Art and the great outdoors: What’s new in Asheville NC

Asheville, NC ushers in 2026 with a host of experiences designed to engage the senses.

It doesn’t stop there, as it keeps the X factor going all year long. 2026 brings an array of openings and new encounters to delight and surprise visitors throughout the year.

In 2026, art-making takes the spotlight with new studios and workshops debut classes where creativity shines. Outdoors, a wave of fresh adventures invites visitors to back to nature: the largest mountain bike track in the Americas, newly expanded climbing routes, and a luxury Airstream campsite, as well as major sporting events throughout the year.

Here’s what to look out for in Asheville in 2026:

High-profile sporting events: Asheville steps onto the national sports stage in 2026 with a slate of inaugural events and major facility upgrades. The PGA TOUR’s first-ever Biltmore Championship in Asheville tees off in the fall, bringing professional golf to one of the region’s most iconic landscapes. McCormick Field, home to the Asheville Tourists for more than a century, will open its 2026 season after a renovation, featuring an expanded entrance and plaza, a state-of-the-art scoreboard, and a new playing surface.

World Cup detour destination: With fans crisscrossing the continent for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Asheville stands out as an easy, inspired add-on — only 3.5 hours from Atlanta and a short flight from several host cities, including New York, Miami and Boston. Fans can toast the tournament in America’s craft beer capital, explore the Blue Ridge Parkway and Biltmore, then settle in to watch the match at Olde London Road or Easy Tiger, a new downtown sports bar with a distinctly local twist.

America’s Favorite Drive reopens for 90th anniversary– The Blue Ridge Parkway celebrates 90 years since construction began in 1935, with more than 114 continuous miles now fully open from the highest peak in the east, Mt. Mitchell, through Asheville and all the way to the Smokies. Repair following Hurricane Helene’s 2024 landslides were completed with full restoration on track for 2026. Visitors can once again enjoy the Parkway’s most popular attractions, including the Folk Art Center, the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center and the North Carolina Arboretum.

Art

Giant wooden trolls– The North Carolina Arboretum hosts the limited-run U.S. debut of “Trolls: A Field Study,” a traveling exhibition by internationally acclaimed Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Twelve curious “baby trolls” crafted from reclaimed materials transform the Arboretum’s gardens and forested trails. Visitors are invited to follow a custom map, uncover each troll’s distinct personality and experience this storytelling-in-nature installation (through Feb. 17).

Sensory spectacle illuminates Biltmore – An evening experience, Luminere, is set to transform America’s Largest House and gardens into a luminous dreamscape. The installation projects moving imagery, set to a custom score by Julian Grefe and performed by the Asheville Symphony. Guests can enhance the evening with picnics on the grounds or exclusive guided tours of the house, making Luminere a wholly immersive way to see Biltmore in a new light (Mar. 26–Oct. 18, 2026).

Day glow – The theme of illumination carries into the Asheville Art Museum’s upcoming exhibition: “In a New Light: American Impressionism 1870–1940,” which assembles works by more than 75 artists to trace the movement’s evolution in the U.S. The collection highlights how painters from Childe Hassam to George Inness captured rural, maritime and urban life with luminous color (Feb. 6–June 9).

Art classes:
Therapeutic art making at Conspire Studio – Founders Dani Austin and Kim Wayman guide private and community sessions, where participants explore art-making. They describe their approach, known as creative inquiry, as “yoga for the brain.” Conspire Studio‘s therapeutic art-making sessions are designed to help participants reconnect with their creative selves.

Art Parties, by Miranda Wildman – “Art is for everyone.” That’s the philosophy that guides Miranda Wildman’s inclusive art experiences, who treats her classes as a collective journey. Wildman offers regular community classes and private art parties in cyanotype, collage and shadow play.

