There are a variety of ways to celebrate the holidays in and around Asheville, both in the city and in its neighboring towns. Brand new in the South Slope, Rabbit Rabbit, an outdoor venue created by the Orange Peel and Asheville Brewing Company, will transform its outdoor space into a Winter Wonderland from November to January. Stop in to enjoy holiday lights and exhibits as well as themed...
With an inspiring backdrop that has long influenced creatives and entrepreneurs, working studios, artist galleries and colorful boutiques featuring locally made wares can be found in nearly every corner of Asheville. Merry Markets: Plan ahead for special markets like the North Carolina Glass Center’s Annual Seconds Sale (Dec. 2-16), CURVE Studios Holiday Market (Dec. 12) and...
In addition to all the holiday activities Asheville offers, many hotels craft seasonal packages to enhance the Asheville experience. For seasonal hotel packages and deals, visit: https://www.exploreasheville.com/packages-deals/seasonal/. As the weather gets cooler, enjoy s’mores on the terrace of Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast with their Fire up the S’mores package. The package...
The Vanderbilt family opened the doors of Biltmore House for the first time on Christmas Eve in 1895. Take a step back in time to where it all began and celebrate Biltmore’s 125 th anniversary with “An 1895 Christmas,” which takes inspiration from oral histories, newspaper articles, letters and menu books in the estate’s archives for décor that echoes the very...
Take a dreamy ride through the enchanted forests of The North Carolina Arboretum, where the grounds were inspired by designs from the famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Winter Lights (Nov. 20 through Jan. 10, 2021) has evolved its 2020 visitor experience to ensure the safety of its guests. Guests will drive through a sparkling, mile-long stretch of lights designed to showcase...
Santa returns to Chimney Rock State Park this year for a Christmas Eve practice run. On Dec. 5 and 12, Santa will rappel down the 315-foot Chimney Rock, a 535-million-year-old monolith, to prepare for clambering down chimneys around the world. Festivities will be held outdoors, and guests can stop into the Sky Lounge for hot cocoa and Christmas cookies. Also, local poet Eddie Cabbage will...
Since 1992, the Omni Grove Park Inn’s National Gingerbread House Competition has grown into one of the nation’s most celebrated holiday competition events. This year, the event is prioritizing safety by hosting a virtual contest. While there won’t be a physical display of the winners this year, gingerbread fans will enjoy whimsical creations like sugar-spun landscapes and...
Winter is generally a time to book reservations that can be hard to come by spring through fall. This year, restaurants are facing the uncertainty of the pandemic and working with community leaders to sustain and extend outdoor dining options. A handful of new endeavors are also popping up. The “Asheville Shares Space” initiative that includes temporary “parklets”...
For those wanting a night in, Asheville businesses are also offering gourmet meal kits and quirky rental options. New to-go options perfect for travelers with safety and flexibility in mind: Ashley Capps, a 2019 James Beard semifinalist for “Outstanding Pastry Chef,” has started New Stock, a weekly, curated box-meal pickup and delivery service, perfect for an extended rental...
The off-season offers the best travel rates of the year with the added bonus of having natural attractions and cultural offerings all to yourself. Cozy travel packages include wellness opportunities and other winter adventures. Find more at ExploreAsheville.com/deals. Perfect for a rejuvenating getaway, the Peak Relaxation Package at the Foundry Hotel Asheville includes a welcome cocktail...
Deep-seated bluegrass roots harmonize with new talent and innovative sounds in Asheville. In winter, many nationally traveling local bands come home to the region to play shows and pop in to jam sessions. While things look different this year, some venues are expanding their offerings outdoors to keep the soul of the city beating. The South Slope district’s brand-new outdoor event...
Heal your soul in Asheville’s century-old wellness culture by tapping into offerings like mountainside hot tubs, a subterranean spa with hydrotherapy waterfalls, a Chinese medicine tearoom, salt caves, forest bathing and sound-healing sessions. Looking for inspiration? Stroll through Asheville’s arts district or take a winter hike to a panoramic mountain view. Multiple trailhead...
With picturesque overlooks, rolling mountain balds and trails leading to calming waterfalls, Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains are picnic country (check out this list of super scenic picnic spots). For those wanting a night in, Asheville businesses are also offering gourmet meal kits and quirky rental options. New to-go options perfect for travelers with safety and flexibility in mind:...
Leading yoga, meditation and hiking experiences in the mountains surrounding Asheville, Namaste in Nature is known for their (public and private) tours designed for folks wanting a deeper connection with the nature around them. Offerings include mountaintop yoga, waterfall hikes, a “Sunset and Full Moon Yoga Hike” and the NEW “Family / Beginner / Warmup Waterfall Yoga...
