What's happening
Concerts, festivals, markets, and community gatherings. Here's what's coming up in the Land of the Sky.
214 events on the calendar
Sorted by date
A three-day vintage-inspired market at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher with vintage goods, original works, handmade items, clothing and seasonal offerings. The event page lists children under 12 as free.
WNC Agricultural Center
9:00 AMTicketed; children under 12 free
Downtown Waynesville lights its Christmas tree on Friday, Nov 20, 2026, 5:30 to 7 p.m., with live music, hot cocoa, cookies and caroling in front of Town Hall.
Downtown Waynesville (Town Hall)
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
A 21+ evening at the WNC Nature Center on Nov. 20 with a Highland Brewing Cold Mountain tasting and a guided after-dark tour of the red and gray wolves.
WNC Nature Center
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Pan Harmonia plays Autumn Winds, French music for flute, bassoon and piano, on Fri, Nov 20 at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church. Doors open at 6:30 PM and music starts at 7. Pay-as-you-can, per Pan Harmonia.
Black Mountain Presbyterian Church
7:00 PMPay-as-you-can, per Pan Harmonia; reservations through its website
North Carolina musician Evan Blackerby and his trio bring what the center calls alt-bluesy Americana to the Gale Jackson Theatre in Black Mountain on Nov 20, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Gale Jackson Theatre, Black Mountain Center for the Arts
7:30 PM$20 in advance, $25 at the door
Die Spitz, the Austin, Texas rock band, plays The Orange Peel in downtown Asheville.
The Orange Peel
8:00 PM
King Buffalo, with L.A. Witch, plays The Grey Eagle on Nov 20, 2026. Doors 7 PM, show 8 PM. The venue lists it as all ages, standing room only.
The Grey Eagle
8:00 PM$31.25
A one-day literary festival in Black Mountain with a local author fair, writing and zine workshops, an audiobook talk and an evening reading with Nathan Ballingrud and Jamieson Ridenhour. Listed as free.
Black Mountain Library
Free
The Marshall Handmade Market runs Nov 21 and 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Marshall High Studios on Blannahassett Island. The organizers list shuttles and a suggested $5 adult fee.
Marshall High Studios
10:00 AM - 5:00 PMSuggested entrance fee $5 per adult; no one turned away for lack of funds
ACT's Studio Series students ages 5-11 perform A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS in 35below, Nov 21-22, 2026.
35below at Asheville Community Theatre
10:30 AM
The Asheville Downtown Association's 80th annual Holiday Parade rolls through downtown Asheville on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 11 am to 2 pm. Free to watch, with the theme "A Vintage Holiday."
Downtown Asheville
11:00 AM - 2:00 PMFree
Pan Harmonia plays Autumn Winds, French music for flute, bassoon and piano, on Sun, Nov 22 at First Presbyterian Church in Asheville. Doors open at 2:30 PM and music starts at 3. Pay-as-you-can, per Pan Harmonia.
First Presbyterian Church
3:00 PMPay-as-you-can, per Pan Harmonia; reservations through its website
Every year
Dates, tickets and tips for Asheville's yearly festivals.
Festival guideMore than a million lights along a one-mile trail at The North Carolina Arboretum, from mid-November into January. How the per-vehicle tickets work, what's on site and how to plan your night.
Festival guideHundreds of edible works of art go on display at the Omni Grove Park Inn every holiday season. When non-guests can visit, what parking costs and how to time your trip.
Festival guideThe Asheville Downtown Association's Oktoberfest pours tastings from more than 20 local breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries, with German food, music and games. How the Prost Pass works and how to plan your afternoon.
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