This Weekend in Asheville

Luminosa

The 24th Asheville Fringe Arts Festival

Friday - Sunday, March 20-22,  various times
Various Locations

The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival returns for its 24th year, launching a weeklong celebration of bold, boundary-pushing performance across the city. What began in 2003 at the BeBe Theatre has grown into a multi-day, multi-venue showcase of experimental theater, dance, music, and interdisciplinary work staged in theaters, galleries, clubs, and unexpected spaces around town. Here are some of the shows you can catch:

• Secret Time Travel Meeting at Art Garden AVL, Fri. 9 p.m.
• The Trouble with My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am at LEAF Global Arts, Sat. 5 p.m.
• Don't Let the Sun Beat You Home at 35 Below, Sat. 9 p.m.
• The Mothman Cometh at Be Be Theatre, Sun. 6 p.m.

New Belgium Asheville Marathon & Half

Saturday, March 21, 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Pack Square Park

The New Belgium Asheville Marathon & Half returns in 2026 with a course that showcases some of the city’s most iconic scenery, from historic neighborhoods and lively downtown streets to the River Arts District and miles along the French Broad River Greenway. Runners can take on the USATF-certified half marathon or the full marathon, which serves as a Boston Marathon qualifying race. Afterwards, head to Afterglow for a special meal for runners.

Rim Hike - Weatherford Heights

Saturday, March 21, 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center

Follow the historic boundary line of the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly on a guided hike to Weatherford Heights. Along the way, learn how educator and religious leader Willis Duke Weatherford surveyed the land in 1906 while searching for a permanent home for student training sessions. The route traces the landscape that inspired his famous declaration, “Eureka, we have found it,” when he reached the forested ridges of the Swannanoa Mountains.

Spring Storytime at Vance Birthplace

Saturday, March 21,  9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Vance Birthplace State Historic Site

Bring the kids for a morning of springtime fun with seasonal picture book readings inside the historic Vance house, along with crafts and free face painting. Families can drop in for a relaxed, kid-friendly program that welcomes young readers to celebrate the season together.

Harlem Globetrotters: The 100 Year Tour

Saturday, March 21,  5 - 7 p.m.
Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville

The Harlem Globetrotters bring their 100 Year Tour to Asheville with a high-energy showcase of basketball, comedy, and crowd-pleasing tricks. Known for dazzling ball handling and nonstop entertainment, the legendary team delivers a family-friendly spectacle that blends athletic skill with plenty of laughs.

Spring High Tea

Sunday, March 22, various times
Ivory Road

Welcome spring with an elegant Easter High Tea featuring sweet and savory small bites served on vintage china and a curated loose leaf tea menu from Full Moon Tea Company. Hosted by The Giddy Chick and Let’s Dish, this seasonal gathering takes place inside a charming stone cottage setting, creating a cozy and refined afternoon tea experience perfect for celebrating spring with friends.

Live Music, Comedy, Dance and Theatre

Asheville Music Hall

Friday, March 20:

• TEDx Asheville: Embrace the Mess at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 10 a.m.
• "Blithe Spirit" – A Spirited Debut by the Encore Players at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 2 p.m.
• Asheville Symphony’s 2026 Artist Residency: Dr. Dean Southern at UNC Asheville, 3 p.m.
• Free S'mores Night at 12 Bones Brewing, 5:30 p.m.
• Rod Sphere at Turgua Brewing, 5:30 p.m.
• Seán Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band with Samara Jade at AyurPrana Listening Room, 6 p.m.
• moe. Night One at Orange Peel, 7 p.m.
• Comedy: Sam Evans at Cultura, 7 p.m.
• All Crawfish Go To Heaven at RAD Brewing, 7 p.m.
• Pop Culture Trivia: Millennial Nostalgia at Ginger's Revenge, 7 p.m.
• Rusk: A Comedy Special by Nik Narain at Art Garden AVL, 7 p.m.
• TUIB & The B-Sides at The Monte Vista Hotel, 7:30 p.m.
• Tiny Beautiful Things at NC Stage, 7:30 p.m.
• Jonathan Richman ft. Tommy Larkins at Grey Eagle, 8 p.m.
• Jay Electronica “The Nineteen Day Reconnaissance Tour” at Eulogy, 8 p.m.
• Ty and The Crew at The Radical, 8 p.m.
• Moonshroom at One World Brewing, 9 p.m.

