Area Information

Fine Dining
Asheville Independent Restaurant Association
Biltmore Inn Dining Room
Horizons at Grove Park

Upscale Bistros
Bouchon
Fig
Mela
Rezaz
Steak and Wine (S&W)
Table
The Marketplace & Bar 100
Zambra ~ Tapas

Casual Cafes
Corner Kitchen
Early Girl
Laughing Seed
The Lobster Trap
Tupelo Honey
Salsas

Cultural Events & Festivals

• 19th Annual Arts and Crafts and Antiques Show: Feb.19-21, 2010. Asheville, NC. (828) 252-2711 Arts & crafts enthusiasts - including new collectors, curators, crafts persons, authors, architects, and designers – gather at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa for the annual Arts & Crafts Conference and Antiques Show.
• City Center Art Walk: April 1, June 4, August 6 and October 1, 2010. Galleries stay open Friday evenings four times a year to showcase new shows and artists. Walk to 30 galleries downtown. Free.
• Biltmore Estate Festival of Flowers; April 3 – May 16, 2010. 25th Anniversary. Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC. (800) 624-1575.
• Montford Arts and Music Festival: May 22, 2010. Free family-oriented festival featuring music by Snake Oil Medicine Show, Pure Fiyah Reggae and 6 other bands. Juried art show as well as art and crafts for sell, plus clogging and other dancing. Delicious food from local restaurants. All of this set in the National Park Service-designated Historic District of Montford. 11 AM-7 PM. Free.
• Unto These Hills: June 5 – August 29, 2009. Nightly except Sundays. Cherokee, NC. Outdoor drama depicting the tragic and triumphant story of the Cherokee Indians from 1540 to 1883. 866-554-4557 Tickets: $18-$22.
• Toe River Studio Tour: June 12-13, 2010 and December 3-5, 2010. More than 100 fine artists and crafts people in every medium open their studios for a free, self-guided cultural adventure.
• River District Artists Studio Stroll: June 12-13 and November 13-14, 2010. The Studio Stroll is your chance to tour the studios, meet with the artists and purchase artwork. Within just a few blocks are dozens of eclectic mix of creative artists - from traditional to cutting-edge. Near downtown Asheville. Free.
• Shindig on the Green: Bluegrass musicians and dancers assemble to entertain in downtown Asheville, Saturday evenings; July 3, 10, 17, 31; August 14, 21, 28; and September 4 at 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Free at Pack Square.
• Fourth of July Celebration: July 4, 2010. 259-5800 Downtown Asheville at Pack Square. Festivities start at 1 p.m. with fireworks display at 10:00 p.m.
• Grandfather Mountain Highland Games: July 8-11, 2010. (828) 733-1333 Linville, NC. Celebration of Scottish dance, music and athletics.
• Downtown After Five: Every 3rd Friday of the month from June through September. (888) 247-9811. Live music, beer, soft drinks and food on the square downtown. Concerts run until about 9:30PM.
• Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands: July 15-18, 2010 and October 21-24, 2010. Asheville Civic Center. (828) 298-7928. Exhibits and demonstrations of basket weaving, wood working, pottery and more. Events include live regional music. Tickets $7
• Summer Evening Concerts at Biltmore House: Julne - October 2010. Experience the exhilaration of a live concert at Biltmore. Enjoy star performances on the South Terrace, while savoring breathtaking sunset views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. See www.biltmore.com or call 1-800-411-3812 for more information.
• Bele Chere: Asheville. (828) 259-5800 Annual 3-day festival. July 23-25, 2010. The outdoor street festival showcases entertainers from around the world. The 100 performances are performed on nine stages. Arts and crafts sold at the festival.
• Folkmoot USA International Festival: Folk dancers from around the world gather in Waynesville (35 minutes west of Asheville) for a celebration of international traditions and dance. July 22-August 1, 2010. (828) 452-2997 (877)FOLK-USA
• Brevard Music Festival: Located in Brevard (44 miles from Asheville). (888) 384-8682. Performances daily from June 25 - August 8, 2010. Allow 1½ to 3 hours for visit. Prices vary.
• 83rd Annual Mountain Dance & Folk Festival: August 5-7, 2010. Diana Wortham Theatre, Downtown Asheville. (828) 257-4530. The oldest continuing celebration of traditional music and dance in the nation featuring traditional Southern Appalachian performers. Tickets $10-20.
• Village Art & Craft Fair: August 7-8, 2010. Held on the grounds of the Cathedral of all Souls in Biltmore Village the fair features 125 artists’ wares including jewelry, ceramic, wood, fiber, metals, two-dimensional art and more. Free.
• Flower Carpet: August 20 - September 12, 2010. Discover our dramatic, one-of-a-kind flower carpet this August. Biltmore's garden experts are weaving together thousands of colorful plants into a vivid living carpet on the South Terrace of Biltmore House.
• Goombay Festival: August 27 - 29, 2010. Goombay! brings a variety of entertainment, from Steel Drums, African-America Dancers, local Gospel Groups, and Contemporary Rhythm Bands, the activities are geared for families. The Festival-goer can enjoy an authentic Caribbean Meal at "Island of Delight" Caf and see vendors line the streets with everything from ice cream to Third World Crafts. Free
• Lexington Ave. Arts and Fun Festival: September 5, 2010: This fantastically fabulous, freaky jam-packed day will showcase the many diverse talents that Asheville has to offer. Three blocks of downtown will be lined with all local art, food, beer and street performers. Three stages and two courtyards of music and performance. 11am – 10pm on N. Lexington Ave between College Street and the I-240 overpass in downtown Asheville. Free
• N.C. Mountain State Fair: October 14-24, 2010. WNC Agricultural center, Fletcher. 687-1414
• Asheville Film Festival: 2010 dates to be announced. Showcasing the works of independent filmmakers from across the nation. See local newspaper publications for featured shows, times and locations.
• National Gingerbread House Competition: November 17, 2010 – January 10, 2011. Grove Park Inn Resort
• Biltmore Estate Candlelight Christmas; November 5, 2010 – January 1, 2011. Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC.
(800) 624-1575.

Tours and Sightseeing

Asheville Urban Trail – An art museum without walls. If you love art and history, you don't want to miss walking Asheville's Urban Trail, a 1.7 mile walking tour through the streets of downtown Asheville. Asheville's history and past are told through 30 stops, each with public sculpture which function as landmarks along the Urban Trail.
Asheville Trolley Tours - Site-see Asheville in style. Tours depart from the Visitor's Center.
Biltmore Estate - The most famous attraction in Asheville, the Biltmore House, once home to the Vanderbilt family, is now open for the public to tour this luxurious castle and grounds.
Carl Sandburg Home - A National Historic Site, this 10,000 square foot antebellum home is where Carl Sandburg, nationally renowned poet and author, lived with his family from 1945 until his death in 1967.
Great Smokey Mountain Railway - Offering short day trips, gourmet dinners in the club car, and suspenseful and entertaining mystery theatre dinners (by reservation only).
Historic Riverside Cemetery - Riverside Cemetery offers visitors a unique journey into Asheville’s past.
Smith-McDowell House - The oldest surviving structure in Asheville, this museum features special history exhibits, rooms recreating different time periods and seasonal displays that vary throughout the year.
The Health Adventure - Asheville's family health and science museum.
Thomas Wolfe Memorial - This memorial features a visitor’s center with exhibits as well as the "Old Kentucky Home", the novelist's boyhood home memorialized in his novel Look Homeward Angel.