Spring (April–May) brings wildflowers to the surrounding mountains — trillium, bloodroot, wild azalea — and the Frog Level festival. Summer is the main season, with Folkmoot in July and the peak hiking and cycling crowds on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Autumn (October especially) is spectacular: the hardwood forest turns gold and orange across the ridges, and the mountain views from the Parkway are extraordinary. Winter is quiet, often cold, and occasionally snowy — a good time to visit if you want the town to yourself.
The shoulder seasons of late spring and late autumn offer the best combination of pleasant weather and smaller crowds.