Has anyone ever told you, “Hey, you kind of look like Billy Strings!” Well, if you happen to also need tickets to his Asheville shows this month, you may be in luck at The Draftsman‘s Billy Strings look-alike competitions.
Before Billy takes over the ExploreAsheville.com Arena from February 6th–8th and 14th–16th, downtown Asheville’s The Draftsman bar and lounge will host look-alike contests on the 6th and 14th from 6–8 p.m. First prize comes with two tickets to a Billy Strings concert that weekend plus a $50 gift card to The Draftsman. The hotel/bar/bowling alley will have a DJ on deck spinning Billy Strings tunes and bartenders pouring Billy-themed cocktails and mocktails before the crowd decides the winner.
The Billy Strings look-alike contest is just one of dozens of events, pre-parties, and after-shows lined up for the bluegrass guitarist’s Blue Ridge takeover. Asheville will roll out the red carpet for Strings’ fourth visit to the arena in five years, following his Wizard of Oz-themed Halloween run in 2021 and an Away From The Shire trip in 2022. The first weekend will see local institution the Asheville Music Hall & The One Stop host after-parties featuring Arkansauce, Airshow, Grateful Dub, Johnny Mullenax, and Happy Landing. Previous Billy Strings collaborators John Mailander and Larry Keel will be in town for respective after-shows at Eulogy and Third Room, while local favorite Town Mountain is set to take over The Orange Peel.
When Billy, Jarrod Walker, Royal Masat, Billy Failing, and Alex Hargreaves return for their second weekend of concerts, there are plenty more pre- and post-show to-dos all around town. Highlights include Kyle Tuttle Band, Fireside Collective, Magenta Sunshine, the day-long Fuzzy Rainbows Fest at the Asheville Music Hall, Mountain Grass Unit at The Orange Peel, DJ Logic & Friends and Sicard Hollow at the immersive new Third Room venue downtown, Red Clay Revival at South Slope’s Eulogy, and more. Many of the venues are located downtown or in the adjoining South Slope brewing district, walkable from the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in a matter of minutes. Given the recent devastation Hurricane Helene brought to the region and the resulting loss of income from tourism over the holiday season, businesses and venues around town are gleefully opening their doors (and expanding their hours) to welcome the incoming hordes of Billy Strings fans.
Tickets for all six Billy Strings shows in Asheville are sold out on Ticketmaster, so it might be time to start growing your hair and getting some tattoos (or, you know, try CashorTrade). See below for a full slideshow of pre- and after-parties happening around Asheville.
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