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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nGoombay Festival brings culture and celebration to Asheville<\/p>\n
The Goombay Festival returned to Pack Square Park on Sept. 5, 2025, showcasing music, dance, food, and cultural traditions in downtown Asheville.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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ASHEVILLE – Make this a memorable year full of music, dancing, laughter and the best bites and sips, shared with family, friends and neighbors.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a><\/p>\n Let the music lead you from venue to venue at the AVL Sounds Fest, formerly AVL Fest<\/a>, 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you’re looking for more music and fun, head to these local craft breweries’ festivals:<\/p>\nDowntown After 5<\/h2>\n
Independence Day Block Party<\/h2>\n
Heritage Fire Tour<\/h2>\n
Shindig on the Green<\/h2>\n
99th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival<\/h2>\n
AVL Sounds Fest<\/h2>\n
Asheville Comedy Festival<\/h2>\n
Boomtown Arts & Heritage FestAVL<\/h2>\n
Goombay Festival<\/h2>\n
Beer City music and more<\/h2>\n
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