Apple Festival, King Apple Parade and Labor Day Announcements

People walking outside on a sunny day during the apple festival.

On Friday, August 29 through Monday, September 1, the North Carolina Apple Festival will take place in downtown Hendersonville. The street festival starts at 10:00 am on Friday, August 29 with the opening ceremony taking place at 10:30 AM at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse.     

Main Street will be closed to traffic between Caswell and 7th Avenue for the festival, with street closures starting on Thursday, August 28. No parking will be allowed on Main Street after 2:00 pm between Caswell and Allen and no parking after 3:00 pm from Allen to 7th Avenue. Main Street will be closed until Monday, September 1, following the parade and festival cleanup.   

For the safety and comfort of pets, non-service animals are discouraged at the Apple Festival. Festival attendees should leave pets comfortably at home. No drones are permitted to fly in the festival area. 

Parking is available in city surface lots and the parking deck on 5th Avenue West. During the Apple Festival, the parking deck will be operating with a $10 daily flat-rate fee. During peak festival hours, volunteers will be present to assist users at the gates. To assist with weekend festival traffic, the parking deck gate at Church Street will be enter only and the 5th Avenue parking deck gate will be exit only.  

The City Hall parking lot located at 160 6th Avenue East will be dedicated as handicapped parking on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of Labor Day weekend. Additional parking information on City of Hendersonville managed parking can be viewed at www.hvlnc.gov/parking. 

Bicycle parking will be available at the end of Main Street, right off the Ecusta Trail. This parking will be managed by Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, Bike-Walk HVL & iDaph events for a small fee. The riding of skateboards, bicycles and other vehicles is not allowed in the festival footprint. 

Please be aware that many privately owned parking lots in Hendersonville charge for parking. Ensure you follow all posted signage to prevent the chance of being towed.  

For more information on the Apple Festival and entertainment schedules, visit https://www.ncapplefestival.org/   

 

Hendersonville Farmers Market  

On Saturday, August 30, the Hendersonville Farmers Market will take place from 8 am - 1 pm along Maple Street adjacent to the Historic Train Depot. More information can be found at hendersonvillefarmersmarket.com

 

The King Apple Parade  

On Monday, September 1, the King Apple Parade will take place in downtown Hendersonville at 2:30 pm. The parade viewing area extends along Main Street from 5 points to Kanuga/Caswell. Spectators are requested to refrain from watching the parade south of Caswell, as this section is designated for float departure. 

Street closures beyond the Main Street festival closure will occur to accommodate the parade route and parade staging areas.   

Parade Street Closures:  

Parade staging will occur on Oakland Street from Asheville Hwy to 6th Avenue West and along Bearcat Blvd in front of Hendersonville High School. The southbound lane of Asheville Hwy will also be used for staging after 1:30 pm when the detour route begins. 
Additional information for parade participants and spectators can be found at https://www.ncapplefestival.org/   

Parade Detours:  

  • Motorists approaching the parade area will be directed to a detour route.   
  • Southbound traffic traveling towards downtown on Asheville Hwy (US-25) will be diverted to Fleming St for Hwy 64 W and Church St connections.  
  • Westbound traffic on Hwy 64 will be directed to 7th Avenue and Maple, or Locust and North Main. 
  • Commercial motor vehicle traffic traveling inbound on 4 Seasons Blvd (US-64) will be rerouted via Duncan Hill/Signal Hill to reach Asheville Hwy (US-25) or Dana/Tracy Grove for southside connections.  
  • Immediately before the parade, South Main Street will close for the parade unloading area. 

Government Office Closure  

The City of Hendersonville government offices will be closed on Monday, September 1, 2025, for Labor Day. Garbage, recycling and brush collection for City of Hendersonville customers will not be taking place on Monday, September 1 due to the City's holiday schedule. Collection for Monday customers will be delayed by one week with collection resuming on Monday, September 8, 2025. Any extra bagged garbage from Monday customers will be picked up on September 8.   

 

For water/sewer issues occurring on September 1, please use the afterhours number at (828) 891-7779.  

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