VIDEO Fun stuff to do around Asheville on Christmas weekend

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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It’s the weekend before Christmas, and all through Asheville…there’s a lot of stuff to do! If you’re looking for excitement and adventure this holiday weekend, look no further than our Top 6 things to do. And read on for our special giveaway for High Five Coffee + Asheville GritVegas swag.

Top 6 Ways to Enjoy your Christmas Weekend

(in no particular order)

—Catch seven days of classic Christmas movies at Asheville Pizza and Brewing (675 Merrimon Ave.), including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

—Check out some live music. We recommend seeing Jane Kramer with Free Planet Radio and Billy Cardine at the Altamont (one of the beloved venue’s final shows before it closes at year’s end) or Holiday Swing Music with Queen Bee and the Honeylovers at Isis Music Hall.

—Take a winter hike. Here are a few of our top spots:

– Moore Cove Falls: This 1.5-mile round-trip hike takes you to a 50-ft waterfall that you can walk underneath and behind. Easy.

– Rattlesnake Lodge Hiking Trail: Classic 1.4 mile hike to an old home site right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. 2 access points. Easy to medium.

– Mt. Pisgah: One of the area’s most famous hikes takes you to the top of Mt. Pisgah for unparalleled views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. 1.5 miles each way. Strenuous.

– Wildcat Rock Hike (Little Bearwallow Trail): This newer hike on the scene (it opened to the public in 2017) takes hikers past a waterfall, rock climbing spot, and fabulous views over      3 miles (6 miles roundtrip) and 1,800 feeet of elevation gain. Challenging.

—Have a Christmas cocktail at a local bar. We recommend:

– Miracle, MG Road’s holiday pop-up bar

– Little Jumbo

– The Times (in the S&W building)

—Shop local to finish getting your holiday gifts. Downtown Asheville shops, and shops along Haywood Road in West Asheville, are a great place to start.

—Bonus: Take a selfie in your best holiday getup and post it to Instagram using the hashtag #GritVegasXmas. We’ll pick our favorite after the holiday weekend and will give one lucky winner a $10 gift card to High Five Coffee and some GritVegas swag!