15 Festivals and Events in Asheville During 2022

Asheville may be the most happening place in Western North Carolina. The epicenter of our mountain culture, Asheville offers a thriving entertainment scene and access to the mountain amenities. Beer City USA has hundreds of options for dining, a reputation for excellent arts and music, and plenty of retail options. 

With all that’s going on, it’s natural that we would have plenty of festivals and events take place throughout the year in Asheville. Consider attending these top Asheville events during 2022. 

Van Gogh Alive

A one-of-a-kind immersive experience, Van Gogh Alive starts the year at Biltmore House near Asheville. The multi-sensory exhibition immerses you into the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Delight your senses with vibrant lights, colors, sounds, and fragrances. Become a part of each painting.

Van Gogh Alive starts November 5, 2021, and continues until March 5, 2022. Admission starts at $131 if you visit through January 9, 2022. After January 9, admission prices drop to $91. Biltmore House is open daily.

Wortham Center for Performing Arts 

Our local venue for performing arts has a jam-packed schedule in 2022. Dates and ticket prices will vary according to the event. Here is a small sampling of the shows and artists the Wortham Center for Performing Arts has on their schedule in early 2022:

• Philadanco! The Philadelphia Dance Company, February 17 & 18
• The Peking Acrobats, February 24 & 25 
• Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders, March 15
• Eric Johnson, Treasure Tour, March 31

Check back on their website for more visiting artists, dates, and times, as the schedule is updated throughout the year.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort

Another venue for performing artists and roving acts, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort has another full list of events in 2022. Check on the website for specific times and ticketing information. A few highlights of who plans to stop in town:

• Alice Cooper, February 4
• Bret Michaels, February 25
• Marshall Tucker Band, March 12
• Whose Live Anyway, March 23
• Harlem Globetrotters, March 31
• For King & Country, April 8
• Tom Segura, May 5
• Leanne Morgan, June 24

Monet and Friends at Biltmore

Right after Van Gogh Alive departs, the paintbrush passes to another renowned master painter. Claude Monet’s impressionist lilies on ponds or river scenes are masterpieces filled with light and color. Now, you can see original works right here in Asheville.

From March 9 – July 10, 2022, visit Monet and Friends at Biltmore. Original Monet works are on display alongside other leading Impressionists, such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, and Edgar Degas.

Ticket prices start at $91 and include the audio-guided tour of Biltmore House. Check with Biltmore House for hours. 

Asheville Beer Week

Naturally, Beer City USA has a whole week celebrating the craft beer our city is known for. It’s challenging to fit in all of the breweries in a single tour or pub crawl, which is why Asheville has a whole week celebrating the hoppy concoction. During the week, you will have brewery tours, special tastings and dinner pairing events, and special kegs on tap throughout Asheville.

After being postponed in 2021, Asheville Beer Week is scheduled from May 27 -June 2, 2022. Special events may have a charge. 

Asheville Art in the Park

Happening twice a year, Art in the Park presents nationally-known local artisans. You can browse the booths during June and October during three consecutive Saturdays at Pack Square Park. These are renowned artisans in the areas of glass, ceramics, wood, jewelry, and metal.

Art in the Park is scheduled for June 4, 11, and 25th and October 1, 8, 15, 2022. It is free to attend. 

GRINDfest

Planned for its second year, GRINDfest will be back to recognize America’s newest national holiday, Juneteenth. It is a three-day celebration held in the River Arts District to honor Black entrepreneurship in Western North Carolina. You’ll find a variety of performances, food vendors, and family-friendly activities. 

The 2022 event is scheduled for June 17- 19. Saturday includes a Lip Sync Battle, Roots Reveal, and Xtreme Hip-Hop Aerobics Class. Sunday has yoga, a seafood boil, and a community awards presentation.

Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands

Hosted over four days, the Southern Highland Craft Guild artisans display works ranging from traditional to contemporary in various mediums. Browse crafts of clay, wood, metal, natural materials, paper, and mixed media. The craft fair includes demonstrations, live music, and concessions. The SHCG curates member artists from nine states. 

