All-Ages Gala 2026 Women's Gymnastics Draws Hundreds to Asheville

Hundreds of gymnasts filled Harrah’s Cherokee Center for The Gala 2026, an all-ages women’s gymnastics meet that packed the arena and sent waves of visitors through downtown restaurants, hotels, and shops. The three-day competition ran Friday through Sunday, Jan. 9–11, 2026, with doors opening at 7:00 a.m. daily and a 9:30 a.m. start on Friday and early morning sessions over the weekend.

Organizers Diane Thompson, Karen Pleasants, and Portia Propst, each described in event materials as judges, coaches, and former athletes, ran a meet that combined youth divisions and adult Xcel categories. Meetmaker registration materials promoted the event as “Our 13th annual women’s gymnastics meet” and listed an AAU Qualifier on Jan. 10–11; other accounts describe the Gala as having run “nearly 15 years.” Meetmaker also noted “Top Rated Region 8 Judges will be there!” and promised a “FREE CUSTOM MEET LEOTARD INCLUDED FOR EACH COMPETING GYMNAST (GK SIZING).” Registration was listed as closed.

Ticketing and venue policies shaped the spectator experience. Tickets were sold only at the door and were cash only; day passes covered the entire day and weekend passes were available. Adult admission was $25 per day or $40 for a weekend pass, and children ages 5–12 were admitted for $10 per day or $15 for a weekend. Concessions were available inside the ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center, located at 87 Haywood St., Asheville (zip listed in event pages as both 28801 and 28803).

The event brought a noticeable economic jolt. Chris Smith, president of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, said, “You see the restaurants and bars full, the hotels full.” Smith estimated the Gala “brings in around $2 million dollars to the area every year,” and called it “an event that we circle on the map and say we know that's coming and we look forward to it.”

Logistics and local planning accompanied the influx. Harrah’s Cherokee Center published “Know Before You Go” guidance on bag size, food policy, and arrival times; ExploreAsheville posted group hotel rates and booking contacts for families, including Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown ($119, phone (828) 407-0422), Haywood Park Hotel ($123–$132, phone (828) 232-8217), Hilton Garden Inn Asheville Downtown ($139, code GALA6, phone (828) 255-0001), and Holiday Inn Asheville East ($99, phone (828) 298-5611).

An extreme cold watch issued for Saturday night into Sunday morning, forecasting wind chills in the -10s to -20s, overlapped the weekend schedule but did not alter published start times. Meet director Karen Pleasants framed the meet as a season kickoff: “This is sort of the beginning of the season for them and so this is a great opportunity for us to be able to provide feedback and have a great environment to sort of- kick off- their year.”

For Buncombe County residents, the Gala underlined the county’s role as a regional sports hub and delivered a weekend of business for downtown hospitality. Local officials and organizers say the meet is a recurring economic and community draw, and similar events remain a key part of the winter calendar for Asheville families and local merchants.