NC Mountain State Fair is a food festival in Biltmore Village, Asheville.
NC Mountain State Fair at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher runs 10 days of livestock, heritage crafts, fair food competitions and the regional food showcase.
Tip: Admission required; ride wristbands sold separately. 12 miles south of Asheville. Parking is free; arrive early on weekends to avoid Boylston Highway backups.
North Carolina Apple Festival in downtown Hendersonville runs Labor Day weekend annually. Main Street fair, live music, apple-product vendors, the King Apple.
Tip: Free admission. 25 miles south of Asheville on I-26. Park downtown and walk Main Street; arrive before 10:00 to beat the crowd.
AVL Beer Week is the annual celebration of Asheville's craft beverage industry, with brewery-specific events, tap takeovers and collaborations across the city. Editor pick.
Tip: No single ticket; individual events and tap takeovers run at each brewery. Check the official AVL Beer Week site for the rolling calendar.
Sourwood Festival in downtown Black Mountain runs the second weekend of August, celebrating the WNC mountain sourwood honey tradition. Live music, honey.
Tip: Free admission. 15 miles east of Asheville on US-70; pair with brunch at Trailhead Bar and a Dynamite Roasting stop.
North Carolina Apple Festival in downtown Hendersonville runs Labor Day weekend annually. Main Street fair, live music, apple-product vendors, the King Apple.
Tip: Free admission. 25 miles south of Asheville on I-26. Park downtown and walk Main Street; arrive before 10:00 to beat the crowd.
Asheville Restaurant Week runs across two weeks in winter, with $16-50 prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus at participating downtown, South Slope and West Asheville restaurants.
Tip: No tickets; book individual restaurants directly. Cúrate, The Market Place, Posana and Limones typically participate.
Goombay Festival at Pack Square Park celebrates African and Caribbean heritage with food vendors, live music and cultural performances. Run by YMI Cultural Center.
Tip: Free admission. Food vendors serve jerk chicken, curried goat, fried fish and Caribbean rice plates. Pair with a stop at nearby S and W Market on Patton Avenue.
Asheville VeganFest runs one Sunday at Pack Square Park in June with plant-based food trucks, vegan bakeries and lifestyle vendors. A fall edition runs in October.
Tip: Free entry. Arrive at noon when vendors open; most plates run under $15. The October sister edition is the larger of the two.