Top 10 Family Activities in Asheville

By Guest Blogger Jaime McKee

Heading to Asheville with the fam?  Don’t miss out on these fun top 10 family activities in Asheville, North Carolina!

You can spend a week in Asheville, NC and not see everything worth seeing. Here we take a look at ten things worth checking out (and many of these are free!)

1. Head downtown. Eat local. There are many local restaurants in downtown Asheville and every one of them are good. As of this writing, I ate at Lafayette on Lexington Avenue. It’s owned by the same people who own Bouchon, and had been open for 5 days when my group took over their dining room on a Saturday night. It was fabulous Cajun food that you should taste.

2. Check out the street performers. Asheville has a vibrant arts and music scene, and the street performers should NOT be missed. (It’s also difficult to miss them. They take up a lot of the corners in downtown Asheville.)

3. Woolworth Walk – This Woolworth store is mainly an art gallery with local artists’ work, but they also house an old fashioned soda fountain – and they serve fantastic ice cream.

4. French Broad Chocolate Lounge – The Chocolate Lounge moved to a larger space and you can still expect a long wait most nights. The wait is worth it. Find truffles, chocolate drinks (chocolate beer!), cake, brownies, and the list goes on.

5. The drum circle. You don’t have to play the drums to be part of the fun. This happens every Friday night in Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville. It happens very organically and people from all over will enjoy the music, dancing, hula hooping. People start gathering around 5 p.m. and it continues into the night.

6. Biltmore – You can’t come to Asheville without visiting the largest private residence in the United States. This really requires an entire day, especially if you want to enjoy the wine tasting, dinner or shopping in Antler Hill Village. In the spring, enjoy Festival of Flowers and during the summer, you can enjoy their summer concert series. The colors are beautiful in the fall and winter doesn’t disappoint with Christmas at Biltmore.

7. Shindig on the Green – Almost every Saturday during the summer from 7-10 p.m., enjoy a stage show and informal jam sessions around Pack Square Park. Shindig is organized by the Folk Heritage Committee and is a free show. Bring your lawn chair or blanket!

8. Blue Ridge Parkway – If you’re up for a short hike or a longer day hike, or just a drive through the mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway has you covered. Their website has information by milepost.

9. River Arts District – Many artists open their studios to visitors and you can find a lot of Asheville’s artists in the River Arts District. Again, check their website for maps of the buildings, the artists you’ll find and the type of art.

10. LaZoom Comedy Tour – Hop on the bus and get a quick, informative and hilarious tour of historic Asheville. As a local, I’ve gone on this tour three times and have loved it every time. (Not for young ears, so be sure to find a babysitter for the ones.) Buy your tickets in advance because the tours tend to sell out.

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Jamie is a 30-something-year-old living in Asheville, NC with her husband, toddler boy and cat. She’s a girl of many trades; she runs, crafst, sews and so much more. Check out her blog here: http://lovejaime.com/