Tag Archives: Candlelight Christmas

Weaverville’s Candlelight Stroll returns

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Weaverville Christmas Candlelight Stroll carolers

Weaverville Christmas Candlelight Stroll carolers

Old-fashioned holiday fun is returning Dec. 7 with the Weaverville Candlelight Christmas Stroll. The immensely popular event is a free celebration of music, treats, and small-town shopping experience, focused on Weaverville’s historic downtown on Main Street.

Entertainment will be provided by the Montford Park Players, Southern Connection Cloggers, Asheville Choral Society, North Buncombe Middle School Band, Weaverville Dance Academy, and Sweet Adelines. Sponsors include Inn on Main Street bed and breakfast.

Other attractions include horse-and-buggy rides, a tree-lighting ceremony starring Santa Claus, and free hot chocolate. Local shops will be open and hosting strolling carolers, actors and other entertainers.

 

Grove Park Inn opens gingerbread display

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Edible architecture is again on display at the Grove Park Inn, which is exhibiting its annual gingerbread competition entries through Jan. 2.

As in years past, those who aren’t guests of the Asheville inn are allowed to visit on weekdays only. Staff there looked the other way, though, when guests of Inn on Main Street bed and breakfast went over on a Saturday or Sunday. This year, however, the inn said it was enforcing its guests-only policy on weekends. I’m not sure how they tell a guest from a non-guest, so you might wear a bathrobe so you appear to be heading from your room to the spa. Just kidding!

Another development that has locals upset is that the Grove Park Inn will charge non-guests $10-15 for parking this year. All the more reason to take the Asheville Trolley and jump off for an hour to take in the sights.

While you’re here to see the gingerbread, why not visit the Biltmore Estate for Candlelight Christmas tours? Adding the mystical reservation-only tour costs $20 on top of our two-day $55 pass, for a total of $75 per person. We have lots of openings here in Weaverville between now and New Year. You can book online if you like.

Christmas comes to Biltmore Estate

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Citizen-Times photo of horses bringing the banquest hall tree

Horses bring the big Christmas tree for the banquet hall to the Biltmore Estate Thursday. Photo by Bill Sanders, Asheville Citizen-Times

 

It’s officially Christmas at the Biltmore Estate, now that even the big trees are in place and decorated. We’ve been busy booking Candlelight Christmas tours for our guests arriving on Nov. 9 or later, but there are still a lot of openings at Inn on Main Street, and plenty of spots for evening tours at the Biltmore.

Our Candlelight Christmas Tour packages are a particularly good deal. The cost for the reservation-only evening tour is only $20 extra on top of the cost of our regular discounted two-day ticket, which is $55. At $75 total, that means two days of visits, plus the mystical evening tour, for less than the gate cost of the evening tour alone.

And there’s still a lot happening in Weaverville and Asheville during the holiday season, not least of which is fantastic gift shopping for unique arts and crafts.

Another reason to think of Inn on Main Street at Christmas is that we offer gift certificates with no markup. It’s easy to buy an entire package for Mom and Dad, and let them pick the date. Or buy a certificate for a certain amount and let them choose the package as well as the dates. Best of all, if they use it from January through March (except Valentine’s weekend), they will get the third night free or half off the cost of their second night. That’s a great way to leverage your Christmas budget.

 

Christmas season returns to Asheville

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OK, so nobody wants to be overwhelmed by Christmas come-ons in early November. But our Inn on Main Street guests apparently are eager to feel the seasonal glow.

We’ve helped about a dozen couples obtain tickets to the Biltmore Estate Candlelight Christmas tours, and the season just started last weekend. The tickets we sell are a bargain, just $70 combined with a daytime pass good for two days. The Biltmore folks have made the tour extra fun this year by continuing the Tiffany exhibit through the end of the year. Our guests have been marveling over the work of the famed artist best know for his stained glass.

This week, the Grove Park Inn also begins its annual National Christmas Gingerbread House competition.  Our guests can see the entries Sunday through Thursday. The inn is offering guided tours this year as well.

Many of our guests do their Christmas shopping at on of our Weaverville galleries, the Folk Art Center or at local studio strolls. In a world flooded with trendy electronics and flimsy foreign-made gift items, it’s refreshing to get a mug or bowl or watercolor crafted by an Appalachian artist.

And sometimes getting away is a great gift to ourselves. There’s nothing like a comfy bed, beautiful mountain views and a great breakfast cooked by someone else. We’ll leave the light on for you.