Asheville, NC (Nov. 13, 2024) — The spirit of holiday travel takes on a deeper meaning this year across the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Asheville area artists, makers, chefs, performers and shop owners are calling visitors back as major attractions reopen and seasonal festivities are announced—including Christmas at Biltmore, The Omni Grove Park Inn’s new “Gingerbread Trail of Giving” and holiday markets and events featuring the resilient artists, makers and innovators of Appalachia.
Resilient Together: “Be part of the comeback” is the rallying call of local businesses and creatives who are not only opening doors to customers, but making space on gallery walls, in shops and in kitchens for displaced artists and makers.
Season of Hope: With a full schedule of holiday happenings including beloved traditions and reimagined favorites — visitors take comfort that every ticket, reservation or locally purchased holiday gift offers hope and help for this beloved Blue Ridge Mountain community.
Plan with Heart: ExploreAsheville.com has launched new travel planning features to support confidence as visitors plan their return. Read below for the latest holiday happenings and community updates.
Heart-Warming Happenings in Downtown Asheville
Downtown Asheville, which remained largely untouched by the storm, is open with a calendar of festive events and a full slate of world-class dining options. Downtown also exemplifies Asheville’s unique brand of hand-crafted holiday shopping, including opportunities to purchase from and support local artists, makers and businesses in need.
National Gingerbread Competition Reimagined as “Gingerbread Trail of Giving” (Nov. 23 – Jan. 5) | Following the cancellation of the 32nd Annual National Gingerbread Competition, The Omni Grove Park Inn, the historic red-brick resort atop Sunset Mountain, will give this treasured local tradition new life through the Gingerbread Trail of Giving. For the first time, 40+ gingerbread artists will display their cookie and candy creations at local businesses across downtown Asheville and the community. See a complete list of participating locations here.
POST-HURRICANE UPDATE: The Omni Grove Park Inn reopens its doors for overnight guests Nov. 15. The world-class subterranean spa, as well as its Donald Ross-designed golf course, re-opened Nov. 8.
Miracle on Wall Street (Nov. 13 – Jan. 4) | Quirky, cobblestoned Wall Street has been a cornerstone of downtown holiday shopping for decades. But this year, James Beard Award-recognized chefs Meherwan Irani and William Dissen, along with other Wall Street business owners, are offering something more. Miracle on Wall Street is a holiday pop-up series, led by quality leather and vintage purveyor Shining Rock Goods, to provide displaced shops from the River Arts District and Biltmore Village (two of the neighborhoods hit hardest by Hurricane Helene) a space to operate this season. This spirit of community means beloved businesses like Olde World Christmas Shoppe can sell their wares during the holidays – bringing joy to customers and shop-owners alike.
Sippin’ Santa at the Tiki Easy Bar (Nov. 15 – Dec. 31) | A mythical island speakeasy hidden behind the Hi-Wire Brewing South Slope taproom, Tiki Easy boasts the largest selection of rare and historic rums in North Carolina. Tiki Easy is celebrating their reopening with the Sippin’ Santa Holiday Pop-Up, a tropical twist on the holiday season that will feature a bevy of special events and a Secret Santa menu available only for those in-the-know enough to ask.
Winter Window Display Contest (Nov. 23 – Jan. 1) | The Asheville Downtown Association is bringing back this beloved holiday tradition. Downtown will be aglow as dozens of businesses deck their halls to compete for the honor of “Best Overall Window,” “People’s Choice Window” and “Best Use of Theme – Winter Wonderland.”
- The Asheville Downtown Association will kick off the holiday season with The Asheville Holiday Jamboree on Nov. 23, gathering local performers, vendors and visitors to celebrate the reopening of downtown Asheville.
Hey Asheville! Holiday Tour (Nov. 15 – Dec. 22) | No matter how much they have been knocked down, local comedy group LaZoom keeps their sense of humor intact! The Hey Asheville! Holiday Tour supercharges their zany purple bus sightseeing adventure with enough holly jolly to keep guests laughing all the way.
Family-Friendly Holiday Performances | The Sound of Music at Asheville Community Theatre, All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at NC Stage Company, four Nutcrackers (three companies at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts and another at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville) and a one-man Christmas Carol at Black Mountain Center for the Arts bring the spirit of the holidays alive on stage.
Feel-Good Holiday Shopping
Asheville’s renowned arts and crafts tradition is fertile ground for unique, beloved holiday gifts. This season, buying directly from local makers and small businesses means more than ever.
Grove Arcade Holiday Tree Lighting (Nov. 30) | Grove Arcade, the Art Deco architectural marvel that houses dozens of shops, artists and restaurants, hosts its annual Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party on Small Business Saturday. In addition to bright lights and magnificent décor, The Grove Arcade will offer gallery space to displaced River Arts District businesses and artists, like Marquee and WEDGE Studios, so they can participate in the holiday season.
