Upcoming Festivals and Events for August
We’ve got some great things lined up in Asheville for the month of August! We are definitely a city that prides itself on knowing how to have fun! Sometimes it can be a bit hard to keep up with so I’ve done some consolidating for you. Here is a list of some much anticipated upcoming events as well as some of the best spots to view the dearly awaited Solar Eclipse of 2017.
Summer Lights, NC Arboretum
Wednesday, August 2nd to Sunday, August 6th
Welcome to music underneath the stars! The Blue Ridge Orchestra will be performing hits that range from broadway to classical. This will be conducted with a synchronized projected light show amidst a woodland forest backdrop at the Arboretum Amphitheatre. Each evening the concert begins at 9pm and lasts until about 10:45 pm. Grabbing your tickets in advance is required and parking is included in your ticket pricing. Seating is first come first serve but you can also sit above the amphitheatre where you can get comfy with a blanket and/or lawn chairs. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for kids 5-11 in age. This is sure to be a magical event!
Shindig On The Green
August 12th, 19th, 26th and September 2nd
This is one of our most cherished events and is our bluegrass music and dance festival. Bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets and get let the good times roll. Soak in our Appalachian culture in Park square in downtown with great music, craft brews, food trucks and even clogging too! From 7-10pm and FREE. Don’t miss out!
LEAF Downtown Asheville
August 4th to August 5th
This is out international music festival held in Park Square. It is an all-day event that wraps up by 10pm and is free. There will be three large stages set up, food trucks galore, artisanal and local vendors
Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival
August 9th – August 12th
This is the largest stand-up comedy festival in the Southeast. Hundreds and hundreds of applicants try for the change to make us laugh our Asheville off but only a lucky and talented 50+ comedians make the cut. There will be major TV networks and agents surveying the talent. We’ve even had a fair share of performers make their way to the stages as guests of David Letterman, Conan O’Brian and Craig Ferguson! Tickets are $20 for each night or $65 for all nights. Each night the comedians perform at a different venue.
Asheville Wine and Food Festival
August 18th to August 19th
Looking to please thy palate? Then look no further than this esteemed festival where you can sip on the finest regional, national and international wines, craft beers and spirits. This is a weekend for culinary appreciators and adventurers. You get a chance to meet with the chefs, farmers, cookbook authors and artisanal beverage makers. Tickets range from $40-$60 and include all the sampling and sipping your stomach and tolerance can take!
RiverFest
August 26th
I’m pretty proud of this festival and it’s just a plus that it’s kind of a zany event. This is an annual fundraising event that celebrates the French Broad River. Riverlink has done an amazing job cleaning up our rivers and advocating for change and accountability and Riverfest is definitely a pay-off of all their hard work! There is live music and local beers at the Salvage Station downtown by the river (468 Riverside drive). Watch and cheer on all the quirky and inventive floats that slowly “race” down the river to the finish line! Anyone is free to join the competition and the winner is the most outrageous and inventive float or raft. It’s definitely a fun time and a unique event. Check it out!
Total Solar Eclipse
August 21, 2017
In the world of astronomy the total solar eclipse is nature’s most spectacular show. It is the first to grace the continental United Sates since 1979! Here in Asheville we will be at 99% totality. If you are looking to experience a 100% totality solar eclipse then head into South Carolina as you will be in the direct path. But if you are in Asheville I have some sweet spots to view this astounding event!
The transition will begin at 1pm and end by 4pm. At 2:36 we are locked in for the peak eclipse where the sun is completely blotted out, the skies darken; the temperature drops and the stars shine bright in the middle of the day. Head to the Blue Ridge Parkway early to get to the mile posts and lookouts! They will fill up quick! Might I suggest the Devils Courthouse and Black Balsam? Downtown Asheville is also hosting a Solar Eclipse festival from 12-3pm. Lakes such a Fontana and Glenville would be a fabulous place to watch. Just rent a canoe or kayak or boat and enjoy the show!
Written by Kate Williams
