Asheville brightens 2026 with art, immersive experiences

ASHEVILLE, NC (Dec. 4, 2025) – Each year brings a new way of seeing, and in 2026 travelers are choosing experiences that feel intentional — however indulgent or simple they want them to be. Asheville meets that shift with a season of openings and encounters that invite guests to slow down and awaken the spirit. 

The new year ushers in experiences designed to engage the senses. Guests can savor world-class Appalachian cuisine at a MICHELIN-recognized restaurant or slip into a neighborhood deli for a taste of nostalgia alongside the locals. In 2026, art-making becomes a conduit for self-discovery as new studios and workshops debut classes where creativity and community are the true takeaways. Outdoors, a wave of fresh adventures invites visitors to trade screen time for real terrain: the largest mountain bike track in the Americas, newly expanded climbing routes, and a luxury Airstream campsite. If ever there was a year to learn a skill, bring home original artwork or wander deeper into the region’s neighborhoods and mountain towns, this is it. 

NEWS AND INSIGHTS: As the curtain rises on a new year, the Asheville area continues to ascend as a global destination for the arts, dining and awe-inspiring natural beauty.   

• 15 Asheville restaurants get MICHELIN Guide honors – Asheville’s food scene garnered impressive recognition in the MICHELIN Guide American South, announced in Nov. 2025. Modern Italian-meets-Appalachian restaurant Luminosa received a prestigious Green Star for its sustainable kitchen practices and sourcing. Luminosa, Little Chango and Mother also received the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes establishments that offer high-quality dining at a reasonable price. The full listing of MICHELIN’s recommended Asheville restaurants can be found here.   
  
• High-profile sporting events draw fans to the Blue Ridge: Asheville steps onto the national sports stage in 2026 with a slate of inaugural events and major facility upgrades. The PGA TOUR’s first-ever Biltmore Championship tees off in the fall, bringing professional golf to one of the region’s most iconic landscapes. McCormick Field, home to the Asheville Tourists for more than a century, will open its 2026 season after a historic renovation, featuring an expanded entrance and plaza, a state-of-the-art scoreboard, and a new playing surface that modernizes the beloved ballpark while preserving its charm.
• World Cup detour destination: With fans crisscrossing the continent for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Asheville stands out as an easy, inspired add-on — only 3.5 hours from Atlanta and a short flight from several host cities, including New York, Miami and Boston. Fans can toast the tournament in America’s craft beer capital, explore the Blue Ridge Parkway and Biltmore, then settle in to watch the match at Olde London Road or Easy Tiger, a new downtown sports bar with a distinctly local twist. 
  
• America’s Favorite Drive reopens in time for 90th anniversary– The Blue Ridge Parkway celebrates 90 years since construction began in 1935, with more than 114 continuous miles now fully open from the highest peak in the east, Mt. Mitchell, through  Asheville and all the way to the Smokies. Repair following Hurricane Helene’s 2024 landslides were completed with full restoration on track for 2026. Visitors can once again enjoy the Parkway’s most popular attractions, including the Folk Art Center, the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center and the North Carolina Arboretum. 

FOODTOPIA | The Asheville area’s modern-meets-Appalachia dining scene continues to broaden its horizons while staying grounded in the region’s agricultural traditions. The newest arrivals reflect a yearning for neighborhood intimacy and far-reaching flavors that trace generations and continents. 

• A place at the table: new restaurants expand Downtown’s palate – Asheville’s walkable city center holds an impressive range of global flavors, where diners can choose from Ethiopian injera, Turkish mezze, Indian curries and Japanese ramen – all in just a few blocks. New openings continue to broaden the culinary spectrum: 
  
• When Xico opened in late 2025, the scent of wood smoke drifted down the block. The upscale Mexican restaurant’s menu draws on local ingredients and ancestral methods — heirloom corn tortillas hot off the comal and whole fish wrapped in banana leaf and roasted over the flame. Xico's bar program features an expansive agave selection and inventive craft cocktails.
• Just across from Pritchard Park, Jazmin takes diners on a journey through the “seven wonders of Asia.” Chef Sreenivasan Govindarajan moved to Asheville from New Delhi to launch this Asian fusion restaurant, which brings together street food from Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia – all in one setting.
• This winter, Le Parisien will bring a taste of Paris to the brick-paved sidewalks of Lexington Ave. Chef Gabriel Attala’s fine-dining restaurant pays homage to the culinary traditions of his native France with seasonally inspired dishes, artful presentation and hospitality that feels polished and welcoming.
• In early 2026, Slava Café will bring a homestyle taste of Ukraine, a response and a reflection of Asheville’s sizable and growing Ukrainian community. Owner Svitlanda Eadie was born in a tiny village and grew up baking and cooking alongside her mother and grandmother. Slava is a continuation of her family’s cooking traditions and will offer Ukrainian pastries and comforting dishes, like holubtsi, cabbage stuffed with rice and served in a cozy red sauce. 
• Linger longer: a taste of the River Arts District – Asheville’s ever-evolving creative quarter continues to blur the lines between gallery and gathering place. This year, new dining options encourage visitors to slow down and linger between studio and gallery stops. 
  
