The best of what's happening this weekend in Asheville
Sent Thursday, October 1, 202628 picks
Every Thursday I go through a few hundred listings so you don't have to. If it happens every Friday, it's not in here. If it's in here, there's a reason it's this weekend and not next.
Friday is hot and mostly sunny, up to 85, with a 35% chance of a shower after 2, so it's the outside day. Saturday, get the outdoor stuff done before 2, when showers turn likely. Sunday looks wet most of the day, which makes it a day for dark rooms and good bands. Nights stay warm, right around 70 at 10pm Friday and Saturday.
Hour by hour, Friday morning to Sunday night
Night Temperature Chance of rain
National Weather Service hourly forecast for Asheville, as of Mon Sept 28. The live issue pulls it fresh Thursday morning.
High 85°, 35% chance of rain
High 78°, 60% chance of rain
High 74°, 65% chance of rain
These won't come around again this year.
New Belgium's costumed bike parade rolls through the River Arts District, then turns into a party at the brewery with Meschiya Lake, Bosko Baker, and Erika Lewis & Liliana Hudgens. Beer sales go to Asheville on Bikes. Rain is likely after 2, so ride the parade and catch the early sets. Friday at 6 there's a free pre-party at Bear's Smokehouse on Coxe Ave with a slow-ride contest and a DJ from 8 to 11.
Asheville's derby league is celebrating 20 years with its home season opener in the downtown arena. After the bout, the floor opens for public skating with a DJ until 9. There's an open skate Friday night too, 6 to 9. Use the Flint St entrance. It's all indoors, so it's a good rain plan.
Burial's beer festival is in its 14th year, with 60-plus breweries pouring and Lucero headlining, plus Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band. It's rain or shine. The pre-party is Friday with White Denim at Eulogy.
A brand-new one-night festival from the Leona Wild Collective, with the Asheville Bluegrass Band (with members of Greensky Bluegrass), Holler Choir and The Local Honeys. Proceeds go back into Western North Carolina's music scene through the collective's mutual aid work. It starts as Tour de Fat wraps up in the same neighborhood, so you can make a day of the River Arts District.
The 59th year of the second-longest-running folk festival in Western North Carolina, named for the folklorist who spent his life collecting mountain music. About 20 acts, including Don Pedi, Travis Stuart, William Ritter & Sarah Ogletree and the Green Grass Cloggers, plus a ballad swap and an open jam. Bring an instrument. It's about 25 minutes north on I-26.
Award-winning bluegrass, small room
Warren Wilson is reopening its theater with a bluegrass band that won IBMA Entertainer of the Year, the first all-female group to take it. Their mandolin player, Rainy Miatke, graduated from Warren Wilson in 2025. It's homecoming weekend, and Saturday morning the college farm hosts its third Fall Fest with farm tours, craft-crew open houses and food trucks.
Sorted by why you'd go, not by genre. Each one has something going on right now that makes this the week to see them.
Real momentum right now. Catch them in a small room while you can.
Two rising country stars, one bill
Gossett's "Coal" went double platinum and his second album came out last Friday. Godwin has toured with Zach Bryan and has a duet with Luke Combs on country radio. Each one pulls roughly 4 million listeners a month on Spotify.
Texas harmonies on the way up
An Austin duo who met at summer camp as kids and have since opened for Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band. Their new album, Heat of July, was produced by Brad Cook, who has worked with Bon Iver and The War on Drugs. Warm, harmony-heavy folk rock in a small room.
Asheville's buzziest new band
Their debut double album, Wet Paint, came out in March and made Asheville Stages' list of the best local records of 2026 so far. Bluesy, desert-rock guitar for ten bucks in West Asheville, with Puppy and the Dogs and The Mookies.
Small followings that play them on repeat. Worth it even if it's not your usual thing.
Loose, groovy guitar rock
Twenty years in, this Austin band is still one of the best live guitar bands most people haven't heard. The new album, 13, scored an 83 on Metacritic. A little psychedelic, a lot of fun. It's also the Burnpile pre-party.
