Goombay Festival brings culture and celebration to Asheville
The Goombay Festival returned to Pack Square Park on Sept. 5, 2025, showcasing music, dance, food, and cultural traditions in downtown Asheville.
ASHEVILLE – Make this a memorable year full of music, dancing, laughter and the best bites and sips, shared with family, friends and neighbors.
Asheville’s 2026 festival season features cultural celebrations honoring Appalachia and its communities, international entertainers performing alongside local music stars, and tasting experiences rich in craft beverages and artisan dishes.
Each week brings new experiences and time-honored traditions. Here are several upcoming festivals slated for this spring, summer and early fall that are sure to entertain, educate and enlighten.
Downtown After 5
June 19 is the next date of the Asheville Downtown Association’s annual concert series, Downtown After 5, hosted from 5-9 p.m. at Pack Square Park, 8- Court Plaza. In honor of Juneteenth, the event will celebrate Black culture and community, with music performances by opening acts Reggie Headen and the Nite Time Noon and headliner Kanika Moore. Food, beverage and marketplace arts and crafts vendors will have goods for sale. Proceeds from the June event will be donated to the MLK Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County to support programs that honor Dr. King’s legacy through education, service, and community engagement. Save the date for the next Downtown After 5 event: The Mardi Gras-themed New Orleans Night from 5-10 p.m. Aug. 21. Admission is free. ashevilledowntown.org
Independence Day Block Party
The streets of the South Slope brewing district will close down for the Asheville Downtown Association’s annual communitywide Independence Day Block Party on July 4. The festivities will begin at noon and end with fireworks after dark. Stop by Asheville Yards, an open air event venue, from noon-9 p.m. to see various performances on the main music stage, and catch more live entertainment from 5-9:30 p.m. at the Banks and Buxton Avenues intersection. A marketplace and food vendors will be posted throughout the district. And get ready to be impressed at the Coxe Avenue Car Show, rolling south of Buxton Avenue. ashevilledowntown.org
Heritage Fire Tour
Heritage Fire Tour, a touring culinary festival hosted by a21, celebrating open-flame cooking, heritage ingredients and local chefs and restaurants, will return on July 19 at a new venue, Pisgah Brewing Co., 2948 US-70 in Black Mountain. Festivalgoers will sample dishes and vote for their favorite bite, with the vendor who receives the most votes crowned Heritage Hero. The ages 21 and up outdoor event costs $109 per person, which includes unlimited tastings, curated beverage samples and live entertainment from 4:15-7 p.m. The early entry ticket, admitting guests at 3:30 p.m., costs $159 per person and includes full access to general admissions offerings, plus exclusive premium beverage tastings. See which chefs will be cooking at the Asheville festival at toursbya21.com/city/asheville-nc.
Shindig on the Green
Brush off your clogging shoes and dance down to Pack Square Park for the Folk Heritage Committee’s 60th annual Shindig on the Green, scheduled from 7-10 p.m. on multiple dates this summer: July 11, 18 and 25 and Aug. 8, 15, 22 and 29. The event, celebration of mountain traditions, will feature live music by The Stoney Creek Boys, bluegrass and old-time string bands, Big Circle Mountain Dancers, clog dancers, smooth dancers, ballad singers and storytellers. Concessions will be sold. Festivalgoers are encouraged to bring instruments, chairs and blankets to enjoy an evening of stage performances and informal jam sessions. Admission is free. folkheritage.org
99th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival
The 99th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, hosted by the Folk Heritage Committee, will run from July 30-Aug. 1 in the Auditorium at Asheville High School, 419 McDowell St. The show’s lineup features Southern Appalachian traditional music, dancing and storytelling from more than 40 acts. Admission is $20 for adults, $20 for students/children, and $5 for children ages 6-12. A three-night package costs $55. Tickets for groups of 10 people or more cost $15 each. folkheritage.org
AVL Sounds Fest
Let the music lead you from venue to venue at the AVL Sounds Fest, formerly AVL Fest, from Aug. 9. More than 150 local, national and global music artists will perform across more than 15 indoor and outdoor stages in the city. Dr. Dog and Preservation Hall Jazz Band will be the event’s headliners. The event is a collaboration between Worthwhile Sounds and Wicked Weed Brewing. A weekend pass costs $135.75. View the lineup at avlsoundsfest.com.
Asheville Comedy Festival
A weekend of laughs is coming Aug. 6-8 at the 18th annual Asheville Comedy Festival, hosted at the Wortham Center for the Arts. More than 30 comedians from across the nation, including headliner and comedy legend Tom Rhodes, will perform. Ticket sales to open this summer. Apply to perform at ashevillecomedyfestival.com.
Boomtown Arts & Heritage FestAVL
The summer will wind down with the 3rd annual Boomtown Arts & Heritage FestAVL, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-6 at Pack Square Park. On Sept. 6, the celebration will include Asheville Symphony in the Park and The Big Secret. Artists, musicians, and storytellers will perform on the main stage, along with interactive workshops, heritage exhibits and trail tours highlighting “Asheville’s architectural marvels, pioneering figures and stories of resilience.” Admission is free. boomtownfestavl.com
Goombay Festival
The YMI Cultural Center’s annual Goombay Festival will be Sept. 11-13, celebrating Pan-African and Black Appalachian culture, connections and community. Details to be announced about the festival at Pack Square Park and weekend events at YMI Cultural Center at ymiculturalcenter.org/goombay.
Beer City music and more
If you’re looking for more music and fun, head to these local craft breweries’ festivals:
- Burial Beer’s 13th anniversary concert will bring the feel of a music festival to its Forestry Camp campus. Headliners Local Natives will be joined by Wild Nothing and Pink Beds at 6 p.m. June 20 at 10 Shady Oak Drive, with plenty of craft beer pouring throughout the evening. Tickets begin at $57; purchase at burialbeer.com.
- French Broad River Brewery Outdoor Concert Series, featuring all-ages and multi-genre shows, runs through September at 101 Fairview Road in Biltmore Village. Purchase tickets and learn more about the artists at frenchbroadbrewery.com.
- Highland Brewing is in full musical swing in The Meadow, 12 Old Charlotte Highway. See the lineup of all ages events at highlandbrewing.com.
- New Belgium Brewing’s calendar features Friday night live music and Sunset Sessions deejay sets on Saturdays. See what’s coming up at newbelgium.com.
- Sierra Nevada’s Amphitheatre is heating up with more outdoor concerts on the horizon at 100 Sierra Nevada Way in Fletcher. The Hazy Hideaway, its music and arts festival, is scheduled for Aug. 21-22, with tickets beginning at $99 for a single day and $179 for both days. Headliner Phantogram will be joined by more than a dozen more live and deejayed music acts over the weekend. Tickets go on sale June 3; purchase at sierranevada.com.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Co., covering the food and beverage industry, including the James Beard Awards, Michelin Guide, restaurant openings, closings and other hospitality industry news and events.
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