Find Your Place in the Sun in Asheville!

If you haven’t yet considered Asheville, North Carolina, as your next host site, you’re missing out on a lot. In addition to our great weather and warm southern hospitality, this area is a dynamic destination, filled with ideal venues and a backed by a welcoming community just filled with nice surprises for those who visit.

This is an award-winning destination, having garnered the title of Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism from Sports Destination Management presented by Traveling Teams. Our 2020 Camping World Maui Invitational used 1,500-plus room nights and helped make a $1.57 million economic impact.

In fact, this was the was the only multi-team college basketball event in 2020 to host its original field and have no positive COVID-19 cases. The tournament was able to develop health and safety protocols with state and local health officials, and successfully showcased the ability to create a “bubble” environment in Asheville for top college programs to compete safely on a national stage.

We want you to play here and we’re ready for you – whatever your event brings. From cycling to tennis to gymnastics to soccer to just about any other sport, whether it involves a ball, a road, a mat, a track or an animal, Asheville can host you. Just consider some of our venues:

• Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville has hosted events including the Ingles Southern Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships and the ITF Billie Jean King (Fed Cup) First-Round Tie in 2018 and 2019

• The John B. Lewis Soccer Complex has four world-class turf fields. JBL is a great year-round venues that hosts both youth and adult soccer, lacrosse, flag football, and Ultimate sporting events.

• McCormick Field is home to Single-A professional baseball club, Asheville Tourists. McCormick Field has the ability to hold 4,000 spectators. The facility was also the host site for the Big South Conference Baseball Tournament in 2009

• Memorial Stadium is home to Asheville City Soccer Club Men’s and Women’s teams. Memorial Stadium has seen sold out crowds with over 2,500 spectators in attendance. The unique turf facility has hosted other sporting events including ultimate frisbee, lacrosse and much more.

• Kimmel Arena is home to the UNC Asheville Bulldogs Men’s and Women’s basketball programs. This 3,400-seat arena is located on the UNC Asheville Campus and has held numerous sporting events including Gala Gymnastics, Harlem Globetrotters, Southern Conference Wrestling Championship and many more.

• Buncombe County Sports Park offers nine multi-purpose athletic fields, picnic areas, disc golf, walking trails, bocce courts, sand volleyball courts, a playground, community garden, edible urban orchard, covered recreation shelter rentals, and more. In 2022, four of these fields will be converted to turf creating year-round play.

• Aston Park Tennis Center is one of the finest public clay court facilities in the United States. It is open to the public and features 12 lighted clay courts.

• Asheville Racquet Club is the home of the UNC Asheville Bulldogs Tennis teams. The facility features two locations, in Downtown Asheville and in South Asheville, and includes four indoor tennis courts, six hard courts, 10 clay courts, a gym, swimming pool and locker rooms.

• Bob Lewis Ballpark is Buncombe County's newest sports facility and offers seven turf baseball and softball fields.

• Asheville Municipal Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in Western North Carolina. The 18-hole course was Designed by famous architect Donald Ross in 1927, this 18-hole public course Designed by famous architect Donald Ross public course accomplishes the difficult double task of being challenging and fun.

• The WNC Agricultural Center is a remarkable 87-acre complex with the ability to meet any event owner’s large- or small-scale event needs

• Carrier Park is one of Asheville's premier parks. It was originally built with a racetrack that now serves as a velodrome for cycling events. The infield of Carrier Park has volleyball courts, a roller hockey rink and a basketball court. Additionally, the park features a lawn bowling court and multi-use sports field for baseball and soccer.

• The Cliffs at Walnut Cove was designed by Jack Nicklaus. This beautiful 18-hole golf course has been featured by the PGA TOUR and has been given awards from popular publications like Golf Digest and Golfweek as one of North Carolina’s best courses.

Asheville stands ready to make your event a success. No matter what you need, you’ll be supported every step of the way. The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission and the Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau work in collaboration with one another to ensure each sporting event in Asheville is a successful and unforgettable experience. Let us show you what we can do.

And don’t think we’re just a sports town, either. When the games are done, Asheville continues to shine. We’re located along the popular Blue Ridge Parkway, with multiple options for dining, touring, visiting and just plain immersing in everything the area has to offer. Sports families, adult athletes traveling alone or with friends, and everyone in between will find something here, whether that means nature, history, culture or something else. We even have a Dog Welcome Center, the first of its kind in the U.S. (Like we said, we’re full of surprises.)

Let’s talk soon – we’re ready to make your event a success.