Christmas in Asheville

Find much to do in Asheville and the mountains of western North Carolina during Christmas Weekend. Savor holiday buffets in many great restaurants, tour the Biltmore House or see the Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum. There are plenty of options on Christmas Day – with even more during the weekend.

If you plan to dine or tour on Christmas Day, make your reservations in advance. Find many things to do with the family, including getting outdoors for a hike or to find a waterfall. Take a zany tour with LaZoom, go shopping downtown or Asheville Outlets, and drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. Explore one of our favorite NC Mountain Christmas Towns decked out for the holidays and filled with local stores, breweries and galleries (like Forest City in the photo at top). Or relax with a massage in a spa or with a local beer at a craft brewery.

See our full list of restaurants open Christmas Day and many things to do.

Merry Christmas to all! Enjoy your time in Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains with your family and friends.

 

Christmas at Biltmore House 2015

The biggest event of the year in Asheville has begun! Christmas at Biltmore runs through January 10, 2016. Biltmore’s design team has woven this year’s theme – “A Gilded Age Christmas” – throughout every element created for the season across the estate, incorporating grand and elegant details that are rooted in authentic Vanderbilt Christmas stories.

The towering 35-foot Christmas tree in the Banquet Hall is a nod to a tradition started by George Vanderbilt on Christmas Eve in 1895 when he opened his 250-room home to friends and family for the first time. As tradition dictates, the tree is decorated with 500 ornaments and wrapped packages tucked into its branches.

During the magical Candlelight Christmas Evenings, thousands of ornaments and over-the-top wreaths and garlands sparkle with the reflections of candlelight and cozy fires in the home’s fireplaces. Despite the home’s enormous size, sounds of choirs and musicians create an intimate atmosphere. Outside, a 55-foot Norway spruce tree, lit by 45,000 tiny white lights and surrounded by hundreds of hand-lit luminaries, welcomes guests for evening tours.

See photos of this year’s Christmas decorations inside Biltmore House.

Christmas at Biltmore 2015 Events

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, daily: Christmas at Biltmore daytime experience

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 2: Candlelight Christmas Evenings

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, daily: A Gardener’s Place Holiday Seminars. “Decorate with Christmas Wreaths” is offered at noon and “Create Holiday Tablescapes” is offered at 1 p.m.

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, daily: The Conservatory’s annual poinsettia and tropical plant display.

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, daily: Complimentary wine tasting at the Winery. The “Red Wine and Chocolate” seminar is offered, as well as the “Biltmore Bubbles” tour. Additional price and reservations required.

• Nov. 6 through Jan. 10, evenings: Live music in Cedric’s Tavern in Antler Hill Village.

• Nov. 7 through Dec. 20, Saturdays and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m., and on Friday, Nov. 27: Visits with Santa in Antler Hill Village.

• Nov. 7 through Jan. 10, Saturdays and Sundays, 3 p.m., and on Friday, Nov. 27: Roving Holiday Carolers in Antler Hill Village.

• Dec. 17, 18 and 19: Inn on Biltmore Estate’s Annual Gingerbread House Tea. Guests assemble gingerbread homes with the help of a pastry chef while enjoying afternoon tea. Additional price and reservations required.

• Ongoing: Festive holiday meals prepared by award-winning chefs will be served in all of the estate’s restaurants.

Guests looking to extend their holiday stay at Biltmore will have several options. For a retreat with personalized service, the Inn on Biltmore Estate offers four-star accommodations with sweeping views in a private hilltop setting. Special holiday packages starting with Thanksgiving will be available during Christmas at Biltmore.

Biltmore’s newest lodging offering, Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate, opens December 1, 2015. Designed for the guest looking for a casual overnight stay, the hotel is located in Antler Hill Village. It is steps away from shopping, dining, the Winery, live music and outdoor activities. Special holiday packages will be available during Christmas at Biltmore.

See the complete Christmas at Biltmore Guide that includes ticket special offers, along with Asheville vacation packages.

Asheville Happy Holidays Happenings

Christmas Tree in downtown Asheville

This holiday season in Asheville, North Carolina, and the surrounding mountains will be busier and more festive than ever. Here are the Top Holiday Getaway ideas for things to do and events featured on our RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide:

Christmas at Biltmore: Asheville’s biggest holiday event starts on November 7, America’s largest home is decked out in festive finery with 60+ trees and miles of garland. Candlelight Evenings are especially magical with live music. See the decorations through January 11.

