Asheville Events: Brewgrass Festival this Weekend

September 19, 2015    Brewgrass Festival    Brewgrass Festival   50 American breweries gather to showcase a diverse assortment of national and regional craft beers. The live entertainment this year includes a great lineup of national and regional bluegrass musicians that includes Jeff Austin Band, Truth & Salvage Co., Big Daddy Love, and Packway Handle Band.

The Brewgrass Festival began in 1996 and is Western North Carolina’s original craft beer festival. Today, North Carolina  boasts over 100 breweries and brewpubs, and Asheville NC has become a  beer-lovers destination selected as  “Beer City USA” four years in a row.

Brewgrass  has always showcased some of the most in-demand and exciting brewers in the region. The event also features a variety of area food vendors and plenty of water. 

The beer festival is held from 1 - 7 PM at Asheville's Memorial Stadium. Get advance tickets online  HERE.

Carolina Mountain Ribfest this Weekend

July 12 - 14    Carolina Mountain Ribfest   World Class professional barbecue rib vendors from across the country, plus live entertainment, amusement rides, arts and crafts and more. Enjoy mouth watering, award winning BBQ Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork and Chicken, with all the traditional side dishes. This year Ribest 2013 celebrate the seventh year at the Western North Carolina Fairgrounds. The festival features competing barbeque Chefs from all over the country. They will be serving mouth watering, award winning BBQ Ribs, Chicken, Brisket, and Pulled Pork with all the traditional side dishes. A variety of scrumptious desserts and specialty comfort foods will also be available.

The festival is packed with fun for the whole family including a full schedule of top name live entertainment daily featuring national, regional and local acts. There's more action with the Ribfest Karaoke Challenge, Piggy's Kids Fun Zone, The Ribfest Arts & Crafts , Commercial Exhibits and the Custom and Classic Car Show (Sun.11am-3pm).

There is a covered rain or shine Dining Area and More. Bring your lawn chairs and beach blankets and spend the entire day.

Ooh La La Curiosity Market Today in Asheville

July 6   Ooh La La Curiosity Market;   An outdoor market in Pritchard Park featuring works by local painters, leather smiths, jewelry makers, potters ,up-cycled crafters, and other curious delights, all beneath the colored canopies of large market umbrellas. In addition to the artists, the market will also feature live local music with up three musical acts performing each Saturday and will include everything from a solo saxophonist to folk, blues, acoustic, and jazz acts.

Art in Autumn in Downtown Weaverville

September 15   Art in Autumn  Over 100 juried artists and craftspeople, as well as an exciting array of food and live music. The third annual Art in Autumn festival brings a lively celebration of community and fine art to the Main Street of the 'Mayberry-esque' town of Weaverville NC, just 10 minutes north of Asheville.

Dog Day Afternoon Festival

August 18   Dog Day Afternoon Festival at Carrier Park   The event kicks off at 10:30 AM with a dog-friendly fun run sponsored by Dr. Kani Nicolls, around Carrier Park and will continue until 4 PM with two bands, dog contests including a Weiner Dog race, "Best Heinz 57", "Most Ear- resistible" and the Fastest Dog in Asheville Competition.

The Companion Dog Training School will also host an agility course and offer training tips for dog owners.  The festival will feature a large cooling tent as well as doggie pools to keep both dogs and humans beat the heat

Get a link for the Dog Day Afternoon Festival and other Asheville events and festivals on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Asheville's Bele Chere Festival a Top Southeast Street Festival

July 27-29   Bele Chere Festival   This lively Asheville weekend event is the largest free outdoor street festival in the Southeast. The three-day festival on the streets of Downtown Asheville features live, original music all day and night for 200,000 festival-goers.

Bele Chere means "beautiful living" and comes from an ancient Scottish dialect. Bele Chere offers the unique opportunity to see, taste and hear some of the region's finest art, cuisine and music.

Visual arts at the festival are displayed at the Art Park as well as throughout the Festival grounds.  The Arts Park features some of the best artists of Bele Chere, exhibiting jewelry, photography, pottery, woodwork, paintings, and metalwork. All items sold in the Arts Park are handmade. Visit the selected artists in the Drhumor and Asheville Savings Bank lots on Patton Avenue between Church Street and Lexington Avenue.

This year's musical line-up includes Antique Firearms, an indie rock band;  ArtOfficial, eschewing the simple magic of beat machines and samples for the irreplaceable warmth of organic instrumentation, and a meticulous care for crafting music with soul;  Baby Rattlesnakes, equal parts soulful jazz, appalachian folk, and catchy pop;  Balsalm Range, a blend of jazz - bluegrass - country and gospel;  and dozens of other original and renowned musicians.

Food and Beverages at the Festival go WAY beyond the usual over-warmed wieners. Experience Foodtopia at the Taste of Asheville in Pack Square. The Taste of Asheville features local restaurants, showcasing a sampling of some of the best cuisine in Asheville, from The Corner Kitchen and the Lobster Trap to Ultimate Ice Cream and Glam Ham Pork Rinds. Pritchard Park Food Court Vendors offer both traditional festival fare along with taste treats from the Amish Baking Co., Party in a Pita, Sherri's Crab Cakes, Steak Boys Inc., Tropical Delights and dozens more.  Beverage booths are located throughout the festival for a pause to refresh with water, soft drinks, beer and wine as well as microbrews from most of Asheville's acclaimed craft brewers.

Additional Bele Chere Festival activities include: The Purina Air Dogs;  The Kids area with a a mix of crafts, rides, and performances;  Easel Rider - Asheville’s Mobile Art Lab;  Nonprofit Booths such as Hats for Humanity;  KISS Country Karaoke to sing your favorite country song; The 33rd Bele Chere 5K hosted by the Asheville Track Club;  Asheville's Urban Trail and Public Art.