Your Guide To: Summer Events in and around Asheville
This is your guide to: The Best Summer Events in and around Asheville, North Carolina
Looking for things to do this summer in Asheville? We’ve rounded up the best festivals and special events from June 27 - September 22 happening in Asheville and within a 2-hour radius. ⤵️
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1. ArtPlay
Instagram: @artplaystudionc
Location: 372 Depot St Suite 44, Asheville, NC
Unleash your inner artist at ArtPlay! Creativity for all ages. Friday night PLAYDATES with local artists, Saturday morning classes, Community Open Studio on weekends + more! You'll find no shortage of creative inspiration in this beautiful studio space located in the River Arts District. Come Play!
Summer Event Schedule:
Community Open Studio: weekends 1-3 pm
7/01 5:30-8:00 PM PLAYDATE: Introduction to Encaustics Friday w/ artist Michelle Hamilton
7/02 10am-Noon Introduction to Zentangles: w/ art-therapist Ann Marie Kilpatrick
7/09 & 7/10 WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Cold Wax & Oils – Works on Paper with artist Liz Hosier
7/16 10 am- 1pm Meditation. Mantra. Clay: A Journey to Self-Alchemy ~ w/ art-therapist Ella Dufrene
7/15 5:30-7:30pm PLAYDATE: Generative Gellis ~ w/ artist Lauren Kennedy
7/22 5:30-7:30 pm PLAYDATE: Introduction to Zine-Making w/ artist Katie Gebely
7/23 10 am- noon Slow Sew: the Art of Visible Mending w/ artist Lauren Kennedy
2. Brews & Bears Summer Event Series
Instagram: @wncnaturecenter
Location: 75 Gashes Creek Rd, Asheville, NC
Brews and Bears is an after-hours summer event series where you can enjoy the WNC Nature Center in the evening with a beer or cider in hand. There are also food vendors and educational programming, along with popsicle enrichment for black bears Uno and Ursa!
Brews & Bears happens the second Friday of the month on July 8, and August 12, from 5:30 to 8 pm.
3. Doggies At The Diamond
Instagram: @ashevilletourists
Location: 30 Buchanan Pl, Asheville, NC
On July 27 at 6:35pm bring your pup to the Asheville Tourists Baseball Game! All dogs welcome, thanks to our friends at Patton Ave. Pet Co.
4. ArborEvenings
Instagram: @thencarboretum
Location: 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC
Sip and stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens and experience our Wild Art outdoor sculpture showcase in the glow of the golden hour, all while listening to live music from a variety of local and regional artists! ArborEvenings runs Thursdays and most Fridays through September 30, 2022 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. ArborEvenings will not take place on Friday, July 8 or Friday, September 16. Leashed dogs welcome!
5. Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Instagram: @greatsmokymtnnsrr
Location: 45 Mitchell St, Bryson City, NC
“Shine and Dine” on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad now until the end of October! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas! Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine.
6. Cruise Then Booze
Instagram: @headwaters_outfitters & @oskarblueswnc
Location: 342 Mountain Industrial Dr, Brevard, NC
Every Friday Evening June - August
Start your summer evenings off right with a 2-hour paddle trip down the French Broad and end at Oskar Blues Brewery for a cold craft beer (drinks not included in cost). Headwaters Outfitters will meet you at Oskar Blues Brewery at 4:30 pm with your boats, life-jackets, and paddles. Reservations Required, Call Headwaters Outfitters or get tickets on Facebook.
7. Hot Nights, Cool Rides Car Show
Instagram: @exploreforestcity
Location: Main St, Forest City, NC
August 20, 2022 9:00 am-10:00 pm
One of the largest car shows in the Southeast! Join us for the 30th Anniversary of Hot Nights Cool Rides on Main Street. From custom-built "Rat Rods" to luxurious Lamborghinis, this 400+ vehicle car, truck and motorcycle show takes over downtown Forest City for the entire day. Thousands of spectators come out to enjoy the automotive eye candy, live music, food, vendors, and more.
8. 13th Annual Dirty Dancing Festival
Facebook: @dirtydancingfestival
Location: Keeter Field, Lake Lure, NC
Saturday, September 10th, 2022
This is a one-day celebration of one of the world’s most treasured pop-culture films. It will feature dance lessons, movie performance dances by a professional dance company, live bands playing soul-filled hits from the 1960s, a variety of artisan vendors, food trucks, the alcohol garden with our local vineyards and breweries, selfie portraits from movie scenes, and the renowned Lake Lift Competition, where daring couples test their re-enactment skills of Baby and Johnny’s iconic water scene. We will punctuate the evening featuring the film screening under the stars.
9. 2022 Railroad Heritage Weekend at Tweetsie
Instagram: @tweetsierr
Location: 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock, NC
August 27 & 28, 2022
This is an annual event that celebrates the rich history of the railroad. This event features a “double header,” where both Tweetsie locomotives pull the cars at the same time. There is also the opportunity to photograph the double header from multiple viewpoints along the track. For a $5 donation towards supporting East Tennessee and Western North Carolina railroad preservation projects, a ticket can be purchased to ride in a vintage 1870s coach car.
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