Community, Creativity and Crafting: Asheville Zine Fest Celebrates Independent Publishing
Wyatt Layton | Sept. 29, 2026
Guests browse vendor tables at Asheville Zine Fest inside Battery Park Hall in Asheville, N.C., Saturday Sept. 26, 2026. (Echo News/Wyatt Layton)
On Saturday, Sept. 26, the Asheville Zine Fest brought in visitors and vendors from near and far to share in the joy of the DIY-driven medium of zines – self published, small-circulation books or magazines, typically created by hand.
A little over 80 artists at Zine Fest showcased their work, with topics ranging from disability justice (DIYabled) to scribbly comics about woodland animals (Naturally Curious Beings). The Buncombe County Library Special Collections Department even had a table covered in magazines, scissors and a free-to-use button maker.
This year’s list of vendors included Warren Wilson College’s (WWC) own Holden Arts Crew members, who ran a free bring-your-own-shirt screen printing table. Bear Parsons, a senior on the Holden Arts Crew, especially liked the community-driven aspect of printing at Zine Fest.
“It was just cool to connect with everyone by making something with them,” Parsons said. “And people got creative with their requests – but the coolest stuff we screen printed was for Warren Wilson students.”
The DIY nature of zines allows them to be a very versatile medium, and one that inherently inspires out-of-the-box thinking. Asheville Zine Fest, which was started in 2016 by Jessica White and Mica Mead, celebrates small publishing and artists’ ability to work with whatever materials they have. Updates regarding next year’s festival will be posted on Asheville Zine Fest’s website.
