Asheville Sets Aside June 18 Every Year for the Man Who Pushed the City to Be Better

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  June 21, 2026

People gathered in downtown Asheville on June 18 to honor a man who spent his life pushing the city to be more fair and more open. The day honored John R. Hayes, a Civil Rights advocate the city now remembers every year on the same date.

The celebration opened with a live performance by the John R. Hayes Highsteppin' Majorettes and Drum Corps, the youth group that still carries his name. Asheville sits in Buncombe County where I-26 and I-40 cross, about an hour and fifteen minutes northeast of Franklin on US-441, and the sound of the drum corps carried through downtown.

Why does Asheville set aside June 18 for John R. Hayes?

After Hayes passed away in 2021, the City of Asheville proclaimed June 18 as John R. Hayes Day. That is not a small gesture. Cities reserve named days for people whose work changed the place around them, and Asheville decided his did.

The 2026 gathering told you who Hayes was by who showed up. Community leaders spoke and performers took the stage while families stood together in the summer heat downtown, a few blocks from where the mountains rise on every side.

What stands out is that the celebration was not just about looking back. The drum corps is still active. The young performers marching this June are part of something Hayes built that outlived him.

What is the documentary about John R. Hayes?

The event also featured a screening of selections from an in-progress documentary about Hayes and his legacy. A film like this matters in a place like Western North Carolina, where local history often lives in memory and conversation rather than in any archive.

Documenting a Civil Rights advocate's life puts that story somewhere permanent. It gives the next generation in Asheville something to study, and it makes sure the work does not fade once the people who witnessed it are gone.

News 13 spoke with John's son, Michael, about his father's legacy. Michael Hayes is the executive director of UMOJA Health, Wellness and Justice Collective, and he was part of the drum corps during the celebration. There is something fitting about a son standing in the line his father started, carrying both the rhythm and the cause forward.

What does this say about community in Western North Carolina?

Asheville gets a lot of attention for its restaurants and its mountain views, and rightly so. But the heart of any town in Western North Carolina is the people who show up for one another, year after year, on dates that mean something.

John R. Hayes Day is one of those dates. It is a reminder that this region is not only scenery and second homes. It is neighborhoods with long memories and families who stay and build, and leaders whose names get spoken long after they are gone.

That sense of belonging is part of what draws people to the mountains in the first place. The views bring them here, but the community is what makes them stay.

If a story like this one makes you curious about what putting down roots in Western North Carolina could look like, Jon Tharp is always glad to talk.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was John R. Hayes in Asheville?

John R. Hayes was a Civil Rights advocate in Asheville who spent decades working for his community in Western North Carolina. He died in 2021, and the City of Asheville proclaimed June 18 as John R. Hayes Day in his honor. He is also remembered for founding the John R. Hayes Highsteppin' Majorettes and Drum Corps, a youth performance group that still carries his name and performs at the annual celebration held in his memory each June.

What is the UMOJA Health, Wellness and Justice Collective?

UMOJA Health, Wellness and Justice Collective is an Asheville-based organization led by Michael Hayes, the son of John R. Hayes. The group focuses on health, wellness, and justice work in the local community, carrying forward the advocacy that defined his father's life. Michael Hayes serves as executive director and also took part in the drum corps during the June 18 celebration. The collective reflects a family commitment to community service that now spans two generations in Buncombe County.

When is John R. Hayes Day celebrated in Asheville?

John R. Hayes Day is celebrated every year on June 18 in Asheville. The City of Asheville established the date after Hayes died in 2021. The 2026 gathering took place in downtown Asheville and opened with a live performance by the John R. Hayes Highsteppin' Majorettes and Drum Corps. The event also included remarks from community leaders and a screening of selections from an in-progress documentary about Hayes and his legacy.