Field Guide to Asheville (2024-2025)

Welcome To Asheville

The Land of the Sky!

A jewel nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is as welcoming as it is bountiful and eclectic.

Western North Carolina’s bold peaks and isolated hollers have long been a haven for the eccentric, the adventurous and those seeking respite, inspiration and rejuvenation. The arrival of the railroad in the 1880s opened a gateway for visitors, and the Land of the Sky has been a destination ever since.

What has evolved is a town with more than the usual share of unique and colorful characters, innovative thinkers and enterprising trailblazers who champion local causes and cherish the land. The rugged mountain landscape fosters resilience, creativity and independence as well as a collaborative spirit and strong community connections.

With its rivers and trails; vibrant beverage, food and music scenes; rich heritage of mountain crafts; wide-ranging community of healers and vivid assortment of shops, both weird and wonderful, Asheville is here to offer a kaleidoscope of experiences.

There’s so much to discover, and this is a great place to start.

Publisher: Jeff Fobes Guide

Managers & Editors: Mark Murphy, Gina Smith

Writers: Lisa Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Carmela Caruso, Mark Murphy, Brooke Randle, Tracy Rose, Gina Smith, Kay West

Guide Design: Scott Southwick

Designers: Tina Gaafary, Scott Southwick

Photo Coordinators: Mark Murphy, Lisa Watters

Photographers: community members, local businesses and visitors

(see individual photo credits) Copy Editor: Rob Mikulak

Advertising Manager: Susan Hutchinson

Ad Sales: Sara Brecht, Vicki Catalano, Scott Mermel, Jamie Knox

Front Office/Accounting: Hinton Edgerton, Amie Fowler, Mark Murphy, Lisa Watters

Distribution: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst and a fantastic team of devoted drivers

Cover Illustration: Brent Brown

Cover Design: Tina Gaafary, Scott Southwick

The Asheville Field Guide is published annually by Mountain Xpress P.O. Box 144 Asheville, NC 28802 828.251.1333

© 2024 Mountain Xpress. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without expressed permission of Mountain Xpress. We have taken great care to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this guide. However, we are human and businesses change their services from time to time. Please check websites and businesses prior to making plans.

USA” NOT

Photo by Adobe Stock

THINGS TO KNOW FAQ s

WEATHER?

The old saying in the area goes: “If you don’t like the weather in the mountains, wait 15 minutes.” Asheville’s higher elevation (2,0002,500 feet above sea level, with nearby mountain peaks topping 6,500 feet) affects our daily temperatures, resulting in cooler days and nights than in eastern parts of North Carolina and adjacent states. Our hottest month is typically July, with highs often in the mid 80s and low humidity thanks to the elevation. In summer, temperatures will regularly dip to the 50s and 60s at night. The coldest time is January, when it gets down to the teens and 20s at night and usually is above freezing in the daytime.

Pack a rain jacket and a water bottle, because Western North Carolina is also home to some of the wettest and driest places in the state. Some of our temperate forests average more than 80 inches of rain each year, feeding waterfalls and nurturing lush greenery. Meanwhile downtown Asheville usually doesn’t exceed 40 inches of rain in a year and, along with other parts of the French Broad River basin, is one of the driest places in the state.

BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT?

There’s no bad time, but it depends on what a visitor is seeking. Peak hotel occupancy is in October for the fall leaf season, which, thanks to our biodiversity and elevation range, is one of the most colorful and longest in the country. Fall comes earlier at higher elevations, with the first hints typically arriving in September and peak color explosion the last two weeks of October before fading out in early November. Hotel rates rise with the color. If you’re looking for a more affordable and less crowded getaway, December-February offers the best bets. Also consider the spring bloom season in April, which packs its own color punch. Check out our guide’s Festivals section, because events take place year-round.

WHERE CAN I PARK?

Downtown Asheville, where demand for parking is greatest, has thousands of parking spaces, consisting of on-street parking (mostly metered, some free), surface lots and garages (or decks). But it can feel like there are hardly any spots at all in the busiest months and on weekends. Parking can also be challenging in West Asheville and Biltmore Village.

For a map of downtown deck locations, pricing information and links to a mobile phone app that lets you know where the vacancies are, visit Buncombe County government’s webpage at avl.mx/6si, or the City of Asheville’s page at avl.mx/b8t.

Street meters must be fed via coin, credit card or Passport Parking mobile app 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday ($2.50 per hour). Metered parking is free after 6 p.m., as well as on Sundays and holidays.

Most meters and all garages accept credit cards.

City parking decks are free for the first hour and $2 each subsequent hour or portion thereof.

County decks are $2 for the first hour and $1 for each additional hour.

Visit the City of Asheville’s Parking Services website at avl.mx/6sj for lots of additional info, including how to pay fines and recover a towed vehicle.

WHERE CAN I FIND A PUBLIC RESTROOM?

Public restrooms, post-pandemic, are unfortunately hard to find. If shopping in the Grove Arcade, there are some inside its Page Avenue entrance, available during its hours of 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. Additionally, the City of Asheville is constructing new 24-hour restroom facilities outside the Rankin Avenue parking garage on College Street that are projected to open in summer 2024. Otherwise, you may try your luck at public buildings like libraries or tack your bathroom stop onto meal or snack stops at restaurants and coffee shops.

WHERE AND WHEN CAN I BUY BEER, CIDER, WINE AND LIQUOR?

Packaged liquor is sold only in state-run ABC stores 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. (Some stores have different hours.) Beer, cider and wine are sold in grocery, convenience, bottle and big-box stores (but not before 10 a.m. on Sundays). Closing time for alcohol sales at bars as well as retail stores is 2 a.m. Restaurant, bar and brewery customers can buy two beers, ciders or glasses of wine at one time, but only one mixed drink. Distilleries are allowed to sell mixed drinks and bottles of liquor on premises, but only their own products and in limited quantities.

THINGS TO KNOW

WHAT ARE NORTH CAROLINA’S TOBACCO, VAPING AND MARIJUANA LAWS?

State law prohibits smoking inside bars and restaurants. The City of Asheville has banned smoking and e-cigarettes on city buses, in city-owned parks and greenways and in buildings owned, leased, occupied, managed and/or controlled by the city, including the Asheville Regional Airport (except in areas that have been designated for smoking or vaping). Medical and recreational marijuana use remains against the law in North Carolina (except for on the Qualla Boundary, where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians legalized it in 2023). However, its hemp-based cousins, delta-8 and -9 products, are legal and readily available. Possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana is a misdemeanor.

HOW DOG-FRIENDLY IS ASHEVILLE?

In our canine-captivated culture, dogs, who must be leashed by law, are everywhere — hiking trails, hardware stores, breweries, the Biltmore Estate (on the grounds, not in the house), dog parks (where they can be unleashed in designated, gated portions), a dog welcome center, dog-treat bakeries and dog-friendly restaurants. Festivals and special events, where dogs may be prohibited altogether due to crowd size, are typically the exception, so it’s better to leave your pampered pooch in your dog-friendly hotel or to check out one of Asheville’s doggie day care centers.

Not to be overlooked, cats get their due on the Asheville Cat Weirdos Facebook page (you must be a member to view/participate), the Asheville Cat Weirdos Emergency Fund FB page (public) and at the American Museum of the House Cat in Sylva, about an hour’s drive west of Asheville. The House of Black Cat Magic is a kitty paradise in West Asheville, while Cats at Play Café downtown offers purrs and lattes in abundance.

IS THERE A DISCOUNT CARD/BOOK FOR AREA ATTRACTIONS AND DINING?

Go Local Asheville offers a discount card ($20, golocalasheville. com) which entitles cardholders to deals and discounts from over 600 locally owned shops and businesses, including more than 100 restaurants, food trucks and bars. The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association sells an annual AIR Passport ($60) with BOGO deals good at over 40 participating member restaurants.

WHERE IS THE VISITOR CENTER?

The main Asheville Visitor Center (36 Montford Ave., just north of the bridge over I-240) has friendly folks on duty to assist with questions, plus brochures and maps pertaining to area attractions. The center, located at the back of the building, is open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

IS ASHEVILLE ADA COMPLIANT?

Asheville aims to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the city has to contend with older infrastructure, hilly terrain

and numerous conflicting demands. There are many individual buildings and businesses with exemptions. Everyone who visits Asheville should keep in mind that downtown sidewalks are often narrow with obstacles, and some have steep inclines.

HOW DO I GET A TABLE AT ASHEVILLE’S MOST POPULAR RESTAURANTS?

Unless you reserve well in advance, odds can be slim at some of the restaurants with national renown. But here are some things to keep in mind: Try calling rather than just looking online. Weekdays are quieter. Go for an early or late lunch instead of dinner, or belly up to the bar rather than wait for a table. Remember, Asheville has scores of less famous but amazing and unique places to eat. Pick

THINGS TO KNOW

up a copy of the Mountain Xpress Eats & Drinks Guide for lots of leads.

HOW CAN I GET AROUND WITHOUT MY CAR?

Most of downtown is walkable but hilly. To venture farther out, there are taxis, ride apps and public buses run by the City of Asheville (ART). There are numerous rental services for bikes and cars, and some hotels offer shuttle service. Tickets for a hop-on, hop-off trolley tour can be acquired at the Asheville Visitor Center.

WHAT ARE ASHEVILLE’S SISTER CITIES?

Asheville has an active Sister Cities program with seven partners: Vladikavkaz (Russia), San Cristóbal de las Casas (Mexico), Saumur (France), Karpenisi (Greece), Valladolid (Mexico), Osogbo (Nigeria) and Dunkeld-Birnam (Scotland).

WHERE CAN I FIND A CALENDAR OF EVENTS?

There’s a lot going on in Asheville — festivals, concerts, retreats, celebrations, author appearances, sports competitions, dances, you name it. To be in the know each week, visit Mountain Xpress’ avlcalendar.com for a comprehensive listing of events of every stripe and type. And for a quick look at some of the year’s biggest events, check out the Festivals section in this guide.

ASHEVILLE-AREA

THINGS TO KNOW TIMELINE

In the beginning

The Cherokee people and their ancestors inhabit the region for 10,000 years prior to the arrival of first permanent white settlers in the 1780s.

Throughout the first half of the 1800s, “drovers” from Kentucky and Tennessee boost the local economy, driving livestock through the region using a primitive pathway along the French Broad River.

1800s

1791 Buncombe County is established. The county is named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Edward Buncombe. The county seat is Morristown, which is renamed Asheville in 1795, in honor of the state’s governor, Samuel Ashe. The town is incorporated in 1797.

1820s 1828 The Buncombe Turnpike is completed. The 75-mile road came up through the Saluda Gap by way of Flat Rock.

1850 Stately homes begin to appear in Asheville. The county’s second brick county courthouse is also built.

1871 The first tuberculosis sanitarium in the country, The Villa, opens in Asheville. A marketing pamphlet describes the town as “The Switzerland of America.”

“Running water, electricity, telephones, street cars and paved roads were marvels to be seen in town,” writes historian Mitzi Schaden Tessier. “[B]ut in the country, oxen still pulled the homemade plows.”

1892 Black community leaders, Edward S. Stephens and Isaac Dickson, approach George Vanderbilt about financing the construction of the Young Men’s Institute, a place for the Biltmore Estate’s Black construction workers to meet, located on South Market and Eagle streets. The building still stands in Asheville’s former African American business district.

1895 Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate is completed.

1860

Census records show 1,907 enslaved people in Buncombe County, with a total of 283 slave owners. The county’s total population was 12,654 with 111 free Blacks. Among slave owners, lawyer and legislator, Nicholas Washington Woodfin, topped the county’s list, holding 122 people in

connecting the town with Salisbury and points east, marking the start of a progressive decade.

1889 A local newspaper reports that George Vanderbilt, “the young railroad millionaire,” is in the early process of acquiring land in the area.

1912 “A man is never too old to build castles and dream dreams,” declares E.W. Grove at the opening ceremony of the Grove Park Inn.

1914 “Government buys Pisgah Forest; will welcome great National Park,” a headline from the Asheville Citizen declares. The land had been acquired from the Vanderbilt family, following George Vanderbilt’s untimely death.

1916 Six people perish in Asheville during The Great Flood of 1916. Estimated property damage is between $1 million and $3 million.

1929 Asheville native Thomas Wolfe publishes his debut novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Though a work of fiction, the book borrows much from the author’s life growing up in his mother’s boardinghouse, the Old Kentucky Home. The property is now part of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial in downtown Asheville.

THINGS TO KNOW

1948 Artist Zelda Fitzgerald (wife of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald) is one of nine patients who die in a fire at Highland Hospital, a mental health facility that had opened in Asheville in 1904.

1930s

“11 banks in W.N.C. are now closed,” the Asheville Times declares on Oct. 21, 1930. To help boost the local economy, the Vanderbilt family agrees to open the mansion as a tourist attraction.

1950s – 1980s

Urban renewal projects launch, targeting predominantly African American neighborhoods. In several cases, entire communities were razed.

Roughly 200 African American students walk out of the recently integrated Asheville High School after airing a list of grievances concerning school curriculum and the treatment of Black students.

1960 – 1975

A new approach to retail sales — malls — arrives in Asheville and within a decade and a half sucks the life out of downtown, rendering it a mercantile wasteland for nearly two decades, according to historian Nan Chase.

