This Weekend in Asheville

Prana Mela - 3 Days of Music, Community, Yoga

Friday - Sunday, May 1-3, various times
AyurPrana Listening Room

Take part in a three-day gathering centered on music, wellness, and connection. Enjoy live concerts, yoga and meditation sessions, healing arts, and nourishing food, all designed to create a relaxed atmosphere with opportunities to participate throughout the weekend.

Parlor Fest: A Celebration of Creativity and Story

Friday - Sunday, May 1-3, various times
Story Parlor

Mark four years of Story Parlor with a three-day festival centered on creativity and storytelling. Explore workshops, panels, roundtables, and live performances that bring together artists and writers to share ideas, spark inspiration, and keep the creative momentum going.

In Bloom Fashion Presents: Unlocking Daydreams: The Whole Kit & Caboodle

Friday, May 1, 6:30 - 11 p.m.
The Mule at Devil's Foot Beverage

See fashion take center stage with a runway show featuring 30 local designers and one-of-a-kind handmade looks. Watch standout models bring the designs to life, then shop the collections and stick around for a DJ-fueled dance party.

Bi-Annual Grovewood Village Studio Tour

Saturday - Sunday, May 2-3, 12 - 5 p.m.
Grovewood Village

Step inside working artist studios during this self-guided tour at Grovewood Village. Explore new work, learn about each artist’s process, enjoy a complimentary sip from Metro Wines, and browse the gallery next door with a special discount, all set against the village’s historic backdrop.

Asheville Buskerfest

Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3, 12 - 5 p.m.
Various Locations

Catch the debut of Asheville Buskerfest, a citywide celebration of street performance featuring scheduled acts and spontaneous pop-ups across multiple stages. From Pack Square to the River Arts District, expect music, movement, and surprise performances, plus food trucks and vendors adding to the festive atmosphere.

Recurring Events

Spring at Biltmore

Friday - Sunday, May 1-3, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
North Carolina Arboretum

Spring color is coming alive across Biltmore, with daffodils and tulips greeting visitors and fresh green foliage emerging along the estate’s winding roads and gardens. From blooming pear espaliers and vibrant pattern beds to flowering shrubs like forsythia and viburnum, each corner reveals new bursts of color.

Spring Into The Arb!

Friday - Sunday, May 1-3, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
North Carolina Arboretum

Spring is a time of renewal and emergence, and The North Carolina Arboretum is excited to welcome this season with plant shows, nature programs, education, music, and art.

Live Music, Comedy, Dance and Theatre

Asheville Yards

Friday, May 1:

• Morgan Bevis of Shed Bugs at Grey Eagle, 5:30 p.m.
• Asheville Drum Circle at Pritchard Park, 6 p.m.
• Sit a Spell |Traditional Music Jam at Ginger's Revenge, 6 p.m.
• Karaoke Night at Turgua Brewing, 6 p.m.
• Stewart/Owen Dance + Guests at Wortham Center for the Perfoming Arts, 7 p.m.
• Jake Worthington at Orange Peel, 7 p.m.
• Old Sap Live on The Patio at The Whale, 7 p.m.
• No Child… at NC Stage Company, 7:30 p.m.
• Hello, Dolly! at Asheville Community Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
• Purification at Be Be Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
• Bill Mattocks Blues at White Horse Black Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
• An Evening With Chris Smither at Grey Eagle, 8 p.m.
• Live Music - Ulisse Rotolo & Timothy Kelley at The Radical, 8 p.m.
• Flyte at Eulogy , 8 p.m.
• All Crawfish Go to Heaven at Jack of the Wood, 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 2:

• Purification at Be Be Theatre, 2 p.m.
• Hello, Dolly! at Asheville Community Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
• The Still Not Okay Tour at Orange Peel, 6 p.m.
• Asheville Community Square Dance at Haw Creek Commons, 7 p.m.
• Stewart/Owen Dance + Guests at Wortham Center for the Perfoming Arts, 7 p.m.
• No Child… at NC Stage Company, 7:30 p.m.
• CLUTCH w/ Corrosion Of Conformity and JD Pinkus at Orange Peel, 7:30 p.m
• Ani DiFranco w/ Special Guest Valerie June at Asheville Yards, 8 p.m.
• The Nude Party at Grey Eagle, 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 3: 

• No Child… at NC Stage Company, 2 p.m.
• Purification at Be Be Theatre, 2 p.m.
• Suns of Stars at One World Brewing West, 2 p.m.
• Hello, Dolly! at Asheville Community Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
• Jazz Jam Sundays at Ginger's Revenge, 2:30 p.m.
• Cass McCombs + Band: Interior Live Oak Live at Grey Eagle, 8 p.m.

Tailgate & Specialty Pop-Up Markets

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

• Growing in the Mountains Plant and Art Sale at WNC Farmers Market, Fri. - Sun.
• First Friday - Art Folk Craft Pop-Up at Lexington Glassworks, Fri. 5 - 7 p.m.
• Asheville City Market at 52 North Market St., Sat. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• LoCol Market at The Local Collective, Sat. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Ujamaa Marketplace at South Park Square, Sat. 10 a.m. - 3 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:

• Anastasiia Avramchuk: The Garden of Quiet Resistance exhibition at Pink Dog Creative, through May 3
• 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
• NEW: "Pure Flora" Botanical Art Exhibition | Art in Bloom 20th Anniversary Prelude at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, through May 22
• NEW: Tamie Beldue: Light Shadows at blue spiral 1, through Jun. 24
• NEW: Christine Kosiba and Peggy Root: Into the Wild at blue spiral 1, through Jun. 24
• In A New Light: American Impressionism 1870–1940 at Asheville Art Museum, through Jun. 28
• Electric Garden: An All-Ages Interactive Art Installation at Third Room, through Sept. 20
• Luminere at Biltmore, through Oct. 18
• 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.

• Blue Ghost Fireflies — A Once-a-Year Encounter at Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast
• 5% Off Mobile Massage at Namaste in Nature
• Buy 4 Nights, Get 5 Nights Special at Carolina Mornings Luxury Vacation Rentals