• Tucked between a pottery studio and a mixed-media gallery, Piccolina brings the intimacy of an Italian enoteca to its 22-seat space, serving fire-kissed pizzas, focaccia sandwiches and Italian wines.  
  
• A few blocks away, Crusco channels the quiet cadence of Western North Carolina’s seasons with a concise, ever-shifting menu shaped by relationships with local growers and purveyors. The cooking is unfussy yet deeply considered. Ingredients take center stage in dishes, like handmade pasta with white beans and roasted fish with leeks, celery and a dusting of hazelnut.  
  
• Artists who call the neighborhood home have found their morning ritual at ButterPunk, a cheery café devoted to the butteriest, flakiest biscuits imaginable. Its lineup of pastries, breakfast sandwiches and espresso drinks has also quickly become part of the neighborhood’s wakeup routine.
• Bold returns in 2026 – After devastating floods, two local favorites are making their return: Sugar & Snow Gelato, reopened in Nov. 2025, and Guajiro Cuban Comfort Food, set to reopen at Cotton Mill Studios in spring 2026. Until then, Cuban sandwiches and pastelitos can be enjoyed at Guajiro’s food truck parked at Hi-Wire Brewing in Biltmore Village.
• Comforting and casual takes hold in 2026 – A wave of new delis, diners and bodegas reveals Asheville’s quieter, more grounded side. They join a constellation of upscale neighborhood haunts that earned MICHELIN nods — from Tall John’s in Montford to Leo’s House of Thirst in West Asheville — each offering visitors a chance to slip into the easy cadence of local life. 
  
• Finest Deli –  Nostalgia is the house special at this Italian-American deli in West Asheville, where childhood photos of the owners line the walls. The menu carries the same warmth, serving up bodega-style breakfasts and classic sandwiches inspired by the owners’ grandparents and made the “finest” way – like hand-pulled mozzarella and slow-simmered Sunday gravy.
• Sistas on Montford  – This new counter-service soul food spot is a love letter to the Wynns’ late mother, Sista, who once ran a beloved downtown café and whose recipes still anchor the menu. Fried catfish, chicken wings, and slow-simmered daily specials meet soulful sides like collards, broccoli casserole and potato salad.
• Eggs Rancheros Kitchen – Breakfast from both sides of the border comes together at this new Mexican diner in the South Slope, where terracotta tile floors and clay coffee mugs nod to the owners’ roots. Chilaquiles (verde or rojo), huevos rancheros, omelets and pancakes round out a menu that bridges Mexican tradition with Southern comfort. 
  
• Finch Grocery – Biltmore Village celebrated the reopening of this modern bodega, stocked with artisanal food products and elevated grab-and-go essentials. Finch’s deli prepares sandwiches, soups and baked goods daily, while its patio invites guests to linger over a charcuterie board and a glass of wine.  
  
• Trillium Table – Inside the cheery Red Rocker Inn in Black Mountain, Chef Ewan Willis turns Appalachian staples into quietly elegant dishes. The menu centers on farm-fresh, humble ingredients and elevated sensibilities – like beet carpaccio topped with smoked trout, Thai basil oil and hazelnuts. It’s farm-to-table that feels both deeply rooted and beautifully unexpected. 
  
• Hands-on spice blending workshop mixes story and flavor – At Spicewalla’s flagship store in the Grove Arcade, Culinary Director Alyse Baca leads Walla Workshop, a new hands-on class where participants explore the essentials of a well-balanced spice blend and each guest leaves with a signature mix of their own creation.  

ARTS & CULTURE | In the year after Hurricane Helene, art emerged as a vital force, offering solace and glimpses of possibility. In 2026, that spirit endures, from immersive installations that transform landscapes to intimate workshops where the act of art-making leads to self-discovery. 

