Say bye-bye to A.I. Spring and summer are meant for real experiences. Sunny, increasingly long days call us to leave our couches and invite us to gather with real people who share our interests, passions, and need for human interaction.
Turn OFF your screens. Get outside. Explore. Adventure. Meet people face-to-face. Make friends.
Take a look at Mast General Store’s favorite local festivals. Our list includes events where you can stroll, stage hop, or sip and shop. We’ve also provided a few tips on how to be festival-ready wherever your warm-weather whims take you.
Enjoy Mast Store’s Spring and Summer 2026 Festival Guide and use it as a resource to create communities and connections that are meaningful, lasting, and real.
Photo above courtesy of Boonerang Music & Arts Festival.
Festival Prep
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 keep up with your keys, cash, snacks, purchases (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, Patagonia, and Marmot.
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. Check out Banana Boat for your sunscreen, and you’ll have many lip balms to choose from.
Take a seat. At some festivals, you need to bring your own chair or blanket. For lightweight comfort, try a chair from Helinox or go a little more laid back with a Lounger from Eagles Next Outfitters.
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.
2026 Spring & Summer Festivals & Events
Community School’s 46th Annual Strawberry Festival - May 1-2 – 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 16 – 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 2026 – May 16 – 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 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday.
Garden Jubilee – May 23-24 – 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 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., each day.
Gears and Guitars – May 22-23 – 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. Catch a blur of colors speeding through the streets of Downtown Winston-Salem during the USA CRITS, a short, closed-circuit course race, Finals on the festival’s last day.
Between rides, alt-country/indie rocker River Shook and singer/songwriter Ruston Kelly perform beginning at 7:30 p.m., Friday, at Kaleideum, and Los Angeles-based indie pop band Saint Motel closes the festival following Saturday’s awards ceremony.
Chautauqua History Comes Alive Festival – American Celebrity – June 12-23 – Have you ever wanted to meet Mother Jones, Edgar Allan Poe, or Rebecca Motte? If the 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 10-14 – 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 Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo, Spyro Gyra, Wycliffe Gordon, and the Emmet Cohen Trio.
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 Boone Sunrise Rotary Club, the App Theatre, and students in the Jazz Studies program at Appalachian State University.
Boonerang – June 19-21 – 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.
The street festival line-up includes Fireside Collective, Kaleta & Super Yamba Band, Toubab Krewe, Sam Fribush Organ Trio, Melissa Reaves, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road, and more. Admission is FREE!
Smoky Mountain Quilters of TN Annual Quilt Show – June 19-20 - 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 45th annual Quilt Show will showcase amazing works from across the country and allow quilters of all skill levels to learn new techniques, find some fun fabric, and “talk shop.” https://www.smokymtnquilters.com/quilt-show.html#/
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games – July 9-12 - 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 gatherings of Scottish Clans. Full of color and pageantry, it’s fun to see the duck herding demonstrations and the Parade of Tartans.
Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands – July 16-19 - Hosted at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Downtown Asheville, artisans of the prestigious 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. The crafting convocation is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily with craft demonstrations and live music throughout the weekend.
Doc and Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest – July 17 – Named in honor of the Watauga County-born, flat-picking guitar innovator, and folk music legend, Doc Watson, and his beloved wife, Rosa Lee, this year’s event takes a new format and finds a new home. The Doc and Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest relocates from Sugar Grove to the Appalachian Theatre in Downtown Boone. Its impressive bill stars The Kody Norris Show, Blue Highway, and The Kruger Brothers. The one-day-only festival, which begins at 7 p.m., is presented by Cove Creek Presentation & Development and sponsored by Mast General Store.
Chalk It Up – July 18 – This 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. The theme of this year’s 30th annual event is patriotic to honor the United States’ 250th anniversary. Since this type of art requires a dry canvas for completion, there are two rain dates – July 25 and August 1.
Mountain Dance and Folk Festival – July 30-August 1 – This festival marks its 99th year with some foot-stompin' and fancy guitar pickin’. Started by Bascom Lamar Lunsford and hailed as the nation’s longest-running 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 Auditorium.
SC New Play Festival – July 29-August 9 – 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 festival, 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 Drew Gehling. Various locations throughout Greenville.
Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend Arts & Crafts Festival – August 8-9 – 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 14-15 – 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. Friday gathers traditional old-time and bluegrass pickers, who Doc inspired, in a free concert on the Jones House lawn. Then, on Saturday, pick up tickets to a show at the Appalachian Theatre as guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel performs on the historic Doc Watson Stage.
Knoxville Asian Festival – August 29-30 - 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, and 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.