Top Fall Festivals & Events in Asheville, NC

Asheville's fall calendar of events features celebrations of crafts, harvest and music. Check out this at-a-glance look at Asheville’s best fall events to help find the fests that suit your style. 

2023 Fall Festivals and Events in Asheville

Chow Chow Culinary Festival
September 7 - 10, 2023 | Various Locations

Celebrate the final weekend of Asheville's beloved Chow Chow culinary festival. This multi-series event includes fun, delicious, immersive, meaningful, and educational programming that celebrates and enriches the unique foodways of Southern Appalachia. 

Downtown After 5
September 15, 2023 | Downtown Asheville

Head to Lexington Avenue downtown and celebrate the final act of Downtown After 5's 35th season, which will feature the musical acts of The Sensational Barnes Brothers and the Alex Krug Combo. Attendees can also enjoy local beers, ciders and seltzers on tap, as well as plenty of local food vendors.

Clawtoberfest
September 16, 2023 | Highland Brewing

Prost, y’all! Clawhammer, Highland Brewing's seasonal Marzen Lager, is back and the brewery is celebrating it’s return with an Oktoberfest style party filled with music, food, games, special small-batch release beers & more! The brewery will be hosting Oktoberfest games like a keg roll, stein hoist, stein race, and even a moustache contest with live music from Lagerhosen and LazrLuvr from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.  

Heritage Day
September 16, 2023 | Folk Art Center

Celebrate Southern Appalachian culture on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Heritage Day at the Folk Art Center. This festival features old-time music and demonstrations of the crafts of yesteryear. Activities include chairmaking, quilting, heirloom apples, sheep shearing, cornshuck dolls, woodcarving, blacksmithing, weaving, stone carving, soap making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, rifle making, natural dyeing and basketry. Don’t Miss the World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition at 2:00 pm!

Asheville Greek Festival
September 22 - 23, 2023  | Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

Explore the sights, sounds (and foods!) of Asheville's Greek community. Participants can pre-order delicious, homemade Greek cuisine and pick up their food at the festival's drive-thru. General admission is $3 for ages 12 and up.

ASAP Farm Tour
September 23 - 24, 2023 | Various Locations

ASAP’s annual Farm Tour is a chance to experience how food is grown and raised in Western North Carolina through guided tours, demonstrations, hands-on activities and tastings. The tour is a family-friendly event and is a great outing for visitors of all ages, abilities, and interests. Passes are $35 in advance and $45 if purchased during the weekend (pending availability).

Asheville Quilt Show
September 28 - September 30, 2023  | WNC Agricultural Center

See more than 300 quilts from around the country. This regional craft fair features over 20 vendors, live demonstrations, a gift shop, silent auction, special exhibits, a kids sewing station, quilts available for purchase, food and more.

Eliada Fall Festival and Corn Maze
September 29 - October 29, 2023  (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only)

Enjoy family fun and make memories all while helping local children! One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Eliada Corn Maze goes towards helping the children at Eliada Home. In addition to the Maze, take a spin on the giant jumping pillow, fire the corn canons or go for a tractor ride.

Oktoberfest Half Marathon & 5K
September 30, 2023 | Hi-Wire Brewing, River Arts District

Grab your lederhosen and lace up your running shoes for the 2nd annual Oktoberfest Half Marathon and 5K. Participants will receive a complimentary beer post-race at Hi-Wire Brewing in the River Arts District. The Oktoberfest Half Marathon & 5k celebrates the season of hops and malts with a beautiful run through the River Arts District (RAD), historic Montford, and West Asheville while also enjoying over 8 miles of greenway. Festive costumes encouraged, but not required!

Flock to the Rock
September 30, 2023 | Chimney Rock

Grab your binoculars and get ready for Chimney Rock Park's annual feathered frenzy. This event was designed so birders of all skill sets can enjoy one of the country’s fastest growing hobbies – bird watching! This family-friendly event features live bird demos, guided walks, activities for kids and an annual hawk watch.

Blue Ride Pride Festival
September 30, 2023 | Downtown Asheville

Y'all means all in Asheville! The Blue Ridge Pride Festival comes together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community through inclusion, entertainment, education, art and more. Held in downtown Asheville, the annual event features a Welcome Parade, musical acts, food and dozens of vendors. 

Haunted Trail at Adventure Center of Asheville

Oct. 6-30, 2023 | Adventure Center of Asheville

For some family spooky fun, take the crew to Adventure Center of Asheville where you can walk the haunted trail filled with live actors, Halloween lights, spooky sounds and funny jokes. You can also check out the aerial glow trails at the treetops adventure park or visit the pirates and mermaids at Pirate Cove. This experience is recommended for children ages 3-13.

Asheville Art in the Park
October 7, 14 & 21, 2023 | Pack Square, Downtown Asheville

Explore and purchase work by some of the finest artists in the region. Asheville Art in the Park takes place on three consecutive Saturdays in downtown Asheville. Some of the local artists who exhibit at these events are nationally-known. Not only can you take home a one-of-a-kind piece, when you make a purchase you'll also be helping to support a local art non-profit organization.

