This Weekend in Asheville

Downtown Asheville

Zelda Fitzgerald Week

Monday - Saturday, May 4-9, various times
Zelda Dearest

Celebrate the spirit of the Jazz Age during Zelda Fitzgerald Week at Zelda Dearest—a weeklong tribute to Zelda's creative legacy and lasting connection to the city.

Throughout the week, a lineup of thoughtfully curated events brings her world into focus, from quiet, reflective moments to lively, late-night celebrations:

• Monday, May 4 | The Ghost in the Garden: A Guided Forum
• Tuesday, May 5 | Whimsical Watercolor Workshop
• Wednesday, May 6 | Zelda Reclaimed: An Evening with
• Thursday, May 7 | To My Dearest: An Immersive Journey through Letters
• Friday, May 8 | Zelda’s Midnight Revelry: The Flapper Party
• Saturday, May 9 | The Ephemeral Garden: A Mystical Soirée

Asheville Improv Festival 2026

Friday - Saturday, May 8-9, various times
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

Catch multiple nights of nonstop improv with shows, workshops, and performances from more than 35 teams from across the country. From short-form and musical improv to unscripted theater, the lineup brings big laughs and quick-thinking comedy to multiple stages, featuring headliners like Baby Wants Candy, Dan O’Connor, Logan Square Improv, and Greg Tavares.

Blue Ghost Firefly Night Hike

Friday - Saturday, May 8-9, 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Location Revealed at Booking

Step into the forest after dark for a guided night hike in search of the elusive Blue Ghost fireflies. This slow-paced, mindful experience blends twilight exploration with sensory awareness, leading to a quiet encounter with one of nature’s most magical light shows on protected private land.

Brews & Bears

Friday, May 8, 5:30 - 8 p.m.
WNC Nature Center

Spend an evening at the Nature Center with this after-hours event featuring live music, drinks, and a chance to see black bears enjoy enrichment up close. Learn how to support wildlife in the region while exploring the park in a relaxed, adults-friendly setting.

Thomas Wolfe’s Buried Lives: A Riverside Cemetery Tour

Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Riverside Cemetery

Explore Riverside Cemetery on a guided tour that blends fact and fiction, highlighting notable Ashevillians and the real-life figures who inspired characters in Thomas Wolfe’s work. Discover the stories behind the names as you walk through one of the city’s most historic landscapes.

World Bonsai Day

Saturday, May 9, 11 - 6 p.m.
North Carolina Arboretum

Mark World Bonsai Day with the seasonal opening of the Bonsai Exhibition Garden as trees return to display for the first time since fall. Enjoy a live bonsai demonstration and connect with experts sharing insights into this intricate art form.

Mother's Day

Sunday, May 10
Mother’s Day is the perfect excuse to slow down and spend time with family. From brunches and tea gatherings to creative outings and spring experiences, there are plenty of ways to make the day feel special. Here's a sampling of the special events happening this weekend:

• Sat. 12 - 2 p.m. Mother's Day Tea at Inn at Amaris Farms
• Sun. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Mother's Day Brunch at Golden Hour
• Sun. 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Mother's Day at Salt Face Mule Brewing (moms enjoy free mini golf)
• Sun. 2 - 4 p.m. Petals & Pours - A Mothers Day Experience at White Horse Black Mountain
• Sun. 5 - 8 p.m. Mother's Day Live Painting, Jazz & Cocktails | Free Entry at Hotel Eve Jazz & Cocktail Lounge

Recurring Events

Spring at Biltmore

Friday - Sunday, May 8-10, 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 8-10, 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

Grey Eagle

Friday, May 8:

• No Child… at NC Stage Company, 2 p.m.
• Zelda’s Midnight Revelry: An Immersive Jazz Age Celebration at Zelda Dearest, 5 p.m.
• PATIO SHOW: Wheelwright 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.
• Arcy Drive at Orange Peel, 7 p.m.
• Asheville Choral Society at Central United Methodist Church of Asheville, 7 p.m.
• "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.
• Rug Church x White Reaper at Eulogy, 8 p.m.
• Live Music - Melissa McKinney at The Radical, 8 p.m.
• Don't Tell Comedy South Slope Asheville at Wicked Weed Funkatorium, 8 p.m.
• Live Dead & Brothers: An All-Star Celebration of Grateful Dead & Allman Brothers at Grey Eagle, 8 p.m.
• MegaWish [90s Grunge] in the Showroom at Fitz and the Wolfe, 8 p.m.
• Desert Dwellers w/ Somatoast, Living Light & Dobarae at Third Room, 8:30 p.m.
• Bedside Lights — Juan Holladay EP Release Party at Nightshade, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 9:

• The Deep Shallow Band at Sierra Nevada Brewing, 2 p.m.
• FREE PATIO SHOW: Stephen Evans & The True Grits at Grey Eagle, 2 p.m.
• ‘Preciate the Parents Party at Sweeten Creek Brewing, 3 p.m.
• Asheville Choral Society at Central United Methodist Church of Asheville, 4 p.m.
• Rocky Collin at Turgua Brewing, 5 p.m.
• Eyes Up Here Comedy: Mother's Day Edition at Ginger's Revenge, 7 p.m.
• No Child… at NC Stage Company, 7:30 p.m.
• "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.
• Deep River Prime Country & Yacht Rock at White Horse Black Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
• An Evening with Tanasi – Album Release Celebration ft. Billy Cardine, Mary Lucey at Grey Eagle, 8 p.m.
• Tanner Burch & the Hill Hippies in the Showroom at Fitz and the Wolfe, 8 p.m.
• House of Heavy at Revival Asheville, 8 p.m.
• Auraum Live at Vintage Kava, 8 p.m.
• Micah Thomas Trio in the Palm Room at Fitz and the Wolfe, 9 p.m.
• Sultry Bass Sessions ft. Sylík, Reality & Plume at Nightshade, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 10: 

• Sunday Sounds at the Funkatorium, 1 p.m.
• No Child… at NC Stage Company, 2 p.m.
• FREE PATIO SHOW: Stella Hansen at Grey Eagle, 2 p.m.
• Suns of Stars at One World Brewing West, 2 p.m.
• Alex Krug Combo at Sierra Nevada Brewing, 2 p.m.
• Purification at Be Be Theatre, 2 p.m.
• "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 2 p.m.
• Jazz Jam Sundays at Ginger's Revenge, 2:30 p.m.
• Infamous Hollman Sisters at White Horse Black Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
• Bella White at Grey Eagle, 8 p.m.
• Spoonbill w/special guests at Third Room, 9 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:

• Art Garden Grand Re-Opening - browse 40+ artists, plants, & workshops at Art Garden Asheville, Fri - Sun, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Kenilworth Forest Neighborhood Yard Sale! at White Pine Dr., Sat. 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Asheville City Market at 52 North Market St., Sat. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Swannanoa Market at The Hub, Sat. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Second Saturday Salons at Jeffrey Burroughs, Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Rooted in Love: A Mother’s Day Weekend Benefit Market at Turgua Brewing, Sat. 12 - 5 p.m.
• Artifact Handmade Mother’s Day Market at Wedge Brewery at Foundation, Sun. 12 - 5 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:

• 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
• "Pure Flora" Botanical Art Exhibition | Art in Bloom 20th Anniversary Prelude at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, through May 22
• NEW: 14th Annual Face Jug Show at American Folk Art & Framing, through May 27
• Tamie Beldue: Light Shadows at blue spiral 1, through Jun. 24
• Christine Kosiba and Peggy Root: Into the Wild at blue spiral 1, through Jun. 24
• NEW: Off Script 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.

• 10% off four or more nights at Bent Creek Lodge
• Military Discounts at Asheville Cabins of Willow Winds
• 20% off all Food items from 5-6pm every Sunday at Jargon