Last Updated on April 17, 2023
Even with bright and cheery holiday music playing, it can be hard to get into the Christmas spirit when you’re wandering around a barren strip mall parking lot in your SUV.
Celebrate Christmas the way you were meant to: walking through a gingerbread village while sporting a jaunty scarf and natty winter coat! Biltmore Village, located just south of Downtown Asheville, is such a place. There, you can join other holiday shoppers in enjoying decorative window displays, indulging in sweet treats, and supporting local artisans and business owners.
Here are three of the many reasons you should celebrate Christmas in Biltmore Village this year.
You can do all your shopping
Find great gifts for everyone on your shopping list without having to drive all over town! From national brands like Chico’s, lululemon, and Jos. A. Banks, shopping abounds here! For the locally minded, there are also long-time favorites like Old World Christmas Shoppe. They have a huge selection of gifts, collectibles, home accents, and ornaments from all over the world!
The curious and familiar alike are always in for a surprise at Village Antiques at Biltmore, in operation on Biltmore Avenue for more than 30 years. And Biltmore Village is one of our favorite places to shop for local art. We always love visiting galleries and boutiques like New Morning Gallery for a variety of locally made art and craft goods, “from earrings and coffee mugs to fine furniture and beautiful paintings.”
It’s easy to treat yourself
While you’re out shopping, don’t forget to stay fueled up and treat yourself. Biltmore Village is home to many great restaurants and local breweries. Start your day with a hot cup of joe and a decadent pastry at Well-Bred Bakery, voted by locals as a “Best of WNC” location. Or take a break for lunch at Corner Kitchen, Andaaz, or Village Wayside Bar & Grille. For some local libations, visit Hi-Wire Brewing’s “Big Top” location. Or you can tour Sweeten Creek Road for Catawba Brewing Company, Hillman Beer, 7 Clans Brewing, or the popular Burial Beer Forestry Camp, located down London Road.
Do you get stressed out around the holidays? Biltmore Village has something for that, too! Located within the heart of the Grand Bohemian Hotel, which itself sits at the heart of Biltmore Village, Poseidon Spa offers an intimate and tranquil atmosphere in a luxurious setting. Enjoy a range of soothing treatments, like body scrubs and wraps. Many are performed with Asheville-made products.
You’re surrounded by Christmas events
Technically, you have to traverse a three-mile driveway to get from the main gate to the palatial Biltmore House. But the historic architecture of Biltmore Village sets the tone for your journey. In 1889, George W. Vanderbilt purchased the area now known as Biltmore Village, christening it a “company town” for the estate’s workers. The community was planned and designed to reflect the qualities of an English country village, including its defining “look” of stucco pebbledash and dark beams. And for more than 30 years, they have hosted an annual Dickens Festival each December, to the delight of participants of all ages.
The Biltmore House famously does Christmas like nowhere else. Every room in the house is “beautifully bedecked with Christmas trees, ribbons, garlands, and thousands of twinkling lights.” And candlelight evenings feature live choirs alongside roaring fireplaces. At the center of it all is the 35-foot tall Banquet Hall Christmas tree, delivered by Santa himself on horse-drawn carriage!
Celebrate every day living in Biltmore Village!
Biltmore Village is a small commercial and residential district at the entrance to the Biltmore Estate. But it has a big history! The village was created as a “company town” for the estate workers in the late nineteenth century. And the community was designed to reflect the qualities of an English country village. Biltmore Village is now entirely incorporated into the city of Asheville, and contains an eclectic collection of galleries, restaurants, and both local and national retail shops.
Does that sound like the perfect lifestyle for you? Find your dream home in Biltmore Village now!
