Eight Ways to Celebrate the Season
Eight Ways to Celebrate the Season: From spending time outdoors to eating good food and shopping local, here are some of our best tips for festive fun
The Aboretum's Winter Lights are a great family-friendly holiday excursion. Photograph by Cami Calnan.
1. Enjoy the bright lights
Although the sun sets a bit earlier this month, Western North Carolina stays well lit with festive light shows. Featuring over one million lights, the North Carolina Arboretum hosts its 11th annual Winter Lights event, where guests can walk the gardens and grounds and sip hot cocoa while viewing extraordinary luminary displays. In the High Country, Chetola Resort is offering a drive-thru Festival of Lights featuring multiple festive scenes made from light fixtures. And out west, take a ride through Bryson City’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Light Spectacular, which features all-new displays this year. Proceeds from the drive-thru light show are donated to local charities.
Hit the slopes (or the ice) at Sugar Mountain Resort. Photograph courtesy of Sugar Mountain.
2. Move around…
Beech Mountain Resort is open with limited hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, perfect for the outdoorsy folks looking to hit the slopes. Sugar Mountain Resort is also operating over the holiday season, and guests can also go tubing, ice skating, and snowshoeing. For those looking to enjoy nature but not be active, try pitching your tent. Asheville’s Pack Square is hosting its 11th annual New Year’s Resolution Run with 5k and 10k options.
Tennent Mounain provides excellent views of the winter sky. Photograph by Tom Moors.
3. …or just get outside!
Check out WNC’s Guide to Winter Camping, full of tips from preeminent outdoorsman and author Randy Johnson. The Ursids Meteor Shower will peak over WNC on December 21-22, so stargazing is a great way to celebrate the community. Go for a polar plunge to ring in the new year, like the second annual Luftee Leap in Cherokee.
*Be sure to use common sense, and adhere to all safety precautions when camping, stargazing, or jumping into cold water. Winter weather can be extreme, so use caution when acting independently.
White Horse Holiday Market (left) is filled with small town charm; Local Cloth's Blue Ridge Blanket Project offerings (right) can now be found online. Photographs (left) courtesy of White Horse, (right) courtesy of Blue Ridge Blankets.
4. Shop for local gifts
One of the best ways to support Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene is to shop local. There are a variety of farmers market style shopping opportunities around the region, including the White Horse Holiday Market in Black Mountain and The Bascom’s Holiday Market. Looking to stay cozy while you shop? Check out Love Asheville from Afar and Shop WNC, two platforms created to help you connect with regional makers. Want something curated? Our Local Gift Guide highlights 50 of our favorite products for everyone on your list.
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue's (left) facility was destroyed during Helene, but the nonprofit continues to rebuild; Helene Rebuild Collaborative (right), one of the first charities to form in response to the hurricane, distributes food, water, and other important needs to the community. Photographs courtesy of nonprofits.
5. Give back
Appalachian Community Relief is offering many opportunities to help make their operation a success through the holiday season—the nonprofit supports the community by supplying urgent materials to those in need. Modelface Comedy is hosting multiple Comedy for Community shows throughout Asheville that benefit various nonprofits like Helpmate and Brother Wolf Animal Shelter. We’ve also got an extensive list of nonprofits helping the community recover from Hurricane Helene.
Popular Asheville cocktail bars like Tiki Easy (left) and Golden Pineapple (right) transform for the holidays. Photographs courtesy of establishments.
6. Dine at local restaurants
Most restaurants close up for the holidays, but The Blackbird in Asheville is serving up a classy nine-course Christmas dinner. There’s also a number of holiday pop-ups serving themed bites and cocktails, like Miracle at the Golden Pineapple and Tiki Easy Bar’s Sippin’ Santa. Gamekeeper Restaurant, a fine dining establishment nestled between Boone and Blowing Rock, is open for business between December 26-31.
Stick Boy Bread Company (left) offers tasty cakes and bakes this season, as does Baxley's Chocolates (right). Photographs courtesy of establishments.
7. Try some sweet treats
Stick Boy Bread Co. in Boone and Baxley’s Chocolates in Sylva are serving tasty holiday treats up until Christmas Eve; be sure to place an order ahead of time to save your pick. At the Hickory Museum of Art, adults can build their own ginger bread houses for a fun food experience.
Share a bite with friends and family this season. Photograph by Rachel McIntosh.
8. Host your loved ones
Nothing says holiday cheer like time with friends & family. Here are our top tips for throwing a festive fete, with help from local experts. Not sure what to serve? Try a recipe from a distinctly Appalachian cookbook for authentic, homestyle recipes. Cheers to the holiday season with a festive cocktail from The Cut Cocktail Lounge’s recipe book.