Play Through the Mountains: A Day in Downtown Asheville
Downtown Asheville moves to a different rhythm, and during Biltmore Championship Asheville Week, it is worth falling into step with it.
The walkable blocks cradled between the mountains are full of makers, chefs, brewers, and more who have set out something special for the people who came for the golf and stayed for everything else. Here is a day spent the downtown way.
Morning | Get Your Bearings
Fuel up first at Green Sage Cafe downtown, running three tournament-week specials: a Birdie Breakfast Burrito, a Caddie Snack Wrap, and a 19th Hole Watermelon Cooler. Then start on your feet. Blue Ridge Wine Tours is offering 10% off its Downtown Imbibe Stroll for a slower, glass-in-hand loop of the city, and LaZoom Tours will run you 15% off a ride on its big purple comedy bus, about the most fun you can have learning a city's history. For something quieter, Mountain Mural Tours is taking $5 off a guided Urban Art Tour of downtown's murals and Gray Line Trolley Tours is offering 15% off its sight-seeing and ghost tours. Asheville Detours is offering the PGA "De"Tour, a golf-themed scavenger hunt that winds through several local spots. Check out Asheville by Foot Walking Tours or enjoy 15% off the Amazing Pubcycle Tour. Asheville Brewery Tours will get you behind-the-scenes access to some of Asheville’s many breweries. When you are ready to venture past the sidewalks, Blue Ridge Hiking Company is taking 10% off any day hike from September 15 to 22. Hood Huggers International leads tours of Asheville's Black history and the historic Southside and East End neighborhoods. And if you need to fit in some office hours between tee times, Focal Point Coworking is offering 10% off a day pass or a meeting room.
Late Morning | Museums & Galleries
Step out of the sun for a little culture. Asheville Museum of Science is running a Tee Up for Science special, with buy-one-get-one admission in a golf-themed lab that is a hit with kids. Nearby, the Museum of Costume Jewelry is offering discounted $10 admission to hundreds of 20th-century pieces from designers like Chanel and Dior. Momentum Gallery is offering 10% off for guests who book an appointment.
The Asheville Art Museum is planning Freeze Frame, an exhibition of sports photography by Walter Iooss Jr. that fits the week perfectly, and the Wortham Center for the Arts is offering 10% off tickets to Mike Super: Magic & Illusion on September 19 with the code GOLF10.
Afternoon | Shop the Makers
Downtown's shops and galleries are made for browsing, and you can carry a piece of the city home with you. Spicewalla is taking 15% off in store with its Birdies & Big Flavour deal, Mora Jewelry is offering 10% off its handcrafted pieces and Adlib Clothing is giving a free scarf with a purchase of $150 or more, or a free handbag at $250, from September 14 to 21. Street Fair is offering 15% off its wide array of Asheville souvenirs. Embellish Asheville is a downtown jewelry boutique worth a browse. Stop by C&Co. Handcrafted Skincare for a 20% discount off any purchase. Arts Garden AVL is a fun stop on Lexington Avenue, showcasing local artists and a selection of plants. When the sweet tooth hits, French Broad Chocolate Lounge is taking 20% off select chocolates in store from September 14 to 26. Want to get involved in the making yourself? Fired Up Creative Lounge lets you paint your own pottery, an easy stop for families.
Evening | A Table Worth Lingering At
Downtown's food scene leans all the way into the week. Cúrate, the beloved Spanish spot in a renovated 1920s depot, is sending out a free order of Chistorra and chips with any dinner of $50 or more. Chestnut rolls out a Championship Week menu and, on September 17, a one-night Fairway Feast inspired by the champions dinner tradition. Strada Italiano sets a Par 3 prix fixe dinner at $45, and Bear's Smokehouse takes 15% off your meal when you show a PGA TOUR ticket, with catering packages ready for watch parties. Wicked Weed Brewing is plating a burger and a beer for $15, and its sour and funk house, The Funkatorium, runs a $14 pizza and Pernicious IPA special. The Market Place Restaurant, a longtime Wall Street favorite, plates seasonal, locally sourced dishes worth a proper sit-down dinner. Table is offering a serving a free dessert with any entree and a cocktail menu of daily specials. For a view with your entrée, Hemingway's Cuba serves Cuban plates and rooftop cocktails with the Blue Ridge in full view. Limones offers interior Mexican food with memorable margaritas and cocktails. Dobra Tea is a great option for vegan and gluten-free options. Shamrock Irons Irish Pubis offering $2 off fish and chips. Farm Burger has a special Back 9 burger, and Easy Tiger will have full coverage of the entire tournament, featuring drink and food specials. If you want a little taste of everything, Asheville Food Tours is offering 15% off guided culinary experiences.
Nightcap | Cocktails and Ghost Stories
Raise a glass on the way out. Twisted Laurel turns bourbon into dinner with its Bourbon Championship, where $50 spent on bourbon earns $20 toward food and the reward climbs from there. DSSOLVR is pouring their special signature VOWL Transfusion, Capella on 9 has three specialty cocktails on the rooftop, and District 42 is running an eight-wing-and-draft combo for $20, $5 Miller High Life and Michelob Ultra, and its $16 GIMME GIMME cocktail. Easy Tiger is planning weekend-long tournament coverage with food and drink specials, discounts, and themed after-parties. For cocktails with a soundtrack, Fitz and the Wolfe, spreads live music across three rooms, from a jazz lounge to a retro game den. Then, when the streetlights come on, Asheville Free Walking Tours takes 20% off the Asheville Ghost Tour, because the oldest stories in this city come out after dark.
Before You Go | The Quickest Path to Stillness
Before the drive home, settle in at Asheville Salt Cave and Spa for 10% off a 60-minute Zen Mountain Massage, an hour underground in the salt that will leave you loose and breathing easier.
Where to Stay | A Room With a Story
Downtown gives you a stay for every mood. The Windsor Boutique Hotel welcomes you with 10% off and a bottle of wine, Hilton Garden Inn Asheville Downtown is holding a special rate for the week, and Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown is stacking 1,000 bonus IHG One Rewards points per night. For a stay with history, The Lion and the Rose Bed and Breakfast folds a summer shandy into your visit, and Pinecrest Bed and Breakfast will take the price of your PGA TOUR ticket off your stay, just show your ticket at check-in. For a fuller escape, its Tournament Days, Sun-Porch Nights package bundles four nights with grab-and-go breakfast, charcuterie and wine on the porch, an in-house massage, a $100 gift card to a neighborhood restaurant, a Biltmore promo code, and a late checkout. Carolina Mornings Luxury Vacation Rentals is running two ways to save: 15% off from September 14 to 21, or the Par 72 special, a flat $72 off. Elevation Lofts Hotel is giving 15% for its bookings. TownePlace Suites is offering free parking, a clear bag, and welcome amenities. A pair of sister properties give you two moods to choose from: the Haywood Park Hotel, an all-suite stay in the 1923 Bon Marché building, and the modern Cambria Hotel Downtown, a block away on Page Avenue.
