Our Favorite Asheville Holiday Events

Vance Birthplace under a winter snow

There are many festive events to enjoy in the Asheville area during the holiday season. Here are some that are coming up in the next week or so:

November 30-December 2: Historic Biltmore Village hosts their annual Dickens in the Village with horse-drawn carriages trotting along decorated streets as carolers, storytellers and instrumentalists in period costumes. Watch live excerpts from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol while enjoying fresh roasted chestnuts.

December 1: Holiday Twilight Tour in downtown Brevard is a daytime street festival. The downtown businesses will be “open-housing” all day, providing refreshments, entertainment and a preview of holiday gifts. The streets will be closed and many holiday activities have been planned, 11 AM until 5:30 PM.

December 1 & 2: The Toe River Studio Tour is an art-lovers’ dream.  An hour north of Asheville, tucked in the lush green mountains, is one of the finest collections of artists and craftsmen in the world and the acclaimed Penland School of Crafts. Find a unique blend of contemporary and traditional cultures. More than 100 fine artists and crafts people in every medium open their studios for a free, self-guided cultural adventure.

December 1 & 8: The Guild Artist Holiday Sale at the Folk Art Center is an opportunity for artists and the organization’s gift shop to sell over-runs, discontinued stock and studio seconds in a festive atmosphere during the holiday season. 10 AM-4 PM.

December 2: At the Big Crafty at the Asheville Art Museum downtown, shop indie with artists, crafters, food and music, 12-6 PM, free admission.

December 6-23: A favorite holiday play, A Christmas Carol, by Montford Players in Asheville Masonic Temple downtown.

For more things to do during the holiday season, see our Top 10 Asheville Holiday Outings.

Gingerbread House Display Opens at Grove Park Inn

Gingerbread Grand Prize Winner 2012

See the winners and many of the entries at this year’s National Gingerbread House Competition at Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Except for the base, all of the 180 entries are constructed entirely of edible materials. The results are simply amazing. Entries were judged on overall appearance, originality/ creativity, difficulty, precision and consistency of theme. See photos that we took yesterday on opening day (November 20) in our Gingerbread House Competition Guide on RomanticAsheville.com.  They will be on display through January 2, 2013.

While hotel or restaurant guests may view the display at any time, others can view entries on Sundays-Thursdays, 10 AM until 10 PM. While there is no admission charge, there are new parking fees this year: outdoor self-parking $10, garage parking $12 and valet parking $15. Most entries are on the main lobby floor in both wings. Get a map at the information desk in the lobby.

The grand prize winning entry and selected other winners will be removed from the display during the third week of December as the resort transports them to New York City for its 13th straight appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” This year’s winners are:

Adult category

• Grand prize winner: Ann Bailey, Cary
• Second: Linda Carney, Asheville
• Third: Glenda Tant, Lebanon, TN

Child category

• First: Briley Ervin, Greenback, TN
• Second: Miss Howie’s First Grade Class from Black Mountain Primary School
• Third: Shan Patel, Asheville

Youth category

• First: Lydia Gentry, Hendersonville
• Second: Carly & Carter Cantrell, Cookeville, TN
• Third: Grace Lebo, Nashville, TN

Teen category

• First: Carly Owens, Swannanoa
• Second: Mary Figueroa, Fishers, IN
• Third: Lilli McFerrin, Black Mountain

Go to RomanticAsheville.com for more info on the Gingerbread House Competition and Grove Park Inn.

Biltmore House Candlelight Tours

Here’s the view of Biltmore House from this evening.  The Candlelight Christmas Evenings are extra magical. In theWinter Garden, choirs perform traditional music of the season. The front lawn of Biltmore House glows with a beautiful 55-foot Norway spruce and the drives are lined with luminaries. Shop and dine by the house. Candlelight Christmas Evenings require a separate ticket for entry from daytime admission, and advance reservations are required. See our Christmas at Biltmore Guide for more.

Asheville Restaurant Scene Becomes America’s First Green Dining Destination™

Tupelo Honey Restaurant in downtown Asheville NC

For the first time ever, one of America’s cities, Asheville, North Carolina, has earned the official designation of being a Green Dining Destination™ with Certified Green Restaurants® throughout Asheville. This accomplishment was driven by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR), and the Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute (BRSI), who formed a local Coalition to encourage more environmentally sustainable practices within the city’s restaurants.

This month, Asheville has met and exceeded its goal of having 16 Certified Green Restaurants® throughout the city, all of which have met the GRA’s rigorous certification standards by earning at least 100 GreenPoints™ in the categories of food, water, waste, energy, chemicals, and disposables. Additionally, each Certified Green Restaurant® has eliminated use of polystyrene foam, (aka StyroFoam™), and has implemented a full-scale recycling program.

