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According to murmurs in Western Carolina, this fall is shaping up to be one of the most colorful in years—and, of course, it comes with special meaning.
Dr. Howard S. Neufeld, a biology professor at Appalachian State known regionally as the “Fall Color Guy,” predicts a long season of blazing reds, golden poplars and scarlet sourwoods across the Blue Ridge Mountains.
With more than 100 tree species and 5,000 feet of elevation change, the region is home to one of the longest fall color seasons in the world. And this year, as Asheville marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, visitors will find countless ways to join the celebration.
Ahead are 29 things to do this September in Asheville— from a U.S. art premiere to newly reopened trails, restaurant openings and festivals that showcase the community’s resilience and creativity.
Fall foliage along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, N.C., in October 2024. The scenic highway is one of the best places to view autumn color in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Image courtesy of Explore Asheville.
Take in the views
There’s no shortage of fresh ways to drink in fall’s colors in Western Carolina, starting from the moment you arrive at the recently expanded Asheville Regional Airport, fresh with a new terminal.
Drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway in August completed a major repair that opened 38 miles of continuous access from milepost 382 in Asheville and Buncombe County. Nearly 60 percent of the Parkway in North Carolina is now open, including the Folk Art Center, Graveyard Fields and the Cold Mountain Overlook. An updated guide to reopened sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway can be found here.
Climb (or ride) to Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock State Park reopened in June. Reserve tickets in advance and ride the 26-story elevator to Sky Lounge for sweeping views of Lake Lure and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Track peak color week to week
Follow weekly foliage updates from local photographers at @VisitAsheville and Explore Asheville’s interactive fall color map.
Hickory Nut Gap Farm’s store is open year-round for local meats and farm products. Image courtesy of Explore Asheville.
Enjoy farm, family and fall traditions
Meet the Trolls at the N.C. Arboretum
The brand-new traveling exhibition, “Trolls: A Field Study” by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, makes its U.S. debut at the North Carolina Arboretum, Nov. 15, 2025 to Feb. 17, 2026. Grab a map and discover 12 larger-than-life trolls across 65 acres of gardens and 10 miles of trails.
Tour (and taste) on Appalachian farms
The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) hosts its annual Farm Tours on Sept. 20 to 21, which offer a chance to experience how food is grown and raised through guided tours, demonstrations and tastings. This year’s tour highlights 24 farms in the region that specialize in a variety of produce and products, including Addison Farms Vineyard, Looking Glass Creamery and Wilderkin Beekeeping. One pass is good for all passengers in a single vehicle at all farms, both days.
Get lost (on purpose) in a corn maze
Just five minutes from downtown Asheville, Eliada Homes’ Fall Festival & Corn Maze returns Sept. 26 with rides, food trucks and family fun.
Studios in Asheville’s River Arts District welcome shoppers during a neighborhood event. Image courtesy of Explore Asheville.
Experience the River Arts District’s revival
The River Arts District (RAD), a mile-long stretch along the French Broad River, was one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods during Hurricane Helene. Studios flooded, galleries shuttered and the district’s creative heartbeat seemed at risk. A year later, the revival is in full swing, and it’s worth carving out a day to explore.
Walk the Marquee on Sept. 25
The Marquee is one of the largest indoor art markets in the South. Floodwater rose high enough to soak entire stalls. On Sept. 25 it reopens with nearly all 350 vendors back in place. Come ready to hunt for antiques, odd objects and handmade furniture.
Join the RAD Rendezvous party (Sept. 16)
The group behind The Radical Hotel has opened a new gallery and studio space called RAD Rendezvous. Up to 40 artists will work here. Visit on Sept. 16 for the grand opening. Expect music, open studios and work fresh from the flood year.
Take a class at Local Cloth
On Sept. 13, Local Cloth reopens its workshops. The nonprofit supports hundreds of fiber artists. Sign up for a class in weaving, natural dyes or spinning. Leave with fabric that still smells of lanolin.
Join the RAD Resilience festival (Sept. 13)
The River Arts District Association will host RAD Resilience. Hundreds of artists will open their doors. A street market will line the blocks. Food trucks will park near outdoor installations. Plan to walk for hours.
See trees felled trees turned into art
Go to Foundation Woodworks, a woodshop run by 11 master carpenters. The workshop was wrecked by floodwater last year, but the group has rebuilt it. See their furniture and sculpture, then learn about their nonprofit, Echoes of the Forest. The project takes downed trees from Hurricane Helene and turns them into benches, tables and public sculpture.
On Sept. 26, head to the N.C. Arboretum for “Wood, Wonder & Renewal”, a one-day celebration where these works will be unveiled. Go early: it’s the same weekend the giant wooden trolls by Danish artist Thomas Dambo arrive at the gardens.
Celebrate the second-ever RADfest (Nov. 8 to 9)
Return to the River Arts District for RADfest. Spend two days with open studios, food trucks and live music. Last year’s debut drew thousands.
Diners toast on a rooftop patio with Blue Ridge Mountain views in downtown Asheville, N.C. Image courtesy of Explore Asheville.