Saturday, March 21:

• Asheville Symphony Masterworks 5: Nightingale at First Baptist Church, 2 p.m.
• "Blithe Spirit" – A Spirited Debut by the Encore Players at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 2 p.m.
• Dungeons and Drafts at Oak and Grist Distilling Company, 3 p.m.
• Marc Ribot at AyurPrana Listening Room, 6 p.m.
• DJ Night with DJ Spunkat at The Radical, 6 p.m.
• moe. Night Two at Orange Peel, 7 p.m.
• All Your Friends at Eulogy, 7 p.m.
• Tiny Beautiful Things at NC Stage, 7:30 p.m.
• Asheville Symphony Masterworks 5: Nightingale at First Baptist Church, 8 p.m.
• John McCutcheon at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m.
• Mason Jennings at Grey Eagle, 8 p.m.
• DJ Night with DJ Cole at The Radical, 8 p.m.
• Sons of Paradise, Dale and the ZDubs, Mellodose, Rockstead at One World Brewing West, 9 p.m.
• Motion Mode ft. Cpt Hyperdrive & Nomad in the Dark at Nightshade, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 22: 

• Tiny Beautiful Things at NC Stage, 2 p.m.
• Redbud at The Monte Vista Hotel, 2 p.m.
• Suns of Stars at One World Brewing West, 2 p.m.
• Jazz Jam Sundays at Ginger's Revenge, 2:30 p.m.
• Fireside Piano Series at The Stable at The Monte Vista Hotel, 5 p.m.
• Misfit Improv Comedy Show at NC Stage Company, 6 p.m.
• Old Crow Medicine Show at Orange Peel, 7 p.m.
• The West End Theory at One World Brewing West, 7 p.m.
• Drifting Roots with One Culture at One World Brewing West, 7 p.m.
• (Almost) April In Paris at The Monte Vista Hotel, 7:30 p.m.

Tailgate & Specialty Pop-Up Markets

Local Cloth

Shop local at the Asheville area's numerous farmers, tailgate, and holiday markets. Here's a look at some of the markets you can visit this weekend:

• Asheville City Winter Market at 52 North Market St., Sat. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Magical Market at House of Black Cat Magic, Sun. 12 - 6 p.m.
• WNC Farmers Market at 570 Brevard Road, open 7 days a week, year-round, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.    

Visit an art studio or art exhibition 

Asheville is home to hundreds of artists, galleries and studios making creative expression a way of life here in the mountains. Here is a look at some of the current art exhibitions in the city:

• Modern Bestiary: Creatures from the Collection at Asheville Art Museum, through Mar. 25
• "Emerging Artists" Gallery Exhibit at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, through Mar. 27
• Carl Powell: 50 Years of Glass & Photography at Grovewood Gallery, through Apr. 5
• Highwater: Ceramics from the Gail & Brian McCarthy Collection at Asheville Art Museum, through Apr. 26
• Our Changing World at Asheville Museum of Science, through Apr. 30
• Welcome! Art Exhibit at Trackside Studios, though Apr. 30
• NEW: "In Quiet Light: Reflections of Land, Light, and Stillness" at UpMarket Gallery, through Apr. 30
• Dialogue: Lindenfeld + Lindenfeld at Black Mountain College Musuem + Arts Center, through May 9
• Gear Up: The Science of Bikes at Asheville Museum of Science, through May. 14
• Women of the Pacific Northwest at Asheville Art Museum, through May 17
• In A New Light: American Impressionism 1870–1940 at Asheville Art Museum, through Jun. 28
• Artist Open Studio at Artbeat Gallery & Lounge, through Dec. 31

Packages and Deals

Save some money this weekend with these special offers from area attractions and accommodations.

• Add a Free Night on us at Asheville Cabins of Willow Winds
• 25% Off at Bent Creek Lodge for multiple night stays
• Fishing Adventure Package at The Lion and The Rose Bed and Breakfast