Asheville Orchid Festival

The Western North Carolina Orchid Society traces its roots to September 1962. Their showcase, the 24th Asheville Orchid Festival, runs March 27-29, 2026 at The North Carolina Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806.

The festival opens with a Sneak Preview Night on Friday, March 27, 4-7:30 p.m., followed by main festival days Saturday and Sunday, March 28-29, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. This year’s theme is “Orchid Kingdom.”

Described as one of the largest orchid shows in the Southeast, the event fills the Education Center with hundreds of orchids for viewing and thousands for purchase. Vendors include Ecuagenera Guayaquil (Ecuador), Krull-Smith Orchids (Florida), Carter and Holmes Orchids (South Carolina), and regional specialists like Looking Glass Orchids and Marble Branch Farms. Expect Phalaenopsis, Vandas, Dendrobiums, jewel orchids, Psychopsis, and rare species alongside cutting-edge hybrids.

Programming includes guided tours by Marc Burchette, curator of the Biltmore Conservatory and American Orchid Society judge, plus repotting clinics led by WNCOS President Graham Ramsey teaching proper pot size, medium, and watering techniques. The American Orchid Society-sanctioned judging runs throughout.

Festival admission is $5 for ages 13+ (children 12 and under free; WNCOS members free). Arboretum parking is $20 for standard vehicles.

The Arboretum itself, established in 1986 by the North Carolina General Assembly, represents the fulfillment of a vision Olmsted first conceived in the late 19th century while designing Biltmore’s gardens. Its 434 acres include 65 acres of cultivated gardens and over 10 miles of trails. Don’t miss the Bonsai Exhibition Garden (over 100 specimens, established 1992) or the National Native Azalea Repository (19 species, accredited since 1995).