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | River Arts District | Free | The art event is rooted in healing and strength, with many artists showcasing pieces created in direct response to the storm — expect live music, food trucks, artist talks, and an interactive project.
Bi-Annual Grovewood Village Studio Tour | Saturday, Sept. 13-Sunday, Sept. 14 | 12-5 p.m. | Grovewood Village | Free | Explore the rich artistry of local makers during this self-guided tour.
Punch Bucket Literary Festival | Friday, Sept. 19-Saturday, Sept. 20 | The Grey Eagle | $27+ | Over two days, the local literary nonprofit will host 80+ author events, including readings, publishing panels, workshops, a book fair, and live music.
45th Annual Heritage Weekend | Saturday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 21 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Folk Art Center | Free | The celebration of mountain heritage brings plenty of live music and crafts, like woodworking, weaving, and dyeing demos — and don’t miss the highlight, the World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle competition.
Take II: The Grand Reopening of Marquee | Thursday, Sept. 25 | 6 p.m. | Marquee | Free | Welcome Marquee back to the RAD with music, performance art, cocktails, and light bites.
Concerts
Godspeed You! Black Emperor | Saturday, Sept. 6 | 7 p.m. | Pisgah Brewing | $46 | The Canadian post-rock band has been releasing albums since 1997, including the popular “Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven.”
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram: The Hard Road World Tour | Sunday, Sept. 7 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $33+ | Kingfish can seriously shred — see the Grammy-winning artist paving the way for modern blues.
Pixies | Wednesday, Sept. 10 | 6 p.m. | Asheville Yards | $76 | Alt rock bands Spoon and Fazerdaze will take the stage before you hear “Where Is My Mind?”
Panda Bear | Tuesday, Sept. 16 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $38 | The founding member of Animal Collective has a stellar solo career — Editor Grace loves his latest album, “Sinister Gift.”
The Mountain Goats | Saturday, Sept. 20 | 7 p.m. | Pisgah Brewing, Black Mountain | $56 | The prolific indie folk band is known for tracks like “No Children” and “This Year.”
Trombone Shorty | Sunday, Sept. 21 | 6:30 p.m. | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Mills River | $51+ | The Grammy-nominated musician and bandleader will bring his signature funk-infused jazz to the Sierra Nevada stage.
Father John Misty | Sunday, Sept. 21 | 7 p.m. | Asheville Yards | $59 | The “Real Love Baby” singer is touring his latest album, “Mahashmashana.”
Mt. Joy: Hope We Have Fun Tour | Wednesday, Sept. 24 | 8 p.m. | Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville | $47+ | The indie folk group is known for tracks like “Silver Lining” and “Julia.”
Oktoberfest outings
Oktoberfest at Foothills Grange | Saturday, Sept. 13-Sunday, Sept. 14 | 11 a.m.-8 p.m. | Foothills Grange, Black Mountain | Free+ | Enjoy a house-made bratwurst from Foothills Butcher Shop, fresh pretzels and beer cheese, a selection of Oktoberfest beers from local breweries, and lots of live music.
Oktoberfest at White Labs | Saturday, Sept. 13 | 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. | White Labs Brewing Co. | Free+ | See if your lederhosen give you an advantage during a game of musical kegs.
Oktoberfest at Wicked Weed | Saturday, Sept. 13-Saturday, Oct. 25 | Times vary | Wicked Weed Brew Pub + The Funkatorium | The brewery is celebrating all throughout September and October, with weekends packed with live music, German beers, and festive food offerings.
Clawtoberfest | Saturday, Sept. 20 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Highland Brewing Company | Free+ | Be there in Bavarian fashion for one of Highland’s biggest events of the year — and start training for the pretzel eating competition, of course.
Shrektoberfest | Saturday, Sept. 20 | 3 p.m. | DSSOLVR | Free+ | Be transported to a swamp far, far away with an onion toss, ogre stein hold competition, and Shrek roar competition.
Oktoberfest at AMB | Saturday, Sept. 20 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Mills River | Free+ | See how long you can compete in the stein hoisting competition during this all-day Bavarian bash.
Oktoberfest Half Marathon & 5k | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 6-11 a.m. | Hi-Wire River Arts District Beer Garden | $55.49+ | Run in the fresh autumn air and end your race with a brew from Hi-Wire’s RAD beer garden.
Oktoberfest at Hi-Wire | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 3-9 p.m. | Hi-Wire Brewing RAD Beer Garden | Free+ | Expect cold beer, good eats, local makers, and family-friendly fun all day long.
Sierra Nevada Haus Party | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 6-9:30 p.m. | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Fletcher | Free | Dine on elevated German cuisine, then dance the night away to Euro-disco beats from DJ Brandon Manitoba and indie pop from Pink Beds.
Hillman Beer Oktoberfest | Sunday, Sept. 28 | 12-9 p.m. | Hillman Beer | Free | Get ready for cold beer, delicious food, and live music from Das Oompapas and Random Animals.
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.