Home / Events / 2026 White Squirrel Weekend – Friday

2026 White Squirrel Weekend – Friday

May 22, 2026 5:00 pm - 9:30 pm

The beloved White Squirrel Weekend returns to downtown Brevard for three days of live music, local flavor, craft beverages, family fun, and plenty of white squirrel spirit.

Now in its 22nd year, White Squirrel Weekend brings together a stellar live music lineup, food vendors, local craft breweries, downtown businesses, and more than 80 craft and retail vendors for one of Brevard’s favorite community celebrations. The event is free and open to the public.

“White Squirrel Weekend is more than just another festival,” said J. Nicole Bentley, Heart of Brevard Executive Director and event organizer. “It is a celebration of Brevard’s unique charm, community spirit, and vibrant arts and music scene, all in honor of the town’s beloved mascot, the white squirrel.”

Festival Highlights

Live Music on the Main Stage
Enjoy three days of live music in the heart of downtown Brevard.

Street Festival + Local Shopping
Explore more than 80 vendors featuring handcrafted goods, jewelry, artisan crafts, food, beverages, and more. Downtown’s independent businesses will also be open for shopping and dining throughout the weekend.

Beer Garden + Social District
Local craft breweries, including Oskar Blues Brewing, Noblebräu and Brevard Brewing Company, will serve a variety of craft beers, along with draft wine. The Brevard Social District will also be extended during the event.

Meet Sammy the Squirrel
Stop by the Heart of Brevard tent to meet Sammy the Squirrel, downtown’s official mascot, and snap a photo.

Kids Zone
Family-friendly activities include a hula hoop jam and a 10-minute pirate ship escape room.

Schedule Overview

Friday, May 22 | 5:00-10:00 PM
Evening kickoff with live music, beer garden, and food vendors.

Saturday, May 23 | 10:00 AM-10:00 PM
Full-day street festival with live performances, vendors, shopping, dining, and family activities.

Sunday, May 24 | 10:00 AM-9:00 PM
More live music, food, vendors, and festival fun to close out the weekend

Community Supporter Experience

Let’s get squirrely with support for our favorite downtown event!

White Squirrel Weekend remains free and open to the public because of the people and partners who step up to support it.

As the cost of producing a safe, high-quality three-day festival continues to grow, from live music and staging to public safety, sanitation, and logistics, we’re inviting our community to be part of what makes this event possible.

Every Supporter Pass helps offset the real costs of producing White Squirrel Weekend and allows us to keep it free and open to the public. Your participation supports local music, small businesses, and the energy that makes downtown Brevard such a special place to gather.

What You’ll Enjoy

Located in the parking lot between the Chamber and Fable (formerly Quotations) on East Main Street, this dedicated space offers:

👉 Shaded private tent with relaxed seating
👉 Preferred stage viewing near the main action
👉 Two drink tokens per day redeemable at festival beverage locations
👉 Private bar with shorter lines
👉 Light snacks and refreshments
👉 Access to private restrooms
👉 Bring your own chair and settle in for the day

Support Options

1-Day Supporter Pass – $65
Access for one day (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday)

3-Day Supporter Pass – $150
Full weekend access (Friday through Sunday)

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PASSES

Vendor Applications Closed for 2026 – Please CLICK HERE for Our America 250 Celebration Opportunities (July 4th Event)

Sponsors

Logo for Beautiful Brevard showing a badge in the center with Beautiful Brevard verbiage and mountains artwork surrounding by a circle with text in it saying Recreation, Flowers, industry, opporunity, arts and, education.
A logo for Transylvania County, North Carolina, featuring a mountainous landscape with waterfalls and a setting sun. The text reads "Land of Waterfalls" above the mountains and "Transylvania County North Carolina" below.
Logo for Fisher Realty established in 1977.
Logo of First Citizens Bank featuring a stylized "FC" in red and white on a blue background, followed by the text "First Citizens Bank" in blue.

Schedule

Friday, May 22, 2026

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Craft Vendors

An outstanding lineup of vendors featuring unique products, handcrafted goods, and exceptional offerings you won’t want to miss.

