Heart of Brevard

Shop Late Shop Local
2025-12-20 17:00 - 2026-01-03 20:00, 2025-12-19 17:00 - 2026-01-02 20:00, 2025-12-13 17:00 - 2025-12-27 20:00, 2025-12-12 17:00 - 2025-12-26 20:00, 2025-12-06 17:00 - 2025-12-20 20:00 (America/New_York)
Shop Late, Shop Local: Celebrate Downtown Brevard This Holiday Season
Celebrate the season with five festive nights of Shop Late, Shop Local in downtown Brevard! Participating businesses will stay open late, offering a unique shopping experience filled with holiday cheer. Enjoy snacks and drinks as you browse your favorite local shops and discover the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. Follow us on social media for business specials and other festive activities planned for each weekend.
This year’s series kicks off during Light Up the Night on Saturday, December 6, featuring free ice skating, visits with Santa, and our annual tree lighting ceremony.
Shopping locally isn’t just convenient—it’s powerful. When you spend $100 at a small business, $68 stays in our local economy, compared to only $43 at national chains. Your support helps neighbors, strengthens our community, and keeps downtown vibrant. Learn more with our 10 Reasons to Support Local.
Make this holiday season special by supporting Brevard’s small business owners, who appreciate your support not only during the holidays but all year long. Think Local. Shop Late. Shop Local.
Event Dates (Each Night from 5:00–8:00 PM)

Saturday, December 6 (Light Up the Night)
Friday & Saturday, December 12 & 13
Friday & Saturday, December 19 & 20

Make your lists and start planning!

Light Up the Night
2025-12-06 14:00 - 20:00
Heart of Brevard’s Light Up the Night tree lighting celebration brings the magic of the season to downtown Brevard!
This festive community tradition transforms downtown into a sparkling winter wonderland, complete with twinkling lights, glowing snowflakes, and beautifully decorated storefronts. Gather with family and friends for the official tree-lighting ceremony, and enjoy live music, holiday performances, ice skating, hayrides, food trucks, and plenty of merry moments.
Celebrate the season by shopping small and local—explore unique gifts and holiday treasures at our downtown businesses and the Merry Makers Market, featuring one-of-a-kind creations from regional artisans.
Don’t miss this magical night of holiday cheer in the heart of downtown Brevard on December 6th from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Holiday Windows Competition
2025-11-28 00:01 - 2026-01-06 23:59 | Downtown Brevard
A STORY BOOK HOLIDAY

Let’s light up Brevard this holiday season! Downtown businesses in the Heart of Brevard will decorate their windows with spectacular, eye-popping displays for all to enjoy. The holiday window competition showcases festive and fun windows, mirroring the Chamber’s parade theme, A Story Book Holiday!
Voting for the People’s Choice Award opened on November 28th and closed at midnight on December 7th. Winner will be announced on January 5th.
The official judges panel has selected winners in the following four categories:

Best Use of Merchandise Winner – Headwaters Outfitters
Best Use of Theme Winner – A Blast From the Past
Best WOW Factor Winner – Highland Books
Best Use of Recycled Materials – Newfound Artisan

These winning businesses will receive a trophy, advertising packages, and bragging rights!
Window decorations will remain up for visitors to enjoy through the end of the year. View the list of participants and walking tour map below.

Halloweenfest 2025
2025-10-25 10:00 - 22:00 | Downtown Brevard
Count Dracula may not live full-time in Transylvania County, but we’re pretty sure he clears his schedule every year for Heart of Brevard’s Halloweenfest! Held annually on the Saturday before Halloween in downtown Brevard, this fangtastic celebration is packed with FREE family-friendly fun. Enjoy bounce houses, our beloved costume competition and parade, the Magic Book Bus, a hula hoop dance party, and a vibrant mix of craft, retail, and food vendors.
Explore downtown through our Spooky Stroll Open House and trick-or-treat at participating businesses. New this year—building on the momentum of last year’s community concert—we’re keeping the party going after dark with live music from Shadowgrass on the main stage, plus beer, wine, and festive vibes at this free community event.
Don’t miss this wickedly wonderful celebration in the heart of downtown Brevard on October 25th!
Volunteer Opportunities