1994 Artists in the River Arts District host their first studio stroll.

1997 City of Asheville signs a 198year lease with the Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation. By 2002, the historic structure is reopened to the public.

1999 The drum circle gets its start at the former Vance Monument. The group relocates to Pritchard Park after complaints.

1999 For nearly 40 years, local auto racing enthusiasts went down to Amboy Road on Friday nights for an actionpacked evening at “The River.” Built in 1960, the New Asheville Speedway, eventually renamed the Asheville Motor Speedway, closed in 1999.

1980s 1940s

1931 Asheville Mayor Gallatin Roberts commits suicide in response to his legal troubles in connection with the city’s financial ruin.

1935 Construction begins on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

1937 Sarah Gudger, a Buncombe County native, who claimed to be born in 1816, is interviewed in Asheville by a representative of the Federal Writers' Project of the United States Work Projects Administration. “Old Master [William Hemphill] strop us good if we did anything he didn’t like,” she told the interviewer. “He tie your hand before your body and whup you, just like you’re a mule.”

1970s

1976 Asheville finally completes paying off its Depression-era debt, celebrating the event with a ceremonial bond burning.

1980 Asheville City Council plans to turn downtown into a mall by razing 85 downtown buildings on 17 acres, but this idea is defeated by a grassroots citizen effort.

1980– 2000

Despite Asheville’s mostly moribund entrepreneurs,downtown, philanthropists,artists,activists and community groups gradually breathe life back into the area and begin renting spaces in the River Arts District.

1983 State legislators authorize a 2% room hotel-occupancy tax and establish the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to spend the revenue.

1988 City Councilman Walt Boland champions the idea that Asheville’s industrial riverfront could one day be a tourist destination.

1988 Warren Haynes organizes his first Christmas Jam.

2001 The hotel-occupancy tax is raised to 4% and the Tourism Product Development Fund is established.

2000s

2009 Asheville wins Beer City USA title, tying with Portland, Ore.

2020 The Vance Monument was removed from Pack Square. The obelisk commemorated Zebulon Vance — a Confederate colonel, NC governor, slaveholder and white supremacist.

2020s

courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections;

of the Pressley family;

2010s

2010-14 Moogfest, a multiday music, art and technology festival gets its start in Asheville.

2015 The hotel-occupancy tax is raised to 6%.

Photos

Photo courtesy

photo of Warren Haynes by Nick King; beer photo courtesy of N.C. Division of Tourism; Moogfest photo by David Simchock; Vance Monument photo by Virginia Daffron

TOURS THINGS TO DO

One of the best ways to explore Asheville is to take a tour led by someone in the know. Your point of entry can be history, the arts, beer, food, culture, lifestyle or even humor. The options are many and diverse. What else would you expect for Asheville?

ARTS TOURS

• Appalachian Mural Trail (Asheville is featured in this multistate self-guided tour)

• Art Connections

• Asheville Art Experience

• Asheville Art Museum tours

• Asheville Art Studio Tours

• ArtsAVL Trolley

• Asheville Photo Tours

• AVL Literary Tour

• Mountain Mural Tours

• The Flying Bike E-Bike Tour of the River Arts District of Asheville

BARS & BREWERIES TOURS

• Amazing Pubcycle Tours

• Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours

• Asheville Brewery Tours (walking and mobile tours)

• Asheville Brews Cruise

• Beer City Brewery Tours

• BREW-ed Brewery and History Walking Tours

• Asheville Party Bus Brewery Crawl

Photo courtesy of The Flying Bike @ flyingbiketours

• Cedar Rock Adventures Paddle & Pints

• City Brew Tours

• Damn Good Beer Bus

• Peak Excursions Beyond Asheville Adventures

• Trolley Co. Wine Tours

• And ... some individual breweries offer tours of their own facilities

FOOD & COFFEE TOURS

• Asheville Coffee Tours

• Asheville Food Tours

• Eating Asheville Tours

• Electric Bike Tour of Asheville’s Best Pizza

• No Taste Like Home Foraging Tours

• Taste Carolina Gourmet Tours

HISTORY TOURS

• Asheville by Foot Walking Tours

• Historic Music Scene Walking Tour

• Black Churches of WNC (barrierbreakerspilgrimage.org)

• Gray Line Trolley Tours

• History at Hand (five walking tours led by Sharon Fahrer)

• Hood Huggers (black history & art tour)

Wine Tours

THINGS TO DO TOURS

• Moving Sidewalk Segway Downtown Tour

• Shaka Street Moped Tours

• Citizen Vinyl Factory Tour

OUTDOORS TOURS

• Asheville Camino Trail

• Asheville Hiking Tours

• Asheville Adventures

• Asheville Wellness Tours (yoga, hikes, massage & tarot)

• Blue Ridge Hiking Co.

• Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventures

• Cultivate Climbing Guides (formerly Pisgah Climbing and Outdoor Guides)

• Walk with Me Tours

• The Flying Bike (includes downtown, River Arts District and multiple food tasting options)

VARIOUS & HUMOR TOURS

• Asheville Terrors (walking ghost tours)

• LaZoom (comedic approaches to history, ghosts, beer, etc.)

• Haunted Asheville (walking ghost tours)

• WNC Photo Tours

SELF-GUIDED TOURS

• The Urban Trail

• South Slope Mural Trail

• Black Cultural Heritage Trail

• James Vester Miller Historic Walking Trail

• Blue Ridge Craft Trails

THINGS TO DO

OUTSIDE

Asheville is known as Land of the Sky and, indeed, the vastness that unfurls above the Blue Ridge Mountains is the canvas for spectacular sunrises, sunsets and mysterious mists curling around the peaks, a siren song to the great outdoors. But nature also calls us to the rivers, forests, trails, waterfalls and swimming holes that prevail in Western North Carolina, and the many parks, greenways, walking tours and public recreation sites within city limits and Buncombe County

ADVENTURES ON WHEELS

• Drive or bike the Blue Ridge Parkway: A national park site and the longest linear park in the United States, the Blue Ridge Parkway unwinds for 469 scenic miles from Milepost 1 in Virginia to its end in Cherokee. Nearly 50 miles of wellmaintained roadway are in Buncombe County alone, easily accessed from arteries in and around Asheville. Enjoying the BRP is as simple as a leisurely drive (the speed limit is 45 mph) on the curvy, view-resplendent roads, pulling off into well-marked scenic overlooks, enjoying a packed lunch at one of the many picnic areas or taking in the panoramic glory from a rocker behind the Pisgah Inn (open April 1-Oct. 31). Many enjoy pedal-powering road bikes on the BPR, but be sure to don highly visible clothing and be aware of weather conditions that can affect motorist visibility on the curving roads.

Photo courtesy of Nantahala Outdoor Center @ nantahalaoutdoorcenter

• E-bikes: Electric bikes are all the rage for city slickers, frequently spotted on bike lanes within and around town and available for rent from local bike shops.

• Asheville E-Bikes will deliver one to you (or you can pick it up from its downtown location).

• Asheville Adventure Co. offers eight-hour rentals with a helmet and map.

• Pedego Electric Bikes Asheville sells and rents from its River Arts District address.

• Mountain bikes: Asheville is a mecca for mountain bikers, who can find hundreds of miles of trails for all skill levels.

• Berm Park at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park just outside Asheville has it all, from beginner-level to expert bike trails.

• About an hour’s drive from Asheville, the DuPont Figure Eight attracts intermediate-level riders to its 80 miles of trails.

• The Big Ivy route in Pisgah National Forest is for experts only.

• Bike parks:

• The bike park at Riveter in Mills River has a variety of features familiar to the sport — a warmup pump track, rollers, jumps, wall rides and drop zones on four unique lines from green to double black.

THINGS TO DO

• All levels of biker will find their zone at the Adventure Center Asheville’s Kolo Bike Park, with 4 miles of purpose-built mountain bike trails and features.

TAKE A HIKE

• By the book: WNC is a veritable trail mix, from an easy walk in the woods to the challenge of Cold Mountain, a 10-mile, out-and-back journey that tops at 6005 feet in elevation. Many trailheads are in the county or within easy driving distance of Asheville. Hit the internet for descriptions, directions and maps or pick up a copy of local hiking goddess Jennifer Pharr Davis’ book Five-Star Trails Asheville: 35 Spectacular Hikes in the Land of the Sky. She breaks it down into distance, elevation, time, highlights, route details and types of hikes — best for convenience, kids, geology and wildlife, for instance — and offers tips and advice for beginners and devoted trail hounds alike.

• Mount Mitchell: There are several ways to reach the 6,684foot summit of Mount Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi, but the majestic view is the same however you arrive.

• If you have a full day and the stamina, do the Mount Mitchell Circuit, a 10.5-mile balloon that explores the Black Mountain Range.

• The Mount Mitchell High Loop can be done in less than three hours.

• An accessible, quarter-mile paved trail to the observation deck begins in the summit parking lot.

• Appalachian Trail: In Hot Springs, you can hike the Appalachian Trail simply by strolling through downtown, the only town in North Carolina that claims a section in its inner core.

• Hop onto the rigorous 1.6-mile Lover’s Leap and Appalachian Trail Loop

Catawba Falls

Outdoors

THINGS TO DO

• Or follow the 5-mile round trip to the Rich Mountain Fire Tower. Reward the effort with a soak in a mineral-water hot tub on the banks of Spring Creek and the French Broad River, available to rent by the hour at the Hot Springs Resort & Spa.

• N.C. Arboretum: Stop and smell the roses then hike some or all of the 10 miles of marked trails at the N.C. Arboretum, just 15 minutes from downtown Asheville.

WATER FEATURES

• Sliding Rock: Slip ‘n’ slide away at Sliding Rock, a 60-foot, all-natural waterslide that ends with a bracing dunk in an 8-foot-deep pool of cool water. Located in the Sliding Rock Recreation Area in Pisgah National Forest, lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

• Waterfalls: Falls that cascade into swimming holes or wading streams are bountiful in the Asheville area — Bridal Veil Falls, Looking Glass Falls, Skinny Dip Falls and Graveyard Fields among them. Just in time for get-wet season, a project to triple the number of parking spaces at the very popular Catawba Falls trailhead in Pisgah National Forest has been completed.

• Rollin’ on the rivers: The French Broad River is one of the oldest rivers in the world and one of the few that flows north rather than south. Whether you want to flow with it or

go for it, there’s a mode of transport for you. French Broad Outfitters offers canoes and kayaks for DIY adventurers for up to one week, including paddles and jackets (but not transport) and storage for your own canoes and kayaks. Sixand 12-mile excursions are also an option.

• Whitewater curious? Book a guided trip to explore and conquer Class II, III and IV rapids on the French Broad and other nearby rivers. A couple of nearby choices are Asheville Adventure Co. and Blue Heron Whitewater in nearby Marshall.

• Float away: While away an afternoon on the water in one of Zen Tubing’s superdeluxe tubes with a covered bottom, backrest and cup holder. There’s also the option to add a floatable carrier for your own cooler (no glass).

THINGS TO DO

• Go fish: Both long-time fishing addicts and those who’ve only daydreamed of fly fishing in mountain streams will find their perfect match for learning and guided adventures with Asheville’s many angling businesses, including Asheville Fly Fishing Co., which is celebrating its 10th year in business.

URBAN EXPLORATIONS

• Greenways: For nearly 15 years, the creation of Buncombe County’s greenways has been a work in progress, and much progress has been made in that time, resulting in more than 10 routes ranging in length from less than a mile to nearly 3 miles. The most accessible is the Wilma Dykeman Greenway, named for the Asheville native, historian and author who was a tireless advocate for the French Broad River. Fittingly, the path unrolls beside the river through the River Arts District, with bicycle lanes separated from the trail for walkers, baby strollers, runners and skaters. There’s plenty of free adjacent street parking as well as frequent benches for taking a breather. Bonus points for the well-marked pedestrian crosswalks along the way that facilitate safe passage to the RAD’s breweries, coffee shops, restaurants and art studios just across the way.

• Public parks: Asheville and Buncombe County are abundant with parks and recreation services, offering an outdoor roller skating and hockey rink (Carrier Park), a splash pad (Pack Square Park), disc golf and paddle boats (Lake Julian Park), dedicated dog parks (French Broad River Park, Azalea Park,

Photo by Tina Gaafary

Buncombe County Sports Park), fishing lakes and piers (Charles D. Owen Park, Lake Julian), tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, playgrounds and picnic shelters (multiple locations).

• Asheville Urban Trail: Of 30 sculptural markers, Plaque No. 1 at the Asheville Art Museum downtown beckons visitors to a two-hour “walk into history” on the Asheville Urban Trail. The 1.7-mile educational adventure meanders through downtown streets, alleys and parks, introducing walkers to some of the city’s most notable citizens (physician Elizabeth Blackwell, Thomas Wolfe, F. Scott Fitzgerald and O. Henry), art deco architecture, Black history, Appalachian heritage, Cherokee roots, commerce, transportation and much more.

FLYING HIGH

• Zip it up: Go up, up and away on an aerial adventure.

• Navitat offers treetop (six ziplines) and mountaintop (longer, higher, faster) tours. The ultimate adventure is a full day and includes both tours, and Navitat at Night is a starlit flight of fancy.