The 16 Certified Green Restaurants® in Asheville are:

• The French Broad Chocolate Lounge
• Homegrown
• Laughing Seed Café
• Luella’s Bar-B-Que
• Plant Restaurant
• Neo Cantina
• Posana Cafe Rosetta’s Kitchen
• Strada Italiano
• The Corner Kitchen
• The Green Sage
• The Green Sage South
• Tupelo Honey Café
• Tupelo Honey Cafe South
• Cedric’s Tavern on the Biltmore Estate
• Bouchon

The Green Restaurant Association is a national non-profit organization that provides the only official Certified Green Restaurants® mark in the country. For 22 years, the GRA has pioneered the Green Restaurant® movement and has been the leading voice within the industry encouraging restaurants to listen to consumer demand and green their operations using transparent, science-based certification standards. The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR) has a mission to unite the independent restaurant community of Asheville NC as committed to local people, local philanthropies, local businesses, local food and the local economy, with a promise to preserve the authenticity of our mountain home through genuine food and signature hospitality.

See our list of the best Asheville restaurants.

NC Christmas Tree Farms Open This Weekend

Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm near Asheville

A wonderful holiday tradition is going to a North Carolina mountain Christmas Tree farm and returning with the perfect tree for your home. Boyd Mountain and Mehaffey Christmas Tree Farms open this weekend near Waynesville, a short drive west from Asheville

North Carolina has 1,600 growers producing an estimated 50 million Fraser fir Christmas trees growing. Fraser Fir trees represent over 90% of all species grown in the state. The North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested, and its Fraser fir Christmas tree is the most popular in North America and is shipped into every state in the U.S. and all over the world.

Find the perfect tree and have a great holiday outing at one of the “choose and cut” Christmas Tree Farms near Asheville. You select the tree…they cut it, bale it and tie it on your vehicle or you can use their bowsaws and cut it yourself! They also have fresh wreaths, garlands and other greenery.

Here are a few tips for picking out a tree:

Certain species simply last longer and remain fresh much longer than others. Some of the best are the North Carolina Fraser fir, Balsam fir, Scotch pine and Douglas-fir. Regardless of species, you make the final judgment of quality by looking at, touching, feeling, smelling and shaking the tree. The Fraser fir has soft, pleasant-to-touch needles, incomparable needle retention, long lasting aroma, and more pliable yet stronger branches for even the heaviest ornaments.

Removing a thin disk (1/4 to 1/2 inch) off the trunk before placing the tree in a water holding stand is all that is needed. It is always a good practice to make a new cut before putting the tree into the stand.

As a general rule, a tree can use up to a quart of water per day for each inch of stem diameter. The warmer the temperature and the lower the relative humidity where the tree is displayed, the greater the amount of water required by the tree.

Check all electric lights and connections before decorating. Don’t use any lights with worn or frayed cords. Don’t overload the electrical outlets.

Place your tree away from fireplaces, radiators, television sets, and other heat sources. These elements can prematurely dry out your tree.

For more information, go to http://www.romanticasheville.com/christmas_tree_farms.htm.

Asheville, North Carolina: Oasis for Gay & Lesbian Travel

Downtown Asheville

Gay and lesbian visitors to Asheville, North Carolina, find a very friendly atmosphere, especially in the eclectic and artsy downtown. Home to the famous Biltmore Estate, Asheville is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains with limitless outdoors activities. The Blue Ridge Parkway, which rides along the ridge tops, is one of most beautiful drives in the country. You will find a diverse population, with a large gay and lesbian community that enjoys meeting visitors (since most of them were once visitors before they fell in love with the area and moved).

RomanticAsheville.com is a 500-page online travel guide (free) with 1,600+ photographs with plenty of “insider” travel tips, including a special gay and lesbian Asheville guide. Find guides to accommodations, hiking, waterfalls, art, Biltmore Estate, Blue Ridge Parkway, shopping, restaurants, nightlife, events, and more. To help you plan a trip, here are ten favorite outings for gay and lesbian visitors to Asheville:

1.    Romantic Dinner: The farm-to-table craze is full steam in Asheville with dozens of locally-owned restaurants that work closely with local farms.

2.    Bed & Breakfast or Cozy Cabin: There are many gay-owned or gay/lesbian friendly grand bed and breakfast inns and cabin vacation rentals to choose from that offer plenty of privacy and romance. Many B&Bs are near downtown, while secluded log cabins can be found in the mountains right outside the city.

3.    Drinks: From beer to wine to coffee, there are many options downtown. Since Asheville is Beer City USA, you will find quite a few brew pubs downtown. For the most beers on tap (and great pizza), head to Barley’s Taproom at 42 Biltmore Avenue. For a glass of wine, go to Sante Wine Bar in the Grove Arcade. Smokey Tavern is a friendly, cozy gay bar in the middle of downtown at 18 Broadway. You don’t have to be an overnight guest to enjoy a cocktail at the famous Grove Park Inn. You will find 10 coffee shops in downtown Asheville with local flavor and great atmosphere. Don’t miss the French Broad Chocolate Lounge with French press coffee.

4.    Shop: Downtown Asheville is a shopper’s paradise with a wide variety of 200 locally-owned shops. To experience a true slice of Asheville, stop by Malaprops, voted “Best Independent Bookstore in the Southeast.” Lesbian-owned, it has a spirited atmosphere which draws a diverse crowd for readings and live music at 55 Haywood St.