• Art comes alive outdoors – Two large-scale art installations invite discovery and wonder in Asheville’s forests, gardens and grand estates:   
  
• Giant wooden trolls settle into the landscape – The North Carolina Arboretum hosts the limited-run U.S. debut of “Trolls: A Field Study,” a traveling exhibition by internationally acclaimed Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Twelve curious “baby trolls” crafted from reclaimed materials transform the Arboretum’s gardens and forested trails into an enchanted, eco-minded expedition. Visitors are invited to follow a custom map, uncover each troll’s distinct personality and experience this storytelling-in-nature installation before it disappears (through Feb. 17).
• Sensory spectacle illuminates Biltmore – An evening experience, Luminere, is set to transform America’s Largest House and gardens into a luminous dreamscape. The installation projects moving imagery, set to a custom score by Julian Grefe and performed by the Asheville Symphony. Guests can enhance the evening with artisan picnics on the grounds or exclusive guided tours of the house, making Luminere a wholly immersive and unforgettable way to see Biltmore in a new light (Mar. 26–Oct. 18, 2026).
• Day glow – The theme of illumination carries into the Asheville Art Museum’s upcoming exhibition: “In a New Light: American Impressionism 1870–1940,” which assembles works by more than 75 artists to trace the movement’s evolution in the U.S. The collection highlights how painters from Childe Hassam to George Inness captured rural, maritime and urban life with luminous color and an evocative sense of atmosphere (Feb. 6–June 9). 
  
• Art beyond the artwork: classes spark self-discovery, transformation – New hands-on art workshops invite students of all levels to explore new techniques, make inner discoveries and create meaningful connections.
• Therapeutic art making at –  Founders Dani Austin and Kim Wayman guide private and community sessions, where participants explore art-making as pathways to self-discovery and insight. They describe their approach, known as creative inquiry, as “yoga for the brain.” Conspire Studio’s therapeutic art-making sessions are designed to help participants reconnect with their inherently creative and intuitive selves.
• Art Parties, by Miranda Wildman – “Art is for everyone.” That’s the philosophy that guides Miranda Wildman’s inclusive art experiences, who treats her classes as a collective journey. Wildman offers regular community classes and private art parties in mediums including cyanotype, collage and shadow play.  
  
• Fiber-curious and cocktails via Gather Studio  - Fiber artist and instructor Kimmy Tolbert launched this roving craft workshop to connect with community and to help fiber-curious individuals access classes. She holds regular Craft Club workshops at Local Cloth in the RAD and at Periscope, a new craft cocktail and natural wine bar inside S&W Market. Class offerings include making beaded sardine keychains, Celtic knot wall hangings and traditional loom weavings with yarn and wool.    
  
• Beginners welcome at AVL Clay – In a light-filled 4,300-square-foot studio in South Asheville, potters of every skill level can settle in to spin, shape and glaze. Ceramicist Arleen Ferrara opened the space in 2025 as a place for community, craft and renewal – a reflection of the region’s broader artistic resurgence after Hurricane Helene. 
  
• New and upgraded venues amplify music across the region – A handful of new and renovated spaces welcome live music fans across the Asheville area, just in time for the return of AVL Fest – a multi-day, multi-venue music festival – in Aug. 2026. 
• River Arts District: The beloved outdoor music venue Salvage Station is set to make a dynamic return to the RAD neighborhood in 2026. The family-owned institution plans to reopen on a 14-site location, located steps away from the French Broad River Greenway and surrounded by colorful murals, will carry forward its legacy as a cornerstone of the neighborhood’s live-music scene.
• South Slope: Wheelhouse opened in November, bringing its blend of “coffee, booze, country and blues” to the neighborhood.  By day it’s a laid-back coffee shop; by night it transforms into a dive bar hosting regular local and touring acts.
• Black Mountain: White Horse Black Mountain, a non-profit music venue, is undergoing an expansion project, expected to be complete in time for summer music season. The addition includes a covered deck and outdoor stage, lending mountain views to the listening experience.
• East Asheville:  Revival Asheville is a new 350-capacity concert hall set in a restored historic building beside Ninja Spirits distillery. The intimate venue includes an adjoining restaurant, outdoor patio and a bar pouring wine, beer and craft cocktails made with Ninja’s small-batch liquors.
• Iconic Asheville music hall adds sprawling outdoor venue – The storied music club, The Orange Peel, revealed its plans to open an open-air venue, also in East Asheville. Plans for the 6,000-person venue feature modular and movable elements – a climate-adaptive design solution for the site, which sits along the Swannanoa River. 
• Performances and exhibitions – Asheville’s 2026 arts calendar invites audiences to experience creativity in every form, on every stage and across the city’s vibrant cultural landscape. 
  