• Asheville Adventure Center has a treetop adventure park, canopy adventure and KidZip for children ages 4-10.

ROCK STARS

• “Start from where you are” is the mantra of Asheville’s popular indoor climbing gym, Cultivate Climbing. Intro to Climbing is an all-around basics class for novices; drop-in single sessions and extended passes are available. Outdoor climbing classes and guided top-rope and multipitch climbs are also offered.

• Fox Mountain Guides & Climbing School in nearby Brevard gets you up and out there in the wild, blue yonder with guided rock climbing and ice climbing expeditions.

SHOPPING THINGS TO DO

Quirky. Unique. Expressive. That’s how Franzi Charen, the well-known quirky, unique and expressive dresser and former owner of Hip Replacements vintage boutique, describes Asheville’s retail profile.

A passionate proponent of local shopping, Charen says one-ofa-kind, handcrafted, upcycled treasures are as prolific in our mountain town as craft beer and street buskers. While downtown thoroughfares are heavily peppered with independently owned shops tucked into century-old storefronts, she also steers visitors to Asheville-style — read funky and freewheeling-— malls that house multiple local artists, makers, designers and vendors under one roof.

An excellent resource and guide is Go Local Asheville, a printed and online directory of over 600 local businesses; a Go Local card is $20 and delivers discounts on goods and services.

LEXINGTON AVENUE

Considered by many natives and longtime residents to be the epitome of authentic original Asheville, this downtown street’s store windows are a feast for the eyes.

• Hip Replacements: Formerly owned by Charen, this vintage and vintage-inspired boutique has called itself “Asheville’s dressing” room since 1995.

Photo courtesy of East Asheville Tailgate Market @ eastashevillemarket

• Honeypot: A few doors down from Hip Replacements, Honeypot also carries a sweet selection of decadespanning vintage.

• Minx: This women’s boutique is a go-to spot for a chic mix of contemporary and classic fashion.

• Instant Karma: Get your groove back at Asheville’s “OneStop Hippie Shop,” where you’ll find tie-dye artist Cam Payne’s one-of-a-kind Kolors of Karma Grateful Deadinspired apparel, brass and leather cuffs, and men’s sturdy Kathmandu shirts.

• Chevron Trading Post: To bead, or not to bead? Since 1987, beaders have headed to Chevron for its globally sourced selection of glass, acrylic, gemstone, vintage and seed beads, as well as prisms, African masks and star lamps.

BROADWAY AND BILTMORE

Broadway and Biltmore Avenue meet and merge at Pack Square, forming the main artery and retail spine traversing the heart of downtown.

• Blue Spiral 1: Art galleries abound in this part of Asheville, but Blue Spiral 1, with its three floors of gallery space featuring more than 100 artists from the Southeast, is a good place to start.

THINGS TO DO

• Momentum Gallery: If the Dale Chihuly exhibit hasn’t been to your town, this spacious contemporary art gallery in a 100-year-old building has several of the world-famous glass artist’s glass pieces and serigraphs in a dedicated area on the second floor.

• Mast General Store: This two-story shop’s massive inventory spans everything from clothing and camping supplies to barrels of old-school candy and is repeatedly voted Store That Best Represents the Spirit of Asheville.

• Asheville Chocolate: Build a box of handcrafted truffles from the shop’s milk chocolate and/or dark chocolate collections with tempting flavors like salted caramel, lavender and pink peppercorn.

• Finkelstein’s: Established in 1903, Finkelstein’s is the oldest pawn shop in North Carolina and is a perfect downtown spot to shop for unique finds in estate jewelry and antiques.

• VaVaVooom: Heat things up with a gift for yourself or your partner from this fancy lingerie store.

GROVE ARCADE

The gorgeous art deco Grove Arcade was conceived by Asheville businessman and visionary E.W. Grove and completed in 1929, two years after his death. Covering an entire city block, the arcade was the elegant and posh address for commerce and professionals, closed during World War II and then became home to the National Weather Records Center. The NWRC vacated in 1995, clearing the way to renovate and revitalize the arcade to reclaim its reputation as the glorious jewel of Asheville, bustling again with restaurants and shops.

• Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar: Browse shelves filled with thousands of carefully used books with a glass of bubbles at this not-to-miss shop anchoring the corner of Battery Park and O. Henry avenues.

• Spicewalla: Spice things up with a six-pack of Hot Stuff Chili Collection from the specialty company founded by award-winning chef Meherwan Irani of Chai Pani and Botiwalla restaurants. Blends, salts, sugars and dried herbs are packaged in colorful tins.

• Bohemian Baby: This woman-owned business that sources eco-friendly, purpose-driven, comfortable and delightful clothing, gentle toys, books and accessories for your boho babies, from newborn to size 7.

• The Woodrow Instrument Co.: A woodrow is an upright variant of the traditional lap or Appalachian dulcimer. Handbuilt in Asheville by Dan Williams and his family, their instruments look as beautiful as they sound.

MORE DOWNTOWN SHOPPING DELIGHTS

• Woolworth Walk: The historic F.W. Woolworth building has over 150 artists ranging from casual crafters to professionally trained artisans. Grab lunch or a milkshake at the building’s original, fully operational soda fountain.

• Kress Emporium: Originally an early 20th-century department store, the Kress Emporium is still a retail establishment showcasing vintage collectibles and expressions from over 80 regional artists and craftspeople.

THINGS TO DO

• Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café: This proudly independent bookstore has been bringing books, writers and readers together since 1982. Author Ann Patchett calls it “the heart and soul of Asheville.”

• Blue Ridge Hiking Co.: Owned by local long-distance hiking legend Jennifer Pharr Davis, Blue Ridge Hiking Co. is the source for all your hiking needs and for booking guided day and overnight hikes.

• Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe: If your wacky aunt, eccentric uncle and hoarding grandma had an estate sale and partnered with their rebellious, punk rock grandkids, that would be the essence of this art, gift and vintage shop.

• Tops for Shoes: This multigenerational, family-owned shoe store is as beloved for its customer service — sit and fit — as it is renowned for its breadth of small and national brands, with a focus on quality, durability and function. Look for brands including ECCO, Dansko, Altra, Merrell, Keen, Dr. Martens and a ginormous selection of Birkenstocks.

BILTMORE VILLAGE

Historic Biltmore Village still looks and feels like the small English village it was modeled after. Created and conceived by George Vanderbilt as a self-sustaining community and fitting entry point for his Biltmore Estate, the original pebbledash cottages on brick-paved sidewalks — which encourage leisurely strolling rather than power striding — are now home to cafes, shops and galleries.

• Finch Grocery: Find Finch in the most charming of those pebbledash cottages, tucked into an alley (behind Scout Boutique), stocked with gourmet packaged foods, hostess gifts, stationery, wine, coffee by the pound or cup, tea by the box and sandwiches to go or enjoy on the patio.

1 The Regeneration Station 2 Mast General Store 3 Madam Clutterbuckets

1 rEvolve Mercantile

1 rEvolve Mercantile

STORE

Tops for Shoes 2 Discount Shoes of Asheville

GB Shoes

STORE

Spicer Greene Jewelers

Elementality

Marthaler Jewelers

Outlets

Grove Arcade

Barnes & Noble

Firestorm Bookstore Co-op

- USED

Mr. K’s Used Books, Music & More 2 Downtown Books & News

Bagatelle Books

STORE

Records

INSTRUMENT STORE 1 Musician’s Workshop 2 Heyday Musical Instruments & Repair 3 Guitar Center

STORE 1 Orbit DVD 1 The Wyvern’s Tale

Morgan’s Comics

Gamers Haunt

Comics

Comic Envy

SHOP

Whist

L.O.F.T. (Lost Objects Found Treasures) 3 Provisions Mercantile

Bicycles

Cycles

Bicycles

Makers

THINGS TO DO

• New Morning Gallery: Opened in 1972 by the late, local visionary mover-and-shaker John Cram, the small shop has grown to over 12,000 square feet, showcasing “art for living.”

• Old World Christmas Shoppe: Halls, walls and shelves of this shop are decked year-round with collectibles like Anri wood carvings, Steinbeck nutcrackers, Vaillancourt folk art, snow globes and ornaments.

RIVER ARTS DISTRICT

The River Arts District emerged as artists and crafters reinvented vacated industrial buildings and warehouses into studios. Like the community of creatives it embraces, the RAD is constantly in a state of transformation. Mediums from metal to fiber, clay to glass, watercolor to oil are displayed in hundreds of spaces (check riverartsdistrict.com for listings and details). Don’t miss Second Saturdays celebrations, which feature gallery walks, tours, demonstrations, food, wine tastings, live music and a free trolley.

• Wedge Studios: Visit dozens of studios on four floors where visitors can watch artists at work and buy their pieces.

• Riverview Station: Another multilevel, converted manufacturing facility now teeming with over 60 artists and galleries, with classes and special events.

• Depot Street: This street is lined with studios, shops, galleries and collectives such as Pink Dog Creative, home to over 30 artists, Grind coffee bar and two restaurants.

• Marquee: This huge, vibrant building is described by its founders as “a design-centric marketplace of curated vendors” and is the local iteration of a European street market.

SWANNANOA RIVER ROAD

Take a drive on Swannanoa River Road in East Asheville for more multivendor repositories of antique and vintage.

Antique Tobacco Barn: Set aside at least an hour or two to peruse the enormous selection of antiques and one-ofa-kind finds in this former tobacco auction house on the Swannanoa River.

Atomic Furnishing & Design: Specializing in midcentury modern furniture and decor, the showroom also features handmade items from more than 30 artisans.

Regeneration Station: This 36,000-square-foot shop is a treasure hunt of furniture, d é cor, art, clothing and collectibles.

HAYWOOD ROAD

Not to be confused with Haywood Street downtown, West Asheville’s Haywood Road is a walkable linear mall with an incredible range of unique small shops and restaurants.

• Sparky’s Toys & Gifts: This small, locally owned shop is a wonderland of imagination-feeding, creativity-inspiring, fun-sparking toys, games, puzzles, books and art supplies.

• Harvest Records: This award-winning, independent record store carries new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, stereo equipment and turntable accessories.

• ChloroPHyll: Visit this shop to find landscape and house plants plus all the containers to put them in and tools to care for them. It also carries raw crystals, minerals and decorative stones.

• Firestorm: Opened in 2008, this collectively owned,selfmanaged, radical bookstore and community space stocks a blend of offbeat, underground and independently published materials.

THINGS TO DO

• Morgan’s Comics: Geek out at WNC’s first female-owned comic book shop. A self-described “nerd sanctuary,” the shop is chock-full of comics, figurines, collectibles, board games, novelties and role-playing merchandise.

• Whist Greetings & Gifts: Whatever kind of greeting you want to send — I love you, I loathe you, I’m sorry, you’re sorry — Whist has it on one of the hundreds of cards for every, any and no particular occasion. Also choose from vintage postcards and a plethora of gifts.

NATIONAL BRANDS

While independent retailers are the idiosyncratic norm in Asheville, national brands do have a place.

• Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters have stores downtown .

• Talbots, Williams Sonoma, Chico’s, Lululemon and Soma Intimates are tucked discreetly into brick storefronts in Biltmore Village

• Biltmore Park Town Square is where you’ll find Orvis, Barnes & Noble, REI Co-op and Athleta.

• Tanger Outlets Asheville (formerly Asheville Outlets) covers so many bases, from Abercrombie & Fitch to Zales diamonds and all the letters in between.

Photo courtesy of Madam Clutterbuckets Neurodiverse Universe @ madamclutterbuckets

Unique shops help launch the Grove Arcade, 1929 BUILD INGS

In her 2007 book, Asheville: Mountain Majesty , historian Lou Harshaw writes that the Grove Arcade was one of the earliest shopping malls in the South. E.W. Grove (who also built the Grove Park Inn in 1913 and the Battery Park Hotel in 1924) began construction on the commercial project in 1926. The original design called for a 17-story skyscraper to extend out from the center of the arcade.

Early reports estimated its completion in the summer of 1927. Construction, however, came to a halt following Grove’s unexpected death on Jan. 27, 1927. Financial struggles and litigation kept the project in limbo for over a year. Walter P. Taylor & Associates would eventually take over the property, and complete the job in 1929. The intended 17-story skyscraper was scrapped from the final design.

On Feb. 24, 1929, The Asheville Citizen reported that Waechter’s Silk Shop would be “the first mercantile establishment to open” inside the Grove Arcade the week of March 4. The article went on to state: “The establishment will specialize in the sale of piece silks for feminine apparel, and ladies

hosiery, underwear and accessories. It will be the only store in Asheville specializing in piece silks[.]”

Other shops and special events would soon follow. The Automobile Show arrived to the Grove Arcade on March 14. An advertisement for the three-day gathering promised readers that “the motor car of today is a swift, silent chariot of the gods.” It went on to state that the show “typifies the culmination of man’s quest after perfection in transportation.”

Later that year, on June 30, 1929, an advertisement in The Sunday Citizen announced the opening of Lyle Jackson’s Fine Tailoring and Clothier. In celebration of its big day, Lyle Jackson’s offered a free pair of trousers or knickers for “each man who orders one of our Tailored Suits.”

