Seasonal Sizzle Fireworks: Holiday magic will literally be in the air as the night sky over Asheville sparkles during Seasonal Sizzle. Firework displays choreographed to Christmas music favorites will light up the night on Saturdays at 7 p.m. in December. Dates: Dec. 5, 12, 19 at 7 p.m. FREE Santa on the Chimney: To ready himself for clambering down chimneys across the world, Santa will practice on 315-foot Chimney Rock. Santa will rappel down the 535 million-year-old rock face and then head back to the top to do it all over again. Mrs. Claus will greet children and oversee the festivities.
Dates: Dec. 5 & Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. FREE with park admission Warren Haynes Christmas Jam: Rock legend Warren Haynes returns to his hometown bringing along his friends for the 21st annual Warren Haynes Xmas Jam for charity, featuring Counting Crows, Ani DiFranco, Gov’t Mule and more. This year, the jam will toast the holidays with its first official Christmas Jam White Ale brewed locally by Asheville Brewing Company.
Date: Dec. 12 from 7 – 11:45 p.m. National Gingerbread House Competition & Display: Culinary contestants from across the country will bring their edible masterpieces to The Grove Park Inn this holiday season. Delight in the imagination shown in these sugar-and-spice creations. Strolling through the competition display is a sure way to be swept up in the holiday spirit. Check out the new behind-the-scenes gingerbread tour.
Dates: Nov. 18, 2009 to Jan. 3, 2010 FREE New! Legendary Inns Gingerbread Tour: Take a holiday trolley tour to four of Asheville’s historic bed & breakfast inns, all dressed in glittering lights and classically decorated for the holiday season. Each stop will feature an elaborate gingerbread house scene telling the story of the beloved poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Visitors will enjoy songs of the season, holiday treats and history as Asheville’s Grey Line Trolley carries them from inn to inn.
Dates: Saturdays, Nov. 7, 2009 — Jan. 2, 2010 at 5 p.m. Singing Santa & Asheville Holiday Parade: Grammy Award winner David Holt and Appalachian songstress Laura Boosinger will preside over the Asheville Holiday Parade as the grand procession winds through historic downtown. A local tradition for more than 60 years, parade highlights range from cultural to quirky. Always a favorite, Singing Santa croons from atop his float and later appears in Pritchard Park where kids can whisper their holiday wishes or drop a letter in the North Pole Express mailbox.
Date: Nov. 21 at 11 a.m. FREE Christmas at Biltmore: Holidays arrive at America’s largest home in style. More than a century ago, George Vanderbilt chose this magical season as the time to unveil his new home to family and friends. This year, Christmas at Biltmore promises more than 40 Christmas trees, miles of ribbon, garland, lights and holiday music.
Dates: Nov. 6, 2009 to Jan. 2, 2010 Biltmore Village Dickens Festival: Located just outside of Biltmore Estate, historic Biltmore Village transforms into a quaint Victorian village on the first weekend of December. Horse-drawn carriages will trot along classically decorated cobblestone streets as carolers, storytellers and instrumentalists stroll the village in period costumes. Enjoy fresh-roasted chestnuts, live music performances and excerpts from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol performed by the Montford Park Players.
Dates: Dec. 4-6 FREE | 