This Weekend in Asheville

Point Lookout Trail

AVL Sounds Fest

Friday - Sunday, August 7 - 9, various times
Multiple Venues

Experience Asheville's biggest music weekend as AVL Sounds Fest fills 17 venues with more than 200 artists spanning rock, jazz, hip-hop, Americana, funk, and beyond. The citywide festival pairs nationally acclaimed headliners with emerging talent while supporting ongoing Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.

The 18th Annual Asheville Comedy Festival

Friday - Sunday, August 7 - 9, various times
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

Catch the next generation of stand-up stars at the Asheville Comedy Festival, where rising comedians share the stage with nationally recognized headliners. Now in its 18th year, this multi-day festival has become one of the Southeast's premier showcases for live comedy. Headliners include Chris Porter and Tom Rhodes.

Sourwood Festival

Saturday - Sunday, August 8 - 9, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Downtown Black Mountain

Sweeten your summer with a trip to the Sourwood Festival. Browse local artisans, sample sourwood honey, and enjoy one of Western North Carolina's signature summer traditions.

United for Youth Block Party

Friday, August 7, 5 - 8 p.m.
Pack Square Park

Bring the whole family to this free neighborhood block party filled with activities, entertainment, and opportunities to connect with local organizations supporting area youth.

Shindig on the Green

Saturday, August 8, 7 - 10 p.m.
Pack Square Park

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and settle in for one of Asheville's longest-running summer traditions. Shindig on the Green fills Pack Square Park with Southern Appalachian music, dance, storytelling, and informal jam sessions, inviting visitors to experience the region's heritage on a mountain summer evening.

Recurring Events

Luminere

Friday - Sunday, August 7 - 9, 4:30 p.m. - Nightfall
Biltmore

Experience Biltmore after dark as light, sound, and storytelling transform the estate into an immersive nighttime spectacle. Wander through illuminated gardens, glowing landscapes, and atmospheric installations that reveal a completely different side of America’s Largest Home.

Live Music, Comedy, Dance and Theatre

Asheville Yards

Friday, August 7:

• Alice in Wonderland Jr. at Asheville Community Theatre, 3 p.m.
• Asheville Drum Circle at Pritchard Park, 6 p.m.
• Sit a Spell |Traditional Music Jam at Ginger's Revenge, 6 p.m.
• Sunset Series - Live Music at Hemingway's Cuba, 6 p.m.
• Asheville Drag Bingo at Hilltop Event Center, 7 p.m.
• Trap Duo + Hillhillhill Trio at Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, 7 p.m.
• Esaze: David LaMotte & Chinobay at White Horse Black Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
• Adesto Theatre Presents: Improvised Star Trek at NC Stage Company, 7:30 p.m.
• The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel at Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 7:30 p.m.
• Justin Ray Quartet at Hotel Eve, 8 p.m.

Saturday, August 8:

• Alice in Wonderland Jr. at Asheville Community Theatre, 3 p.m.
• Jerry Gaff - Live Music at Turgua Brewing, 5 p.m.
• DJ Night with DJ Traveling with Jericho at The Radical, 6 p.m.
• Mixed Company | A Night of Improv Comedy at Ginger's Revenge, 7 p.m.
• Iggy at Bear's Back Alley Bar, 7 p.m.
• PyYLETRIBE at White Horse Black Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
• Graciela Serena at Vintage Kava, 8 p.m.
• Danny Iannucci Quartet at Hotel Eve, 8 p.m.
• Miami Nights - Latin Dance at Hemingway's Cuba, 8 p.m.
• Haviken Hayes All Vinyl DJ Set at Joyful Noise, 9 p.m.
• Hot & H*rny Comedy: Summer Nights at RAD Brewing, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 9: 

• Jazz Brunch at French Broad River Brewery, 11:30 a.m.
• Suns of Stars at One World Brewing West, 2 p.m.
• Jazz Jam Sundays at Ginger's Revenge, 2:30 p.m.
• Asheville Comedy Night At LaZoom Room, 6 p.m.
• Tunes from the Heartland at the Asheville Art Museum, 6:30 p.m.
• John Mulaney: Mister Whatever at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, 7 p.m.
• Asheville Jazz Orchestra at White Horse Black Mountain, 7:30 p.m.

Tailgate & Specialty Pop-Up Markets

Lexington Glassworks

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:

• Asheville City Market at 52 North Market St., Sat. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Second Saturday Salons at Jeffrey Burroughs, Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Swannanoa Market at The Hub, Sat. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Hominy Gatherin' Market at Ruby Ranch, Sun. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Market on The Roof at The Roof, Sun. 3 - 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 

Blue Spiral 1 Gallery

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:

• First Friday Art Walk in Downtown Asheville, Fri. 5 - 8 p.m.
• Opening reception: Martin Pasco: The French Broad River and It's Changing Moods at Capital Club of Asheville, Fri. 5 - 8 p.m.
• Opening reception: Figure & Form at Resurrection Studios Collective, Fri. 5 - 9 p.m.
• Opening reception: Lonestar Sate of Mind at American Folk Art & Framing, Fri. 5 - 8 p.m.
• Opening reception: Carbon/Chroma at Mark Bettis Studios, Sat. 5 - 7 p.m.
• Second Saturday: Artist Talks in River Arts District , Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Tema Stauffer: Wonderlands at RAMP Studios, through Aug. 22
• Peter Olson & Issac Payne at Blue Spiral 1, through Aug. 26
• Reflections: A Glass Exhibition at Blue Spiral 1, through Aug. 26 
• Michael Fitts at Blue Spiral 1, through Aug. 26
• NEW: Lonestar Sate of Mind at American Folk Art & Framing, through Aug. 26
• Black Mountain COLL(A)GE at Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, through Sep. 5
• Electric Garden: An All-Ages Interactive Art Installation at Third Room, through Sept. 20
• Common Ground Rising Group Exhibition at Pink Dog Creative, 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 Select Room: Summer Escape Special at Albermarle Inn
• Adult Summer Camp Package at Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins
• $20 Concert Credit at Oakland Cottage