Shortly thereafter, on July 31, 1929, The Asheville Citizen notified its readers of the arrival of a unique store, both to the Grove Arcade and overall region. Named Barker’s, it was “one of the three exclusive juvenile shoe stores in the Southeast[.]” According to the article, the shop’s interior had “miniature furniture and various toys [in order to create] a playroom background which is direct in its appeal to small boys and girls.”

ARTS & CRAFTS THINGS TO DO

Working artists have been setting up shop in Asheville and calling it home for more than a century. As a result, the area has come to be recognized as a national center for arts and crafts.

To see the wealth of local crafts that the area has to offer, try these hot spots:

• Kress Emporium and Woolworth Walk are each packed with booths showcasing the works of artists. You’ll find everything from a new mug to yard installations in these downtown spaces.

• The River Arts District is home to more than 200 artists with working studios in 23 former industrial buildings. Treat

Photo courtesy of Southern Highlands Craft Guild @ craftguild

ARTS & CRAFTS

yourself and loved ones to some of the best paintings and pottery Asheville has to offer.

• The Refinery Creator Space comprises over 20 resident artists and exhibitions in three galleries. Photography, jewelry, ceramics, tattoos and even hair art coexist within its walls.

• The Folk Art Center houses a historical archive of regional craft and maintains a rotating set of exhibits and demonstrations. Offerings typically include hand-crafted furniture, musical instruments and the work of fiber artists.

• The Center for Craft contains two galleries featuring a range of mediums, plus the National Craft Innovation Hub.

• North Carolina Glass Center, Lexington Glassworks, The Village Potters and the Odyssey ClayWorks offer classes, demos and open galleries.

• Or, if you catch the right weekend and want to go for a drive through Buncombe County, various nearby locales host selfguided craft studio tours (Weaverville Art Safari, Leicester Studio Tour and Kenilworth Artists Association Studio Tour among them). Or take a day trip to Penland School of Crafts or John C. Campbell Folk School; both are nationally renowned institutions within a couple of hours’ drive of Asheville.

MUSEUMS THINGS TO DO

If you’re visiting Asheville, certain museums and historical sites are hard to miss: The Asheville Art Museum and the Center for Craft completed multimillion-dollar makeovers in recent years and are reveling in their prestige; meanwhile, the Biltmore Estate and Asheville Museum of Science are anything but hidden.

Other locations require a little digging, though. If you want to go small, niche or quirky, and your passion is pinball, radios, antique cars, Moog synthesizers or cats, we’ve got a museum for you.

Unless specified otherwise, the following sites are located in Asheville.

HOUSE MUSEUMS

• Asheville Museum of History: Built in 1840, the home is believed to be the oldest surviving house in Asheville and the oldest brick structure in Buncombe County. Formerly the Smith-McDowell House Museum, the Asheville Museum of History opened on Oct. 26, 2023.

• Thomas Wolfe Memorial: Tour the childhood home of writer Thomas Wolfe and learn how the property inspired his scandalous 1929 novel Look Homeward, Angel.

• Vance Birthplace: Located in Weaverville, the tour focuses on what pioneer life was like for both free and enslaved people in Western North Carolina.

INSTRUMENTS AND SOUND

• The Asheville Radio Museum: This small museum has an impressive collection of radio equipment, advertisements and other memorabilia. Hours vary.

• LEAF Cultural Arts center:The multicultural, interactive, family-friendly center offers sights and sounds from around the globe, as well as local crafts.

• The Moogseum: This interactive museum celebrates Robert “Bob” Moog’s legacy and the science of sound.

Photo courtesy of The Moogseum @ moogseum

HISTORY CENTERS

• Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center: Learn the history and legacy of Black Mountain College, a freewheeling, multidisciplinary hub of artistic innovation that operated from 1933-57.

• Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center: Situated at milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the center features over 900 makers.

• Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center: Located in Black Mountain, the nonprofit offers permanent and temporary exhibits about the history of Buncombe County.

• YMI Cultural Center: Opened in 1893, the center is located in the heart of Asheville’s former African American business district. Today the site offers cultural, economic and leadership development activities. Prior to visiting, check its calendar for upcoming events.

• Presbyterian Heritage Center: Located in Montreat, the center launched in 2008. Its collection, preserved records and materials include all Presbyterian and Reformed Church denominations.

• Buncombe County Special Collections: Located on the lower level of Pack Memorial Library in Downtown Asheville, BCSC specializes in the social, cultural, and natural history of Asheville, Buncombe County, and Western North Carolina.

• Dry Ridge Historical Museum: Located just south of Downtown Weaverville, the museum emphasizes collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Weaverville, Reems Creek and Flat Creek townships.

TRANSPORTATION MUSEUMS

• Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum: See rare automobiles like the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. The museum is closed January-March.

• Western North Carolina Air Museum: Located in Hendersonville, the site offers a unique collection celebrating the Golden Age of Aviation, 1918-39. Limited hours. Closed DecemberFebruary.

ECCENTRIC SPOTS

• American Museum of the House Cat: Located in Sylva, this quirky museum features a collection of house cat memorabilia — from vintage advertisements to a mummified feline.

• Asheville Pinball Museum: Pay to play 80-plus classic pinball and video games.

LIVE MUSIC THINGS TO DO

Photo by Sandlin Gaither

While Asheville attracts many national and international touring acts to its larger venues, there's a wealth of local talent playing in small rooms scattered throughout the city every night of the week. Make no mistake, music aficionados are at home in Asheville.

As you’re getting to know the city, we encourage you to explore beyond your sonic comfort zone: A new favorite artist is likely just around the corner.

Consider organizing your musical odyssey around one of the following:

MUSIC GENRES

• You’ll find experimental, hip-hop, jazz, funk, soul, blues, electronic, singer-songwriter, world music plus others. And, yes, there’s plenty of Americana and bluegrass, too.

MUSIC VENUES

• A favorite of artists, concertgoers and journalists alike, The Orange Peel brings top-quality acts to a modestly sized downtown room.

• Celebrating 30 years of operations, The Grey Eagle is Asheville’s premiere listening room and lets fans get close up to their favorite performers.

• Over on the west side, Fleetwood’s may be one of the city’s smallest spaces, but the sounds and energy coming from its punk, rock and metal bands easily fill the room.

BUSKERS, BUSKERS EVERYWHERE

• They play for tips on bustling downtown streets. Along with numerous singer-songwriters on acoustic guitars, you’ll stumble upon the occasional pianist, percussionist, violinist, brass player and even a hurdy-gurdy aficionado.

OUTDOORS AND BY THE RIVER

• Situated on the banks of the French Broad River, Salvage Station’s sprawling, tree-lined property offers plenty of room to spread out and take in some of the nation’s best rock, Americana and Jam bands.

LIVE MUSIC

• In the heart of the South Slope brewing district, Rabbit Rabbit holds up to 4,000 attendees and a stage that’s been graced by Willie Nelson, Sylvan Esso, Jack White and First Aid Kit.

• A few miles upstream from Salvage Station, The Grey Eagle joined the open-air concert scene in 2023 with The Outpost on Amboy Road. Its side stage features singer-songwriters and small ensembles, while its main stage programming can support up to 2,500 attendees.

Best of WNC 2023-24 Awards

From the annual Mountain Xpress readers’ poll

Arts & Entertainment

INDOOR MUSIC VENUE

1 The Orange Peel

2 The Grey Eagle

3 Salvage Station

OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE

1 Salvage Station

2 Rabbit Rabbit

3 The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co.

INTIMATE MUSIC VENUE/ LISTENING ROOM

1 Fleetwood’s Rock-nRoll Wedding Chapel

2 Asheville Guitar Bar

3 Static Age Records

OPEN-MIC-NIGHT VENUE

1 Sovereign Kava

2 The Odd

3 White Horse Black Mountain STUDIO STROLL/ DRIVING TOUR

1 River Arts District (RAD) Studio Stroll

2 Weaverville Art Safari

3 Second Saturday at River Arts District (RAD)

LOCAL ART GALLERY

1 Blue Spiral 1

2 Marquee

3 Asheville Art Museum

To explore all the Best of WNC reader survey results, pick up a copy of the Definitive Guide to the Best of WNC, widely available at hotels, local businesses and in Mountain Xpress racks and boxes.

THINGS TO DO

PERFORMING ARTS

Plenty of nationally touring acts make their way to the Asheville area — but don’t overlook Asheville’s distinct gems: Our local talent regularly fills stages (and nontraditional spaces) with a remarkable variety of engaging performances and sometimes boundary-pushing productions.

From drama and comedy to fringe and circus arts, you’ll find lots to explore.

THE WORLD’S A STAGE

• One of two equity theaters in the Asheville area, North Carolina Stage Company attracts some of the best local and out-of-town actors and behind the scenes technicians for a range of productions.

• You never know which gifted local amateurs you’ll see in an Asheville Community Theatre show. But you can count on high-quality staging and thought-provoking material.

• Housed in the intimate Tina McGuire Theatre, one of the few remaining black box theaters in Western North Carolina, Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective intertwines art and activism to confront the behaviors that allow various forms of oppression to thrive.

IN STEP

• Shindig on the Green brings clogging and traditional dance to Pack Square Park each summer.

Photo by Cat Ford Coates

PERFORMING ARTS

• Fresh off its 20th anniversary season, Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance continues to present innovative choreography each summer.

• Japanese dance is alive and well via Asheville Butoh Collective, which shares boundary-pushing performances throughout the year.

WRITE ON

• Punch Bucket Lit features reading from local talent each month at vintage clothing store ReVolve Mercantile

• A well-curated selection of local writers share their work each month at the Juniper Bends Reading Series, hosted by the Flatiron Writers Room in West Asheville.

• Each November, National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) challenges authors to write 50,000 words toward a novel. Plentiful local resources at public libraries and bookstores help these ambitious artists hit their mark.

STARS OF THE SCREEN

• For nearly 30 years, the Fine Arts Theatre has set the standard for moviegoing in Asheville with its pair of auditoriums in the heart of downtown.

• Nestled in The Foundation section of the River Arts District, Grail Moviehouse offers a variety of mainstream and art house options on three screens.

• Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. serves the north side of town with a pair of viewing rooms: one showing the latest Hollywood hits and the other featuring idiosyncratic programming, including everything from anniversary screenings to Studio Ghibli festivals.

THINGS TO DO

OTHER ENTERTAINMENT

Still looking for more excitement? Here are a few ideas that may pique your interest.

BURLESQUE AND PERFORMANCE ART

• Haus of Jane’s monthly Burlesque Brunch Showcase brings shimmies and winks to The Grey Eagle.

• Head over to The Odd in West Asheville for the monthly BOLD Burlesque AVL show, featuring a new theme each time.

• One show not enough? The multiday Asheville Burlesque & Sideshow Festival brings events to venues across town each Memorial Day Weekend.

DRAG SHOWS

• O.Henry’s, Asheville’s oldest gay bar, features weekly performances by drag queens and kings.

• Asheville Drag Brunch schedules multiple events each month at various bars and breweries, including Hi-Wire Brewing, New Belgium Brewing Co. and The Hideaway.

• Weekend warriors can check out Party Foul Drag each Saturday night at The Odd, then head downtown the following morning for Asheville Beauty Academy Sunday drag brunch.

DANCE

• The one-two-three punch of Scandals Night Club, Boiler Room and Club Eleven on Grove has kept the Grove House Entertainment Complex a longtime hot spot for busting a move.

Photo courtesy of Asheville Drag Brunch @ ashevilledragbrunch

OTHER ENTERTAINMENT

• One World Brewing West’s weekly Wednesday Latin Night starts at 8:30 p.m., with a half-hour dance lesson, then the floor opens for a mix of Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cumbia and Reggaeton until midnight.

• Swing Asheville follows a similar pattern each Tuesday at Fleetwood’s with an hourlong lesson at 7 p.m., then three hours of dancing.

TRIVIA NIGHTS

• One of the longest-running trivia nights in town, Jack of the Wood’s Quizzo! is hosted by Jason Mencer each Monday evening.

• Not Rocket Science Trivia operates at multiple taprooms and breweries Tuesday-Thursday nights throughout the year.

• Currently happening monthly in the courtyard at Wicked Weed Brewing, Kipper’s Totally Rad Trivia tests participants’ pop culture knowledge through a mix of audio, visual and traditional pub trivia rounds.

PUPPET, POETRY AND STORY SLAMS

• Poetry Open Mic Asheville invites all levels of spoken word performers to Sovereign Kava each Wednesday night at 8:30 — but arrive at least a half hour early and be prepared to wait in line if you want to get on the list.

• Keith Shubert’s acclaimed Wham, Bam! Puppet Slam pingpongs between a number of local venues, and its innovative creations are consistently worth following.

• StorySLAM events take place each month at The Grey Eagle and feature a new theme and collection of performers every time.

SPORTS

• Asheville’s Minor League Baseball team, the Tourists, hosts 70+ home games between April and September.

• Over at UNC Asheville, the Asheville City Soccer Club offers preprofessional-level excitement with men’s and women’s teams.

• The city also hosts the Southern Conference men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in March, is home to the Blue Ridge Roller Derby women’s flat track roller derby team and is a repeat host for Fed Cup tennis matches.

