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North Carolina events › Destinations › River Arts District
Short answer: The River Arts District is a community of working artists in Asheville. River Arts District Artists (RADA), the artists’ own organization founded in 2013, says the district has hundreds of working artists, was named Best Arts District in the U.S. in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, and is open again after Hurricane Helene. RADfest is November 14 to 15, 10 am to 5 pm.
- 2013RADA foundedper RADA
- HundredsWorking artistsper RADA
- Nov 14-15RADfest 202610 am to 5 pm
- #1USA Today 10Best arts districtReaders’ Choice, per RADA
How we checked: River Arts District Artists (riverartsdistrict.com), Asheville Art Museum and the OpenStreetMap routing that gave the road times (each linked in Sources). All read on November 3, 2026. Hours, prices, rules, closures and road status change, so check the named agency or business before you rely on them. Anything we could not read is marked Not confirmed where it appears. General guidance on this page is labelled as general guidance. This is not safety, medical or legal advice; where a safety or legal rule appears, the quoted words are the official source’s own.
What It Is
RADA is the collective voice and organizing body for the artists of Asheville’s River Arts District. It was founded in 2013 and says its mission is a thriving, inclusive and resilient creative community. Its home page describes the district as a place where visitors can meet artists, see work in progress and take home original art made in Western North Carolina.
The district was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. RADA’s president says studios were flooded and tools were lost, and the organization asks visitors for donations to its recovery efforts. The home page now says the district is open and invites visitors to be part of its comeback, and it links an accessibility guide from the map page. Because studios are individually run and some may have changed since the storm, treat any printed studio guide as dated: the guide on the site is the 2024 to 2025 edition. Which studios are open now: Not confirmed
Getting There and Parking
The district lies along the river southwest of downtown. By road the Asheville Art Museum is about 5 minutes and 1.7 miles away (road time computed from OpenStreetMap routing, not live traffic), and the North Carolina Arboretum is about 18 minutes and 9.8 miles on (road time computed from OpenStreetMap routing, not live traffic). Parking, shuttle service and walking distances between studio buildings: Not confirmed RADA’s map page was an interactive map when we read it, so no addresses beyond those below were available as text.
What Is There
Named Places, Per RADA
- Trackside Studios375 Depot Street. RADA lists Life Drawing First Tuesdays, clothed with medium poses, on November 3 from 6 to 8 pm.
- North Carolina Glass Center140 Roberts Street. RADA lists the Flame Shop 30-minute make-your-own on November 4 from 10:30 am to 5 pm and A Feel For The Furnace, a three-hour workshop, on November 5 from 10 am to 5 pm. Prices: Not confirmed
- Artists By MediumRADA sorts its members into basketry, fiber, textiles and wood; bookbinding and paper; furnishings; clay and pottery; glass and metal; illustration and printmaking; jewelry; mixed media; painting; photography; and sculpture. Artists by medium
Events
RADfest 2026 is the district’s signature two-day art and music festival on November 14 and 15, 10 am to 5 pm, per RADA. RADA’s own calendar also lists classes and workshops. Our listings: Asheville Events and all North Carolina events.
Eating
See Eat Near Downtown Asheville And The River Arts District. Plans that use the district: Asheville And The Mountains In Three Days.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Parking, shuttle and walking routes within the district. Not confirmed
- Studio and gallery hours: they are set by each artist. Not confirmed
- Workshop prices at the Glass Center. Not confirmed
- Which studios reopened after Hurricane Helene. Not confirmed
- The current studio guide: the one on the site is the 2024 to 2025 edition. Not confirmed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The River Arts District Open?
RADA says it is open and welcoming visitors. Individual studio hours are not confirmed here.
When Is RADfest?
November 14 and 15, 2026, 10 am to 5 pm, per RADA.
Is There A Map?
RADA publishes an interactive map and an accessibility guide on its map page.
Sources
- River Arts District Artists, home, read November 3, 2026
- River Arts District Artists, About, read November 3, 2026
- River Arts District Artists, Best Arts District, read November 3, 2026
- River Arts District Artists, Map, read November 3, 2026 (interactive; no text addresses)
- River Arts District Artists, Contact, read November 3, 2026 (event listings)
- OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) through our itinerary script, read November 3, 2026 (road times, no live traffic)
Read on November 3, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
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Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “River Arts District Asheville Visitor Profile: Studios and Events”, itsnorthcarolina.com/destinations/river-arts-district/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.