We hope you got to experience the rare total solar eclipse in western North Carolina on August 21, 2017. We spent the day at PARI (Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute) deep in Pisgah National Forest near Lake Toxaway and Brevard. More than 1,…
April 12-14, 2024
Go to the NC Arboretum to step into a lush, tropical world at the Asheville Orchid Festival. Hundreds of orchids will fill the Education Center of the Arboretum in this show, which is one of the largest in the…Downtown Asheville boasts a colorful and eclectic mix of architecture. Styles include Neoclassical, Romanesque Revival, Art Deco, Beaux Arts, Gothic and Spanish Renaissance, with buildings and monuments designed by greats such as Douglas D.…
If you love art festivals in Asheville and the surrounding small towns in our Blue Ridge Mountains, this is for you! The western North Carolina art scene is booming, and we are consistently voted one of the biggest art destinations in the country…
June 8, 15, 22, 2024 and October 5, 12, 19, 2024
Area artists gather on six Saturdays to show and sell their creations at the Art in the Park outdoor market at Pack Square in the middle of downtown Asheville. It runs 10 AM-5 PM each day.…The challenging Art Loeb Trail is a 30-mile hiking trail located in Pisgah National Forest. The northern end is at the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp near Cold Mountain, while the trail's southern end is near the Davidson River Campground, near…
Western North Carolina is home to thousands of world-class artists who draw daily inspiration from living in our scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. Come meet them and see their work! Creating drive-able trails for 25 Western North Carolina counties…
February 16-18, 2024
For the past 30+ years, Arts and Crafts enthusiasts, including new collectors, veterans, curators, craftspersons, authors, builders, architects, designers, editors, and bungalow owners, have traveled to The Omni Grove…The Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) Terminal makes a trip to the North Carolina mountains very easy and convenient. The terminal has seven gates, so there's very little walking and nearby parking. It's one of the fastest growing airports in the…
Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses over half a million acres, making it the largest national park in the East. A scenic auto tour of the park offers panoramic views, tumbling mountain streams, weathered historic buildings and…
To take a road less traveled, drive to Balsam Mountain via the Heintooga Ridge Road that starts at the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 458.2, just 11 miles from the south end of the Parkway. (Not to be confused with Black Balsam Knob, 38 miles…
This group of 100 auditioned singers have been inspiring audiences since 1977 with choral music performed at the highest artistic level at three concerts each season.
Completed in 1909, the Basilica of St. Lawrence D.M. is one of Asheville's architectural treasures and spiritual anchors. Designed by Rafael Gustavino and Richard Sharpe Smith, renowned architects of the Biltmore House, this Catholic church has…
Beacon Heights is a short one-mile round-trip hike at Milepost 305.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway offering a big pay-off with spectacular views from several rock platforms that you can explore safely. It's a best-kept secret for sure since most…
With so many remote areas in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests to explore, the U.S. Forest Service reminds visitors to practice simple steps to avoid black bear encounters. Bear sightings, while infrequent, are more common in spring. …
Bearwallow Mountain is just 19 miles from downtown Asheville, on the way to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure (near Gerton). It's also just 16 miles from downtown Hendersonville and 10 miles from Chimney Rock and the Hickory Nut Gorge. Thanks to the…
The Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is a wonderful wildlife oasis in the very busy north Asheville area. It is a great spot for a evening walk or morning birding expedition. Walk a 3/8-mile boardwalk through a wetland area and by the lake, complete…
The village of Beech Mountain, the highest town in Eastern America (5,506 feet), is an ideal winter vacation spot in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. An average snowfall of 63 inches creates a wonderland for skiing, snowboarding,…