Asheville's Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, held since 1928, ran July 30 to Aug. 1, 2026. The 2027 festival will be the 100th; dates are not out yet.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Updated each year. Facts on this page come from the organizer, the Folk Heritage Committee. Contact: info@folkheritage.org.

The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival is Asheville’s oldest festival and, the Folk Heritage Committee says, the oldest gathering of its kind in the nation. The 99th festival ran three nights, July 30, July 31 and Aug. 1, 2026, in the auditorium at Asheville High School, 419 McDowell St.

The 2027 festival will be the 100th. The committee had not posted dates or tickets for it when this page was checked. This page will carry them as soon as it does.

The festival at a glance

  • 2026 dates: Thursday, July 30, Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1, 7 to 9 p.m. each night
  • 2027: the 100th festival; dates not yet announced
  • Where (2025 and 2026): Auditorium at Asheville High School, 419 McDowell St.
  • 2026 tickets: $20 adults, $5 ages 6 to 12, $55 for all three nights
  • Organizer: Folk Heritage Committee, info@folkheritage.org

What happens

Each night is a different show, the committee says, with hundreds of musicians, dancers and storytellers keeping up the traditions of the Southern Appalachian Mountains:

  • bluegrass and old-time string bands;
  • ballad singers;
  • clogging teams;
  • Big Circle Mountain Smooth Dance teams;
  • storytellers.

The 2026 bill included Sheila Kay Adams, Laura Boosinger, Josh Goforth, Connie Regan-Blake, Don Pedi, the Stoney Creek Boys, Buncombe Turnpike, Sons of Ralph and the Green Valley, Balsam Mountain and Southern Appalachian cloggers. Each night ended with a finale. The performers give their time as volunteers.

Tickets

The committee’s 2026 prices, sold online through its ticket page:

Ticket 2026 price
Adult $20
Students and children ages 6 to 12 $5
Three-night package $55
Groups of 10 or more $15 each

Prices for the 100th festival have not been announced.

The Youth Talent Celebration

Before the final night, the committee holds a free Youth Talent Celebration for the next generation of mountain musicians and dancers. In 2026 it was the sixth, from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at the same auditorium.

Shindig on the Green

The festival’s free sister event, Shindig on the Green, fills Saturday evenings in summer at the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Stage on Roger McGuire Green in Pack Square Park, from 7 to 10 p.m. The committee says 2,000 to 3,000 people come each night, and 2026 was its 60th season. Bring lawn chairs or blankets; pets other than service animals are not allowed, under the city’s rules for outdoor events. Shindig takes the festival Saturday off, when its musicians and dancers move indoors to the festival.

A short history

The committee’s history page says:

  • 1928: the musician and folk historian Bascom Lamar Lunsford organizes the first festival at Pack Square, as part of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s Rhododendron Festival.
  • Later decades: it moves from the Asheville City Auditorium to the Asheville Civic Center, then to the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in the same building, where it stays until 1998.
  • After 1998: the Folk Heritage Committee moves it to Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place, held each year on the first weekend of August, with later moves during construction.
  • 2025: after Hurricane Helene, and with Warren Wilson College’s Kittredge Theatre closed for heating and cooling work, the 98th festival moves to the newly renovated auditorium at Asheville High School.

The festival has support from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Asheville Office of Economic Development, ArtsAVL and Buncombe County, the committee says.

More in Asheville

Frequently asked questions

When is the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival?

The 99th festival ran three nights, July 30, July 31 and Aug. 1, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m. Dates for the 100th festival in 2027 have not been announced.

Where is the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival held?

In 2026 it was held in the auditorium at Asheville High School, 419 McDowell St., the same venue as in 2025.

How much are Mountain Dance and Folk Festival tickets?

In 2026 tickets were $20 for adults, $5 for students and children ages 6 to 12, $55 for a three-night package and $15 each for groups of 10 or more.

How old is the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival?

Bascom Lamar Lunsford started it in 1928 at Pack Square. The Folk Heritage Committee calls it the oldest gathering of its kind in the nation; 2027 will be the 100th festival.

What is the difference between Shindig on the Green and the festival?

Shindig on the Green is the free outdoor Saturday-night series at Pack Square Park in summer. The festival is the ticketed three-night stage show; both are run by the Folk Heritage Committee.