2025 Brevard Plein Air Makers Market Festival
2025-09-13 09:30 - 17:00 | Downtown Brevard
As part of our annual Brevard Plein Air Festival, we’re hosting a fall Makers Market Street Festival. This market aims to celebrate our local creators and will run alongside the Brevard Plein Air Wet Paint Show & Sale, with food vendors, live music, and incredible craft and artistry available for purchase!
The Wet Paint Show and Sale, features original artwork from 30 participating artists. Visitors to this art show will also have the opportunity to explore our Makers Market and the Wet Paint Sale. Here, they can discover handcrafted items from local artisans.
If you’re a local maker or artisan creating delightful and lovely products, we want you! We’re seeking 40 artists, crafters, and makers for our fall event. Apply today to secure your spot.
APPLY HERE to be a Vendor

Patron Preview Party 2025
2025-09-12 17:30 - 19:30 | Trust Center, 67 West Main Street, Brevard, NC, 28712, United States
Experience the exclusive unveiling of exceptional artwork at the Fifth Annual Brevard Plein Air Festival’s Patron Preview Party, held at the historic Trust Center located at 67 West Main Street, Brevard, NC. This ticketed event offers art enthusiasts and collectors the first glimpse of the competition’s finest pieces, curated by thirty talented artists from across the United States.
Each ticket includes a $50 credit for purchases during Friday’s preview or Saturday’s Wet Paint Show & Sale.
These artists have spent a week painting throughout Transylvania County and Downtown Brevard, selecting their most impressive works for display. The evening promises a delightful atmosphere of celebration, where guests can mingle with the artists, savor hors d’oeuvres, and enjoy a glass of wine to the music of Kevin Sanders.
Join us for the unveiling of original works painted throughout the week at the 5th Annual Brevard Plein Air Festival. Mingle with the artists, enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres, and relax to live music while browsing a collection of unique pieces. With artwork available at a variety of price points, there’s something for every collector to take home.. Additionally, purchased tickets contribute towards art purchases during the preview event or during Saturday’s Wet Paint Sale.

2025 Brevard Plein Air Event
2025-09-08 - 2025-09-13 | Downtown Brevard
Join us for the fifth annual Brevard Plein Air Festival — a week-long celebration of live painting, local landmarks, and creative energy right here in Transylvania County.
What’s plein air? It simply means “painting outside.” Throughout the week, you’ll see artists set up their easels all over the county — from downtown sidewalks and favorite local businesses to sweeping mountain views, waterfalls, and hidden scenic spots. Every piece is painted on-site and inspired by the places we know and love.

Friday, September 12 – Patron Preview Party: Kick off the weekend at our exclusive Friday night art preview. Meet the artists, enjoy food and drink, and get first access to purchase original artwork before it goes on sale to the public. Get your tickets below!
Saturday, September 13 – Street Festival + Wet Paint Show & Sale: Bring the whole family downtown for a lively street festival featuring live music, local makers market, food trucks, and our signature Wet Paint Show & Sale — where you can browse and buy artwork created just days (or hours!) before, featuring the landscapes and scenes you recognize.

Whether you’re an art enthusiast or just looking for something fun to do downtown, this is your chance to celebrate the beauty of where we live, through the eyes of the artists who paint it. Come out and be part of the experience. Make art outside. Take the moment with you.

Shindig on Main: Brevard's 4th of July Celebration
2025-07-04
Celebrate Independence Day with Shindig on Main
July 4, 2025 | Starting at 12 PM | Downtown Brevard
Celebrate Independence Day in the heart of downtown Brevard with Shindig on Main, a vibrant, family-friendly event beginning at 12 PM on Friday, July 4. This year’s festivities will include the Transylvania Cruisers Classic Auto Show, a children’s bike parade, and plenty of engaging activities for all ages.
Experience a patriotic flag-raising ceremony and a reading of the Declaration of Independence led by local elected officials. Enjoy food trucks, live entertainment, and music throughout the day, including performances at the Courthouse Gazebo and the Main Street stage.
As evening sets in, join us for a beloved Brevard tradition—an old-fashioned street dance featuring Whitewater Bluegrass Company. Known for their spirited blend of Appalachian, bluegrass, and mountain music, the band will keep the crowd dancing well into the evening.
The celebration concludes with the Fireworks Extravaganza. Fireworks will be visible from locations throughout downtown, including Main Street, Jailhouse Hill, and the Courthouse lawn. The community is also welcome to view the show from Brevard College’s campus, though there will be no official programming on-site.
Join us for a full day of community, music, and celebration in downtown Brevard!

White Squirrel Weekend 2025
2025-05-23 - 2025-05-25
The beloved White Squirrel Weekend combines a stellar live music line-up, a smorgasbord of tasty offerings from vendors and local craft breweries and an assortment of treasures from craft & retail vendors into one fantastic event.
