A Dozen Summer Festivals Near Asheville Not To Miss

News provided by

Jun 08, 2010, 01:00 ET

ASHEVILLE, N.C., June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer in the Blue Ridge Mountains brings many wonderful music, art and food festivals - and much of the fun is free! Here are the Top 12 Summer Festivals this year in the Asheville area, as selected by www.RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide:

June 11-12: Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival in Tryon features Hog Heaven with 80 cook teams, live music and craft fair.

June 12-13: River District Artists Studio Stroll in Asheville is your chance to tour the studios, meet with the artists and purchase artwork.

June 25-August 8: Brevard Music Center Festival features 400 of the most talented students in the world, joining Brevard's artist faculty to present more than 80 concerts in a beautiful setting.

July 3, 10, 17, 31 August 14, 21, 28, September 4: Shindig on the Green attracts musicians and dancers from Western North Carolina on Saturday nights to share the region's Southern Appalachian mountain culture in downtown Asheville.

July 8-11: Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is considered to be the grandfather of Scottish Games in the United States.

July 22-August 1: Folkmoot USA is North Carolina's Official International Festival, a two-week celebration of the world's cultural heritage through folk music and dance.

July 23-25: Bele Chere is the largest free outdoor street festival in the Southeast, held in downtown Asheville.

August 6-7: Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair is the oldest and largest crafts fair in the Blue Ridge with 250+ craftfolk showing their work in downtown Burnsville.

August 7-8: Village Art & Craft Fair in Biltmore Village hosts 125 artists from 20 states representing the full spectrum of craft media - jewelry, ceramic, wood, fiber, metals, two-dimensional art and more.

August 14-15: Sourwood Festival fills the streets of downtown Black Mountain with great music, lots of fun, and plenty of great mountain cookin'.

August 27-29: Goombay is an African-Caribbean style festival in downtown Asheville with entertainment including steel drums, African-America dancers, local gospel groups, and contemporary rhythm bands, plus crafts and great food.

September 3-6: NC Apple Festival in downtown Hendersonville features more than 150 vendors with continuous entertainment. The King Apple Parade, always held on Labor Day, culminates the Main Street activities.

For more information on these and dozens of other summer events and festivals, go to www.romanticasheville.com.