| 1. Christmas at Biltmore Estate: Our biggest holiday event is Christmas at Biltmore. Starting on November 3, America's largest home is decked out in festive finery. Candlelight Evenings are especially magical. Continues through January 1. See our Christmas at Biltmore Guide. And see exclusive photos of Christmas decorations inside Biltmore House.
2. Shop Downtown Asheville: Make holiday shopping more fun and relaxing while finding truly special gifts. Browse through more than 200 shops, 30 art galleries and a dozen antique stores - all locally owned. No cookie cutter chain stores here. And if you need a break, stop at one of the 50 restaurants or many coffee shops. Tour the fascinating Thomas Wolfe Home. See our Downtown Asheville Guide. For more great local shops with unique gifts, explore the quaint downtowns of nearby Brevard, Hendersonville and Waynesville. See our Shopping Guide.
3. Gingerbread Houses at Grove Park Inn: For a real treat, see the amazing display of gingerbread houses from the National Gingerbread House Competition at the famous Grove Park Inn Resort on November 20, 2012-January 2, 2013. Guests at the hotel or any of their restaurants can view the display at anytime. If you're not a guest, please visit on Mondays-Thursdays. For more info, see our Grove Park Gingerbread House Display Guide.
4. Shop Biltmore Village: What a charming area for holiday shopping! Located across from the entrance to Biltmore Estate, the Village is home to more than 40 unique shops and 10 cafes and restaurants. Most businesses are housed in historic cottages and buildings. Tree-lined streets, brick sidewalks and period architecture make it a delight to stroll through and explore. (Dickens in the Village, Nov 30-Dec 2) See our Biltmore Village Guide.
5. And More Art: Asheville is a mecca for artists, so this is the place to find one-of-a-kind gifts. With more than 100 galleries and even more artist studios, you will need plenty of time for exploring. In addition to the galleries downtown and Biltmore Village, head to the Folk Art Center and the River Arts District. See our Gallery Guide.
6. Antiques: The best area in Asheville to find antiques is the Biltmore Antiques District with 13 stores within a mile and a half of the Biltmore Estate. Included is the local long-time favorite, the Antique Tobacco Barn. See our Antique Shopping Guide.
7. Pick your Christmas Tree: North Carolina is the number two state in the country for growing Christmas Trees! Go to a "choose and cut" Tree Farm to pick the perfect one for your home. Many farms offer hayrides and other holiday-related events. See our Asheville Christmas Tree Farms Guide.
8. Great Outdoors: For the best views of the year, take a winter hike. 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. See our hiking guide for our top picks. See a snowy hike on Roan Mountain. And don't forget to find some of our spectacular waterfalls. Most area ski resorts open by early December, including Beech Mountain. Or zip line on the Asheville Canopy Tours near downtown, open most weekends).
9. Stay in Holiday Style: Stay in a home away from home, complete with the sights, sounds and smells of the holidays, at one of the elegant bed and breakfast inns. See our complete list of romantic bed and breakfast inns in the area. Many of them have special holiday packages and specials. For a quiet retreat from the holiday madness, escape to a romantic cabin or cottage. See photos of decorated bed and breakfast inns.
10. LaZoom Comedy Bus Tours: Their Special Holiday Tour will take you on a fun guided tour of the city.
While their regular city tour is rated PG-13, their Holiday Tour is family friendly. It's a full city tour traveling through downtown, Montford and the River Arts District.
The Holiday Tour only rolls in November and December so be sure you get your tickets early so you can get your turkey stuffed, your halls decked and your bells carolled with the lovable LaZoom Crew! See our LaZoom Tours Guide.
Holiday & Christmas Events in and near Asheville
November 3, 2012–January 1, 2013: Christmas at Biltmore
November 14, 2012: Taste of Asheville: Big annual fundraising event features food from 40 restaurants as well as wine tasting and beer tasting from local breweries. Read more.
November 14, 2012-January 2, 2013: Carolina Christmas at Smith-McDowell House museum with decorations from the Victorian period.
November 16-December 2, 2012: Inspecting Carol at the Asheville Community Theatre. A Christmas Carol meets Waiting for Guffman meets Noises Off in this hilarious hit. A man who asks to audition at a small theatre is mistaken for an informer for the National Endowment for the Arts. Everyone caters to the bewildered wannabe actor and he is given a role in the current production, A Christmas Carol. Everything goes wrong and hilarity is piled upon hilarity. Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 PM; Sundays at 2:30 PM
November 17, 2012: Asheville Holiday Parade, downtown, 11 AM. A fun and creative parade that kicks off Asheville's holiday season with marching bands, floats, dance & theater troupes, walking groups and Santa Claus himself.
November 20, 2012-January 2, 2013: National Gingerbread House Competition on display at Grove Park Inn.