This July event is at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville. In 2021, tickets cost $10. Check the website for 2022 dates.

Mountain Dance and Folk Festival

This preeminent event is one of the nation’s longest-running folk music festivals, nearing 100 years of celebration. Here you’ll find some of the best performers in bluegrass music. Listen as ballad singers, banjo players, and cloggers preserve southern Appalachian culture’s stories and music traditions.

The festival is scheduled for August 4-6, 2022, at the UNCA Lipinsky Hall. Ticket prices for 2022 are $5 for children under 12 and students, $20 for adults in advance or $25 at the door. Group pricing is available.

If you can’t make the festival, try Shindig on the Green, a folk music summer performance series at Pack Square Park running June-August 2022.

Laugh Your Asheville Off

The Asheville Comedy Festival has been postponed since 2020 but is planning to come back in 2022. The festival presents a collection of stand-up comedy performers. Shows happen at venues around Asheville on different days and times in the late summer. Tickets usually go on sale in late June or early July. Check with the festival website to see their plans for 2022. 

LEAF Festival Asheville

This multicultural experience comes to Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville. During the LEAF Festival, you will find a diverse lineup of musicians and performing artists. The main stage is a place of action and celebration. The talent is a dynamic range of local, regional, and national artists. There are two stages and roaming street performers. 

Side events include a pop-up market, street art, drumming classes, dance classes, artist signings, and VIP events. Of course, there will be food trucks and concessions available and family-friendly activities for the kids.

Dates for 2022 are anticipated to be announced in January. General admission is free, but you can buy different tickets to enhance your LEAF Festival experience. 

Blue Ridge Pride Festival

Western Carolina’s largest pride festival takes place in downtown Asheville. Canceled for 2021, it hopes to be back on September 24, 2022. The festival is a celebration of inclusion and the LGBTQ + community. Blue Ridge Pride has a welcome parade, musical acts on the main stage, and entertainment. Past events have had over 100 vendors and organizations offering accessories, arts and crafts, and education opportunities for the over 10,000 attendees. 

Attending Blue Ridge Pride is free. In addition to the main day, other special events happen throughout Pride week.

Candlelight Christmas Evenings, Biltmore Estate

One popular Christmas tradition is visiting the Biltmore Estate for Candlelight Christmas Evenings. Starting in early November through the first week of January, admire over 30,000 Christmas lights, 150 candles, and the carefully decorated Christmas trees spread throughout the estate. Live performances of holiday music occur in-season.

Viewing the Christmas decor is included with the price of admission, as is a visit to Antler Hill Village, which hosts an outdoor light show. See the website for ticketing information.

Old World Dickens in the Village Festival

Just two miles from downtown Asheville, transport back in time to the days of Charles Dickens and “A Christmas Carol.” Wander the Biltmore Village streets during the Old World Dickens festival during this weekend event. This is a one-of-a-kind experience. Roaming actors, musicians, and strolling carolers dressed in Dickensian-era costumes immerse you in Victorian times. 

Friday evening begins with a tree lighting ceremony on Village Green, a performance of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” and visits from Santa Claus. Saturday, Biltmore Village is filled with two dozen roving acts of mimes, theatrical presentations, brass ensembles, balloonists, and more. The buildings themselves are decorated with holiday lights, creating a magical atmosphere. 

Refer to Biltmore Village for dates and times in 2022. Admission is free.

Winter Lights

Rated a top holiday event in the state, nearly one million lights illuminate the nationally-known North Carolina Arboretum gardens. Take a self-guided walking tour through a whimsical winter wonderland themed around nature. See glowing natural landscapes, such as the popular Quilt Garden and 50-foot animated tree.

Event tickets must be purchased in advance on the website. Check back in 2022 for dates, times, and prices.

Things to Do in Asheville 2022

From Beer Week to light displays, Asheville will keep you hopping all year round. Residents are fortunate to have a full range of events highlighting the city’s unique culture.

Keep checking back throughout the year, as more special events, concerts, and acts will be added to the calendars at the various venues around the town. Find more things to do in North Carolina at the EZ Home search blog.