Downtown Asheville: Make shopping more fun and relaxing while finding truly special gifts. Browse 200+ local shops and 30 art galleries. For a break, stop at one of the 50 restaurants or many coffee shops. And finish your day at a craft brewery or a wine bar!

Gingerbread Houses: For a real treat, see the amazing display of gingerbread houses from the National Gingerbread House Competition at the legendary Omni Grove Park Inn on November 19-January 1.

Polar Express: Ride the magical train to the North Pole with fun for all ages. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad conducts excursions on November 7-January 5, departing the depot at Bryson City.

Winter Lights: A new event for 2014 at the North Carolina Arboretum features a first-ever light display that transforms their gardens into a nighttime wonderland. It runs November 22-January 4 and advance reservations are required.

Comedy Tours: LaZoom’s holiday tours on their purple buses take you around Asheville with fun all the way.

Biltmore Village: Located across from the entrance to Biltmore, the Village is home to more than 40 boutiques. The area also has the best antique shops too! Visit the first weekend of December for Dickens in the Village.

Art: Asheville is a mecca for artists, so this is the place to find one-of-a-kind gifts. In addition to the galleries downtown and Biltmore Village, head to the Folk Art Center and the River Arts District.

Hikes & Waterfalls: For the best views of the year, take a winter hike to a mountaintop or a waterfall. With leafless trees, cool temperatures, less crowds and frequent bright blue skies, it may become your favorite time of the year to hit the trail.

Pick Your Tree: Visit a Christmas tree farm and choose-and-cut the perfect tree for your home. It’s a great holiday tradition for many.

Holiday Packages: Take advantage of a special or overnight package at elegant bed and breakfast inns, cabin rentals and hotels.

For more holiday things to do and a calendar of our favorite events, go to www.romanticasheville.com/holidays.htm.

Christmas at Biltmore Details for 2014

Banquet Hall and 40-foot tree inside Biltmore House

It’s the most wonderful time of year at America’s largest home. Christmas at Biltmore daytime tours begin on November 7 and run through January 11. Candlelight Christmas Evenings run November 7 through January 3. See photos, videos, tips and the latest info on ticket discounts at www.romanticasheville.com/biltmorechristmas.htm.

This year’s Christmas decorations inside the Biltmore House and throughout the estate draw inspiration from the theme “A Vanderbilt Christmas Celebration.” Décor will trend toward the opulent to create a sense of the Gilded Age, while incorporating elements that nod to George Vanderbilt’s legacy in Western North Carolina and the surrounding mountains. Vanderbilt hosted his first family Christmas celebration in Biltmore House in 1895, and this year’s celebration is modeled on that first Christmas.

The grand Banquet Hall will mix vintage and opulent accents with burgundy, red, gold and blue ornaments tucked into the centerpiece 34-foot tall Fraser fir Christmas tree. The annual tree raising is November 5, as guests watch Santa deliver the tree and workers maneuver this huge tree through the front doors to the Banquet Hall. Two additional 14-foot trees will flank the triple fireplace. A deep red velvet runner edged with holly and red berries will accent the Hall’s dining table, with potted poinsettias and fresh cut flower arrangements completing the look. The pipe organ plays on a regular schedule. Elsewhere inside the house, see 60 intricately designed and decorated trees. Miles of fresh garland and wreaths draped throughout the house.

On Candlelight Christmas Evenings, a 55-foot Norway spruce tree, lit by 45,000 tiny white lights, will be the focal point on the front lawn. Magical Candlelight evenings feature local choirs and small musical ensembles stationed in the Winter Garden and throughout the house. Included in these tickets is daytime admission to Biltmore’s gardens, Antler Hill Village and Winery.

In Antler Hill Village, Santa will visit with children of all ages. Cedric’s Tavern will host live music nightly. Tour the Winery, enjoy free wine tastings and purchase wines, including the limited release Christmas at Biltmore blend. Special wine seminars are available by reservation.

Biltmore’s floral arranging and gardening experts will conduct free, daily seminars at A Gardener’s Place retail gift shop from October 17 through January 11. Seminars are “Winter Wreaths” at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and “Front Door Swags” at 1 and 3 p.m.

There are many dining options. Select from the Bistro, Deerpark Restaurant, Stable Café, Cedric’s Tavern or The Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate. The Inn will offer its annual Gingerbread House Tea on December 18, 19, and 20. The four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate offers several packages for holidays, including special Thanksgiving, Candlelight Christmas Evenings, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve packages.