5.    Biltmore Estate: Don’t miss seeing the largest home in America, with an amazing collection of art and antiques, grand gardens, wine tasting at the winery, and the outdoor equestrian center. And there are numerous places to escape from the crowd for a romantic picnic or walk. Christmas decor is definitely over the top!

6.    Live Music or Theatre: To listen and dance to some great jazz and blues, go to Tressa’s at 28 Broadway, which has a mixed straight and gay crowd. For a variety of music headliners, check out The Orange Peel at 101 Biltmore Avenue. In the mood for the theatre? There are several community and repertory theatre groups in town, with several choices for professional theatre. Or see a first-run independent film or often a gay-themed film at the Fine Arts Theatre at 36 Biltmore Ave.

7.    Antique Shopping: The Biltmore Village area has a great variety of antique stores and malls, including the Antique Tobacco Barn.  Plan a visit to Asheville around a Robert Brunk Antique Auction, one of the premier auction houses in the southeast.

8.    Gallery Hopping: John Cram owns the two biggest galleries in Asheville, Blue Spiral I downtown at 38 Biltmore Ave and New Morning Gallery in Biltmore Village. Blue Spiral has an incredible collection of fine art and crafts. Walk to 30 galleries in downtown or explore the River Arts District, home to many studios and galleries.

9.    Hikes & Waterfalls: Choose from hundreds of great trails (see the Hiking Guide), many taking you to a beautiful waterfall. Find something for all skill levels, from a short stroll to a strenuous full-day hike.

10.   Dance Bars: The premier nightclub for dancing is Scandals, downtown at 11 Grove Street near Patton Avenue in a brick building (Grove House). It has a lively dance bar and various areas to escape the madness of the dance floor. There are two other gay clubs nearby, Club Hairspray at 38 N French Broad Ave and O.Henry’s at 237 Haywood Street.

If you are thinking of moving to Asheville, find an Asheville Gay Real Estate Agent.

For more information on vacations in the North Carolina mountains, go to our Asheville Gay & Lesbian Travel Guide.

Christmas at Biltmore House Begins Today

Christmas at Biltmore

Christmas at Biltmore begins today in Asheville, North Carolina! We got a sneak peek yesterday with Biltmore officials and captured images of the beautiful decorations inside Biltmore House. Take a photo tour inside Biltmore House!

Known as one of the Southeast’s most beloved and storied holiday travel destinations, Christmas at Biltmore runs through January 1, 2013. Candlelight Christmas Evenings, offering evening candlelight tours of Biltmore House, take place November 9 through December 31. This year’s Christmas displays throughout Biltmore House, the gardens and grounds will follow an art motif, with inspiration coming from various art forms found in and around Biltmore House.  Each decorated tree and its complementing display pieces will be designed to accent a particular piece of art found in a room, or composed around an expression of art such as the literary arts or music.

On Christmas Eve 1895, Vanderbilt opened Biltmore House for the first time to his friends and family. Biltmore’s modern-day Christmas celebration is modeled on that first Christmas, with an elaborately decorated, 35-foot tall Fraser fir dominating the Banquet Hall.  Guests will see 68 trees throughout Biltmore House, each intricately designed and decorated by members of Biltmore’s floral team. Miles of fresh garland and wreaths create a yuletide scent throughout the House, with around 1,000 red and white poinsettias in the Winter Garden and other areas.

Guests can pick up Biltmore decorating secrets during free holiday craft seminars offered at A Gardener’s Place in the lower part of the Conservatory, near the Walled Garden.  Classes are offered four times daily:  “Wreath-Making” (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.); and “Tabletop Inspirations” (1 and 3 p.m.).

In Antler Hill Village, Santa will visit with children and families from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, November 10 through December 23, and also on Friday, November 23. Antler Hill Village links to the Winery, where visitors may take guided tours, enjoy free wine tastings and purchase wines, including the limited-edition 2012 Christmas at Biltmore Wine. Special wine seminars are also available.

Biltmore House takes on a warm glow during Candlelight Christmas Evenings, even an air of mystery, creating a unique holiday experience for guests.  Local choirs and small musical ensembles stationed in the Winter Garden perform music of the season as guests enter Biltmore House.  Soloists perform traditional Christmas music throughout the house as guests wander among the decorated rooms.  The front lawn will glow with a 55-foot Norway spruce, lit by around 40,000 tiny white lights.

Candlelight evening tours will not be offered on November 20, 22 and December 24, 25. Guests may also visit Antler Hill Village when they attend Candlelight Christmas Evenings. For more information, see our Christmas at Biltmore Guide.

For more things to do and events during your trip to Asheville, see our Top 10 Holiday Outings.

Winter Wonderland in the North Carolina Mountains

The sun returned to the mountains today, unveiling a stunning winter wonderland in the highest elevations. This afternoon, we hiked the Appalachian Trail at Roan Mountain after receiving 20 inches of snow and plenty of rime ice to whiten the trees. Hurricane / Superstorm Sandy brought three days of snow in an unusual October snow storm. While the snow never laid on the ground in the city of Asheville, more than a foot of snow was just 20 miles away in the higher elevations. Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park received three feet of snow! See more snow photos from the “Frankenstorm.”