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Many of us and our families love to get some vacation time in around the holidays, but lots of the time we’re left wondering where exactly that dream vacation spot actually resides. While the northern states are too cold, traveling to the south can sometimes prove too hot or too expensive as well. Asheville provides the perfect vacation and relaxation spot for any of your holiday endeavors, and you can read on to learn more about what the area has to offer this holiday season.
Thanksgiving Fun
Thanksgiving is a time to get together and celebrate, and what better a place to mark this fun than Asheville? Sometimes, families want to focus more on the celebrating than the stress of cooking. Thankfully, Asheville is ripe with restaurants that will serve you a full Thanksgiving meal on Turkey Day. The Biltmore Estate Restaurants Deerkpark, Bistro, Stable Café, and Cedric’s Tavern all take reservations for that special day; Deerkpark even offers an extravagant buffet. If you choose the Biltmore for dining, you can also take a tour if you’re feeling so inclined, as they’re open on the holiday! The Omni Grove Park Inn restaurants also offer buffet-style Thanksgiving offerings at the Blue Ridge Artisanal Buffet and Grand Ballroom Banquet.
If you’re traveling and still want to cook, there are many homes available to rent around Asheville and its surrounding mountainous communities, such as Weaverville. Plan a trip with the family in one of these outstanding homes and make a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner from the comfort of its kitchen! We guarantee you’ll be so smitten that you’ll be looking at some of our Troy Flack Group homes before you even make it home from your trip.
If you’re one of the many who participate in Black Friday, the ultimate retail holiday experience, there are options for you! Downtown Asheville hosts more than 200 shops and 30 art galleries, most of which are closed on Thursday but open on Friday. Additionally, the Asheville Outlets Center, featuring 70 stories, will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 6 PM – 2 AM, and 9 AM – 9 PM on Friday and Saturday. Take advantage of the crazy sales that Asheville shopping has to offer this time of year!
Winter fun
The post-Thanksgiving holidays are just as exciting as the Turkey Day ones! You’ll see a lot of unique offerings around Asheville in the month of December.
Christmas at the Biltmore, running November 1st through January 5th, is one of the main attractions that brings people in for the season. The Biltmore Estate, transformed entirely into a Christmas wonderland, sees luxurious decorations, live music, and special candlelight evening experiences. There are more than 100 hand-decorated Christmas trees throughout the estate, along with the centerpiece 35-foot Fraser fir tree. There are also more than 30,000 lights, 360 fresh wreathes, 1,000 live poinsettias, and 7,500 feet of fresh evergreen garland.
One of the most celebrated and competitive holiday events, the 2019 National Gingerbread House Competition Display, now on its 27th year, will be held at the Omni Grove Park Inn from November 20th through January 4th. Visit to celebrate the awe and delight of some of the tastiest architectural creations you’ll ever see in one of the nation’s neatest historic resorts!
A tradition in Asheville only begun since 2014, the Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum sees 500,000 bright, energy-efficient LED lights among one of the most famously known botanical gardens. Enjoy the magnificent outdoor walking tour and appreciate the light spectacle with some hot cocoa, cider, s’mores, wine, and beer offered at the venue. Check it our November 22nd through January 4th!
Weather
There’s nowhere else in the country that compares to the kind of weather Asheville sees in the later months of the year. While anything 60s or above can be a bit oppressively warm for this time of year, anything below freezing is less than desirable as well. Thankfully, Asheville’s historical average sets itself in the high 40s to throughout the 50s during November and most of December. It’s perfect for lighting that fireplace in your Asheville home or rental abode in your coziest pajamas, or for sitting outside by the bonfire in your best sweater and favorite flannel (marshmallows and other roast-worthy items are optional, but encouraged). Take a stroll with your family or lover through the River Arts District in your finest fall attire, and pick up a pumpkin spice latte from one of the many coffee shops there to keep you warm, like PennyCup Coffee Co. or Ultra Coffeebar.
Breweries and Eats
What are the holidays without some brews? First named Beer City USA in 2009, Asheville has a plethora of options for drinkers of all kind during the holiday season. Visit the Asheville Brewing Company, the city’s third oldest brewery, for excellent local brews, including the seasonal Ninjabread Porter. Try some pizza while you’re there, too; it’s rated top 100 in the country for pizza restaurants! The brewery is family-friendly and dog-friendly as well in case your furry friend comes along for the ride.
The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company hosts Asheville’s Mills River Taproom and Restaurant, where you can find 23 beers on tap and some of the best service in the city. With beer as good as its food, enjoy a Christmas Jam Ale while grabbing one of their famous farm-to-table dishes sourced from local suppliers. You can even stroll through the Estate Garden with your festive beer in hand!
Lastly, make sure to visit Highland Brewing company for a more contemporary experience. Its annual production of 46,000+ barrels makes this brewery the largest independent, family-owned brewery born in the Southeast, along with the third-largest solar array in an American craft brewery. It's Cold Mountain ale, Asheville’s original seasonal brew, will pull you right into the season.
Whether you buy a home here through the Troy Flack group, already live in Asheville, or just like to vacation in a rental, we guarantee you’ll have the best holiday season!