• Local dance company’s newest work blends humor, humanness –Contemporary dance troupe Stewart/Owen Dance will put on the Asheville premiere of “The Front” as part of its 2026 season. The original work of choreography, commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, is a satirical exploration of the friction between polished public personas and the messy truths beneath.  (May 1-2). 
  
• Asheville Symphony season soars, with added star power – The Asheville Symphony is partnering with two acclaimed artists in 2026:
• Three-time Grammy-winning vocalist Isabel Leonard returns as the symphony’s artist-in-residence. She’ll lend her voice to a variety of performances and venues, showcasing the beauty, versatility and storytelling power of vocal music (Mar. 16-23).
• Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird makes his Asheville Symphony debut, performing his 2005 album “The Mysterious Production of Eggs” in full with orchestral arrangements, capped by a suite of fan favorites from his 30-year career (May 29).  
  
• YMI Cultural Center brings jazz and soul back to The Block – The YMI Cultural Center, one of the nation’s oldest Black cultural centers, is kicking off monthly Jazz & Soul Sessions, led by Affrilachian folk musician Kelle Jolly and the Will Boyd Project. Held every fourth Friday and Saturday of the month, the series fills the landmark building with the warm pulse of jazz and soul, marking a full-circle return to Eagle St., where music and art have long shaped the rhythm of daily life. VIP and pay-what-you-can tickets available (through April 25).
• Indie art festivals celebrate the region’s creative subculture  – The region’s Appalachian, do-it-yourself spirit and storytelling traditions continue in the present. Two new artist-led festivals celebrate the legacy of handheld, handmade art forms:
• Asheville Crankie Fest | Jan. 10 – The first-annual Crankie Fest at The Grey Eagle celebrates Appalachia’s folk-art tradition of “crankies,” long illustrated scrolls that move through a viewing box like a miniature panorama. Live musicians accompany the visuals, weaving ballads and stories that guide the audience along each unfolding scene.
• Asheville Zine Fest | Sept., date TBD – Returning later in the year, Asheville Zine Fest spotlights the city’s independent creators, from zines and comics to small-press books and artist editions. The inclusive and community-minded gathering offers an intimate space for storytelling, creativity and engagement with the local arts scene.

OUTDOORS + WELLNESS | The Asheville area’s outdoor scene enters an exciting new chapter in the year ahead. The region, framed by ancient mountains, offers fresh new ways to explore. New climbing routes, riverside stays, and mind-clearing experiences offer travelers fresh ways to step into the landscape. 

• Room with a view: luxury Airstream campsite opens – After a year-long delay from Hurricane Helene, AutoCamp Asheville is now welcoming bookings. Set on a serene,16-acre site overlooking the French Broad River, the property offers modern Airstreams, cabins, suites or Bambi suites – ideal for solo travelers or couples. Amenities include a mid-century modern clubhouse, all-season plunge pool and daily dining at The Kitchen and General Store.
• New outdoor routes welcome rock climbers in 2026 – Outdoor nonprofits Access Fund and the Carolina Climbers Coalition have secured more than 16 acres of land near Chimney Rock State Park, unlocking access to more than 50 new routes with sweeping views of Hickory Nut Gorge. The area — called Lower Ghost Town, after the bygone amusement park — adds a major new draw for climbers. Half of the climbing area is expected to be completed by April 2026.
• Indoor climbing options are expanding, too: Cultivate Climbing has opened a new bouldering gym on Foundy Street in the River Arts District after its previous space was destroyed by flooding. In 2026, Cultivate will also debut a 20,000-square-foot top rope gym, Highland Station, next to Highland Brewing. The facility will feature 45-foot walls, climbs ranging from slab to steep, and the country’s second Quantum Board — a tech-forward training system that lets multiple climbers work different problems simultaneously. 
  
• North America’s largest bike park opens just minutes from Asheville – In Swannanoa, one of the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, the new Beacon Bike Park and Events Lawn is transforming a former blanket manufacturing site into a hub of recreation and renewal. The sprawling complex features a public walking trail, a bike park anchored by North America’s largest Velosolutions pump track and a 4,000-capacity outdoor venue poised to host concerts, festivals, races and community events as the area rebuilds. The pump track’s grand opening is on track for Spring 2026.
• Off the eaten path – The newly reopened Okie Dokies Smokehouse in Swannanoa turns out wood-fired, low-and-slow barbecue, perfect for a post-ride refuel. Pitmaster Steve Dunning’s award-winning ‘cue, seasoned with house-made rubs and a unique smoking process, is as authentic and satisfying as it gets. 
  
