Late January

Annual Big Band/Swing Dance Weekend

828-252-2711

Bring your dancing shoes to The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa and hit the dance floor with two nights of great music, morning dance instruction, an afternoon tea dance and enough Big Band melodies to satisfy any enthusiast.

Usually late January, call for exact dates

Late February

Annual Arts & Crafts Antique Show and Conference

Phone: 828-252-2711

Crafts Antique Show featuring dealers from across the country displaying furniture, pottery and metal ware.

Usually late February, call for exact dates

March - April

Annual Heritage Ballroom Dance Sport Championships

Phone: 828-252-2711

Dance competition organized by Australian dance champions.

Usually in March; call for exact dates

Victorian Easter Celebration

Phone: 828-253-9231

Admission Charged

Easter baskets, old-fashioned bunnies and chicks, hand-painted eggs, spring flowers, and period-inspired decorations create the authentic feel of a Victorian Easter celebration throughout the circa 1840 Smith-McDowell House.

Event held annually during Easter season

May

Spring on the Mountain: Wildflowers of Grandfather Mountain

Phone: 828-733-4337

US 221 & Blue Ridge Pkwy. Linville (75 miles from Asheville), NC

Programs and activities focused on the wildflowers of Grandfather Mountain.

Admission included with admission to Park

Spring, around early May

Heritage Alive! Festival

Phone: 828-253-9231

Honor the past with living history encampments from the French and Indian War to World War I, heritage craft sales and demonstrations, mountain music, special exhibits, and award winning barbeque.

Late May

June

Downtown After Five Pack Square Asheville, NC

Phone: 828-251-9973

Admission Free

Called "the best old-fashioned block party you can imagine," Downtown After Five features live music until 9:30 p.m. and food and beverages sold by local vendors. Events are held in downtown Asheville's Pack Square the third Friday of each month from June through September.

Annual "Singing on the Mountain" at Grandfather Mountain

Phone: 828-733-2013

US 221 & Blue Ridge Pkwy. Linville (75 miles from Asheville), NC

Admission Free

Free, all-day gospel sing, church bazaar, and dinner-on-the-grounds held in MacRae Meadows.

July

Bele Chere Festival Downtown Asheville, NC

Phone: 828-259-5800

Admission Free

The Southeast's biggest free street festival features nine stages of great music, three food courts, children's area and a full spectrum of the finest handmade arts and crafts. Usually held in late July in downtown Asheville.

Annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games & Gathering of the Scottish Clans

Phone: 828-733-1333

US 221 & Blue Ridge Pkwy. Linville (75 miles from Asheville), NC

Admission Charged

Over 100 Scottish clans and societies sponsor this celebration of Scottish dance, music and athletics.

July - August

Shindig on the Green City/County Plaza, Downtown Asheville Asheville, NC 28801

Phone: 828-258-6101

Admission Free

Hours:  Open Mon.-Sat. 9:30a.m.-3:30p.m., Sun. 12:30-3:30

Saturday nights at downtown Asheville's City/County Plaza turn into evenings full of toe-tapping and hand-clapping during this summer-long festival celebrating Western North Carolina's unique heritage of bluegrass music and mountain dance.

Usually held Early July through late August

November – December

Candlelight Christmas Evenings at Biltmore Estate Sponsor/Location: Biltmore Estate

Toll Free: 800-543-2961

Admission Charged

Candlelight Christmas Evenings capture the magic of the holidays with candlelight and firelight, tinsel and glass ornaments, and choirs and musicians that fill the house with good cheer.

Early November – Early January

National Gingerbread House Competition

290 Macon Avenue Asheville, NC 28804

Phone: 828-252-2711

See more than 20 gingerbread works of art from all over the country at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. Houses will be on display throughout the holiday season.

From I-26 or I-40, take I-240 into Asheville. Take exit 5B, Charlotte Street. Proceed north on Charlotte Street for approximately 1.3 miles. Turn right on Macon Avenue and continue for .8 mile. The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa entrance will be to your left.

Early November – Early January

Annual "Singing on the Mountain" at Grandfather Mountain

Phone: 828-733-2013

US 221 & Blue Ridge Pkwy. Linville (75 miles from Asheville), NC

Admission Free

Free, all-day gospel sing, church bazaar, and dinner-on-the-grounds held in MacRae Meadows.

December

Victorian Christmas Celebration

Phone: 828-253-9231

283 Victoria Road Asheville, NC

Admission Charged