Carolina Cheese Fest
October 8, 2023, 2023 | Oak & Grist, Black Mountain

Experience things all things cheese with demos, workshops and more than 20 food and beverage vendors. This fundraiser for the WNC Cheese Trail, a local non-profit whose mission is to spread the word about Wester North Carolina's cheese industry. 

Asheville Vegan Fest
October 8, 2023 | Pack Square, Downtown Asheville

Asheville is known as one of the nation's best cities for vegans, with plentiful options at local restaurants and strong culture. This outdoor festival celebrates the vegan lifestyle with food trucks, clothing and artisan booths showcasing the best there is on the vegan market. 

Burton Street Community Fair
TBD | West Asheville

The Burton Street Community Association, Hood Huggers International and the City of Asheville will be hosting this long-time African-American agricultural fair in West Asheville's Burton Street community. Celebrate the harvest season with an afternoon full of music, craft vendors, local food and fresh produce!

Black Mountain Home Fall Festival
October 14, 2023 | Black Mountain

Bring your family & friends to the campus of Black Mountain Home for this fall signature event! The festival will feature a silent auction, live music, car show, games for the kids, and so much more!

Burnpile
October 14, 2023 | Burial Beer Company

Burnpile, Burial Beer Co.'s annual music and beer festival returns on Oct. 15, 2022. Hosted at Burial's Forestry Camp facility near Biltmore Village, attendees will enjoy a full-day concert from three musical acts alongside a tasting experience from a diverse lineup of over 50 of the best breweries in the county, and much more.  

Thomas Wolfe 8K
October 14, 2023 | Downtown Asheville

Join us for the 46th running of the Thomas Wolfe 8k, Asheville's oldest running event. The race benefits the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, as well as Read to Succeed Buncombe County/ Asheville. The race starts in front of the old Thomas Wolfe house and runners will wind through downtown to the historic Montford neighborhood, into the Riverside Cemetery past Thomas Wolfe's final resting place before heading back to the house. Registration fee includes a finisher medal, race t-shirt, chip timed race and a beer from Highland Brewing at the post race party in the S&W location after the race.

The Lovely Asheville Annual Fall Festival 

October 14 - 15, 2023 | Pack Square Park

The second annual Lovely Asheville Fall Festival celebrates the beauty and preservation of nature and humanity with two days of live music, including headliners The Hypnotic Band, delicious food, art, family-friendly activities, poetry and more! Come enjoy Asheville during the most picturesque time of year as we embrace the vivid fall colors of the season. 

Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
October 13 - 16, 2023 | Harris Cherokee Center - Asheville

Showcasing the finest artwork of nearly 200 craftspeople from around the region, this four-day festival offers a unique opportunity to watch artists practice their craft in live demonstrations. Live music also helps set the stage for this event, which features work across every medium, including clay, glass, fiber, paper, wood, jewelry, leather and metal.

LEAF Festival
October 19 - 22, 2023 | Lake Eden, Black Mountain

Travel the word -- through music and the arts! Enjoy the 51st anniversary of LEAF through a spirited celebration of our local and global community. Stages are more elaborate with headline performers and global artists. This is the fun filled weekend with activities bursting at the seams that our community has come to know and love.

Carolina CiderFest
October 21, 2023 | McCormick Field

Carolina CiderFest features ample tastings of hard cider, mead and apple wine, along with artisanal food and live music, located in the heart of downtown Asheville.

North Carolina Ceramics Festival
October 28, 2023 | Pack Square, Downtown Asheville

Take a spin at ceramics at this arts celebration. Ceramic artists from across the country gather to explore all genres of ceramics including tilework, sculpture, jewelry, and pottery. The festival includes more than 40 national ceramic art vendors, food trucks and raku demonstrations. 

Beaverdam Studio Tour
October 28 - 29, 2023 | Beaverdam Community, North Asheville

The artists working in Beaverdam Valley—plus 3 guest artists—are excited to welcome visitors to see their work, talk with them, and offer handmade art and craft for sale. Media include ceramics, painting, jewelry, sculpture, textiles, paper art, photography, and more.

Black Mountain Art by the Tracks
October 28, 2023 | Black Mountain, NC

Experience the 25th year of Old Depot's Art Show in downtown Black Mountain, NC. Black Mountain is becoming a center for arts and crafts, antiques and furniture, which attracts tourists from throughout the nation for its unique offerings. Come and enjoy a weekend in Black Mountain and see the many arts and crafts on display.

Catawba White Zombie 5K
October 28, 2023 | Catawba Brewing

Dodge Zombies at the third annual Catawba Brewing White Zombie 5k. Start and finish at the Catawba Brewing South Slope tap room. Weave through three "Zombie Outbreak Zones" on a challenging South Slope course and toast your achievement with a beer at the tap room after the race. Proceeds benefit Beloved Asheville.

River Arts District Annual Studio Stroll
November 11 - 12, 2023 | River Arts District

The Annual Studio Stroll in Asheville's River Arts District is a two-day extravaganza not to be missed. Two FREE trollies will be available on both days to transport guests. Meet Asheville's leading artists in their studios, seek out gallery receptions, enjoy food and drink options, and more!