The leaves are starting to change, signaling that it’s time to start enjoying all the best things about fall. State fair fun, leaf-peeping cruises, and so much more are all coming up fast, so it’s time to begin planning your itinerary. Need help figuring out just where to enjoy the very best fall activities in Asheville, North Carolina? Simply use this guide to see what’s coming up, and then put each event on your calendar to enjoy in the coming weeks.
Get Your Grub on at the Asheville Chow-Chow Culinary Festival
While the Asheville Chow-Chow Culinary Festival started on June 27th, the fun doesn’t end until September 26th. Throughout the final month, this collection of culinary events offers tons of opportunities to celebrate everything you love about food.
Events coming up soon include:
- Forest as Farm: Flight and bite style dining while enjoying a talk about sustainable forest farming
- Sustainable Waters: Seafood tasting feast while taking an in-depth look at the fishing industry
- Chef J Chong Cook-Along: Virtual Cantonese cooking demonstration built for following along
- Recipes from Rabbit’s Motel: Sample two to three popular dishes served at Rabbit’s Motel
- Food Stories: Five-course meal and cocktail hour to experience the Chef’s stories through food
You can sign up for each event separately to go on a culinary journey, unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
Have a Blast at the Mountain State Fair
The Mountain State Fair kicks off on September 10th and runs through the 19th, giving you plenty of chances for fun and excitement. You can start the festivities by going on all your favorite rides, like the Pirate Ship, Fireball, and Super Slide.
After that, fuel up by enjoying tantalizingly delicious fair food, including candied apples, roasted corn, and elephant ears galore. Then, it’s time for games, live music, livestock shows, and community competitions.
Experience Autumn at Oz at Beech Mountain
The magic of Oz at Beech Mountain gets an autumn spin through all the rest of the weekends in September. At the much-anticipated Autumn at Oz Festival, you get to meet with all the characters as you travel the yellow brick road plus watch their incredible live performances.
Also, you can get amazing views on the Scenic Chairlift Ride and the Over the Rainbow Observation Deck. Just be sure to leave enough time to enjoy tasty food and drinks plus browse all the local arts and crafts booths for souvenirs.
Go to the Mountain Life Festival in the Great Smoky Mountains
If you’d like to experience the joys and hardships of mountain life, plan a trip to the Mountain Life Festival on September 18th. At the Mountain Farm Museum in the Great Smoky Mountains, you’ll get to see how to make apple butter and apple cider, preserve food, and cook on a hearth.
Then, you can try your hand at all the trades, like blacksmithing, lye soap making, broom making, and quilting. All along the way, you’ll get an in-depth look at the history and culture of the Smokies and its people.
Take a Drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Peep Fall Foliage
If you love peeping the leaves as they turn from green to gold, orange, and red, then a cruise down the Blue Ridge Parkway is definitely the way to go. Whether you travel its full 469 miles or just a short section, you’ll get to gaze in awe at a quilt of colors as the American Elm, Black Cherry, Mountain Ash, and many other trees turn colors.
If you’re up to it, you can stop at the overlooks, hike the trails, and even have a picnic to immerse yourself in the beauty of the forest. Watch your surroundings carefully as you venture out, as the black bears and other wildlife will be busy getting ready for the winter ahead.
Visit the Biltmore to See the Fall Flowers in Bloom
From September through October, the garden grounds at the Biltmore light up in a fantastic array of colors from all the fall blooms. From fields of sunflowers to carefully curated gardens full of chrysanthemums, everyone’s favorite flowers make for a magnificent display all season long.
You can view them by simply strolling through the gardens or go on a full trip along the trails. There are over 20 miles of trails to explore, in fact, giving you plenty of chances to see all the best views around the estate.
Get Apples, Pumpkins, and More at Grandad’s Apples N’ Such
Through the fall season, you can get your fill of apples, pumpkins, and so much more at Grandad’s Apples N’ Such. At their 100-acre farm and apple orchard, it’s possible to buy all the best apple varieties picked fresh from the tree that day, including Mutsu, Winecrisp, and Gold Rush.
If you’d like something a little fancier, they have apple cider donuts, caramel apples, apple cider, and all the other delicious apple treats you could want in their farm store. If pumpkins are more your jam, pick out your favorites in the field, and then explore the corn maze and take a ride on the cow train.
Additional Asheville Activities Through Autumn
Other Asheville fall activities to enjoy include:
- Head out on a wild foraging trip with No Taste Like Home through fall
- Take a spin at the Autumn in the Mountains Car Show on September 25th
- Browse all the beautiful Asheville Art in the Park creations on October 2nd, 9th, and 16th
- Seek out the spookiest sights on the Haunted LaZoom Tour all season long
- Enjoy the fall colors from Above with Navitat Canopy Adventures anytime you want
No matter how you choose to enjoy the fall, you’re sure to have a blast as you explore all the best Asheville has to offer.
As you enjoy all the best fall activities in Asheville, North Carolina, be sure to take tons of photos of your adventures. That way, you can look back on your amazing memories well after all the leaves hit the ground and the snowflakes start to come your way.