POST-HURRICANE UPDATE: While the River Arts District was heavily impacted by the storm, many studios, eateries and galleries in the upper River Arts District are open and welcoming customers. Inspired holiday shopping in the colorful upper RAD includes NorthLight Studios (care for a pet portrait by artist Angela Alexander?) and Jeffrey (ancient-inspired jewelry by the “Mayor of the River Arts District” Jeffrey Burroughs).
French Broad Chocolate Lounge, the bean-to-bar confectionary in the heart of downtown Asheville on Pack Square, was selected as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2024.
Handmade Holiday Markets | From The Big Crafty (Dec. 7-8) downtown to the mecca for Appalachian craft, the Folk Art Center, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville holiday markets are the perfect place to support local artists, while snagging a special gift.
Christmas at Biltmore
Asheville’s most iconic holiday tradition, Christmas at Biltmore, kicked off as originally scheduled on Nov. 2. Less than a month after Hurricane Helene, the installation of a majestic 35-foot Fraser fir in George Vanderbilt’s French Renaissance-style chateau (which was completed on Christmas 1895) signals a season of hope as guests return from near and far.
POST-HURRICANE UPDATE: The historic Biltmore House as well as the conservatory and gardens sustained minimal damage. Some trails across the 8,000-acre estate remain closed and a few road detours may be in place.
As always, there are two great ways to experience the holidays at America’s Largest Home.
- Christmas Daytime Celebration (Nov. 2, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025) | This daytime feast for the senses at the 175,000 sq-ft Biltmore House features dozens of hand-decorated Christmas trees, along with tens of thousands of ornaments, holiday lights, candles, garlands and poinsettias. The magic continues in Antler Hill Village, which is festooned with glittering lights, ornaments, and displays.
- Candlelight Christmas Evenings (Nov. 3, 2024 – Jan. 6, 2025) | Thousands of twinkling lights, the scent of fresh greenery and the sound of a children’s choir set the stage for an immersive holiday experience like no other. A majestic Norway spruce and illuminated pathways welcome visitors to the Gilded Age mansion.
The Chihuly glass exhibit has been extended until Feb. 5, giving visitors a final chance to experience the immersive installations of swirling, colorful glass sculptures specially curated for Biltmore. For both Christmas Daytime and Candlelight Evenings, select ticket options include admission to Chihuly and free next-day grounds access.
Get Outdoors and Into the Holiday Spirit
Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum (Nov. 15 – Dec. 31) | To the delight of many area children (and adults), Winter Lights is moving forward as scheduled at the North Carolina Arboretum – a 434-acre public garden within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. This year, the enchanting walk-through light show is unveiling “Seasons of Light,” a million-light celebration of the four seasons including the towering flowers of “Spring Sprouts” and the magical mushrooms of “Fall Fungi.” New exhibits, like the Enchanted Oasis, an interactive light installation that responds to touch and motion, join familiar favorites like the 50-foot animated Tree of Light and the Polar Express railroad.
POST-HURRICANE UPDATE: Visitors can once again access 11 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway that runs through Asheville – from milepost 382.5, near the Folk Art Center, to milepost 393.6, near the North Carolina Arboretum. The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, as well as adjacent trails like Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam, are also open. See an updated list of hike re-openings here.
Winter Wonder Walk (Nov. 29 – Dec. 14, Fridays & Saturdays) | A storybook comes to life at the Adventure Center of Asheville. Complete with live-action characters and a snowball fight, the Winter Wonder Walk leads guests on a quest to find Jack Frost and the Sugar Plum Fairy to stop a blizzard from striking Winterland. Guests age 4 and older can also climb the Treetops Adventure Park Glow Trails. These thrilling (and age appropriate) aerial trails are illuminated with thousands of colorful twinkle and laser lights for an immersive holiday experience.
Storytime with Appalachian Santa (Dec. 23) | Kris Kringle, decked out in his Appalachian best with bells and old-world charm, will be accompanied not by reindeer, but by the fluffy Highland Cows that live at Montgomery Sky Farm, a sustainable farm focused on animal rescue and preservation breeding. A chocolate charcuterie board, prepared by owner and Executive Chef Taylor Montgomery, will be provided, and each child will receive a special gift from Santa.
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About Asheville
Asheville is where unrivaled natural beauty and bold creative expression meet. Tucked away in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina, the city is steps away from some of the world’s most biodiverse forests and the tallest peaks in the East. For generations, Asheville has nurtured and inspired a compassionate and resilient community that’s deeply rooted and ever-evolving. Plan your trip with heart at ExploreAsheville.com.