And don’t forget the variety of retail shops, all perfect for holiday gift shopping. Other activities include taking a horse and carriage ride; exploring acres of walking and biking trails and more.

See photos and a video of the decorations inside Biltmore House: www.romanticasheville.com/biltmore_christmas_photo_tour.htm. And see hotel packages!

Best Christmas Holiday Asheville Special Events

Biltmore House Candlelight

There are so many great events to enjoy during the holiday season in Asheville and the western North Carolina mountains. See details on these upcoming events and more at http://www.romanticasheville.com/holidays.htm.

Now through January 12: Christmas at Biltmore with candlelight evenings inside the Biltmore House

Now through December 29: Polar Express Train excursions on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Now through January 5: Carolina Christmas at Smith-McDowell House museum with decorations from the Victorian period.

Now through January 2: National Gingerbread House Competition on display at Grove Park Inn.

Now through January 1: Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland two-mile drive through light spectacular.

Now through January 2: Winter Wonderland with wintery décor, gingerbread houses and great shopping at Grove Arcade.

December 4-21: Aluminum Christmas Tree Museum in downtown Brevard.

December 4-22: A Christmas Story at Flat Rock Playhouse, State Theatre of NC.

December 5-22: Favorite holiday play, A Christmas Carol, by Montford Players in Asheville Masonic Temple downtown.

December 6-8: Historic Biltmore Village transforms into a quaint Victorian village on the first weekend of December for Dickens in the Village. Horse-drawn carriages will trot along decorated streets as carolers, storytellers and instrumentalists stroll the village in period costumes.

December 6-8: Toe River Studio Tour, About 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. More than 100 fine artists and crafts people in every medium open their studios for a free, self-guided cultural adventure.

December 6: Asheville Downtown Gallery Art Walk. Galleries stay open late with special exhibits and artist mingling.

December 6: Candlelight Christmas Stroll in Weaverville, 6-9 PM, with luminaries along the streets, local choirs and bands will provide music, and horse and buggy rides will be available through town.

December 6: Olde Fashioned Hendersonville Christmas, walk down Main Street in downtown with hot cider and cookies with carolers, music, food and great shopping! 5-8 PM

December 6-7 and 13-14: Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries, journey back to the days of yesteryear. Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song.

Grove Park Inn Gingerbread House

December 6: Art After Dark in downtown Waynesville with shows, refreshments, live music at many galleries. 6-9 PM.

December 6-23: Lake Julian Festival of Lights drive-thru show with more than 50 animated light displays and thousands of colored lights from the comfort of your vehicle.

December 7: Experience an 1830s era Christmas as it may have been celebrated in the mountains of North Carolina with a Christmas Candlelight Tour at Vance Birthplace.

December 7: Holiday Twilight Tour in downtown Brevard. 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, 4-8 PM.

December 7: Handcrafted Christmas at Addison Farms Vineyard in Asheville features locally crafted gifts.

December 7 & 14: Guild Artist Holiday Sale  at the Folk Art Center: The Guild Artist Holiday Sale provides an opportunity for individual members and the organization to sell over-runs, discontinued stock and studio seconds in a festive atmosphere during the holiday season. 10 AM-4 PM

December 7, 14, 21 & 28: Christmas at Connemara. Visit on Saturday mornings between Thanksgiving and New Year’s with local musicians and storytellers performing traditional holiday stories and music. Hot cider and cookies will be served. This free festive celebration honors Carl Sandburg and the family holiday tradition of music.

December 7: A Night Before Christmas along Downtown Waynesville’s Main Street area is filled with bright lights, friendly folks, the wonderful sounds of the Christmas season, delicious food & drink. 6-9 PM.

December 7 & 14: Santa on the Chimney at Chimney Rock State Park. Watch Santa practicing for his world-wide chimney-dropping tour on Christmas Eve. Only his “practice chimney” is 312 feet tall!

December 11-29: Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol by NC Stage Company. We know what happens to Scrooge, but what about his old business partner Marley?

December 13-14: Warren Haynes Christmas Jam in downtown Asheville with a stellar line-up.

December 14: “A Victorian Candlelight Christmas” at Thomas Wolfe Memorial. Discover some of the oldest Christmas customs in an authentic Victorian home in downtown Asheville with two special guided tours (5 & 5:30 PM) and an open house of the Thomas Wolfe home, a Queen Anne-style boardinghouse run by our most famous native son’s mother, Julia Wolfe. The house will be filled with authentic-era decorations and furniture and lit by candlelight. Open 6-8 PM. $10/person

December 14: Montford Home Tour. Explore Asheville’s oldest, most historic neighborhood comprised of Victorian, Arts and Crafts, Greek Revival and Dutch Colonial homes built in the 1890s to 1920s. 1-5 PM.