WELLNESS & HEALING THINGS TO DO

For decades, people experiencing physical ailments, broken hearts or just plain burnout have made their way to Western North Carolina in search of healing. There’s something about a visit to the mountains that allows the body and mind to release, relax and replenish.

Asheville’s reputation as a wellness destination stretches back to the 1870s, when there was a popular notion that fresh mountain air could aid in the treatment of tuberculosis and other respiratory illnesses. The country’s first tuberculosis sanitarium opened in 1871 in Asheville’s Kenilworth neighborhood. In the decades to follow, TB patients would flock to WNC, leading to the construction of more than 130 boardinghouses and sanitariums dedicated to curing the illness.

Among those drawn to the area’s health and wellness offerings were some notable figures, including Edwin Grove , who built the Grove Park Inn and the Grove Arcade. Grove came to Asheville after losing both his wife and daughter

Photo courtesy of Asheville Wellness Tours @ ashevillewellnesstours

KNOW ASHEVILLE Local LIKE A

THINGS TO DO

to malaria and subsequently created a tonic that claimed to cure the disease, among other medicines. Meanwhile, wealthy businessman George Vanderbilt came to Asheville accompanying his mother, who was seeking treatment for TB. Vanderbilt fell in love with the area and went on to build the Biltmore Estate.

While the tuberculosis treatment centers have been repurposed, Asheville’s legacy as an alternative wellness destination still rings true. Today, one can find wellness experiences and health gurus of all stripes, from forest bathing guides to delta-9 gummies. Whether the care you’re seeking is for the physical, mental or emotional tolls of life, Asheville promises to have the cure for what ails you.

• Asheville Salt Cave: This healing space provides an environment for relaxation and detoxification in its natureinspired room filled with 30 tons of pure, pink salt rocks.

• Wake Foot Sanctuary: Warm foot soaks made up of essential oils, nourishing clays and revitalizing salts are the focus of this downtown spa.

• Asheville Dispensary: The West Asheville hemp and CBD store also features an herbal elixir bar, CBD wellness lounge and community space.

WELLNESS & HEALING

Best of WNC 2023-24 Awards

From the annual Mountain Xpress readers’ poll

Health & Wellness

PLACE TO CENTER YOURSELF

1 Asheville Community Yoga

2 Alchemy: Tearoom, Apothecary, Acupuncture

3 East Acupuncture

Wellness Boutique

ACUPUNCTURE CLINIC

1 Alchemy: Tearoom, Apothecary, Acupuncture

2 East Acupuncture

Wellness Boutique

3 The People’s Acupuncture of Asheville

ASSISTED-LIVING COMMUNITY

1 Givens Estates

2 Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community

3 Givens Highland Farms

FITNESS STUDIO WITH CLASSES

1 Hot Yoga Asheville

2 Scorch Fitness

3 Asheville Sun Soo Martial Arts

GYM OR PLACE TO WORK OUT

1 Asheville YMCA

2 Reuter Family YMCA

3 Hot Yoga Asheville

YOGA STUDIO

1 Asheville Community Yoga

2 Hot Yoga Asheville

3 Asheville Yoga Center

PLACE TO BUY SUPPLEMENTS, VITAMINS & HERBS

1 French Broad Food Co-op

2 East Acupuncture Wellness Boutique

3 Sona Pharmacy + Clinic

PLACE TO BUY CBD PRODUCTS

1 Franny’s Farmacy

2 Asheville Dispensary

3 Trinity Pharms Hemp Co.

To explore all the Best of WNC reader survey results, pick up a copy of the Definitive Guide to the Best of WNC, widely available at hotels, local businesses and in Mountain Xpress racks and boxes.

THINGS TO DO

• Sauna House: Guests can alternate between steamy saunas and polar plunges along with relaxing on heated furniture designed for lounging at this modern bathhouse on the South Slope.

• Shoji Spa & Retreat: Private soaking tubs, a sauna and massage therapy are highlights of this Japanese-style spa.

• Asheville Yoga Center: In its quiet location just north of downtown, this studio offers drop-in yoga classes as well as workshops, retreats and teacher training programs.

• Still Point Wellness: In addition to Esalen massage services, guests at this spa can experience deep relaxation through sensory deprivation inside a saltwater float tank.

• Blomkraft Studio: A self-described “self-care sanctuary,” this downtown business features energy healing, organic facials and therapeutic massage.

• Asheville Wellness Tours: These tours present an array of Asheville wellness experiences, including forest bathing, goat yoga and more.

Photo by Chelsea Lane Photo @ sauna_house

KIDS CENTRAL THINGS TO DO

Our area offers plenty of opportunities for the younger set to burn off energy, expand their horizons or have a good time just being a kid.

GET MOVING

• Adventure Center of Asheville offers zip lines for younger kids (ages 4-10) through adults. The center also features the Kolo Bike Park, which includes 4 miles of mountain bike trails and hosts both beginning and more experienced riders. The Littleville Kids Bike Track is aimed at kids ages 3-7 who can ride a balance bike or mountain bike.

• Cultivate Climbing, on Amboy Road along the French Broad River in West Asheville, features a climbing gym for ages 3 through adults.

• Navitat Canopy Adventures in nearby Barnardsville offers zip line tours for participants ages 5 through adults who meet the weight and participant requirements.

• The Riveter in nearby Mills River boasts a complex with a rock climbing gym — including a kids climbing cove — and a bike park with outdoor dirt jump lines, plus a tap room.

• Fresh off a 2023 renovation, Asheville Skatepark, a public outdoor park on Cherry Street near downtown, features a beginner bowl, intermediate street course and advanced vertical bowl spread across 17,000 square feet.

• The newly remodeled Smoky Mountain Sk8way & Fun Zone in nearby Waynesville offers roller skating on a new wooden floor, plus arcade games, climbing walls, slides, an inflatable obstacle course and more.

Photo courtesy of Nantahala Outdoor Center @ nantahalaoutdoorcenter

KIDS CENTRAL

WATER FUN, HIKING AND MORE

• In the warmer months, kids can have a blast dashing through the fountains at Splasheville, an interactive public splash pad at Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza, in downtown Asheville.

• Sliding Rock in nearby Pisgah National Forest, between Asheville and Brevard, offers a thrilling ride down a natural rock slide. The 60-foot slide ends in a pool of water that’s 8-10 feet deep, so kids (and adults) must know how to swim.

• Info on local pools and playgrounds can be found on the facility pages of the Asheville Parks & Recreation (avl.mx/dj9) and Buncombe County Recreation Services (avl.mx/dja) websites.

• The Blue Ridge Parkway’s Asheville Visitor Center TRACK Trail (milepost 384) offers a 1.5-mile hiking trail aimed at kids. It’s part of the Kids in Parks program (avl.mx/djb), which includes information, maps and incentives to get children excited about outdoor recreation. See the Get Outside section in this guide for more ideas.

• Mini-golf fans, take note: Lakeview Putt and Play on Hendersonville Road in Arden has you covered. It also offers laser tag and other games. Near downtown, the classic Tropical Gardens Mini Golf also prides itself on its sno-cones.

• The WNC Nature Center on Gashes Creek Road in East Asheville hosts 60 species of wildlife — including black bears, red pandas and river otters — that call (or have called) the Southern Appalachian Mountains home. With its winding, shaded trails, the zoo gets high marks from Mountain Xpress readers as a place for outdoor fun.

• Depending on the season, your children also may be able to visit a local farm, pick berries or apples at a u-pick establishment or challenge their sense of direction at a local corn maze. See the agritourism section in this guide for more ideas.

THINGS TO DO

THE GREAT INDOORS

• Kids ages 3-12 who get jazzed about science may be interested in the Asheville Museum of Science, an interactive science museum in downtown Asheville and a regular winner of best Museum for Kids as voted by Mountain Xpress readers. Highlights include a gem and mineral collection, an interactive astronomy and climate virtual display, a dinosaur skeleton and more.

• The creatively minded might enjoy the Asheville Art Museum in downtown Asheville — and particularly the museum’s Wells Fargo Art PLAYce, a creative space designed for young visitors.

• On a similar note, two local studios specialize in paint-your-own pottery sessions and more: Claying Around on Hendersonville Road in South Asheville, and Fired Up! Creative Lounge on Wall Street downtown.

• Old-school games rule at the Asheville Pinball Museum in downtown Asheville, which has assembled a collection of 35 pinball games and 35 classic video games to play.

• Asheville also lays claim to two bowling alleys: AMF Star Lanes in East Asheville and Sky Lanes in West Asheville.

• Mountain Play Lodge in Arden provides kids through age 12 with an indoor playground for climbing and sliding as well as imaginative play.

• For a high-energy experience, the Launch trampoline park, also in Arden, offers trampoline courts, a ninja course, dunk basketball and more.

• In the escape room genre, families may enjoy the adventure puzzle rooms of Fox-N-Otter Adventure Escapes, which has locations at the Asheville Mall and on Sweeten Creek Road in Arden.

PLAYING AND CHILLING

This being Beer City USA, you might want to bring your kids along to a family-friendly brewery or similar locale. Options include:

• Asheville Pizza & Brewing, which houses a movie theater at its North Asheville location on Merrimon Avenue.

• Creekside Taphouse in East Asheville features its own playground area.

• Whistle Hop Brewing Co. in Fairview offers a caboose taproom and outdoor games.

• Highland Brewing and New Origin Brewing in East Asheville and New Belgium Brewing in West Asheville all have created kidfriendly outdoor spaces.

• Salt Face Mule Brewing Co. in North Asheville features a minigolf course and restaurant on its premises.

• Two arcades, The Retrocade on Haywood Road in West Asheville, and Level 256 on Asheville’s South Slope, accommodate kids until switching to adults-only hours in the evening.

• The Well Played Board Game Café on the South Slope offers up to 700 board games, plus a café menu and adult beverages.

• And for family-friendly dining spots, be sure to check out the Asheville-area Eats & Drinks guide, along with our Best of WNC guide

KIDS CENTRAL

1

Photo courtesy of Adventure Center of Asheville @

AGRITOURISM THINGS TO DO

Western North Carolina’s community of small, family-owned farms is a key ingredient of Asheville’s celebrated farm-to-table restaurant scene. And many of those farms rely on agritourism — welcoming guests for tours, events, u-pick adventures, educational activities and overnight stays — as a vital part of their income stream. These intimate on-farm experiences, in turn, provide mountain visitors with a unique window into the heart of life in WNC.

Whether it’s picking a bouquet of tulips fresh from the field, sipping a glass of wine right in the vineyard, socializing with farm animals, shopping at a farm stand or diving into a handson cheese-making class, visitors can enjoy the great outdoors and experience mountain foodways while supporting local farms through outings, daytrips and multiday excursions. Below is a tiny taste of the enormous range of farm experiences to be found in the Asheville area.

IMPORTANT: Before heading out on your local agriculture adventure, be sure to contact the farms or consult their websites and social media for hours of operation, reservations and other important details. For information on more local agritourism options, connect with the organizations listed in the resources box.

FARMS STANDS AND U-PICK

Flying Cloud Farm: Just a few minutes east of Asheville in Fairview, Flying Cloud Farm’s cute, honor-system farm stand is usually bursting with fresh produce during the growing season. Next to it, the farm keeps a large field that explodes with countless varieties of u-pick flowers much of the year.

Photo courtesy of Dr. King's Carolina Bison Farm

Hickory Nut Gap Farm: Just down the road from Flying Cloud, Hickory Nut Gap Farm has a large, well-stocked farm store with an in-house butcher. The farm also offers an ongoing schedule of tours, workshops, dinners and fun social events.

Sycamore Valley Farm Store: About 7 miles northwest of downtown, the Snelson family operates a homey farm stand at their Sycamore Valley Farm that sells everything from field-fresh veggies and berries to local honey, dried beans and Amish cheeses.

Jeter Mountain Farm: Henderson County is North Carolina apple country, and from late July through October, Jeter Mountain Farm is one of the area’s go-to spots for over 20 varieties of U-pick apples plus U-pick peaches, blackberries, blueberries and several types of flowers.

Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard: Also in Henderson County, Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard is a fourth-generation working farm that offers u-pick apples, pumpkins, grapes, zinnias and sunflowers in the summer and fall plus tulips starting in early spring. Stepp’s also has a farm market for stocking up on cider, fresh-baked goods and more.

FARM STAYS

Mount Gilead Farm: At this working family-owned goat dairy and cheese-making business, guests staying at the on-site bedand-breakfast can visit with an assortment of farm animals, see goats being milked and cheese being made, harvest fresh fruits and vegetables and even try goat yoga.

East Fork Farm: This 40-acre family farm offers four cozy cottages and a barn-turned-retreat-center where visitors can mingle with the resident sheep, chickens and cows in the mountains near Marshall.

Cloud 9 Farm: Not far from the Biltmore Estate, farmer Janet Peterson operates several cabins where guests can stay to immerse themselves in life on her 200-acre farm filled with U-pick blueberries, cows, chickens, honeybees and wooded walking trails.

Bloom WNC: Soak in mountain views and pick your own bouquet while staying on this working flower farm near Black Mountain.