November 23-24, 2012: Hard Candy Christmas Fine Art & Craft Show in Cullowhee with more than 100 artisans will fill Western Carolina University's Ramsey Center arena.
November 24-December 22, 2012: The Nutcracker at Flat Rock Playhouse, State Theatre of NC. This brand new production of an international classic with amazing choreography
November 24, 2012: Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker at Harrah's Cherokee Event Center with two shows, 3 PM and 7:30 PM. Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker has toured America and Canada for 19 years as the largest Russian ballet tour in North America, combining the highest caliber Russian ballet, cutting-edge production values and the traditional appeal. With larger-than-life puppets, nine hand-painted backdrops with 3-D effect, and hundreds of exquisite costumes, the Great Russian Nutcracker is a spectacular Holiday Celebration.
More about Thanksgiving Weekend
November 30-December 2, 2012: 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. Watch live excerpts from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol performed by the Montford Park Players while enjoying fresh roasted chestnuts. Read more.
November 30, December 1 & 2, 2012: 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. 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, 2012: Holiday Twilight Tour in downtown Brevard. This downtown annual holiday event is now 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, 4-8 PM.
December 1 & 8, 2012: Guild Artist Holiday Sale at the Folk Art Center: This popular event has expanded to two dates this year! 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 2, 2012: 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, 2012: A favorite holiday play, A Christmas Carol, by Montford Players in Asheville Masonic Temple downtown.
December 7, 2012: Asheville Downtown Gallery Art Walk. Galleries stay open late with special exhibits and artist mingling.
December 7, 2012: 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. Local businesses will be open late and the offical tree lighting at 7:30 PM.
December 7, 2012: 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 7-8 and 14-15, 2012: Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries, journey back to the days of yesteryear as Dillsboro presents its annual Festival of Lights and Luminaries. Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song! Shopkeepers provide live music and serve holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa.
December 7, 2012: Art After Dark in downtown Waynesville with shows, refreshments, live music at many galleries. 6-9 PM. Saturday Stroll follows the Friday night event with live artist demonstrations in each participating gallery from 11 AM-3 PM.
December 7-23, 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. $5 for a car. 6-9 PM. From Asheville take I-26 East to Exit #37. Turn left at the light onto Long Shoals Road. Travel 1.1 mile to Overlook Road traffic light. Turn right on Overlook Road Extension. Travel .1 mile. Park entrance is on the left.
 December 8, 2012: 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, just 15 minutes north of Asheville. The two-story reconstructed log house, will be decorated and costumed guides will relate the symbolism of each of the decorations. Live music. Free! 4-7 PM
December 8, 2012: 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. Tickets $20, available at Asheville Visitor Center Gift Shop after Dec 1.
December 8, 2012: Christmas at Connemara, 10 AM-3 PM. This free festive celebration will honor Carl Sandburg and the family holiday tradition of music. Featured artists are: The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers from Mars Hill College, Guitarist Pat Corn, Cherokee Indian Storyteller Black Feather, The Pearls contemporary folk ensemble and others. The house will be decorated in the style of the Sandburg's with poinsettias and a traditionally decorated Christmas tree from early December until January 6, 2013.
December 8, 2012: Asheville Chocolate and Arts Festival. Celebrate Art, Culture, and Chocolate at the U.S. Cellular Center downtown from 12 PM-7 PM. Features performers, musicians and dancers from Asheville and beyond, local artisans, baskets and basket weaving with Gullah artisans, cultural arts and dance by members of the Cherokee Nation, Mexican Dances, Bellydance, African dance, Argentine Tango, Hip Hop, and local chocolate tasting by Asheville’s finest chocolatiers and dessert-makers.
The event will donate 20% of its profits to local nonprofits working with at-risk youth. See our Asheville Chocolate Tour with more festival information.
December 8, 2012: 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 8 & 15, 2012: 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! Santa Claus will rappel down the 535-million-year-old monolith known as Chimney Rock, wearing his traditional red suit and hat, and a rope, of course. Read more.
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! Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 PM; Sunday at 2:30 PM
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. The house will be filled with authentic-era decorations and furniture and lit by candlelight. Open 6-8 PM. $10/person
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. Headlined by internationally renowned musicians Al Petteway, Amy White, and Robin Bullock playing guitar, mandolin, fiddle, Appalachian dulcimer, piano, harp, and world percussion, with voices and talents of special guest musicians, storytellers, dancers, and host Doug Orr. Two shows: 2 PM and 7 PM. See ticket info.
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? Is he truly past redemption, or does every person deserve a chance to change, to do better? A funny and touching holiday play.
December 31, New Year's Eve: Head downtown Asheville for many choices for dining and music or dancing afterwards. See our New Year 2013 Celebrations and Things to Do.
January 1: Take the chilly plunge at the Polar Plunge at Lake Lure!
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