Festival Preparedness 

It’s always a good thing to make a plan for wherever you’re going. Knowing where you’re going to park, having tickets in hand or knowing where to pick up your tickets, making reservations for lunch (or at least a plan for where to meet), can lessen the hecticness of the beginning of the day.  

Be a good scout and be prepared with a festival kit.  

• Sometimes Wi-Fi isn’t reliable, and that means that credit card machines may not work. Be sure to take along some cash as well as your card to be able to make purchases if the system goes down.  
• Pack your own bag. Taking your own shopping bag cuts down on waste on the festival grounds and allows you to keep everything you purchase in one place. 
• A fanny pack, belly bag, or hip pack is more than a fashion statement. No matter what you call it, these throwbacks to the late 1980s are convenient ways to keepp up with your keys, cash, snacks, purchase (or your extra shopping bags), sunscreen, etc.  
• You’ll likely be on your feet all day and moving from place to place, so comfortable footwear is important. Check out the Loyak for men and women by Astral. It is “festival approved” for its comfort and style as well as being quick drying and quick draining just in case a shower pops up.  
• Speaking of rain, a good rain jacket is a must because festivals seem closely related to rain events sometimes. An Anorak from L.L.Bean is a great option, or you might choose great options from Columbia and Patagonia. 
• Protect yourself! Everyone is overjoyed to be outdoors after the long, gray winter, but remember to enjoy the sun safely. Have lip balm and sunscreen at the ready and apply liberally to ward off the sun’s burning rays and the wind’s chapping breeze. Sun Bum has a great selection of both!   
• Take a seat. At some festivals, you need to bring your own chair or blanket. These stools from Grand Trunk fold up into a nice, neat little bag or you can go for a little more comfort with these loungers from Eagles Nest Outfitters. If you prefer a blanket, check out this mat from Rumpl – it repels water, smells, and can be staked down.  
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. When you’re having fun, you can forget to take a sip of water from time to time. Keep your water cool and close at hand with bottles from Hydro Flask, Stanley, YETI, Klean Kanteen, and more. There are many styles, sizes, and colors to choose from.  

2025 Spring & Summer Festivals & Events 

RiverRun International Film Festival – April 11-19 – This nine-day festival in Winston-Salem is a gathering of cinephiles dedicated to the role of movies as a purveyor of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Films cover a broad span of topics including a group of blind travelers navigating a cruise ship with their guide dogs, the story of a woman whose life was devastated by a bomb in Northern Ireland, and an animated feature about a young chick embarking on a journey from neglect to friendship. Venues include the Forsyth County Public Library and Marketplace Cinemas.    

MerleFest – April 24-27 - MerleFest celebrates a breadth of Americana-style music from traditional, Appalachian-roots sounds to modern country and classic rock. Now in its 37th year, the event spans four days with performances on 12 stages with an impressive line-up that includes Bonnie Raitt, Sam Bush, Jim Lauderdale, Donna the Buffalo, Charles Welch, Damn Tall Buildings, and so many more.  

The event was founded by local bluegrass and folk music icon Doc Watson as a memorial to his son Eddy “Merle” Watson and is the primary fundraiser for Wilkes Community College. Be sure to take a break from the action and enjoy a visit to the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses. The garden has a wheelchair-accessible path, Braille description plaques, and fragrant flowers.  

Asheville Herb Festival – April 25-27 – With unabashed pride, the promoters of this festival claim, “if it’s herbs, it’s here.” Held at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, NC, it is the largest herb festival in the United States and Canada. Take part in workshops, purchase seedlings for your garden and planters, learn about tinctures, and ask master gardeners what herbs grow best together.   

Dogwood Arts Festival – April 25-27 - Held on the Performance Lawn at World’s Fair Park in Knoxville, the Dogwood Arts Festival celebrates the work of more than 100 artists in attendance as well as the park’s gorgeous dogwoods in full bloom. The event also features live music, kids’ activities, and local food vendors to give a sampling of East Tennessee’s best cooking. A Maker Experience is also a part of this year’s festival. These opportunities give you a chance to try your hand at linoleum block printing, mixing herbal tea, calligraphy, or other arts.    

From the Earth Festival – April 26 – Trailside Brewery in Hendersonville is collaborating with Blue Ridge Artisan Market, Ecusta Market and Cafe, and the Lennox Station to celebrate our beautiful earth. You'll find earth-friendly artists, conservation-oriented non-profits, nurseries, and farmers, along with live music, food trucks, hands-on workshops, and more.  

