Summer in Asheville is a magical time when everyone collectively decides:
- hiking sounds great,
- live music should happen every night,
- and wearing sandals downtown is a personality trait.
If you’re searching for:
- “Best things to do in Asheville in summer”
- “Fun Asheville summer activities”
- “What to do in Asheville this weekend”
Welcome! And first, bring a water bottle. Here are some of the best ways to survive, and actually enjoy, summer in Asheville.
Ride Around on a Purple Comedy Bus
Sure, you could walk around downtown in 92-degree humidity looking for parking and questioning your life choices… or you could hop aboard at LaZoom.
Part comedy show, part city tour, part rolling fever dream, LaZoom tours are one of the most uniquely Asheville ways to experience the city. You’ll get local history, ridiculous stories, unexpected characters, and the occasional public confusion from pedestrians wondering what exactly they just witnessed.
Float, Tube, or Exist Near Water
Summer in Asheville means everyone suddenly becomes very committed to rivers.
Tube down the French Broad, sit beside a creek with a local beer, or dramatically dip your feet into cold mountain water while claiming it’s “healing.” It probably is.
We recommend:
Brewery Hop Like It’s a Competitive Sport
Warm weather means packed patios and cold drinks at any of our 10,000 breweries (we’re exaggerating, but not far off).
At some point, someone nearby will start explaining hops to you with the intensity of a TED Talk. This is normal, embrace it. Below are some must-see small local breweries to help take the edge off.
We recommend:
Catch Live Music Everywhere
In summer, Asheville basically turns into one giant outdoor concert.
You’ll find:
- buskers downtown
- bluegrass in breweries
- outdoor concerts
- rooftop DJs
- someone playing bongos in a park for reasons nobody fully understands
The city gets weird in the best possible way. Join in, the locals don’t bite.
Hike Until Your Phone Loses Service
The Blue Ridge Mountains are at peak beauty in summer.
Waterfalls, mountain overlooks, wildflowers, cooler temperatures – it’s all great until you realize the hike back uphill exists.
Eat Outside Like a Tiny Forest Goblin
One thing Asheville does extremely well? Patios.
Summer in Asheville is prime time for:
- rooftop cocktails
- food trucks
- tacos outside
- brunch with dogs everywhere
- pretending you don’t feel the humidity because “the vibes are immaculate”
We recommend:
