Happy Thursday, Buncombe County!

💡 Buncombe Fact: Every summer, the county hosts the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, which began in 1928 and is the oldest continuously running folk festival of its kind in the nation.

In today’s edition:

Let’s get to it.

— Sean Kolina

Downtown Asheville is turning into one big outdoor gallery for Memorial Day Weekend. The 5th Annual Downtown Asheville Festival of the Arts brings artists from across the region and beyond into Pack Square Park for a weekend filled with paintings, photography, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, and handcrafted work of all kinds.

You can wander booth to booth, meet artists, grab coffee nearby, and naturally settle into a nice pace for a few hours. It is less of a formal art show and more like Asheville doing what Asheville does best: creativity out in the open.

Whether you’re serious about collecting art or just enjoy browsing beautiful things on a spring afternoon, this is one of the better downtown strolls of the season.

📍 Where: Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza, Asheville
📅 When: May 23–24th | 10am – 5pm
💲 Price: Free to attend

Event Details

One of Asheville’s biggest annual celebrations is back, and this year’s theme is “Resilience in Every Sip.” Asheville Beer Week brings together breweries, restaurants, artists, and local businesses for nearly two weeks of tastings, collaborations, live music, special releases, and community events across the city. It’s less about one giant festival and more about the entire area leaning into what Buncombe County arguably does best: craft beer culture with a creative twist.

Whether you’re brewery-hopping in the South Slope, discovering smaller neighborhood spots, or just looking for a good excuse to sit outside with friends and a flight, there’s something happening almost daily.

📍 Where: Breweries and venues across Asheville
📅 When: May 15th – 29th
💲 Price: Varies by event / many free to attend

Event List

Part relay race, part brewery crawl, part excuse to spend all day outside. The Beer City Relay sends teams running through Asheville with brewery stops woven throughout the course, while the accompanying 5K offers a shorter option for casual runners. It’s energetic, social, and very on-brand for outdoors meets beer culture.

📍 Where: Asheville area brewery routes
📅 When: Saturday, May 23 | Morning start times
💲 Price: Registration required

Learn More

One of Asheville’s most recognizable weekly traditions is back in full rhythm. The downtown Drum Circle brings together drummers, dancers, performers, and curious spectators for an evening that will spring the Memorial Day weekend festivities.

📍 Where: Pritchard Park, Downtown Asheville
📅 When: Friday evenings | Begins around 6 PM
💲 Price: Free

A yard sale with a meaningful mission behind it. WNC Bridge’s annual community sale features donated goods, household finds, clothing, and unexpected treasures, with proceeds helping support local children and families facing serious illness. It’s part bargain hunt, part community fundraiser, and a good reminder that shopping local can still do some good.

📍 Where: WNC Bridge Foundation, Asheville
📅 When: Saturday, May 23rd | 10am - 2pm
💲 Price: Free to attend

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There are food festivals, and then there are very specific food festivals. The Cheese and Pickle Festival at Mills River Brewing leans fully into savory pairings with vendors, samples, and enough briny goodness to make pickle people very happy. It’s quirky, flavorful, and honestly the best combo one could imagine.

📍 Where: Mills River Brewing Co., 336 Banner Farm Rd, Mills River
📅 When: Saturday, May 23rd | 12pm - 4pm
💲 Price: Free to attend

More Info

A more elevated way to spend part of the holiday weekend. Addison Farms is hosting artist Elizabeth Higley alongside Chef Terri Terrell for a gathering that blends food, wine, conversation, and creative expression in a mountain setting. It’s relaxed, intimate, and built for people who appreciate slower experiences done well.

📍 Where: Addison Farms Vineyard, 4005 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester
📅 When: May 22–24th | 2pm - 6pm
💲 Price: Free. Ticketed experiences available

Learn More

A meaningful way to pause and reflect after the weekend festivities come to an end. The annual Memorial Day Ceremony honors the men and women who lost their lives in military service, with remarks from local leaders, military tributes, and moments of remembrance throughout the morning. It’s respectful, community-centered, and one of the more grounded gatherings of the weekend.

📍 Where: Western North Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, 962 Old US Hwy 70, Black Mountain
📅 When: Monday, May 25th | 11am
💲 Price: Free to attend

Learn More

Just outside Buncombe, Brevard is celebrating one of the region’s strangest and most beloved local mascots: the white squirrel! White Squirrel Weekend transforms downtown Brevard into a lively mix of live music, vendors, food, and family-friendly events centered around the rare white squirrels that call the town home.

The festival has become a tradition for locals and visitors alike, blending mountain-town charm with just the right amount of weirdness. Expect live performances, street vendors, outdoor activities, and plenty of squirrel-themed everything.

It’s playful, proudly local, and a great excuse to spend a day exploring one of Western North Carolina’s most walkable small towns.

📍 Where: Downtown Brevard
📅 When: May 22–24th | All Day
💲 Price: Free to attend

More Info

😋 Weekly Appalachian inspired recipe: Chicken and Dumplings - Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings is a super simple recipe. Flat strips of dough simmered in a yummy broth with tender chicken

🎵 Who we are listening to: You & I – Dabeull (feat. Holybrune). “I saw the album cover and immediately thought: this song HAS to be amazing. Was not disappointed.”

💛 Local Nonprofits. Black Mountain Academy - They partner with other local organizations and nonprofits to provide meaningful opportunities for our students and staff to practice citizenship through positive contribution.

🙏 Positive News Around the Globe: Students are fundraising to help protect the habitat of bald eagle chicks they’ve been watching on livestream — and the internet is fully invested. Read Article

✨ Sometimes the best thing you can do is slow down and notice what’s already going right.

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