Fiber-curious and cocktails via Gather Studio – Fiber artist and instructor Kimmy Tolbert launched this roving craft workshop to help fiber-curious individuals access classes. She holds regular Craft Club workshops at Local Cloth in the RAD and at Periscope, a new craft cocktail and natural wine bar inside S&W Market. Class offerings include making beaded sardine keychains, Celtic knot wall hangings and traditional loom weavings.

Beginners welcome at AVL Clay – In a light-filled 4,300-square-foot studio in South Asheville, potters of every skill level can spin, shape and glaze. Ceramicist Arleen Ferrara opened the space in 2025 to fuel the region’s broader artistic resurgence after Hurricane Helene.

New and upgraded venues

River Arts District: The outdoor music venue Salvage Station is set to make a return to the RAD neighborhood in 2026. The family-owned institution plans to reopen on a 14-site location, located steps away from the French Broad River Greenway and surrounded by colorful murals.

South Slope: Wheelhouse opened in November, bringing its blend of “coffee, booze, country and blues” to the neighborhood. By day it’s a laid-back coffee shop; by night it transforms into a dive bar hosting regular local and touring acts.

Black Mountain: White Horse Black Mountain, a non-profit music venue, is undergoing an expansion project, expected to be complete in time for summer music season. The addition includes a covered deck and outdoor stage, lending mountain views to the listening experience.

East Asheville: Revival Asheville is a new 350-capacity concert hall set in a restored historic building beside Ninja Spirits distillery. The intimate venue includes an adjoining restaurant, outdoor patio and a bar pouring wine, beer and craft cocktails.

The storied music club, The Orange Peel, revealed its plans to open an open-air venue, also in East Asheville. Plans for the 6,000-person venue feature modular and movable elements – a climate-adaptive design solution for the site, which sits along the Swannanoa River.

Asheville 2026 arts calendar

Contemporary dance troupe Stewart/Owen Dance will put on the Asheville premiere of “The Front” as part of its 2026 season. The original work of choreography, commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, is a satirical exploration of the friction between polished public personas and the messy truths beneath. (May 1-2).

Asheville Symphony season: Three-time Grammy-winning vocalist Isabel Leonard returns as the symphony’s artist-in-residence. She’ll lend her voice to a variety of performances and venues, showcasing the beauty, versatility and storytelling power of vocal music (Mar. 16-23).

Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird makes his Asheville Symphony debut, performing his 2005 album “The Mysterious Production of Eggs” in full with orchestral arrangements, capped by a suite of fan favorites from his 30-year career (May 29).

The YMI Cultural Center, one of the nation’s oldest Black cultural centers, is kicking off monthly Jazz & Soul Sessions, led by Affrilachian folk musician Kelle Jolly and the Will Boyd Project. Held every fourth Friday and Saturday of the month, the series fills the landmark building with jazz and soul. VIP and pay-what-you-can tickets available (through April 25).

Indie art festivals

Asheville Crankie Fest | 10 – The first-annual Crankie Fest at The Grey Eagle celebrates Appalachia’s folk-art tradition of “crankies,” long illustrated scrolls that move through a viewing box like a miniature panorama. Live musicians accompany the visuals, weaving ballads and stories that guide the audience along each unfolding scene.

Asheville Zine Fest | Sept., date TBD – Returning later in the year, Asheville Zine Fest spotlights the city’s independent creators, from zines and comics to small-press books and artist editions. The inclusive and community-minded gathering offers an intimate space for storytelling and engagement with the local arts scene.

Outdoors and wellness

Luxury Airstream campsite opens – After a year-long delay from Hurricane Helene, AutoCamp Asheville is now welcoming bookings. Set on a 16-acre site overlooking the French Broad River, the property offers modern Airstreams, cabins, suites or Bambi suites – ideal for solo travelers or couples. Amenities include a mid-century modern clubhouse, all-season plunge pool and daily dining at The Kitchen and General Store.

New outdoor routes for rock climbers

Outdoor nonprofits Access Fund and the Carolina Climbers Coalition have secured more than 16 acres of land near Chimney Rock State Park, unlocking access to more than 50 new routes with sweeping views of Hickory Nut Gorge. The area — called Lower Ghost Town, after the bygone amusement park — adds a major new draw for climbers. Half of the climbing area is expected to be completed by April 2026.

Indoor climbing: Cultivate Climbing has opened a new bouldering gym on Foundy Street in the River Arts District after its previous space was destroyed by flooding. In 2026, Cultivate will also debut a 20,000-square-foot top rope gym, Highland Station, next to Highland Brewing. The facility will feature 45-foot walls, climbs ranging from slab to steep, and the country’s second Quantum Board.

In Swannanoa, one of the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, the new Beacon Bike Park and Events Lawn is transforming a former blanket manufacturing site into a hub of recreation. The sprawling complex features a public walking trail, a bike park anchored by North America’s largest Velosolutions pump track and a 4,000-capacity outdoor venue poised to host concerts, festivals, races and community events as the area rebuilds. The pump track’s grand opening is on track for Spring 2026.

The newly reopened Okie Dokies Smokehouse in Swannanoa turns out wood-fired, low-and-slow barbecue, perfect for a post-ride refuel.

Sports venues and events

PGA TOUR Returns to Asheville – After more than eight decades, professional golf makes a celebrated comeback with the inaugural Biltmore Championship in Asheville, held Sept. 17–20 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The Jack Nicklaus–designed course, framed by Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway, ranks among North Carolina’s finest.

A $55.6 million centennial restoration will transform McCormick Field, the 1924 home of the Asheville Tourists into a modern, year-round venue while preserving its storied baseball legacy. The revitalized ballpark will also welcome major events, including the Big South Baseball Championship (May 20–23.

The Ingles Southern Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return March 5–9 to Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville. The tournament has become a spring tradition, drawing fans and teams to the mountains as the road to the Final Four begins.

Also set for March 5–9, the Explore Asheville SoCon Wrestling Championships will bring elite collegiate wrestlers to Kimmel Arena at UNC Asheville, where athletes compete for a coveted path to the national stage.

For the first time, Asheville will host the NAIA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championships (May 20–22), gathering roughly 1,300 student-athletes at UNC Asheville’s recently renovated Karl Straus Track, regarded as one of the nation’s top collegiate facilities.

This spring, Riverside Park will debut Taylor’s Wave, a precisely engineered whitewater feature designed for surfers and freestyle kayakers. Built from a tested scale model developed in a Czech hydraulics lab, the in-stream structure promises a powerful, environmentally sensitive wave that still allows safe passage for fish and casual paddlers. Terraced riverbank seating rounds out the project, positioning Woodfin to host national and international competitions.

Construction begins in Feb. 2026 on UNC Asheville’s new outdoor tennis complex, which will feature six lighted competition courts, spectator seating and a dedicated tennis building. When complete in March 2027, the complex will bolster the university’s ability to host major events, including Big South Conference and USTA Adaptive Tennis championships.

River Arts District’s new venues

A new “urban sports club,” Ace & Eagle,is the dream of three golf-loving friends who envisioned a communal gathering space for recreation and social connection. Ace & Eagle’s facility at Hi-Wire River Arts Campus features cutting-edge golf simulators, pickleball courts and competition-grade billiards, with private event options suited for everything from bachelor weekends to corporate team outings. In the spring, The Flying Bike will join the campus, offering e-bike tours of the neighborhood.

After losing its longtime Carrier Park rink to Helene, the Asheville Hockey League transformed a vacant lot into an open-air home for its youth teams. The Riverside Rink project was powered by community spirit — donated materials, local mural art and volunteer labor — transforming a storm-scarred concrete pad into a lively hub for hockey and skating. In 2026, the rink will offer community skate nights and private events.

Deck out with fresh wheels: Just blocks away, Fishbrains skate shop rents and sells top-of-the-line roller and inline skates, including kid sizes. 

For more on the latest happenings, visit ExploreAsheville.com

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