Honky-tonk for ten bucks
Rolling Stone called him the new honky-tonk singer country fans need to hear. He rarely comes through here, and he's playing a Weaverville bar for ten dollars. Best value of the weekend.
Dark synths, dark dance floor
A rare dark-wave bill for Asheville. Carrellee, from Madison, is mid-tour behind her 2025 album on Young & Cold Records. Tiffadelic brings Detroit synth-pop, and local duo Cold Choir opens.
Grammy bluegrass, bar prices
Grammy-nominated, IBMA-winning bluegrass from East Tennessee, six weeks after a new album called Welcome to the Club. Fast, tight and traditional. A good way to spend a rainy Sunday night.
Ex-boxer, great storyteller
A Tupelo songwriter who was a pro boxer first, including a televised fight against Roberto Durán. His songs are funny and honest, and the show is half concert, half storytelling. You don't need to know a single song.
Soulful dance party
An Oakland band that plays New Orleans-style R&B and soul like a house party. Opener Jontavious Willis is a Grammy-nominated young blues player. Nobody stands still at these.
Ten years or more, with the track record to prove it.
The best band you've never heard of
Rolling Stone gave them that label years ago, and it still fits. Dreamy, Velvet Underground-style guitar pop from New York, with the same lineup since 1999. Opener Sister Ray Davies is a shoegaze duo from Muscle Shoals with a debut out last fall.
Hip-hop royalty, birthday show
One half of Black Star and one of the sharpest rappers of the last 30 years, in a club-size room. The show lands on his 51st birthday.
Jazzy house from a legend
The Chicago DJ who built the "Mushroom Jazz" sound in San Francisco in the '90s. Slow-burn house that gets people dancing without trying too hard. Third Room is a music venue and immersive art gallery.
Catchy electro-pop, new album
Durham's electro-pop duo just put out a new album, Ow ∞, and they're doing two nights. Saturday sold out. Friday hasn't yet. Catchy enough that you don't need to be an electronic music person.
The Hop makes pawpaw ice cream once a year with fruit from Milkweed Meadows Farm near Hendersonville, in dairy and vegan. Pawpaw tastes like mango, banana and vanilla made into custard. It doesn't last (about a week and a half in 2024), so go early. Asheville GreenWorks will be at the Merrimon shop Friday afternoon selling pawpaw seedlings.
A one-night Thai cookout on the patio: beef satay, lemongrass shrimp and pork skewers, crispy rice salad, peanut noodles and Thai lemonade. It's outside and Sunday looks wet, so they'll email ticket holders if plans change.
The first golds and oranges are showing above 6,000 feet, and the fall color forecast puts peak above 4,000 feet in the first week of October. The Parkway is open from Asheville north past Craggy Gardens to the Mount Mitchell road, and south to Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam. The Craggy Gardens picnic area is still closed. Go Friday morning and beat the afternoon showers.
For First Friday, Snarlskin opens a month-long show of handmade spooky masks, and Logos plays "Psyborg," an instrument he built out of his years at Moog.
Painter Chrys Corn Goodman and printmaker Maryana Rivera show work made since Helene, when both were showing in the River Arts District. It's been two years this week. An easy stop if you're in the district for Tour de Fat.
Six rounds of bingo hosted by Divine the Bearded Lady and Calcutta, with Rocky Horror songs and drag numbers in between. It raises money for Babies Need Bottoms, and costumes are encouraged.
Asheville Baroque Concerts plays Telemann on recorders, harpsichord and viola da gamba. About as good a rainy Sunday afternoon as there is.
The October weekend at Lake Eden is back, run by the LEAF founder, with the Grey Eagle booking the music, plus 20-plus hours of contra and square dancing and lake time. It's capped at around 2,000 people, so passes will go. Kids 10 and under are free.
Grammy winners at 20
The Grammy-winning bluegrass band is celebrating 20 years. Same night as Lake Eden, so pick your lane.