The 29th Annual Spring Herb Festival
The Annual Spring Herb Festival in Asheville, NC, is the largest festival of its kind in the southeastern United States, with over 60 herb businesses from across North Carolina and surrounding states participating. The Herb Festival is a free event that draws up to 35,000 attendees from all over the country and will take place May 4th-6th at the Western North Carolina Farmer’s Market just outside of the city of Asheville.
Lovers of flowers, medicinal plants, and herbal crafts will be in paradise here. The Spring Herb Festival is more than just a place to purchase potted plants and locally made herbal skin care products— it is a gathering of teachers and students who study the secrets of local Appalachian plants. While there, you can speak with wise men and women of the mountains, and learn about the medicinal and nutritional qualities of wild-foraged roots and flowers.
Check out last year’s festival
Devon le Fae, herbalist and creator of Apothefaerie Botanicals, sells wild-harvested herbs, home crafted tinctures, and medicinal honeys at the Herb Festival. She says that this is her fourth year in attendance, and she “can’t imagine missing it”.
“The Spring Herb Festival is my favorite event of the year. I’ve never seen such a diverse collection of plants for sale all in one place!” says le Fae. “There are more varieties of basil than you even knew existed, every tomato you’ve ever dreamed of growing, and countless talented herb growers and medicine makers ready and able to answer all of your questions.”
Le Fae says that the Herb Festival is a great place to connect with the local plant community and that when she finds moments to step away from her booth, she is busy conversing with and learning from the other herbalists who are there.
“Last year they started offering free herb related workshops with incredible local teachers in one of the vendor booths,” says le Fae. “One of our local wisemen, Joe Hollis of Mountain Gardens, taught a great class on growing woodland medicinals, and Camille Edwards of the North Carolina Herb Association gave a wonderful lecture on starting an herbal business. To offer these classes for free is a serious treat!”
- May 4, 5, 6, 2018
- WNC Farmers Market
- 570 Brevard Rd. @ I-40
- Friday, May 4, 8:30 am – 5 pm
- Saturday, May 5, 8:30 am – 5 pm
- Sunday, May 6, 10:00am – 3 pm
If you have a green thumb, or just the desire to learn more about the world of edible and medicinal plants, be sure to come and visit the 29th Annual Spring Herb Festival. Just be sure to make enough room in your trunk for all the plants you will end up leaving with!
