This year’s Cashiers Plein Air Festival is July 17-21. The STS Top 20 Festival and Event Awards have highlighted programs around the Southeast since 1985. Travel industry experts select 20 events per month, and STS publicizes them throughout the United States.

This summer is the Fifth Biennial Cashiers Plein Air Festival, an art competition and sale featuring nationally acclaimed painters from throughout the country. 

Plein air is French for “open air;” more than 20 select festival artists will set up their easels outdoors to capture the beauty of the North Carolina Mountains. Their original art is displayed for viewing and sale at a pop up art gallery at The Village Green Commons in Cashiers. The artists’ medium, technique and subject matter are varied but every canvas highlights the unique landscape and lifestyle of the area. Special events, ticketed and open to the public, showcase their art.

The highlight of the week is the Palette to Palate Affair, a summer soiree celebrating the artists. Festival artists compete for the Ring Art Awards which are announced during this event. Patrons will enjoy cocktails, delectable hors d’oeuvres and dessert with an artful flair catered by Chef 365 of Greenville, South Carolina. The gallery will be open to ticket holders only that evening who can browse the art for sale while listening to jazz music by The Hot Club of Cullowhee. 

Tickets for the Palette to Palate Affair are $125 per person. For information, call 828.743.3434 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visit www.cashierspleinairfestival.com for a full schedule of events or additional details.