An Artsy August in Asheville

Asheville is known for a lot of things: The beautiful mountains that provide a backdrop to the city, the world-renowned cuisine and breweries, and of course the Biltmore Estate. But Asheville is especially well-known for its vibrant artistic community.

In addition to the sprawling, mile-long River Arts District (RAD) that flows along with the French Broad River, this town is full of art galleries, art installations, and public art. Plus, the Asheville Art Museum has recently been completely remodeled. And it’s not just visual art that you’ll find here - there are a plethora of creative and performing arts venues, shows, and festivals. This month is no exception - August is bursting with arts festivals and displays in and around Asheville. You’re never more than a quick drive away from exciting, new, and unique artistic treasures.

View

The River Arts District holds a “Second Saturday” gallery walk every month in the summer. Patrons are welcome to wander the 22 buildings and works of more than 200 artists over the mile-long district. There are demonstrations by the artists, workshops, food vendors, crafts, live music, and much more. The August event is on the 13th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Get more info on the RAD website. This year, the “Second Saturday” artists have partnered with Gray Line Trolley to help you get around! Look for the “FREE Trolley” signs around the RAD and hop on and off from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Biltmore is hosting the third of its “Legends of Art & Innovation” interactive experiences with “Leonardo da Vinci - 500 Years of Genius” inside the Amherst at Deerpark®, the Estate's exhibition space. In addition to the artist’s paintings, you’ll get a view of da Vinci’s many scientific, philosophical, and inventive works that continue to inspire intellectuals and artists throughout the world.

Groove

LEAF Down by the River is an extension of the popular LEAF Festival that takes place twice a year in Black Mountain. Billed as a world cultural arts festival, LEAF has every creative art you could think of, from international dancing and music, to art workshops, diverse food and drinks, dramatic arts, and much more. It’s a family-friendly event that places an emphasis on incorporating local artists and talents. It takes place on Aug. 20 this year at The Outpost, 521 Amboy Road.

Eat

Speaking of Black Mountain, one of the “sweetest” festivals in Western North Carolina is the Sourwood Festival. It takes place in the charming small town August 13-14 to celebrate the local bees and their sourwood honey. Aside from all the honey, there are more than 200 vendors with plenty of foods, crafts, and more along Black Mountain’s side streets. The numerous art galleries in town remain open, as do restaurants and stores, so there is plenty to see, do, and buy. The festival starts at 9 a.m. both days, and ends at 8 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Dance

Another Asheville tradition is Shindig on the Green, a celebration of mountain heritage that incorporates the music and dancing of the Appalachian mountain culture. The whole shebang is produced by the Folk Heritage Committee to support the preservation of the music, dance and storytelling of the Appalachian people. Plenty of food and drinks are available to buy, but all you really need is a blanket or some chairs to enjoy the tunes - or join in with your own instruments or clogging feet. It all goes down “along about sundown” (7 p.m. or so) at the Roger McGuire Green at Pack Square Park, August 13.

Tour

Nearby Leicester is hosting its annual “Come to Leicester Studio Tour” on August 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. With more than 20 studios and shops, you’re bound to find something unique and handmade by local artists. Find a map and more info about each artist at the website.