The 2018 Fed Cup brings international professional tennis competition comes to the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Asheville’s U.S. Cellular Center on Feb. 10-11 for the USA vs. Netherlands World Group First Round.
Former world No. 1 and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, fellow former world No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, 2017 US Open and Australian Open semifinalist and world No. 9 CoCo Vandeweghe, and world No. 64 Lauren Davis will represent the U.S. in this competition against the Netherlands.
While tickets to Fed Cup are sold out, there are several related events, including kids clinics, and a public viewing opportunity during the Fed Cup Official Draw Ceremony at noon Feb. 9 on the U.S. Cellular Center Stadium Court.
The City of Asheville is excited to have the Fed Cup
at the U.S. Cellular Center for the first time!
Because this is an international competition,
there will be some traffic and parking impacts,
so we are offering information to help people
navigate getting to and from these events.
First, everyone is encouraged to build in lots of travel time so fans don’t miss any of the tennis action. The arena doors open at 11:30 a.m. both days for pre-match exhibition and entertainment.
Parking garages
Download the free Asheville App on your Android or Apple device for its Find Parking feature to get real-time information on parking spaces available at the City’s four downtown parking garages. You can also check this USCC parking link for more parking information, including about the Buncombe County garage a short walk away.
Surface parking lot closures
Feb. 5-11: Cherry Street gravel lot will be closed to the public and available by permit only from 6 a.m. Feb. 5 to 6 a.m. Feb. 12.
Feb. 10-11: The following parking lots will be available by permit only:
- Paved Cherry Street parking lot below the Skate Park, from 6 a.m. Feb. 9 to 6 a.m. Feb. 12.
- One City parking lot across the street from the USCC, next to City-owned property on Haywood Street and Page Avenue.
- Rankin Avenue parking lot behind the USCC.
For a visual guide to this information, see the map below.
Street closures and temporary one-way street
6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 7: Hiawassee Street will close from Rankin Avenue to Flint Street for the Net Generation Kids Day and U.S. Captain Kathy Rinaldi appearance. Flint Street from Haywood Street to Cherry Street will also be closed during this time.
Feb. 10-11:
- To help best load and unload the Civic Center and Rankin Avenue parking decks, Rankin Avenue from Walnut Street to Hiawassee Street will become a temporary one-way street eastbound.
- Both before and after the events, expect rolling street closures adjacent to the U.S. Cellular Center for pedestrian safety and crowd control.
For a visual guide to this information, see the map below.
ART bus options
Several Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) buses run either past or close to the U.S. Cellular Center, including the N, N1, N2, N3, E1, E2 and 170 routes. Fans staying at the Grove Park Inn may find using ART bus a helpful resource, for example, as the N bus runs both by the hotel and in front of the USCC.
Check RideTheART.com for routes/times and be aware that while Sunday service is offered on all routes, it ends earlier in the day.
You can map your ART bus route to the USCC using these two sites:
- Google Maps Transit: Very easy to use. Enter your starting location and final destination, and the time that you are leaving, and it will generate your trip schedule, including transfers to different routes.
- NextBus: Use this site to get real-time transit data to see when the bus is going to arrive. This will be important because currently the Google information is based on the schedules and not what the bus is actually doing. With added traffic downtown during Fed Cup, some buses may be running late.
The ART Station at 49 Coxe Avenue is a 5-minute walk from the US Cellular Center and provides transit access to the entire city.
Other events
This same weekend as the Fed Cup, the Asheville Symphony plays an 8 p.m. Feb. 10 concert in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. At 7 p.m. Feb. 11, Diana Krall plays a concert in Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets are still available for both events.
Local businesses will benefit
This is an exciting addition to the City of Asheville menu of events at the U.S. Cellular Center. Fed Cup is expected to generate more than $3.5 million in economic impact for the city.
Plan ahead, build in lots of travel time and enjoy the competition!
