NC Arboretum / Photo: Stephan Pruitt

Top 2025 Spring Events in Asheville

Article last updated 02/07/2025
NC Arboretum

As the seasons shift, so does Asheville—ever resilient, ever evolving. While parts of the region continue to heal from Hurricane Helene, Asheville is open and welcoming you with new offerings, immersive experiences, and the enduring spirit that has always set this mountain city apart.

From outdoor adventures on freshly restored trails to intimate encounters with the city’s creative community, this spring offers a chance to engage with Asheville in a way that feels both familiar and renewed. And as the warmer temperatures bring beautiful blooms to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville’s calendar of festivals and celebrations also blossoms. 

Here is a look at the top 2025 spring events in Asheville:

Spring Flowers and the Outdoors Reign 

Biltmore Blooms

These Asheville happenings embody the bright spirit of spring. 

*This list will continue to be updated. Last updated: 1/30/25. 

  • Asheville Fringe Arts Festival, March 16-23, 2025: Asheville Fringe continues to ask artists to explore the edges of their work, to collaborate across genres and to bring new and innovative performances to culturally adventurous audiences. We strongly suggest that you see more than one Fringe show because of the incredible variety of artists and types of work. 
  • Biltmore Blooms, March 21 - May 22, 2025: Nothing says spring quite like the tens of thousands of blooms bursting on the grounds of Biltmore, America’s Largest Home. The two-month spring flower celebration kicks off with orchids in the conservatory and 50,000 tulips of all shades and hues. April brings irises, roses and azaleas. Pink and white mountain laurel and rhododendrons close the show. Biltmore will introduced a new exhibit, Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures, beginning March 21, which will be the perfect complement to the Blooms. 
  • Asheville Orchid Festival, March 28-30, 2025: Hundreds of orchids will fill The North Carolina Arboretum this spring at the Asheville Orchid Festival. Hosted by the Western North Carolina Orchid Society, guests can purchase orchid plants, view dazzling orchid displays and attend classes and lectures.  
  • WNC Farmers Market Spring Festival, 2025 Dates TBD: Enjoy this free, three-day event at the region's largest farmers' market. This festival will feature locally sourced food and produce, music, kids crafts and a special food truck ramp cook-off. Market shops will be open to connect with local growers and farmers, and participants can grow their plant collection at the Growing in the Mountains Plant Sale. 
  • Asheville Herb Festival, April 25 - April 27, 2025: The largest herb festival in the United States and Canada is now in its fourth decade. Learn from herb growers, herbalists and related businesses while also seeing demonstrations from experts on natural gardening and landscaping. 
  • Get in Gear Fest, April 26, 2025: Connect with some of Western North Carolina's top gear makers and brands with a full day of outdoor recreation and experiences at the 2025 Get in Gear Fest. This family-friendly event features activities for all ages and outdoor experience levels, including live music, food trucks, local craft beer and non-alcoholic beverages. This year, the event will be held at Adventure Center of Asheville, and attendees can demo or purchase e-bikes, mountain bikes, tents, hammocks and other locally-made outdoor gear. 
  • Asheville Bread Festival, April 26 - April 27, 2025:  Carb up at this biennial gathering of bakers, millers, farmers, chefs, and bread enthusiasts. This year's theme, "A Sense of Place," celebrates local talent and the region's natural abundance.

Music in the Mountains 

LEAF Festival / Photo: David Simchock

Get into a rhythm this season with these toe-tapping music celebrations.

  • Asheville Symphony Orchestra Masterworks 2025: Experience the artistry of a full orchestra with this season’s Masterworks concerts. On March 15, Carmen takes center stage with Shchedrin’s bold, percussion-driven ballet suite and Mozart’s concerto for flute and harp. On April 12, Fate explores destiny’s grip through Verdi, Tchaikovsky, and Joshua Roman’s Awakening cello concerto. The season finale on May 3, Tall Tales, brings German legends to life and features the genre-blending trio Time For Three in the cosmic-inspired Contact.
  • Downtown After 5, April through September 2025: On every third Friday of the month from April through September, head down to Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville for free concerts by top local, regional and national bands. This street festival also includes local beer on tap and a variety of food vendors. 
  • LEAF Retreat (Black Mountain), May 8 - 11, 2025: Join together with music lovers gathered at beautiful Lake Eden in the nearby town of Black Mountain to experience powerful music, art and culture. This beloved local tradition takes place on the site of the historic Black Mountain College.

Live music, theater and comedy is back in Asheville! Check out some of these acts hitting the stage in Asheville this spring.

See our Asheville events calendar for a full list of upcoming shows and performances. Check back for a list of highlights here!

Art on Display 

Asheville Art Scene

Asheville is known for its creative spirit. See hundreds of artists in action as you experience their creativity first-hand.

  • Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art and Community After Hurricane Helene at the Asheville Art Museum, through May 5, 2025: "Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art and Community After Hurricane Helene" is a special, non-juried exhibition which celebrates the strength and diversity of our regional arts community acknowledging the significant impact of Hurricane Helene on the lives of artists across Southern Appalachia.
  • {Re}HAPPENING, May 3, 2025: This one-day festival and fundraiser during which artists celebrate the legacy of the historic Black Mountain College. Founded in 1933, Black Mountain College was one of the leading experimental liberal art schools in America until its closure in 1957.  
  • The Asheville Makers Faire, April 5, 2025: Join this gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Makers Faire is a venue for these "makers" to show hobbies, experiments, projects.  
  • Weaverville Art Safari Studio Tour, April 26-27, 2025: The Weaverville Art Safari is one of the original studio tours in the Asheville area. It is a self-guided free event that offers a unique look at the artists' work in their working environment, featuring those who specialize in handmade pottery, glass, photography, sculpture, jewelry, furniture, painting, drawing, fiber art, wood art and more. 

Experience Asheville's Vibrant Cultural Scene

GrindFest

Explore cultural traditions through dance, song, food and crafts

  • GRINDFest, 2025 Dates TBD: GrindFest is a free, three-day festival that celebrates Black freedom, as well as the success of Black entrepreneurs + business owners in Asheville. Held in the River Arts District, the celebration includes a weekend full of music, live performances, food, local vendors + learning opportunities. 
  • Asheville Beer Week, 2025 Dates TBD: Cheers to the happenings, faces, and places that make the Asheville area's beer scene so special. You'll enjoy tastings, dinners and discussions along with some new and creative programming that leans into the Western North Carolina lifestyle of good beer, the outdoors, good food, and good people.  

Watch and Participate in Major Sporting Events

  • Southern Conference Basketball Championships, March 6-10, 2025
    Cheer on your favorite team during the Southern Conference Basketball Championships in Asheville, March 6-10, 2025. Ten teams will compete for a chance to make the NCAA Tournament at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville.
  • Explore Asheville SoCon Wrestling Championship, March 7-8, 2025
    Don’t miss the Explore Asheville SoCon Wrestling Championship on March 7-8, 2025 at Kimmel Arena, where top Southern Conference wrestlers battle for a shot at the national stage.
  • Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships, May 12-14, 2025
    The University of North Carolina Asheville will host the Big South Track & Field Outdoor Championships at their newly renovated Olympic-level track and field facility.