• Mindful movement rises in 2026 – New studios and nature-based experiences are deepening Asheville’s appeal as a wellness destination. In the River Arts District, two openings bring fresh energy to the local yoga scene: RAD Yoga, a bright, airy studio on Artful Way led by longtime instructor Kristin Mitchell, offers classes designed to support strength and mindfulness goals; while Blue Ghost Yoga, named for the region’s elusive fireflies, introduces infrared-heated Vinyasa, kettlebell-infused strength sessions, and restorative practices that emphasize mobility and balance. For a deeper reset, the ZenHike Women’s Retreat (July 16–19) blends guided classes, meditative hikes, sound healings, and spacious time for reflection at a private mountain sanctuary.
• Roaming ohm: From classes paired with a wood-fired sauna to sunrise vinyasas on a mountaintop, Asheville’s wellness scene offers a variety of ways to unwind on the mat. Goats optional.  

SPORTS VENUES AND EVENTS | 2026 underscores Asheville’s evolution into a destination where sport, outdoor lifestyle and major events intersect. 

• PGA TOUR Returns to Asheville – After more than eight decades, professional golf makes a celebrated comeback with the inaugural Biltmore Championship in Asheville, held Sept. 17–20 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The Jack Nicklaus–designed course, framed by Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway, ranks among North Carolina’s finest and sits just minutes from downtown. 
  
• McCormick Field enters its next century – A $55.6 million centennial restoration will transform the 1924 home of the Asheville Tourists into a modern, year-round venue while preserving its storied baseball legacy. The revitalized ballpark will also welcome major events, including the Big South Baseball Championship (May 20–23), expected to draw increased visitation and expand community experiences.
• March Madness energy fills downtown – The Ingles Southern Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return March 5–9 to Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville. The tournament has become a spring tradition, drawing fans and teams to the mountains as the road to the Final Four begins.
• SoCon Wrestling showcases top talent – Also set for March 5–9, the Explore Asheville SoCon Wrestling Championships will bring elite collegiate wrestlers to Kimmel Arena at UNC Asheville, where athletes compete for a coveted path to the national stage.
• National track & field event arrives in Asheville – For the first time, Asheville will host the NAIA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championships (May 20–22), gathering roughly 1,300 student-athletes at UNC Asheville’s recently renovated Karl Straus Track, regarded as one of the nation’s top collegiate facilities. 
  
• World-class standing wave makes its way to Woodfin –  This spring, Riverside Park will debut Taylor’s Wave, a precisely engineered whitewater feature designed for surfers and freestyle kayakers. Built from a tested scale model developed in a Czech hydraulics lab, the in-stream structure promises a powerful, environmentally sensitive wave that still allows safe passage for fish and casual paddlers. Terraced riverbank seating rounds out the project, positioning Woodfin to host national and international competitions. 
  
• New tennis complex elevates collegiate play – Construction begins in Feb. 2026 on UNC Asheville’s new outdoor tennis complex, which will feature six lighted competition courts, spectator seating and a dedicated tennis building. When complete in March 2027, the complex will bolster the university’s ability to host major events, including Big South Conference and USTA Adaptive Tennis championships.
• Swing, skate, serve: River Arts District’s new venues add dimension – In the year since Hurricane Helene inundated the River Arts District, a fresh wave of recreation venues has emerged, adding new dimensions of play to the creative corridor.
• Friends open shared vision for multi-sport complex – A new “urban sports club,” Ace & Eagle, is the dream of three golf-loving friends who envisioned a communal gathering space for recreation and social connection. Ace & Eagle’s facility at Hi-Wire River Arts Campus features cutting-edge golf simulators, pickleball courts and competition-grade billiards, with private event options suited for everything from bachelor weekends to corporate team outings. In the spring, The will join the campus, offering e-bike tours of the neighborhood.
• Skating rink serves community need – After losing its longtime Carrier Park rink to Helene, the Asheville Hockey League transformed a vacant lot into an open-air home for its youth teams. The Riverside Rink project was powered by community spirit — donated materials, local mural art and volunteer labor — transforming a storm-scarred concrete pad into a lively hub for hockey and skating. In 2026, the rink will offer community skate nights and custom packages for private events.
• Deck out with fresh wheels: Just blocks away, Fishbrains skate shop rents and sells top-of-the-line roller and inline skates, including kid sizes.   

For more of the most up-to-date insights and happenings, visit ExploreAsheville.com. 

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About Asheville 

Tucked away in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is where unrivaled natural beauty meets bold creative expression. Here, visitors step into biodiverse forests, explore tall Eastern peaks and engage with a compassionate, ever-evolving community. Every visit to the Asheville area is an invitation to awaken, discover and become.