Holi Celebration image courtesy of Asheville Downtown Association

Photo courtesy of Asheville Downtown Association

Arts AVL Awards Event Support Grants to Nine Organizations; New Mini-Grant Program Launches for 2026

Nine community organizations receive $60,712 for free public arts events as ArtsAVL and the City debut a new Rolling Mini-Grant program for 2026.

December 4, 2025 | Asheville, N.C. – The City of Asheville’s Event Support Grant program—administered by ArtsAVL—supports free, public arts and cultural events that activate Asheville’s outdoor spaces and bring people together. The program now includes two complementary funding opportunities designed to meet the needs of both large annual festivals and smaller, spontaneous community events:

Two Grant Options to Support Public Arts Events

1. Event Support Grant (Regular)

Provides $3,000–$10,000 in support to Buncombe County nonprofit organizations producing larger, established annual outdoor events. This competitive annual cycle is the City’s primary mechanism for supporting high-impact community festivals and cultural programming.

2. NEW FOR 2026 – Rolling Mini-Grants

A new pilot program offering up to $1,000 to help cover City-related fees (such as permitting, street closures, or sanitation) for pop-up or smaller-scale events.

  • Open to Buncombe County nonprofits
  • Also, open to for-profit businesses located within the footprint of the proposed event. Eligible for the mini grant only.
  • Applications accepted year-round. This new option ensures organizers can take advantage of evolving opportunities throughout the year—not just during a single annual grant cycle.

This Year’s Event Support Grant (Regular) Grantees

This round of the Event Support Grant (Regular) awarded $60,712 to nine local organizations. Each funded event reflects Asheville’s commitment to fostering connection, celebrating creativity, and ensuring the arts remain accessible to everyone.

“Free, public arts events are part of what makes Asheville such a vibrant and welcoming place,” said Katie Cornell, Executive Director of ArtsAVL. “We’re grateful to the City of Asheville for investing in these experiences that bring people together, celebrate our creativity, and ensure everyone has access to the arts—no matter who they are or where they live.”

Arts 2 People – Support for the Surreal Sirkus Arts Festival, a free all-day fair with music, art activities, local vendors, and a one-night-only theater performance.

“It is no exaggeration to say that this grant is what makes it possible for us to continue hosting and growing our annual Surreal Sirkus Arts Festival and to keep it 100% free to the community,” said Executive Director James Genaro. “ArtsAVL and the City of Asheville have been wonderful partners for the past several years in helping us support the arts in Asheville!”

Asheville Downtown Association – Support for Downtown After 5, the Pritchard Park Arts & Cultural Series, Oktoberfest, and the Chai Pani Holi Celebration.

Asheville Mardi Gras – Support for the annual Mardi Gras Parade, a beloved, family-friendly downtown event in the heart of winter.

Asheville Symphony – Support for Symphony in the Park, the annual family-friendly community concert at Pack Square Park.

Blue Ridge Pride – Support for the Blue Ridge Pride Festival, a celebration and advocacy event for the LGBTQIA2S+ community of WNC.

Folk Heritage Committee – Support for Shindig on the Green®, a free series of seven outdoor concerts showcasing Southern Appalachian music, dance, and storytelling.

Open Hearts Art Center – Support for UnLabelMe: Asheville’s Inclusive DisABILITY Pride Celebration.

“This support helps make our Inclusive DisABILITY Pride Celebration possible—an event that brings our community together to celebrate creativity, neurodiversity, and inclusion in the heart of downtown,” said Co-Executive Director Jessie Francis.

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County – Support for the United for Youth Block Party, featuring arts activities such as crafts, spoken word poetry, and music, and advancing the Bold Community Goal that all Buncombe County students graduate high school ready to pursue their dreams.

YMI Cultural Center – Support for the 43rd Goombay Festival, a three-day Afro-Caribbean celebration of the culture and contributions of Black people in Western North Carolina.

Learn More

Find detailed eligibility guidelines and application information for both the Event Support Grant and the Rolling Mini-Grants at artsavl.org/esg. ArtsAVL is proud to administer these programs on behalf of the City of Asheville, supporting a vibrant, inclusive, and accessible creative community.