AVLFest Turns the Entire City of Asheville Into a Giant Festival Ground
Asheville’s biggest music festival draws more than 200 acts to show off the entire city.
The second edition of Asheville, North Carolina’s AVLFest is coming up on August 1–4, and it's definitely worth the trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. First of all, Asheville is a perfect destination for a weekend trip—think Boulder, but at half the elevation and half the price. Breweries, music, and the Great Outdoors are the lifeblood of this sleepy NC town.
Unlike huge festivals like Bonnaroo or Coachella where concert-goers camp out on a massive farm or in the middle of the desert, AVLFest is designed to showcase 20+ independent venues around town instead of tying visitors to a single festival ground. With more than 200 local, regional, and national genre-crossing musical acts, your festival wristband allows admission to every venue across four days and nights. Sponsored by Asheville breakout brewery heroes Wicked Weed, AVLFest invites attendees from all over, but favors locals by offering early discounted tickets to Ashevillagers before the general population gains access. The festival also encourages visitors to discover a variety of local clubs and concert halls, shining the spotlight on the city’s vibrant live music scene. (Most of the venues are indoors, which is important because it's August.)
The festival organizers are committed to supporting local causes in the community while introducing visitors to the “The Land of the Sky.” AVLFest partners with the nonprofit Asheville Music Professionals to support those who work in the industry and spread awareness of the importance of live performances to the area’s economy. AMP will receive a portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales to assist in their advocacy efforts.
Headliners at this year’s AVLFest include the livetronica jam band Papadosio, alternative country band Beachwood Sparks (in one of only three performances this year in support of their first studio album in more than a decade), local Americana legends Town Mountain, and The Heavy Heavy who are making the trip across the pond to shower the festival with UK psychedelic pop.
Weekend passes are on sale at the AVLFest website.
Drive time:
4 hours from Atlanta, GA
5 hours from Nashville, TN
More things to do in Asheville during AVLFest
Since most of the big acts at AVLFest take the stage in the evening, there’s plenty of time to explore Asheville during the day, even before the start of smaller afternoon shows. Not only is The Biltmore considered the largest private home in the country, but self-guided tours of George Vanderbilt’s 250-room French Renaissance palace are the most popular tourist activities in the city. For more local charm without the opulence, spend a day browsing the shops and studios in the River Arts District, the creative heart of Asheville. The river that gives the district its name is the French Broad, and a trip downstream with Zen Tubing can provide a cool (and cooling) way to see the city from a unique perspective. The Blue Ridge Parkway weaves through the mountains that surround Asheville offering beautiful scenic views on the winding drive as well as a plethora of hiking, biking, and picnicking opportunities. With one of the highest brewery per capita ratios in the country, Asheville is a mecca for visitors seeking craft drafts. Let the Asheville Ale Trail be your guide to the tops in hops.
Where to eat and drink in Asheville during AVLFest
The culinary scene in Asheville is as hot as fried tomatoes, and the national food press continues to heap praises and awards on the city’s restaurant community. In 2022, two local restaurants received national acclaim from the prestigious James Beard Foundation. Chef Katie Button’s homage to the small plates of Spain, Cúrate Bar de Tapas, received the award for Outstanding Hospitality, and the menu of creative shareable bites allows for an extensive food tour of the country without leaving your table. Meherwan Irani’s Chai Pani presents from-scratch Indian street food that is elevated to the sublime, earning the restaurant the title of Best Restaurant in America at the 2022 Beard Awards. Other local favorites worth checking out include The Market Place which has been making farm-to-table cool since 1979, long before big city restaurants discovered the beauty of seasonal, locally sourced menus. Former Blackberry Farm chef John Fleer transforms traditional Appalachian ingredients and recipes into what he calls “foothills cuisine,” a melange of fine dining and rustic regional fare at his flagship restaurant Rhubarb. Fleer’s newest restaurant, Benne on Eagle, explores the history of Appalachian ingredients even deeper in the past, back to their roots in Africa, to create a new class of “Affrilachian” food.
Where to stay in Asheville during AVLFest
Since there’s no central campground for AVLFest, festival organizers have arranged for discounted hotel rates for attendees at convenient properties around the city. Depending on which neighborhood you want to spend your daily pre-festival time, you might consider the Cambria Downtown Asheville with its fantastic mountain views and Cuban-inspired terrace bar, the classic revival style of the Haywood Park Hotel, or the budget-friendly Country Inn & Suites Asheville River Arts District that offers a convenient free shuttle service between the Arts District and downtown. The Omni Grove Park Inn has been an Asheville institution since the early 20th century. The luxurious resort features a golf course, full spa, and gorgeous mountain vistas, and ten US presidents have visited the inn over the decades. For those seeking a more bohemian festival vibe, Bon Paul & Sharky’s is an amiable hostel and guest house with your choice of private rooms or shared quarters. Parking, linens, a continental breakfast, and Wi-Fi are all free, so it still has all the necessities you need for a weekend of AVLFest fun without digging too deep into your entertainment budget.