December 15: A Swannanoa Solstice  is a tapestry of joyful and thoughtful seasonal reflection beautifully woven from the mountains’ Appalachian, Scots-Irish and world influences. Two shows at Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville.

December 19-22: The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris at Asheville Community Theatre.

December 21: Christmas on the Mountain at Thomas Wolfe Memorial. Come and experience one of our greatest Appalachian traditions of Storytelling with one of the world’s best Storytellers, Shelia Kay Adams.

December 21: Holiday Homecoming  at Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 10 AM-2 PM. Located near Cherokee, see old time crafts being demonstrated. Learn by observing the practical arts of quilting, weaving, and basket and doll making, apple cider and apple butter.

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

Photo Tour of Christmas at Biltmore House

Take a photo tour inside Biltmore House to see this year’s Christmas decorations! This year’s festive celebration includes 56 Christmas trees (including the favorite 40-foot tree in the Banquet Hall), 1,000 poinsettias, miles of garland and lights, live music and inspirational holiday demonstrations. See our Christmas at Biltmore Guide for details, tips for visiting and a video. Many area Asheville hotel and B&Bs have Biltmore Packages that include tickets; see them at www.romanticasheville.com/packages.html. Biltmore Estate is open every day, including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Winter Garden inside Biltmore House

Biltmore House Christmas Tree Arrival

Candlelight tours at Biltmore House

Edith Vanderbilt’s Bedroom inside Biltmore House

Second Floor Living Hall inside Biltmore House

Tapestry Hall Gallery inside Biltmore House

Library in Biltmore House

Music Room in Biltmore House

Breakfast Room inside Biltmore House

Banquet Hall and 40-foot tree inside Biltmore House

Billiard Room inside Biltmore House

Biltmore House takes on a warm glow during Candlelight Christmas Evenings (separate ticket required) creating a unique holiday experience that you will remember for many years. Choirs and ensembles perform traditional music throughout the house. The front lawn glows with a 55-foot Norway spruce with 45,000 lights and 300 luminaries line the drive. Click here to read more!

Watch our video tour of the 2013 Biltmore House Christmas decorations:

Christmas at Biltmore opens November 2

Christmas at Biltmore House

The world-famous Biltmore House Christmas season begins on November 2! America’s largest home will be filled with 56 decorated trees, miles of garlands and 1,000 poinsettias. In addition, enjoy candlelight tours (beginning November 9), great shopping, dining, decorating workshops, live music and more.

When George Vanderbilt opened Biltmore House for the first time to family and friends on Christmas Eve 1895, it was a special day. The grand celebration began a treasured estate tradition that continues more than a century later. Known as one of the Southeast’s most elegant and awe-inspiring holiday travel destinations,  the modern-day celebration is modeled after the estate’s first Christmas. This year, the decorations will remain until January 12.

The “star” of the show is the 35-foot tree in the Banquet Hall. You can watch the raising of the tree on the morning of November 1 as Santa Claus ushers in the giant Fraser fir on a horse-drawn carriage.

The enchantment continues with Candlelight Christmas Evenings. Luminaries dot the front lawn of Biltmore House and thousands of tiny white lights adorn the 55-foot tall Norway Spruce. Inside the House, soloists and choirs perform traditional Christmas music, with the rooms taking on a magical glow as candles illuminate holiday decor.  Special holiday menus at estate restaurants and holiday packages at the four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate complete the experience and promise a memorable visit.

Your ticket includes tours of Biltmore House, the gardens and Antler Hill Village. The village links to the Winery, where visitors may take a guided tour and enjoy a complimentary wine tasting. Also see the special exhibit “The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad.”

Library inside Biltmore House

Tips for Visiting

• To save and get discounted Biltmore tickets, purchase tickets on their website at least seven days in advance.
• Arrive early and allow a full day – or two to see it all.
• Often, a ticket purchased from a hotel/B&B/rental is good for an extra day at Biltmore.
• Your self-guided visit of Biltmore House requires a house tour reservation on Friday, Saturday, Sundays and the week of Christmas.
• Visit Monday through Thursday for fewer guests.
• Wear comfortable walking shoes and layers to allow for changeable mountain weather.
• Bring a car. Parking is free and some of the estate venues are several miles apart. Shuttles from the parking lot to Biltmore House are provided, but you’ll need your own transportation to the other estate attractions.
• Candlelight Christmas Evenings require a separate ticket for entry from daytime admission. Tickets are available by reservation only and include an evening self-guided candlelight tour of Biltmore House, next-day or same day visit to the gardens and Biltmore Estate Winery.