Eat and drink
Asheville has long eaten well, and its dining rooms and breweries are buzzing again. If you are in town for the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, pull up a chair at these tables.
Eat shrimp and grits at Corner Kitchen
Corner Kitchen has reopened in Biltmore Village. Order the pecan-crusted trout from Sunburst Farms or the shrimp and grits with red-eye gravy.
Sip a pint beside the French Broad River
Head north to Zillicoah Beer Company in Woodfin, which also recently reopened.
Dine at Crusco in the River Arts District
Crusco, which opened in July, honors the late chef Brian Canipelli. His wife, Kat Kearney, runs it with his former staff. Order heirloom vegetables from local farmer Evan Chender, known as The Culinary Gardener, paired with house-made pasta or seafood.
Line up for Slava Cafe
This fall, Slava Cafe will open on Wall Street. Try traditional Ukrainian breads, pierogis and cabbage rolls. For Asheville’s small Ukrainian community, it will feel like home. For you, it will be new.
Try modern Mexican at Xico
Later this fall, Xico will open on Biltmore Avenue. Order Yucatán-style grilled fish or Veracruz mole. Stop by the downstairs taqueria, Zico Xico, for quick tacos, sopes and huaraches.
Eat bagels and deli fare in West Asheville
Finest Deli is opening its first brick-and-mortar with soups, sandwiches and pasta. Grab a cheap beer in the beer garden. Then head downtown to Jersey South Bagel Co. for Jersey-style bagels with lox or whitefish salad.
Book a table at Piccolina
In September, Piccolina will open beside Trackside Studios in the River Arts District. Go by day for pizza, sandwiches and Italian ice. Come back at night for handmade pasta and risotto.
Try wine and a shrimp roll at Leo’s House of Thirst
Head to Leo’s House of Thirst in West Asheville. Ask for a glass from their James Beard-nominated natural wine list, then pair it with a small plate from the kitchen. Sit in the garden if the weather holds.
Bite into BabyBull Burgers
At BabyBull, order a double smash burger with fries. The menu is short, the flavors sharp. Expect a line, and stay for a local draft.
Line up for Good Hot Fish
Go to Good Hot Fish and ask for a plate of fried catfish or the trout bologna sandwich. The hush puppies and boiled peanuts come hot, the pickles cut the grease. Eat it fast, the way locals do.
Downtown Asheville, N.C., is framed by vibrant fall foliage as visitors stroll past historic architecture and sidewalk cafés. Image courtesy of Explore Asheville.
Celebrate culture, festivals and music
Plan to be in Asheville this fall and join the gatherings that define the season. Music, food, and neighborhood pride fill the calendar in the weeks around the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene.
Dance at Goombay Festival (Sept. 4 to 7)
Head downtown for Goombay Festival, a street festival that has filled downtown Asheville with music and food for more than 40 years. The name comes from Caribbean culture, but the event centers on Affrilachian heritage—the history and traditions of African Americans in Appalachia. Expect jazz, gospel, hip hop, a fashion show, wellness classes, and family activities. Last year’s festival was canceled by Hurricane Helene. This year, the return is personal.
Celebrate Pride in Pack Square (Sept. 26)
Mark the anniversary weekend with Blue Ridge Pride Festival. Pack Square Park fills with music, food and rainbow flags. Start the weekend early: Pattie Gonia, the drag queen activist, brings her “SAVE HER!” climate tour to the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.
Hear the blues in Black Mountain (Sept. 26 to 28)
Spend the weekend at the Black Mountain Blues Festival. Stroll between venues, catch panel discussions, and sit in on open jams.
Drink and dance at Burnpile (Oct. 4)
Spend a day at Burnpile, the annual festival thrown by Burial Beer Co. This is not a small taproom party. More than 60 craft breweries from around the world pour beer here, alongside national touring bands who play outdoors all day and into the night. Bring a blanket, pace yourself, and expect to spend hours in the company of beer makers, music fans and locals who treat Burnpile like a holiday.
Join LEAF at Lake Eden (Oct. 16 to 19)
Bring the family to the LEAF Global Arts Festival. Walk the lakeside campus in Black Mountain. Hear Valerie June, Making Movies, and Las Montañitas alongside artists from around the world.
Hear the symphony honor Black Mountain College (Oct. 25)
Book tickets for “Convergence,” an Asheville Symphony program tracing music from European romanticism to John Cage, who once worked at Black Mountain College.
Mark a century of American music at The Asheville Sessions (Nov. 6 to 9)
Honor the 100th anniversary of the first commercial Appalachian recordings with The Asheville Sessions. Go Friday to hear Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show at The Grey Eagle. Return Saturday to the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium for River Whyless, Tyler Ramsey, Toubab Krewe and Floating Action.
Guests enjoy drinks at sunset on a rooftop bar in Asheville, N.C., with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Image courtesy of Explore Asheville.
Plan your visit now
Fall in Asheville is lively, and events tied to the anniversary of Hurricane Helene will draw even larger crowds. Book lodging early, leave extra time for mountain drives, and check schedules before you go. With art, music, food and the Blue Ridge views all in season, a little planning ensures you spend more time enjoying and less time waiting.
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