Find a farm

Use these two resources to locate farms in the Asheville area:

• ASAP Local Food Guide (and Farm Tour every September): asapconnections.org/find-local-food/local-food-guide

• Visit NC Farms app: visitncfarmstoday.com

THINGS TO DO

TOURS, HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND LEARNING

Honeybee Bliss: Suit up in protective gear and join a professional beekeeper at this Hendersonville apiary May-September to learn all about bees, explore some hives and sample fresh, raw honey.

Addison Farms Vineyard: This family-owned vineyard and winery just outside Asheville offers guided tours and tasting experiences by reservation.

Looking Glass Creamery: It’s worth the 45-minute drive from Asheville to the small town of Columbus for the self-guided tour of this cow dairy and creamery. After a peek at the cheese cellar and stroll through the garden, stop at the farm store for a cheese board, ice cream or a glass of wine or hard cider on tap.

Wellspring Farm: Fiber enthusiasts can meet some sheep and llamas and learn all about the process of turning wool into yarn and other products by scheduling a tour at this working farm near Burnsville.

AGRICULTURAL TRAILS

Farm Heritage Trail: This self-guided scenic driving route through rural northwest Buncombe County features opportunities for

Photo by Pam Knowles

AGRITOURISM

stops at family-owned vegetable farms, wineries, herb nurseries, a bison farm and more. farmheritagetrail.org

Tryon Foothills Wine Country: The area around Columbus and Tryon (about an hour southeast of Asheville) is a designated American Viticultural Area and home to several vineyards and wineries, which can be visited on one’s own or through local organized tour companies.

WNC Cheese Trail: A cooperative effort to promote WNC cheesemakers, the WNC Cheese Trail provides a map and information on area creameries and their agritourism offerings as well as details on cheese-related events, including the annual Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest. wnccheesetrail.org

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

WEST ASHEVILLE

On June 9, 1917, the City of Asheville held a referendum to determine if it should annex West Asheville — the gritty, bluecollar municipality on the west bank of the French Broad River. The vote was yes. West Asheville’s 5,000 residents were absorbed into Asheville’s population count and looked forward to gaining fundamental civic benefits such as a fire station, city police, parks, streetlights, regular mail delivery and trash pickup.

It took years for those things to be delivered — though not long for West Asheville to become maligned as Worst Asheville; to this day, many lifelong WAVLians carry a bit of a chip on their shoulders. But young adults, youthful retirees, families, creatives, eccentrics, entrepreneurs, free spirits and out-of-the-box thinkers have flocked to the area, settling into old bungalows on tree-canopied streets, opening restaurants, bars and coffee shops, starting businesses and building a community that welcomes visitors.

Haywood Road is the predominantly commercial artery that ascends from the west bank of the French Broad River, swerves around Beacham’s Curve and rolls 2 more miles until it tees at Patton Road.

CELEBRITY WAVL

Selfie yourself silly in front of gigantic murals adorning buildings on Haywood Road:

• Find Dolly Parton and RuPaul with their megawatt smiles at Beauty Parade;

• Edna Lewis and Julia Child are hanging out at Sunny Point Café. (All four divas were painted by well-known Asheville muralist Gus Cutty.)

Photo by @ onhaywood

EATING AND DRINKING WAVL

Meals — breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and breakfast for dinner — are thoroughly covered in West Asheville, as are beverages, multiple price points, service models and ethnicities.

• New Belgium Brewing is the unofficial WAVL Welcome Center, with its large taproom, deck overlooking the river and grassy expanse for dogs and kids to romp while parents quaff a Voodoo Ranger IPA or Old Tuffy lager. There are usually one or two food trucks serving bites near the entrance. Favorite local dive Burger Bar is across the road, where, despite the name, ordering a burger will subject you to mild scorn but not a burger.

• Nine Mile, perennially voted one of Asheville’s favorite restaurants in the Best of WNC polls, is on Haywood Road, as are other homegrown icons like Biscuit Head, Hole Doughnuts and OWL Bakery

• Tastee Diner has been dishing it up — under different owners and chefs — at the same Haywood Road address since 1946. Current chef/owner Steven Goff has given the space and menu his own punk rock vibe.

• In one tiny strip center on Haywood Road are newbies Botiwalla Indian street food, Smokin’ Onion vegan and Bad Manners Coffee

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

• Taco Boy and Taco Billy — which serves breakfast tacos for lunch and dinner, too — are clear about their fare, as is Thai Pearl Gan Shan West is pan-Asian, known for its ramen.

• For dessert, get a scoop or two of fresh-made ice cream from The Hop.

• Full-service, cheffy dining can be found at The Admiral, Jargon, Leo’s House of Thirst and Neng Jr.’s, the nationally acclaimed 17-seat gem from Filipinx chef Silver Iocovozzi (reservations are a must).

DOING WAVL

• Assume the warrior pose at a drop-in class at West Asheville Yoga or Purna Yoga 828

• Treat yourself to a massage or luxury body scrub (or both) at Fusion Day Spa.

• Dust off those pinball wizard skills at Asheville Retrocade, buzzing with over 5,000 classic arcade games, adult beverages and a retro soundtrack.

• Speaking of soundtracks, browse the huge inventory of new and used vinyl, CD’s, cassettes and stereo equipment at Harvest Records, then spin a record on DeSoto Lounge’s jukebox, where you can also play pinball, pingpong and foosball.

• Live music is often on the schedule at One World Brewing and Fleetwood’s (where you can also shop for vintage clothing and get married).

• Take The Odd’s word for it, this self-described “oddities bar, restaurant and venue for the peculiar of Asheville,” nightly provides a stage for burlesque, drag, magic, wrestling, comedy, rap, metal, rock and the occasional banjo.

• Should The Odd inspire you to make a personal body statement, WAVL has so many tattoo shops it’s almost impossible to leave the neighborhood without getting some ink spilled. Hot Stuff, Victory Boulevard, Heron Mark, Seven Swords and the newest, Girl and Goblin (also an oddities shop), are all on Haywood Road.

Photo by

RIVER ARTS DISTRICT COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

Located southwest of downtown along the French Broad River, Asheville’s River Arts District is a makers’ paradise packed with art studios, galleries and craft businesses. Away from the bustle and crowds of central Asheville, the RAD also offers plenty of options for food, drink, entertainment and outdoor recreation.

FROM PAST TO PRESENT

For centuries, the Cherokee lived along the banks of the French Broad, one of the oldest rivers in the world. With the introduction of the railroad in 1880, the area became an industrial center complete with a cotton mill, meat processing plant, tannery, icehouse and several factories. After the flood of 1916, when extreme rainfall caused the river’s width to swell from its usual 380 feet to 1,300 feet, many businesses closed or moved. But the buildings remained, and in the 1980s, artists started buying the abandoned warehouses and converting the spaces into studios.

Today, 26 buildings house more than 270 working artists. Curve Studios and 375 Depot Street were among the first artist collectives in the RAD and have since been joined by many others, including Odyssey Gallery of Ceramic Arts, Pink Dog Creative, Wedge Studios, Foundation Studios and Riverview Station The studios spotlight just about every art form imaginable for every budget and aesthetic — from pottery to paintings, jewelry to glasswork. Marquee, a converted 50,000-square-foot warehouse, sells art and antiques from hundreds of regional vendors. Outdoor

Photo by Tina Gaafary

NEIGHBORHOODS & SMALL TOWNS

murals, especially near the Foundy Street studios, provide the perfect backdrop for social media-worthy snapshots.

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY

Coffee shops, pizza parlors, food trucks, breweries and restaurants abound in the RAD to whet the appetite. The neighborhood is home to a number of local legends, including Hi-Wire Brewery, 12 Bones Smokehouse, Plēb Urban Winery and Wedge Brewing Co.

For some of the best entertainment in town, The Grey Eagle Music Hall hosts local and national musicians, and Grail Moviehouse shows indie and cult classic films on three screens.

Asheville’s Black Cultural Heritage Trail, a self-guided walking tour, includes five markers in RAD along Depot Street. And in May, Black Wall Street Asheville hosts Grindfest — a free, three-day block party with live music, local food, games and performances.

STROLL, SKATE, BIKE OR FLOAT

Get moving with RAD’s many recreational options. The newly constructed Wilma Dykeman Greenway, a 2-mile walkway and bike path, runs alongside the French Broad River. Crossing over the Amboy Road bridge, adventurous travelers can continue west on the 3.5-mile French Broad River Greenway or visit one of

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

the local outfitters to rent or buy gear and tube or kayak down the river. The Flying Bike rents e-bikes by the hour and leads tours of the area, while Second Gear sells new and used outdoor clothing and equipment. Visitors to the RAD can also enjoy both indoor and outdoor skateparks on Foundy Street.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

The RAD is between West Asheville and downtown with studios as far north as West Haywood Street, southeast down Depot Street and southwest to Foundy Street. Those traveling by car will find several free parking lots and on-street spots. The area is also accessible by bus via ART, Asheville’s public transit system, with West routes 1 and 2 and South route 4 making stops in the area. The Gray Line hop-on-hop-off trolley tour passes through the RAD. During the Second Saturday monthly gallery walk events and the November Studio Stroll, ArtsAVL Connect Trolley runs free through the area.

WHEN TO VISIT

On the second Saturday of every month and for one full weekend in November during the annual Studio Stroll, the district hosts open studios featuring demonstrations, classes, special events, live music, food and wine tastings. Most studios and galleries also schedule daily hours (a complete list can be found at riverartsdistrict.com) when visitors can watch artists in action or purchase the perfect one-of-a-kind souvenir.

Photo by Tina Gaafary

BILTMORE VILLAGE

If your favorite park were also a historic shopping district where even quick-service restaurants have Tudor-style architecture, you’d be right at home in this southern outpost of Asheville’s central business district.

BLACK MOUNTAIN

For travelers headed back east, Black Mountain is a must stop, known for its thriving downtown, choice shops and restaurants, as well its breathtaking setting at the foot of the Black Mountains.

Photo courtesy of Black Mountain Center for the Arts

Photo courtesy of Historic Biltmore Village

NEIGHBORHOODS & SMALL TOWNS MONTFORD

Three hundred acres of stately homes and lovely streets to enjoy beneath a shady tree canopy — just a stroll north of downtown.

BILTMORE TOWN SQUARE PARK

A hop, skip and a jump from the airport, this upscale planned village is on target for those seeking a walkable shopping experience with a local flair, away from the crowds of downtown.

Photo courtesy of 1899 Wright Inn & Carriage House

Photo courtesy of Biltmore Farms

LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

It doesn’t take long walking around downtown Asheville to notice a lot of rainbow flags flying. Without a doubt, Asheville is a queerfriendly city, and it continues to prove it.

• In 2013, Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger made national news by accepting gay marriage applications despite North Carolina’s constitutional ban on gay marriage. The ban was later overturned by a U.S. District Court.

• Buncombe County voters elected their first openly lesbian county commissioner in 2016, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara.

• Asheville City Council unanimously voted in 2016 to call for the repeal of North Carolina's controversial “Bathroom Bill,” HB2.

• The city was ranked one of the 20 best places for LGBTQIA+ retirement in the U.S. in 2019 by senioradvice.com.

• In 2021, Asheville City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance prohibiting discriminatory practices in private and public employment.

• In June 2023, Asheville City Council unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming its support of the LGBTQIA+ community and its cultural events and expressions, including drag performances.

Explore Asheville, the city’s marketing entity, assertively promotes Asheville’s gay-friendliness. And the LGBTQIA+ community isn’t concentrated in a single “gayborhood” because residents feel safe and comfortable throughout the city. In addition to a large number of rainbow flags, the city’s queer community is evident in the form of same-sex couples strolling around town hand in hand as well

Photo courtesy of The Asheville View @ theashevilleview

CULTURE

as gay-centric music, art and comedy staged in bars, breweries, restaurants, hair salons and other venues.

DRAG SHOWS

In the Mountain Xpress calendar, drag shows are slated nearly every week, and one of the most popular is the Life’s a Drag brunch at Asheville Beauty Academy, which is a bar, not a hair salon. Isn’t Asheville great?

PRIDE FESTIVALS

The biggest celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride in the area is Blue Ridge Pride’s annual festival in September, which draws thousands of people and hundreds of vendors. The smaller towns of Hendersonville and Sylva have also hosted their own Pride events, in June and September, respectively.

ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOPPING

• Different Wrld is a creative space hosting all kinds of exhibits, performances, music and gatherings to which everyone is invited and warmly welcomed.

• O. Henry’s on Haywood Street is the oldest gay bar in North Carolina, established in 1976. For dancing, visit The Underground behind O’Henry’s.

• Banks Ave Bar on the South Slope is gay-owned and inclusive to all. Check out the line-dancing nights.

• Grove House Entertainment Complex includes Club Eleven, the Boiler Room and Scandals Nightclub, which has been hosting drag shows since 1982.

• The Odd on Haywood Road in West Asheville is a queerfriendly bar that features regular drag shows and a variety of other quirky events. It also has a kitchen serving food until 2 a.m.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

• The Getaway River Bar is situated, as its name indicates, on the banks of the French Broad River, offering outdoor seating and recreation with an eclectic array of inclusive events.

• Get involved with a variety of literary and social justice events and activities at Firestorm Books, a West Asheville radical bookstore and community space operated by a queer, feminist collective.

• Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café hosts frequent events with local authors and curates an extensive gay and lesbian collection.