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Food Vendors

A delicious lineup of food vendors serving a wide variety of flavorful dishes, sweet treats, and crowd favorites to satisfy every craving.

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Bike Valet

Take advantage of the Free bike valet offered by the Brevard Bike Alliance and not have to worry about parking.

5:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Music Begins

A dynamic music lineup featuring talented artists, diverse sounds, and high-energy performances that keep the atmosphere lively all night.

Sponsored by

Music

Friday, May 22, 2026

Logo for Fisher Realty established in 1977.

Friday STAGE SPONSOR

HEADLINER

Mountain Grass Unit

8:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Mountain Grass Unit, from Birmingham, Alabama, is a young quartet redefining bluegrass with a fresh narrative. Comprised of Drury Anderson (mandolin, vocals), Luke Black (guitar, vocals), Josiah Nelson (fiddle, vocals), and Sam Wilson (bass, vocals), they blend tradition with bold exploration. Their journey began with a shared musical passion, forming a sound that merges bluegrass with country, jazz, funk, rock, and metal influences. Their debut EP, “Runnin’ From Trouble,” released in 2024, showcases their original music and inventive covers, inspired by legends like Tony Rice and Billy Strings.

Recorded at Nashville’s Hartland Studios, and produced by Mike Harris (Old Crow Medicine Show), the EP captures their live energy. The leading single, “Hey Mama,” explores life’s transitions with inquisitive lyrics, while “Cicada Song” and “Smugglin’” highlight their funk and traditional sides.

2024 marked a turning point with performances at Renewal, DelFest and WinterWondergrass, broadening their audience and deepening their musical exploration. With plans for extensive touring, festival sets, and new music, Mountain Grass Unit is ready to share their luminous sound with the world, each performance a new chapter in their unfolding story.

ARTIST WEBSITE

The Get Right Band

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

The Get Right Band is a psychedelic indie rock group committed to relentlessly following their muses to honest self-expression, to whatever excites them and pushes them into unexplored territory, to capturing some version of truth. American Songwriter writes that the Asheville, NC based group, “filters 60’s/70’s psychedelia and 90’s alternative rock through a modern lens–as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach.”

The Get Right Band formed in 2011, built around the musical brotherhood that guitarist/singer/songwriter Silas Durocher and bassist Jesse Gentry have formed playing music together since middle school. Durocher, who is a trained composer and has been commissioned to write for symphonies and chamber groups, has guitar chops that can soothe or rage, with a charismatic swagger as frontman and singer. Gentry’s virtuosic bass playing “catapults from elastic to nasty” (The Mountain Xpress). Completing the team is drummer extraordinaire Jaze Uries, who is also a singer, songwriter, producer, photographer, and DJ, and keys legend Chuck Lichtenberger, whose incredible playing has been a staple of the Asheville music scene for years. GRB has defined their sound through constant evolution, building to the hook-driven, synth-heavy pop/rock/psych band they are today. The Huffington Post writes, “their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight.”

The Get Right Band has shared the stage with Dr. Dog, Everclear, Cracker, UB40, Rusted Root, Smash Mouth, and Lifehouse; been featured on NPR’s World Cafe, Paste Studio, and WTF with Marc Maron; and performed at major venues and festivals including The Fillmore, Brooklyn Bowl, Theatre of the Living Arts, The Orange Peel, FloydFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and Riverbend Fest. They have released five studio albums, a live album, and a string of singles.

The Get Right Band has been compared to other modern indie rock bands with a psychedelic bent such as The Black Keys, My Morning Jacket, Gorillaz, Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and MGMT.

ARTIST WEBSITE

Molly Johnson

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

From Pumpkintown SC, Molly Johnson is an accomplished banjo player in both the three-finger and clawhammer styles. She plays with the group The Wilder Flower and with other local musicians and recently has started playing more under her own name. Molly’s original material is full tradition from bluegrass and old-time while still feeling new.

ARTIST WEBSITE

Vendors