More info:

• See our Christmas at Biltmore Guide.
• See more holiday events and things to do in Asheville.
• See Holiday Vacation Packages and Specials for area hotels, B&Bs and cabin rentals.

Holiday Events this week in Asheville and NC Mountains

Christmas Tree in downtown Asheville

More great holiday events are coming soon in Asheville and the western North Carolina mountains! For more details and happenings, go our Top 10 Asheville Holiday outings.

In addition to the two biggest events in town, Christmas at Biltmore House and the Gingerbread House Competition at Grove Park Inn, here are our favorites for the next week or so:

Now through December 23, 2012: Lake Julian Festival of Lights drive-thru show with more than 50 animated light displays and thousands of colored lights from the comfort of your vehicle.

Now through January 2, 2013: Carolina Christmas at Smith-McDowell House museum with decorations from the Victorian period.

December 15, 2012: Santa on the Chimney at Chimney Rock State Park. Watch Santa practicing for his world-wide chimney-dropping tour on Christmas Eve.

December 11, 2012: Celebrate Hanukkah with Chanukah Live at the Renaissance Hotel ballroom in downtown Asheville. Hosted by The Chabad House, it includes the Billy Jonas Chanukah Show, grand menorah lighting, holiday crafts, gourmet kosher dinner. Festival admission is free, but tickets will be sold at the door for food and attractions.

December 13-16, 2012: The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris at Asheville Community Theatre. They’re revamping the entire production after a highly successful 10 year run! This holiday tradition is much more naughty than nice!

December 15, 2012: “A Victorian Candlelight Christmas” at Thomas Wolfe Memorial. Discover some of the oldest Christmas customs in an authentic Victorian home in downtown Asheville with two special guided tours (5 & 5:30 PM) and an open house of the Thomas Wolfe home, a Queen Anne-style boardinghouse run by our most famous native son’s mother, Julia Wolfe.

December 15, 2012: Holiday Homecoming at Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 10 AM-2 PM. Located near Cherokee, see old time crafts being demonstrated. Learn by observing the practical arts of quilting, weaving, and basket and doll making, apple cider and apple butter. Free.

December 15, 2012: Warren Haynes Christmas Jam in downtown Asheville with a stellar line-up: Warren Haynes Band, Blind Boys of Alabama, Sheryl Crow, The String Cheese Incident and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.

December 16, 2012: A Swannanoa Solstice is a tapestry of joyful and thoughtful seasonal reflection beautifully woven from the mountains’ Appalachian, Scots-Irish and world influences. Celebrate winter’s allure at a special 10th anniversary edition of this beloved holiday tradition.

December 19-30, 2012: Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol by NC Stage Company. We know what happens to Scrooge, but what about his old business partner Marley?

Plan a holiday getaway and see current vacation packages and specials at RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide.

More Holiday Events This Week in Asheville

Santa on Chimney Rock

This weekend is perhaps the busiest for holiday events in and around Asheville, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to Christmas at Biltmore and the National Gingerbread House Competition on display at Grove Park Inn, check out:

December 7: Asheville Downtown Gallery Art Walk with galleries open late with special exhibits and artist mingling.

December 7: Candlelight Christmas Stroll in Weaverville, 6-9 PM, with luminaries along the streets, local choirs and bands will provide music, and horse and buggy rides.

December 7-8 and 14-15: Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries with a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song, while shopkeepers provide live music and serve holiday treats.

December 8: Guild Artist Holiday Sale at the Folk Art Center with artists selling direct with great deals.

December 8: Experience an 1830s era holiday with a Christmas Candlelight Tour at historic Vance Birthplace.

December 8: Montford Home Tour explores Asheville’s oldest, most historic neighborhood.

December 8: Christmas at Connemara honors Carl Sandburg and the family holiday tradition of music at his mountain home.

December 8: Asheville Chocolate and Arts Festival at the U.S. Cellular Center downtown with music, dance and plenty of chocolate.

December 8 & 15: Santa on the Chimney at Chimney Rock State Park as he practices chimney-dropping tour.

For more information on these and other events, go to our guide for the Top Asheville Holiday Outings & Events.

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.