• Emote is a newish West Asheville hot spot for queer art and secondhand fashion finds.

RESOURCES

• The Campaign for Southern Equality, which covers the entire Southeast, is headquartered in Asheville.

• Blue Ridge Pride promotes safety and quality of life for LGBTQI+ residents in WNC. It hosts an array of community events, including the annual Pride Festival.

• butchOUT hosts a monthly tea dance at Banks Ave Bar to raise money for local nonprofits.

• YouthOUTright supports young trans and queer people ages 11-24.

• Tranzmission is a local advocacy and support group for nonbinary, transgender and gender-nonconforming people.

• Ashevilledragbrunch.com keeps track of the many drag performances around town.

• Asheville Lesbian Social Club is a Meetup group with 2,000 members.

AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE

The enduring legacy of Asheville’s historic African American community leaders can be seen throughout the city — from the grand buildings designed and constructed by master mason James Vester Miller (check out the James Vester Miller Historic Walking Trail to visit some) to West Asheville’s vibrant Burton Street Community established by entrepreneur Edward Walton (E.W.) Pearson Sr. Today, the contributions of Black creators, thinkers, educators and business people continue to be key to Asheville’s unique character and spirit.

ASHEVILLE’S BLACK HISTORY

A self-guided 2 1/2-hour stroll through downtown Asheville, the French Broad River area and the historically Black Southside neighborhood on the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail provides a deep dive into the city’s rich African American history.

South of downtown, Shiloh is also among Asheville’s oldest Black communities. Known locally as New Shiloh, this community was originally just north of the Biltmore Estate. When George Vanderbilt bought the lands to build his home, he also purchased the area of Old Shiloh from the residents — with the provision that their church, AME Zion, and its ancestral graves be relocated to what is now 95 Shiloh Road. Many residents worked at Biltmore Forest and Estate. Today, Shiloh features one of the city’s most beautiful and productive community gardens, featuring an amphitheater, outdoor kitchen and roadside craft stand.

Once the Black business and cultural center of Asheville, the East End/Valley Street neighborhood connects to The Block downtown (see below). The area boasts a large concentration of African American churches and was formerly home to two historic Black schools — the Allen High School for girls and Stephens

Photo courtesy of GRINDFest and Black Wall Street AVL @ blackwallstreetavl

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

AFRICAN AMERICAN (CONTINUED)

Lee High School. The neighborhood’s beloved annual Community Heritage Festival, which typically happens in August, is on hiatus in 2024 but scheduled to return in 2025.

East End/Valley Street, like Southside and other urban Black communities in Asheville and across the country, experienced tremendous negative impacts from urban renewal — local redevelopment policies that emerged from the federal Housing Act of 1949. Through Asheville’s six urban renewal projects, family homes and businesses were razed, roads were reconfigured and about half of the city’s Black population was displaced between the 1960s and 1980s, fracturing long-established community bonds and systems. Pack Memorial Library has a special collection called Twilight of a Neighborhood, which includes over 500 photographs of Asheville’s East End taken by Andrea Clarke before urban renewal.

BLACK BUSINESSES

While urban renewal created severe challenges for the African American population of Asheville, in recent years, the city has experienced a resurgence in Black entrepreneurship. In March 2020, J. Hackett, Gene Ettison and Bruce Waller opened Grind AVL, the city’s first Black-owned coffee shop, in the River Arts District. Hackett and Waller also spearheaded the founding of Black Wall Street AVL, which in late 2021 established itself at 8 River Arts Place. Now a coalition of over 130 Black-led businesses, Black Wall Street AVL hosts the three-day Grindfest AVL celebration each May and recently launched the 12-month Greater Access to Tourism Entrepreneurship business training program.

The area just south of Pack Square in downtown Asheville, including Eagle and Market streets, was historically a buzzing hub of the African American community known as The Block. Today, young Black entrepreneurs are keeping that legacy vibrant with newer businesses such as Jawbreaking fashion shop and the Noir Collective boutique, gallery and bookstore. WIth its long and rich history as an anchor of the local Black community, the YMI Cultural Center continues to be a focal point of the neighborhood, offering regular events, art exhibitions and classes. Local Black community leaders Isaac Dickson and Edward S. Stephens founded the YMI with financing from George Vanderbilt as a cultural and educational institution for Black workers employed at the Biltmore Estate. The building was designed by Biltmore Estate architect Richard Sharp Smith.

Opened in 1947 south of downtown, Rabbit’s Motel and Cafe was a well-known Black-owned tourist court in the segregationera South. It was a popular stop for Black musicians and sports figures and other travelers who enjoyed the hospitality of owner Fred “Rabbit” Simpson (so named because he could run fast). It continued to operate as a soul food café until 2003. Area residents Claude Coleman, Jr. (long-time drummer for rock band Ween) and

Brett Spivey (multi-instrumentalist and artist) have been restoring the historic property, which now operates as SoundSpace rehearsal studios. Plans are also in the works to open a new soul food restaurant in the spirit of the original.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

• TheUrbanNews.com: Multicultural news and events listings

• GRINDFest: A block-party-style festival every Memorial Day weekend celebrating Black Asheville

• Goombay Festival: Held every September in The Block, a weekendlong annual celebration of African-Caribbean culture

• Juneteenth: The city hosts a weeklong celebration of Juneteenth, organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County.

• Black Wall Street AVL: A hub for Black-owned and -led businesses

• YMI Cultural Center: A historic, community-owned building with regular exhibitions and events

• Peace Gardens & Market Community gardens in West Asheville’s historic Burton Street area is open to the public year-round

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

JEWISH COMMUNITY

to the wider world in the 1880s. An 1890 Asheville city directory details many prominent Jewish-owned businesses, several of which left a lasting impression well into the 20th century. It’s estimated that over 435 Jewish businesses were in operation in downtown Asheville from 1880-1990.

ASHEVILLE TODAY

The first Jewish congregation in Asheville, Congregation Beth HaTephila, was established in 1892 and moved to its current home on North Liberty Street in 1949. An extensive renovation in 2012 created the facility visitors see today. A separate congregation, Congregation Beth Israel, was affiliated with Conservative Judaism until 2014 when it broke away in order to be more inclusive of non-Jewish spouses and same-sex couples.

Today Asheville’s Jewish community is diverse and deep. The Asheville Jewish Community Center, completely rebuilt in 1994, houses a year-round aquatic center and Olympic-sized pool with retractable roof. The center runs a busy program of social events including brunches, film discussion nights, winter and spring break camps, hiking trips, trivia nights and more. The center hosts the Falafel 5K every April, in recent years adding a splash-anddash element to the race.

The Center for Jewish Studies at UNC Asheville hosts regular cultural and academic programming. There are six buildings and a track on the UNC Asheville campus named after Jewish benefactors.

Photo courtesy of Beth Israel Synagogue

SHINING A LIGHT ON THE PAST

Local historians Jan Schochet and Sharon Fahrer have written three books discussing previously unreported aspects of Jewish life in Asheville: The Man Who Lived on Main Street: Stories by and About Sol Schulman, who ran a business in the nearby town of Sylva for 70 years; A Home in Shalom’ville: The HIstory of Asheville’s Jewish Community and The Family Store: A History of Jewish Businesses in Downtown Asheville from 1880-1990

“The coming of the railroad made Asheville more easily accessible for the first time,” says Fahrer. “Like others Jewish people came for economic opportunity. The Jewish community has contributed to the culture of Asheville well beyond the proportion of their numbers.”

Fahrer continues to work in the community with the History@ Hand initiative where she offers walking tours of Asheville neighborhoods such as Montford and Biltmore Village. She has also curated over 40 interpretive panels which can be found dotted throughout the city, several of which cover Jewish history.

FOR MORE INFO

History-at-hand.com: Sharon Fahrer’s resource on the history of the Jewish community in Asheville, as well as walking tours and books.

Congregation Beth HaTephila: A 140+-year-old inclusive Jewish congregation in Asheville.

Asheville Jewish Community Center: An integrative center with cultural programs, kids camps, youth activities and a year-round pool with an outdoor pavilion, kiddie pool and splash pad.

FESTIVALS & EXPOS

FESTIVALS & EXPOS

No matter what month you get here, you can take part in Asheville’s eclectic spirit of celebration. Below is a sampling of what to expect every season.

For a complete look at what’s happening when you’re here, consult Mountain Xpress’ online calendar of events at avlcalendar. com, the area’s most comprehensive guide to what’s going on in Asheville — from town hall to music hall.

WINTER

DECEMBER

• Festival of Lights Lake Julian Park and Marina

• Winter Lights N.C. Arboretum

• Christmas at Connemara Carl Sandburg Home NHS

• The Big Crafty Harrah’s Cherokee Center

• Dickens in the Village Biltmore Village

• Christmas at Biltmore Biltmore Estate

• Warren Haynes Presents Christmas Jam Harrah’s Cherokee Center

• Victorian Christmas Smith-McDowell House

• National Gingerbread House Competition Omni Grove Park Inn

JANUARY

• Pop Legends Weekend Omni Grove Park Inn

• Asheville Restaurant Week Various locations

FEBRUARY

• Asheville Designer Toy Expo Location varies

• Taste of Asheville Asheville

• Arts & Crafts Conference Omni Grove Park Inn

• Asheville Mardi Gras Downtown Asheville

Photo by Tina Gaafary

FESTIVALS & EXPOS

• Rock & Roll Weekend

Omni Grove Park Inn

• Bluegrass First Class

Crowne Plaza Resort

• Asheville Celtic Festival

WNC Agricultural Center

• Asheville Anime-Fest

Holiday Inn

SPRING

MARCH

• Comedy Classic Weekend

Omni Grove Park Inn

• NCAA Southern Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships

Harrah’s Cherokee Center

• Organic Growers School

Spring Conference

Mars Hill University

• Biltmore Blooms

Biltmore Estate

• Zelda Fitzgerald Week

Various locations

• Asheville Fringe Arts Festival

Downtown Asheville

• Asheville Symphony Orchestra Masterworks

Various locations

APRIL

• Weaverville Art Safari

Spring Studio Tour

Weaverville area

• Asheville Orchid Festival The North Carolina Arboretum

• Fiddles & Folklife

Warren Wilson College

• Asheville Maker Faire

Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center

• Asheville Bread Festival Various locations (biennialreturns in 2025)

MAY

• Waynesville Ramp Festival

American Legion

• LEAF Spring Festival

Black Mountain

• Asheville Beer Week Various locations

• Asheville Amadeus Festival

Downtown Asheville (biennial — returns in 2025)

• Fiber Day

Folk Art Center

• GRINDfest

River Arts District

• Asheville Spring Herb Festival

WNC Agriculture Center

• White Squirrel Festival Downtown Brevard

Photo courtesy of LEAF Global Arts @

FESTIVALS & EXPOS

SUMMER

JUNE

• Mermaid Parade and Festival Marshall

• Bonsai as Fine Art The North Carolina Arboretum

• Asheville Art in the Park (Summer Edition) Pack Square Park

• Hola Asheville Festival Pack Square Park

• Asheville HoneyFest Salvage Station

• Juneteenth Celebration Various locations

• Asheville Ideas Fest Various locations

• Carolina CiderFest Urban Orchard Cider Co.

JULY

• Big Crafty Pack Square Park

• Folkmoot International Dance & Culture Festival Waynesville

• Shindig on the Green Pack Square Park (Saturdays through August)

• Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Harrah’s Cherokee Center

• Love Shine Play Yoga Festival Downtown Asheville

AUGUST

• AVL Fest Various venues

• Sourwood Festival Black Mountain

• East End Valley Street Community Heritage Festival Martin Luther King Jr. Park

• LEAF Downtown Pack Square Park

• Mountain Dance and Folk Festival UNC Asheville

• Come to Leicester Studio Tour Various studios

• Bite Me

Food and culture festival - various Asheville locations

FALL

SEPTEMBER

• Asheville Greek Festival Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

• N.C. Mountain State Fair WNC Agricultural Center

• Blue Ridge Pride Pack Square Park

• Goombay Festival Downtown Asheville

• North Carolina Apple Festival

Downtown Hendersonville

Photo courtesy of Hi-Wire Brewing @ hiwirebrewing_avl

FESTIVALS & EXPOS

• ASAP Farm Tour

Various local farms

• Carolina Mountains Literary Festival

Burnsville

• Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival

Mars Hill University

• Punch Bucket Lit: Literary Festival

Various Asheville locations

OCTOBER

• Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest Oak and Grist Distilling Co.

• Asheville Oktoberfest Downtown Asheville

• Asheville Art in the Park (Fall Edition)

Pack Square Park

• Tour de Fat

New Belgium Brewery

• VeganFest

Pack Square Park

• NC Ceramic Arts Festival Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center

• LEAF Fall Festival

Black Mountain

• Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Harrah’s Cherokee Center

• Beaverdam Studio Tour

Various locations

NOVEMBER

• Asheville Holiday Parade Downtown Asheville

• Weaverville Art Safari Fall Studio Tour Weaverville area

• River Arts District Studio Stroll River Arts District

• Asheville Tattoo Arts Convention Harrah’s Cherokee Center

• AshevilleCon Holiday Inn

FOOD & DRINK EATS

Asheville’s distinction as a celebrated dining and drinking destination is well deserved. With its many acclaimed restaurants, vibrant farming community, innovative food artisans and thriving craft beverage scene, this small mountain city is in a class by itself as a place for experiencing exciting, unique flavors. In fact, Asheville’s restaurant, bar and brewery offerings are so numerous and compelling, that Mountain Xpress produces a whole publication about them every year — the Eats & Drinks Guide.