TRACK LEAF COLOR PROGRESSION (+ NEW ASHEVILLE HIKE FINDER ALEXA SKILL) Visit ExploreAsheville.com/fall for weekly color reports utilizing up-to-date information from area parks, leaf experts and attractions, as well as an animated color-progression map of peaking fall leaves that pinpoints when and where the best color is occurring. New this year, the Asheville Hike Finder is now available...
Asheville’s eclectic style and reverence for nature are apparent across its diverse accommodation options—travelers have their pick of mountainside resorts with Blue Ridge views, historic bed-and-breakfast inns with modern amenities, family-friendly resorts with attached adventure and luxurious downtown hotels with award-winning dining. Here are some new experiences this fall....
For those interested in local culture with a mountain backdrop, the Asheville area has a number of walkable neighborhoods and districts worth exploring. Bring your mask for sidewalk safety and explore these new neighborhood POIs on foot. Asheville’s colorful art and warehouse district along the French Broad River, the River Arts District, is coming into a new era as a...
Open Meadows, a Dog Park Bar and Rooftop Sips: With 50 breweries and counting in the Asheville area, there are plenty of opportunities to imbibe outdoors. Highland Brewing Company has reopened its meadow with picnic tables, designated seating circles (bring your blanket!) and volleyball courts. The brewery sits on a 40-acre property that includes nature trails. Farmhouse brewery Turgua...
Despite the coronavirus' impact on the industry, some new Asheville restaurants and culinary offerings are still forging ahead. A food hall with history opens as Asheville’s iconic Art Deco masterpiece S&W Building, considered one of architect Douglas Ellington’s most refined projects, gets new life. Chef Meherwan Irani (Chai Pani Restaurant Group and James...
SoundSpace@Rabbit’s: A historic Black-owned tourist court and dining room from the segregation-era South is getting new life as a musician rehearsal space and soul food kitchen. Nationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, recording artist Claude Coleman Jr. (30-year drummer for the alternative rock band Ween) and lifelong musician and producer Brett Spivey are behind the...
Alternative Lodging: Glamping, Retro Resorts, Motor Courts & Restful Retreats Asheville’s eclectic style and reverence for nature are apparent across its diverse accommodation options—travelers have their pick of mountainside resorts with Blue Ridge views, historic bed-and-breakfast inns with modern amenities, family-friendly resorts with attached adventure and luxurious downtown...
Surrounded by the highest peaks in the East, the Asheville region experiences one of the longest and most vibrant leaf seasons in the world. Those million acres of forest and protected lands surrounding the city make for the perfect fall adventure that offers space and sanctuary. See Fall Color from a Mountaintop or Sunrise SUP: Asheville has plenty of guided outdoor activities that provide the...
Wellness traditions run deep in the Blue Ridge. The crisp mountain air, cool streams and nearby natural hot springs are long believed to make the area one of healing, relaxation and retreat. Home to the southeast’s oldest herbalism school, myriad tea rooms, salt caves, massaging waterfalls, spas with mountain views and endless natural offerings, Asheville is a draw for anyone looking to...
Asheville’s culinary scene offers unique al fresco food and beverage options perfect for practicing social distancing. Gourmet Picnics, Provisions & Pop-Up Bodegas: Asheville’s award-winning indie restaurant scene has evolved with increased safety and flexibility for travelers. While restaurants slowly open with safety in mind, one trend that is here to stay is the increased...
The East Coast is home to 36 percent of the nation’s population (worldpopulationreview.com). As a centrally located Blue Ridge city surrounded by the highest mountain peaks along the eastern seaboard, Asheville, N.C., is well-positioned for road-trippers looking to ease into travel with safety in mind. Blanketed by national parks and state forests in all corners and intersected by...
Need a distraction? Watch Asheville steal the scene in film after film. Here's a playlist that offers a glimpse of Asheville, from the comfort of home. Western North Carolina captured the attention of Hollywood long ago. The first movie shot in Asheville was in the 1920s. Titled Conquest of Canaan , the movie was filmed in what is now Pack Square in downtown Asheville, and tells...
In the true spirit of Asheville, our community is creating inspired ways to offer relaxation and a taste of Asheville in unprecedented times. Need a moment of inspiration, dreaming for the future or a moment of zen? Explore Asheville virtually and let your inner spirit run free. Climb a Mountain | Through a partnership with Google, Explore Asheville has helped to create...