Piedmont Earth Day Fair – April 26 - Winston-Salem hosts North Carolina’s largest Earth Day party and one-day environmental education event at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. In true Earth Day fashion, this is a rain or shine celebration, which features fun environmental education stations for kids, as well as food trucks, music, local vendors, and more activities the entire family will enjoy. Everyone is brought together by the Piedmont Environmental Alliance from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. to learn new ways to be kind to the Earth – stop by and visit with us at our booth.  

War Songs Festival - April 26 – The South Carolina Military Museum in Columbia is devoted to the complete history of the state’s military tradition – from the first militias formed in 1670 to the modern era. The War Songs Festival takes a look at the role of music in wartime. This event is FREE.    

Appalachian Heritage Festival – May 2-3 – Gather in Downtown Waynesville for a celebration of Appalachian traditions. The event starts with a concert on Main Street showcasing some of the region’s best musicians, and then Saturday is filled with hands-on demonstrations of basket-weaving, spinning, blacksmithing, and more. Take a tour on the True Crime Trail or get on the bus for tour of barn quilts in the local area. 

Community School’s 45th Annual Strawberry Festival - May 2-3 – Voted one of Southwest Virginia’s Best Festivals by readers of Virginia Living magazine, the Strawberry Festival in Roanoke signals the beginning of summer. Come hungry and ready to feed your sweet tooth with strawberry shortcake and chocolate-dipped strawberries.   

Local Colors Festival – May 17 – This festival brings the world to Roanoke’s doorstep. Since 1991, this festival celebrates multicultural understanding and bringing many cultures together through cuisine, performances, and displays. Spend the day and see the world without having to leave the Blue Ridge Mountains!   

PlottFest 2025 – May 17-18 – The Plott Hound is the State Dog of North Carolina. A Plott Hound was at Daniel Boone’s side as he explored the mountains at the western borders of the 13 colonies, and the family who refined the breed, which has roots in Germany, made the mountains around Waynesville their home. Learn more about the Plott Hound at the  Maggie Valley Festival Grounds this weekend.   

Garden Jubilee – May 24-25 – Downtown Hendersonville is transformed into a gardener’s paradise. No matter where you turn, you’ll find booths filled with herbs, flowers, and hard-to-find plants, along with unique garden furniture, jewelry, wind chimes, and birdhouses. Stop by the stage at the Historic Courthouse to pick up gardening tips from the experts throughout the day.  

Gears and Guitars – May 23-24 – Called the “Biggest Party on Two Wheels,” this unique festival combines world-class cycling and live music leading into Memorial Day Weekend. Cyclists can choose from short sprints and/or sign up for two Fondos – one a traditional road ride and the other a gravel/greenway route, each has an option of two distances. Once the rides are over, enjoy the evening with free live music.  

Chautauqua History Comes Alive Festival – American Celebrity – June 6-June15 – Have you ever wanted to meet Albert Einstein, Erma Bombeck, or Babe Ruth? If they answer’s yes, then this festival is for you. Costumed historical interpreters transport you back in time to tell the figure’s story. The audience can ask questions and later in the performance, the interpreter comes out of character to answer questions the “person” couldn’t (or wouldn’t) answer truthfully. This festival is held at several locations around Greenville.   

High Country Jazz Festival – June 13-15 – The Appalachian Theatre hosts the headline acts for this year’s jazz festival. There’s not a bad seat in the house, and you’ll want to get yours early so you don’t miss out on performances by Grammy-nominated Catherine Russell, the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, and Noel & Maria.   

The celebration of this uniquely American music form includes a lecture, free performances by Appalachian State University students, local musicians at restaurants and bars, a free concert at the Jones House Cultural Center, and late-night jam sessions on Friday and Saturday. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Sunrise Rotary Club, the App Theatre, and students in the Jazz Studies program at Appalachain State University.  

Boonerang – June 19-22 – It’s said that those who’ve lived in and moved away from the High Country oasis of Boone have an inclination to come back eventually… like a boomerang. This is the festival that welcomes back all those “Boonerangers” to revel with the locals.  

Downtown Boone is the center of the action for this street festival that features multiple stages, a vendor market, a kids’ zone, silent discos, and a surplus of food and drink options – all with local ties. Be sure to head up the mountain on Thursday to catch the performances at the App Theatre for Boone’s Got Talent (it was amazing last year!!).  

The street festival line-up includes New Orleans Suspects, Adam Church, Mariachi Monarcas, Virginia and the Slims, Funkapation, and more. Admission is FREE!   

