This annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is hosted in venues around the university campus every July and comprises an eclectic, diversified mix of music, dance, theater, visual arts, and film programs. It is presented by Appalachian State University's Office of Arts & Cultural Programs.
An Appalachian Summer Festival began in 1984 as a chamber music series and continues to have strong roots in classical music, as well as a diverse range of additional programming catered to practically every creative taste and preference. The festival, which will celebrate its 37th season in 2021, has grown in prominence to become one of the nation's most widely renowned summer festivals, praised for the variety and quality of its creative offering.
The Southeast Tourism Society has named the event one of the "Top 20 Events in the Southeast" in recent years. An Appalachian Summer Festival has been included in The New York Times' "Summer Stages" issue for several years, which features the nation's most renowned and noteworthy summer arts events.