Find Peace with Free Online Yoga and Meditation Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains | Find your Zen during this stressful time. Miranda Peterson of Asheville yoga-hike company Namaste in Nature has developed a series of free online videos to help you relax. In the videos, Miranda guides you in front of a backdrop of vistas, waterfalls and forest trails in the Blue Ridge...
NOW OPEN: ► Asheville Art Museum just opened with a new $24 million-plus, state-of-theart building that features expanded gallery space, education facilities, an art library, a lecture and performance venue, a new ArtPLAYce for families and children and the addition of a rooftop sculpture terrace and café with views of downtown architecture and the surrounding mountains. 2020...
NOW OPEN: ► New downtown brewery DSSOLVR, with a design point of view that melds the absurd and surreal, opened December 2019 with beer offerings fit for picky beer enthusiasts and casual light beer drinkers alike, as well as their own mead, wine, cider and cold-brew coffee. ► Highland Brewing Company is partnering with DSSOLVR for Breakfast Stout, with the high ABV version brewed at...
NOW OPEN ► Set in historic buildings that once housed young forestry workers of the Civilian Conservation Corps, Burial Beer’s Forestry Camp includes a production brewery, taproom and restaurant. COMING SOON ► Thirsty Monk will relaunch its core lineup of Belgian-Rooted Modern Ales in 2020 with a new look and feel that brings tarot cards to life. Celebrating the creative energy and...
► Winter is the perfect time to take a hike, offering quiet trails with the best views of the year thanks to leafless trees and crisp air. Check out guided hiking companies like Namaste in Nature (full moon yoga and meditation hikes), Blue Ridge Hiking Co. (now offering guided hikes of the Smoky Mountains) and Asheville Hiking Tours. ► The NEW Deluxe Triple Waterfall Yoga Hike from Namaste...
“Downton Abbey: The Exhibition” arrived at Biltmore on Nov. 8 with set recreations and artifacts, more than 50 of the show's costumes and exclusive multimedia elements. The exhibition will run through April 7, 2020, and will highlight the parallels between the show, the movie and Biltmore's Vanderbilt family, friends and staff. The grandeur and size of Biltmore House,...
NOW OPEN: Asheville’s famed Art Deco skyline has gained a new icon and a four-star luxury property. The Kimpton Hotel Arras, opened October 2019, is a four-star 128-room luxury property with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of downtown and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Set in the former BB&T Bank building, the tallest building in Western North Carolina, the Art Deco...
NEW IN THE SOUTH SLOPE: ► Urban Orchard has expanded to a second location featuring 30 taps and serving up an Old Europe vibe. ► The Chemist is a South Slope gin distillery with a tasting room outfitted as a Prohibition-era apothecary. ► An adjoining cocktail bar, Antidote, offers pre-Prohibition cocktails, new drink classics and a small-plate menu. The rooftop space offers views,...
► The WNC Nature Center's Prehistoric Appalachia Project comes to life with a NEW red panda exhibit. An ancient ancestor of the endangered animal, the Bristol's Panda, was once prevalent in the region. ► Sit, stay and explore with the NEW Dog City Tour, starting at Asheville's Dog Welcome Center (the first of its kind in the country), with stops at local shops and breweries catering to...
NOW OPEN: ► The Moogseum celebrates the life of Bob Moog, inventor of the Moog Synthesizer that revolutionized almost every genre of music. The museum features bays of synthesizers, theremins and effect pedals that allow people to explore the science behind electronic music, and a Young Inventors Lab where children can create their own circuit board. ► French Broad Chocolate Factory has a sweet...
NOW OPEN: ► CANarchy Collaboratory, run by a group of independent brewers headlined by Oskar Blues and focused on cutting-edge flavors and brewing methods has opened in downtown Asheville with a restaurant and space for artists and musicians. ► 12 Bones Smokehouse opened a new restaurant in South Asheville with a new brewery serving bbq-friendly brews. ► Set in the buildings that once housed young...
NOW OPEN: ► The Asheville Foundry Hotel, part of Hilton’s upper-upscale Curio Collection, has opened on "The Block," Asheville’s historical business district for the African-American community. Portions of the five-building complex were once home to the foundry that forged the steel for Biltmore and many of Asheville’s iconic buildings. ► Five-time James...
► On display Nov. 8 - Apr. 7, “Downton Abbey: The Exhibition” brings elegant costumes, meticulously recreated sets and exclusive multimedia elements to transport visitors into the world of the television phenomenon. The show closely parallels the lives of the Vanderbilts and staff during the early years at the Estate. Downton Abbey Exhibition credit information:...
