Asheville’s weather is heating up — and so is festival season. So grab your sunscreen, dancing shoes, tote bag, or a combination of all three, because we’ve got a guide to 10+ spring festivals happening in and around the Land of the Sky.
Food
Asheville Bread Festival | Saturday, April 26-Sunday, April 27 | Times vary | New Belgium Brewing | $0+ | Tickets are limited for workshops + lectures with baking professionals, but anyone can browse the Bread Fair on Saturday morning, where local and regional bakers will offer a range of glutenous goodies.
Music
Asheville Amadeus Festival | Wednesday, April 30-Saturday, May 10 | Times vary | Locations vary | $0+ | The theme of this year’s fest is “The Art of Storytelling” — all events are ticketed separately, including performances from headliners Chris Thile and Time for Three.
LEAF Global Arts Retreat | Thursday, May 8-Sunday, May 11 | Times vary | Lake Eden, Black Mountain | $50+ | The spring camping festival offers a more intimate experience than its fall counterpart, but the lineup of music, workshops, and panel discussions packs a punch.
Nature + outdoors
Asheville Herb Festival | Friday, April 25-Sunday, April 27 | Times vary | WNC Agriculture Center, Fletcher | Free | Known as the largest herb festival in the Southeast, this event is celebrating 35 years of showcasing plants, books, soaps, herbal crafts, medicinal herbs, dried flowers + baked goods.
Get In Gear Festival | Saturday, April 26, 2025 | 12-5 p.m. | The Adventure Center of Asheville | Free | Shop the latest from local and regional outdoor gear vendors while enjoying family-friendly activities, food + drinks from local spots.
WNC Farmer’s Market Spring Festival | Friday, May 2-Sunday, May 4 | Times Vary | WNC Farmer’s Market | Free | Support local farmers by shopping for plants, produce, local food, and live music.
White Squirrel Weekend | Friday, May 23-Sunday, May 25 | Times vary | Downtown Brevard | Free | Dedicated to WNC’s iconic white squirrels, this fest boasts free concerts as well as plenty of locally made food, art, and crafts.
This year, GRINDFest is a month-long affair.
Photo by Tony Shivers
Arts + culture
369 Monologue and Short Play Festival Part 3: Hell and High Water | Thursday, May 1-Sunday, May 18 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Tina McGuire Theatre | $22.50+ | Over three weekends, Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective will present a bewitching blend of six short plays and nine powerful monologues in ten unique evening performances.
NC Writers’ Network Spring Conference | Friday, May 2-Sunday, May 4 | Times vary | DoubleTree Asheville—Biltmore | $170+ | Writers from across the Tar Heel State will join to hone their craft through masterclasses, workshops, open mics, and a keynote from Ron Rash.
Parlor Fest: A Celebration of Creativity & Story | Friday, May 2, Sunday, May 4 | Times vary | Story Parlor | $150+ | Celebrate three years of the multi-disciplinary art space with an inspiring schedule of workshops, panels, roundtables, and performances.
GRINDFest | Saturday, May 3-Saturday, May 31 | Times vary | Locations vary | $0+ | This year, the festival will celebrate Black entrepreneurs and businesses every weekend of May — expect live music, workshops, food, and games all surrounding the theme, “Rebuilding is Everybody’s Business.”
Asheville Improv Festival | Thursday, May 8-Saturday, May 10 | Times vary | Various locations | $20+ | See what creativity comes of the performances when there’s no script and no safety net.
RAD Renaissance | Saturday, May 10 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Upper River Arts District | Free | Support the artists of the RAD during a jam-packed day of live art demonstrations, performances, food trucks, and the launch of the RAD Art Market, a weekly market in Pine Gate Renewables’ parking lot