IN THE GUIDE

Pick up the the Eats & Drinks Guide to get all the best tips about where to go in Asheville for:

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner and beyond: From early morning eggs and biscuits to leisurely lunches and late-night bites, the Xpress Eats & Drinks Guide offers hundreds of ideas

Photo courtesy of Huli Sue's BBQ and Grill @ hulisuesbbq

FOOD & DRINK

for exploring meal and snack options in Asheville’s eclectic restaurant scene.

• Sensational sips: Fancy imbibing a craft cocktail or local brew against a panoramic view of the Western North Carolina mountains? Or perhaps it’s a glass of wine, hard cider or nonalcoholic artisan elixir you’re craving. From rooftop bars and outdoor taprooms to cozy coffee shops and intimate tea rooms, there are countless ways to quench your thirst in Asheville.

• Sweet eats: Don’t forget dessert! Local bakers, pastry chefs, ice cream artisans and chocolatiers focus on satisfying sugar cravings with every imaginable type of treat.

Arden (828) 676-0558

Best of WNC 2023-24 Awards

From the annual Mountain Xpress readers’ poll Eats

RESTAURANT THAT BEST REPRESENTS THE SPIRIT OF ASHEVILLE

1 Nine Mile

2 Sunny Point Café

3 White Duck Taco Shop

FAVORITE RESTAURANT

1 Nine Mile

2 Cúrate

3 Limones

RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN (INCLUDING SOUTH SLOPE)

1 Cúrate

2 Chestnut

3 Chai Pani

RESTAURANT IN THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICT

1 Vivian

2 White Duck Taco Shop

3 12 Bones Smokehouse

RESTAURANT TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS TO

1 Nine Mile

2 Cúrate

3 Sunny Point Café PEOPLE-WATCHING RESTAURANT

1 Mellow Mushroom

2 Wicked Weed Brewing

3 Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge

RESTAURANT WITH A VIEW

1 Hemingway’s Cuba Restaurant & Bar

2 Sunset Terrace

3 Pisgah Inn

OUTDOOR DINING

1 White Duck Taco Shop (RAD)

2 Smoky Park Supper Club

3 RendezVous

3 Universal Joint

ROMANTIC DINING

1 Zambra

2 Strada Italiano

2 Sunset Terrace

3 Cúrate

RESTAURANT COCKTAIL SELECTION

1 Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge

2 Sovereign Remedies

2 The Golden Pineapple

3 Limones

BREAKFAST

1 Sunny Point Café

2 Biscuit Head

3 Early Girl Eatery

KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

1 Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.

2 White Duck Taco Shop

3 Creekside Taphouse

BARBECUE

1 12 Bones Smokehouse

2 Luella’s Bar-B-Que

3 Moe’s Original BBQ

BURGER

1 Farm Burger

2 Baby Bull

3 Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge

3 Plant

VEGETARIAN

1 Laughing Seed Café

2 Plant

3 Rosetta’s Kitchen

LOCAL-FOOD EMPHASIS

1 HomeGrown

2 Sunny Point Café

3 Rhubarb

CHOCOLATE

1 French Broad Chocolates

2 The Chocolate Fetish

3 Asheville Chocolate

To explore all the Best of WNC reader survey results, pick up a copy of the Definitive Guide to the Best of WNC, widely available at hotels, local businesses and in Mountain Xpress

EATS FOOD & DRINK

OTHER LOCAL FLAVORS

• Tasty events: Asheville celebrates its food and drink throughout the year with a constantly changing roster of events, including Taste of Asheville, the WNC Fermenting Festival, Asheville Greek Festival and the new Bite Me food festival (debuting in August 2024), along with food truck roundups, burger battles, cocktail competitions and a host of others.

• Offbeat perspectives: From secret supper clubs to wild food foraging tours, Asheville prides itself on offering captivatingly unconventional dining experiences. Culinary adventurers will want to explore Asheville’s wealth of tailgate markets (check the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s asapconnections.com website for a full list) to sample locally grown produce, meats, eggs and dairy as well as a huge range of artisan food products.

Photo courtesy of Vivian @ vivianasheville

FOOD & DRINK

BEER, CIDER & ALCOHOL

BEER CITY AND BEYOND

The Asheville beer industry receives plenty of attention on a national scale, to the point that you may feel a bit daunted by the challenge of navigating the scene. With about 30 breweries within city limits — and a handful of them operating multiple taprooms — visitors looking to get the most out of their trip should consider trying one of the following approaches:

MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME

Downtown Asheville sports six taprooms within a few blocks of each other, and you’ll find several more in the busy South Slope brewing district just a few blocks away. And while the six breweries in West Asheville aren’t quite as close to one another, the neighborhood

For the dish on WNC’s independent restaurants, craft breweries, cideries, distilleries and more pick up a free copy of the Mountain Xpress Eats & Drinks Guide.

Photo courtesy of Hi-Wire Brewing @ hiwirebrewing_avl

sightseeing opportunities are fine consolation prizes for the extra walking.

TOUR THE MAJOR PLAYERS

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in nearby Mills River and New Belgium Brewing Co. in Asheville’s River Arts District are worthy destinations for beer tourists from across the country. Once you’ve locked down your vacation dates, go ahead and reserve your spots for a free tour at these nationally distributed breweries’ East Coast facilities. They fill up fast.

GO ROGUE

Not into crowds? Interested in brews that are all but unavailable at downtown bars and taprooms? Weaverville, Fairview and Black

FOOD & DRINK

Mountain are all short drives away and feature their own distinct brewing scenes. If you want to see what the true microbreweries are up to, enlist a designated driver or ride-share service and go the extra mile — 9 to 16 miles, actually, depending on where you go. It’s well worth the effort.

SAMPLE LOCAL SPIRITS

Distilling is a craft intrinsic to Appalachian culture, and modern Asheville honors that heritage with a flourishing artisan spirits industry. From classic moonshine to small-batch gin, vodka and whiskeys — and even a locally made fernet — Western North Carolina’s distillery tasting rooms offer a broad range of experiences. Though long hampered by North Carolina’s outmoded liquor laws, recent legislation has enabled many local artisans to expand their businesses to include full cocktail bars.

SIP THE CIDERS

It’s possible that not everyone in your crew will want to stick solely to beer. Fortunately, neighboring Henderson County is an applegrowing paradise, and area beverage makers’ commitment to using local ingredients has resulted in a robust hard-cider industry. Several cider makers operate Asheville taprooms, including Botanist & Barrel, Noble Cider and Urban Orchard Cider Co. Plus there’s typically at least one cider option on tap at practically every Asheville brewery taproom — including a few house-made varieties by brewers who’ve embraced the fruit.

FIND THE VINES

Biltmore Winery and plēb urban winery are within Asheville’s city limits, yet nearly 20 more winemakers are within an hour’s drive. Much like the region’s apple industry, an increasing number of grape growers are calling WNC home.

Photo courtesy of Cellarest Beer Project @ cellarestbeerproject

Best of WNC 2023-24 Awards

Drinks

BAR THAT BEST REPRESENTS THE SPIRIT OF ASHEVILLE

1 The Odd 2 Little Jumbo

3 Sovereign Remedies

FOR LIVE MUSIC

1 The Grey Eagle

2 Jack of the Wood

3 Highland Brewing Co. BAR WITH A VIEW

1 The Montford Rooftop Bar

2 Hemingway’s Cuba Restaurant & Bar

3 Capella on 9 BAR WITH GAMES

1 Asheville Retrocade

2 Well Played Board Game Café

3 Level 256 Classic Arcade Bar LGBTQ+ FRIENDLY BAR 1 The Odd 2 Banks Ave.

3 Scandals Nightclub

1 Olde London Road Pub 2 Asheville Sports Club 3 The Bier Garden

BAR 1 Sovereign Remedies 2 Antidote 3 The Times Bar

BAR

1 5 Walnut Wine Bar 2 Bottle Riot 3 Leo’s House of Thirst

1 Little Jumbo 2 Antidote

3 The Golden Pineapple

1 Sunny Point Café 2 Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge 3 The Odd CIDERY

1 Bold Rock Hard Cider

2 Noble Cider

3 Urban Orchard Cider Co. BAR: UNUSUAL BEER SELECTION (EXCLUDING BREWERIES)

1 The Whale :: A Craft Beer Collective

2 Thirsty Monk Downtown BREWERY (FOR ITS TAPROOM & ATMOSPHERE)

1 Highland Brewing Co.

2 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

3 Burial Beer Co. FAMILY-FRIENDLY BAR OR BREWERY

1 Highland Brewing Co.

2 New Belgium Brewing

3 Whistle Hop Brewing Co. CREATIVE, EXPERIMENTAL BREWERY

1 Burial Beer Co.

2 DSSOLVR

3 Funkatorium COFFEEHOUSE FOR ITS VIBE

1 BattleCat Coffee Bar

2 The Dripolator Coffeehouse

3 Odd’s Cafe PLACE TO DRINK TEA

1 Dobra Tea

2 Dobra Tea - West

3 High Climate Tea Co. MOCKTAILS OR NONALCOHOLIC OPTIONS

1 Little Jumbo

2 Laughing Seed Café

DRINK IN THE VIEW

Downtown Asheville is home to a number of rooftop bars, many of them attached to hotels and featuring full food menus. Whatever your beverage of choice, these spots have you covered, complete with breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

VISIT A BOTTLE SHOP

The city has several well-curated beverage stores where you can stock up on your favorite local drinks and try out intriguing new options. Best of all, at many shops you can sip on a pint while browsing — and, if you get home and want some more, a number of businesses will be happy to mail you additional bottles and cans.

West Village Market & Deli

We look forward to continuing to grow and change with the community. What won’t change is our commitment to promoting community dialogue and encouraging citizen activism on the local level.

In the coming months, we’ll be letting you know more about how you can help us continue to serve as your independent local news source.

In the meantime, we hope you will help keep Mountain Xpress coming by picking up a print copy each week and supporting the businesses that advertise in our pages.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

HEALTH AND INJURIES

Chipped a tooth? Rolled an ankle on Western North Carolina’s hilly terrain? Need to refill a prescription? For emergencies, always dial 911, but for daytime problems that aren’t immediately lifethreatening, Buncombe County also has many urgent care clinics: Mercy Urgent Care in the west, east and south areas of Asheville, as well as in Weaverville; Novant Health GoHealthUrgent Care in North Asheville (includes dental care) and Black Mountain; FastMed Urgent Care in South Asheville and just west of town; and Pardee Urgent Care south of Asheville. Pharmacies abound, including in many area grocery stores.

MISSING THINGS OR NONEMERGENCY CRIMES

For lost and stolen items, use the nonemergency number to contact the appropriate law enforcement department. In Asheville, call 828252-1110; in Buncombe County, but outside the city, call 828-2506670. If your luggage didn’t make it with you when you flew into Asheville, you’ll find thrift and consignment stores all over town that can set you up with some awesome, budget threads to tide you over.

CAR PROBLEMS

Towing: It can save the day or ruin it. If you need a tow company, there are many local options in various parts of town, and some of them offer repairs as well. But if you discover your car missing in the central business district or Biltmore Village parking lot that has “Towing Enforced” warning signs clearly posted (which are required if a tow service may take your vehicle), you’ll need to consult those signs for the phone number to call to recover your vehicle. If it is not apparent to you why your car was towed, try calling Asheville Parking Services at 828-259-5792 or the police.

Photo courtesy of the West Buncombe Fire Department

LEGAL TROUBLE

It may be fun to drive fast on curvy roads, but the fuzz doesn’t like it. Also remember this is Beer City, and where the liquor flows, the problems sometimes pool beside the fun. Whether you broke the rules or it was all a misunderstanding, you don’t have to face the system alone. Asheville is chockablock full of lawyers with various specialties, and there is a 24-hour bail-bond service one block from the jail.

BEARS!

Seriously, WNC is wild country, although dangerous encounters are rare. Whether camping, staying at a romantic cabin or even just Airbnb-ing it in a quiet cove, animals may pay you a visit. From raccoons to possums to bears, our wild mammals love food (including garbage), so if you are leaving your car unattended with food inside, close the windows and lock the doors; if you generate trash, stow it safely. As for creepy crawlies, the vast majority of local species of spiders and snakes are not venomous, and even the venomous bites are not typically life-threatening if properly treated in a timely manner. If an animal is causing significant problems, you can call animal control at 828-250-6670.

SICK, HURT OR MISSING PET

If your pet needs medical care during regular business hours, Asheville has many vets all over town. If it’s after hours, Veterinary Emergency Group in South Asheville (828-470-7802) and MedVet on Brevard Road (828-665-4399) are open 24/7.

If your pet goes missing, contact the Buncombe County Animal Shelter at 828-250-6431 (and/or animal control at 828-250-6670). There are also several local web-based missing pet pages, including the Asheville Humane Society at ashevillehumane.org.