What to Do In Asheville, NC
Business or pleasure? At the DIY Tourism and Local Marketing Workshop, you get the best of both worlds.
Asheville has so much to offer. From being dubbed a four-time winner of the Beer City USA poll, one of the best dog-friendly vacation spots in the U.S., a top spot for a weekend family getaway, and much more, our city’s accolades seem endless.
That’s why you’re going to want to add on a few extra hours (or even days!) when you’re in town for the DIY Tourism and Local Marketing Workshop — just trust us. These are a few of our favorite things to do in Asheville, North Carolina.
Top Attractions
Biltmore
Feel like royalty for a day at this 1895 French Renaissance castle built by George W. Vanderbilt. Explore the 8,000-acre estate, including the 250-room Biltmore House, 75 acres of beautiful gardens, the nation’s most-visited winery, shopping, dining, four-star accommodations, hiking trails, and more for a bucket list vacation to remember for a lifetime.
Asheville Art Museum
Check out the many galleries of 20th and 21st-century American art in the sleek $24 million state-of-the-art building that added 70% more gallery space. Plus, it now has the capacity to host major traveling exhibitions from nationally recognized museums.
Orange Peel / Rabbit Rabbit
The Orange Peel is a downtown Asheville live music club (101 Biltmore Avenue) that features state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment rarely found in a club of its size. Rabbit Rabbit is a new outdoor music venue that’s a collaboration between Asheville Brewing Company and the Orange Peel, offering a fun outdoor gathering space for a variety of events.
Recreation & Nature
Craggy Pinnacle
This short mile-high hike offers huge rewards. It’s only a 1.4-mile round-trip hike to the top of the 5,892-ft. summit, Craggy Pinnacle. at Craggy Gardens. The exceptional panoramic 360-degree views are hard to beat in Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The hiking trail goes through tunnels of rhododendron, gnarled sweet birch trees, and wildflowers.
NC Arboretum
Surrounded by the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, the NC Arboretum is one of the most beautiful natural garden settings in America. The 434-acre campus in Pisgah National Forest is the ideal place for a sensory-rich stroll or hike while admiring and learning about our natural wonders.
WNC Nature Center
See wildlife up close just a few miles from downtown Asheville! The Western North Carolina Nature Center is a 42-acre wildlife park that provides a home for injured, orphaned, or imprinted animals that could not survive on their own.
Food & Drink
New Belgium Brewing
This well-known perched above the French Broad River offers year-round and current seasonal offerings on tap. Soak in the views from the cantilevered deck perched above the new greenway and French Broad River. Local food trucks will offer a variety of fare and an event lawn hosts bike-in movies and other outdoor fun.
Cúrate
A downtown Asheville staple for over a decade, Cúrate can’t seem to keep its name out of the limelight. A celebration of authentic Spanish cuisine, Cúrate won the James Beard award for Outstanding Hospitality this year. If you can get a reservation, we highly recommend not missing this gem!
12 Bones Smokehouse
Enjoy the Southern style, slow-smoked barbecue, and scratch-made sides while they last at their original location at 5 Foundy Street in the River Arts District. Or take a trip to South Asheville to their other newer location, which doubles as a brewery.
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