Smoky Mountain Quilters of TN Annual Quilt Show – June 20-21- The Smoky Mountain Quilters of Tennessee is a group that meets monthly to carry on the mountain tradition of turning scraps of cloth into beautiful works of art that can also keep you warm, tell a story, and showcase skill with a needle. The Quilt Show showcases amazing works from across the country and allows quilters of all skill levels to learn new techniques, find some fun fabric, and “talk shop.”  

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games – July 10-14 - This four-day celebration of Scottish music, dancing, foods, and field games welcomes thousands of kilt-clad Scots to MacRae Meadows for their annual gathering and games. Grandfather Mountain is reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands and is home to one of the nation’s largest gathering of Scottish Clans. Full of color and pageantry, it’s fun to see the duck herding demonstrations and the Parade of Tartans.  Photo courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

Chalk It Up – July 12 – This annual art show started with three children drawing on the sidewalk outside their mother’s downtown shop. It has blossomed into a unique way to experience Downtown Hendersonville. Chalk artists of all ages create masterpieces on sidewalks for fun and prizes. It’s one of the reasons Hendersonville has a “heart for art.” This type of art requires a dry canvas for completion, so there are two rain dates – July 19 and 26.   

Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands – July 17-20 - Hosted at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Downtown Asheville, artisans of the prestiged Southern Highland Handicraft Guild fill the concourse and arena levels of the venue with craft ranging from contemporary to traditional in works of clay, wood, metal, glass, fiber, natural materials, paper, leather, mixed media, and jewelry. Also enjoy live music and craft demonstrations.   

Mountain Dance and Folk Festival – July 31-August 2 – This festival marks its 98th year with some foot-stompin' and fancy guitar pickin’. Started by Bascom Lamar Lunsford and hailed as the nation’s longest-running folks folk festival it highlights old-time and bluegrass musicians, ballad singers, cloggers, big circle dancers, and more performers, all of whom represent the cultural traditions of the Southern Appalachians through their art. This year’s performances will be at the Asheville High School.   

4th Annual SC New Play Festival – August 7-10 – This is a destination event for theatre lovers and a unique opportunity for audiences in the Southeast to meet the artists and shape the future of American theatre. During the 4-day weekend, there will be readings of new plays, new musicals, new theatre for young audiences, an outdoor variety stage, and a closing night cabaret featuring Broadway star, and Greenville local, Phillip Boykin. Various locations throughout Greenville.  

Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend Arts & Crafts Festival – August 9-10 – The Shelton House and Museum of NC Handicrafts in Downtown Waynesville hosts artists and artisans from near and far, and food vendors on its 148-year-old farmstead. Enjoy Appalachian Music performances on the porch and don’t forget to tour the museum.    

Doc Watson Day – August 15-16 – Americana music legend Doc Watson was proud to call Watauga County home. He played on Boone’s streets right in front of Farmer’s Hardware as a young man and then went on to play for the world. Celebrate the High Country’s homegrown hero with two days of music honoring the late local legend. The weekend begins with a free concert on the Jones House lawn featuring some of Doc’s friends and fellow pickers. Then on Saturday, pick up tickets to a show at the Appalachian Theatre on the historic Doc Watson Stage.  

Knoxville Asian Festival – August 23-24 - Experience authentic foods, exciting performances, and traditional activities that represent the Asian cultures of Japan, Indonesia, China, The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Nepal & Pakistan. A Sushi & Sumo event is on the calendar for Friday with the Asian Cultural Parade kicking off events on Saturday with everything happening at Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park. 

Find Even More Festivals & Events 

This roll is a pretty good starting list, but it is in no way comprehensive. If you are looking for even more fun events, happenings, and festivals, visit the websites of our tourism partners. They are the event experts! You’ll also find valuable information to help in other aspects of your trip – places to stay, tasty restaurants, and fun experiences. 

Explore Boone – events in the Boone, Valle Crucis, Blowing Rock area 
Explore Asheville – events in Asheville and surrounding area 
Visit Hendersonville – events in the Hendersonville area 
Visit Haywood – events in and around Waynesville, Maggie Valley, and Lake Junaluska 
Visit Winston-Salem – events in Winston-Salem 

Experience Columbia SC – events in Columbia and surrounding towns 
Visit Greenville SC – events in and around Greenville 

Visit Knoxville – events in the Knoxville area 

Visit Roanoke, VA – events in Roanoke and along Virginia’s Blue Ridge 

There’s a lot of inspiration for your next vacation. And to provide a soundtrack for the road to get here, check out our Spotify Playlist featuring our music festival favorites.