Christmas in Asheville 2026: Lights, Markets, Parades & Holiday Events

Christmas in Asheville has two big anchors: Christmas at Biltmore, where Biltmore House and Antler Hill Village are decorated and lit from November 3 into the new year, and Winter Lights, more than a million lights along a mile-long trail at The North Carolina Arboretum. Around them you'll find the downtown Holiday Parade, an outdoor ice rink at Asheville Yards, the National Gingerbread House Competition display at The Omni Grove Park Inn, The Big Crafty and the Folk Art Center's holiday markets, three productions of The Nutcracker, and Christmas nights in nearby Hendersonville, Waynesville, Weaverville and Black Mountain.

We checked every date, time and price below against each event's own 2026 page, most recently on November 9. All times are Eastern. The guide is split into lights and displays, tree lightings and ice skating, holiday markets, parades, Santa and small-town Christmas nights, theater and The Nutcracker, and holiday concerts, with a Thanksgiving weekend plan and answers to the questions people ask most.

Christmas 2026 in Asheville at a Glance

• All season: Christmas at Biltmore (November 3 to January 10), Winter Lights (November 13 to January 3), the National Gingerbread House Competition display (November 17 to January 3) and the Holiday Ice Rink at Asheville Yards (November 20 to January 18)
• Friday, November 20: Light the Night, the Christmas tree lighting in downtown Waynesville
• November 21-22: the Asheville Holiday Parade downtown on Saturday morning, and the Marshall Handmade Market all weekend
• Tuesday, November 24: A John Denver Christmas at the Wortham Center
• Friday, November 27: Hendersonville's Holiday Tree Lighting, the first night of the Winter Wonder Walk, and A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas opens
• Saturday, November 28: the Grove Arcade Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party downtown and A Candlelight Christmas with Erick Baker
• December 3-6: Deck the Trees opens across the Swannanoa Valley, Handel's Messiah at Brevard Music Center, Olde Fashioned Christmas in Hendersonville, Holly Jolly in Black Mountain, Yuletide Candlelight with the Asheville Choral Society, The Nutcracker & the Mouse King, Frozen opens at Asheville Community Theatre, and on Saturday, December 5, The Big Crafty, the first Santa on the Chimney, the first Holiday Sale Market at the Folk Art Center, and Christmas parades in Weaverville and Hendersonville
• Monday, December 7: Waynesville's Hometown Heritage Christmas Parade and the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra Winter Concert
• December 11-13: the Weaverville Candlelight Stroll on Friday, The Asheville Ballet's Nutcracker, Bill Kirchen's Honky Tonk Holiday Show at The Grey Eagle on Sunday, and on Saturday, December 12, Santa on the Chimney's second day, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial's Victorian holiday open house and A Smoky Mountain Christmas Celebration in Waynesville
• December 15-20: the Christmas YARN Ball at The Grey Eagle, An Appalachian Christmas at Brevard Music Center, the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville's Nutcracker, Christmas in Appalachia in Black Mountain, the Asheville Symphony's Messiah on Saturday, December 19, and Story Time with Appalachian Santa on Sunday, December 20
• Wednesday, December 23: The Music of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at the Wortham Center

Christmas Lights and Holiday Displays

Christmas at Biltmore and Candlelight Christmas Evenings

Christmas at Biltmore runs November 3, 2026 to January 10, 2027 at Biltmore Estate. By day, the rooms of Biltmore House are decorated with Christmas trees, ribbons, garlands and thousands of lights. Candlelight Christmas Evenings (November 3 to January 9) add candlelight, fires in the fireplaces and live music, with a Norway spruce, luminaries and lit Christmas trees on the Front Lawn outside, a nod to the Vanderbilts' first Christmas in the house in 1895. Candlelight isn't offered on November 17, November 26 or December 24, and every Candlelight ticket also includes daytime admission to the grounds, gardens, Antler Hill Village and the Winery. Biltmore says midweek tickets cost up to $55 less than weekends, buying Biltmore House admission online saves $10 per ticket, and booking at least seven days ahead gets you the best price and your preferred time.

Antler Hill Village Illumination

Included with Biltmore admission, Antler Hill Village Illumination lights the trees, buildings and paths of Antler Hill Village every day from 5 p.m. to midnight, November 3, 2026 through February 15, 2027, with festive displays at the Winery, where tastings are complimentary.

Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum

Winter Lights returns to The North Carolina Arboretum from November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027, with more than a million lights along a one-mile trail through the gardens, live local music, cocoa and s'mores, and new scenes this year including "Forest Floor," "Beneath the Riverbed" and "Between Water and Woods." Gates open at 6 p.m., last entry is at 9, and you can stay until the show closes at 10. Tickets are priced per car, so everyone in your vehicle gets in for one price, in Value, Standard and Peak tiers depending on the date. Peak dates sell out, and tickets bought at the gate (7 to 9 p.m., only if space allows) cost $10 to $15 more. Our Winter Lights guide covers tickets, the trolley and what to expect.

The National Gingerbread House Competition

The 34th National Gingerbread House Competition is judged on November 16 at The Omni Grove Park Inn, and the display of entries opens to visitors on Tuesday, November 17, and stays up through Sunday, January 3, 2027. It began in 1992 as a small display of houses made by locals and now draws bakers, pastry chefs, architects and families from across the country. From October through December the resort donates a portion of its parking proceeds to nonprofits in Buncombe County.

Winter Wonder Walk at the Adventure Center of Asheville

The 6th annual Winter Wonder Walk, created by Asheville Plays, runs on November 27, December 4-5 and December 11-13: a live-action story walk on an outdoor trail with live characters, twinkling lights, a quest to find Jack Frost and the Sugar Plum Fairy, and what the Adventure Center calls Asheville's largest snowball fight. The festival area opens at 6 p.m., the walk at 6:30, and the line closes at 8:30. A heated tent holds a holiday market of local vendors, a kids' play area, hot chocolate and treats, with small bonfires for s'mores and a food truck outside. Adults must come with anyone under 18. Combo passes add a Twilight in the Treetops night climb on November 27 and December 5 and 12, and those can sell out; walk-only tickets don't. Kids 10 and under who read 10 books and fill out the Adventure Center's Smitten with Books form get one free general admission.

Deck the Trees in the Swannanoa Valley

From December 3, 2026 to January 1, 2027, Deck the Trees puts dozens of decorated Christmas trees in participating businesses across the Swannanoa Valley, home to Black Mountain and Swannanoa, all on this year's theme, "Making Spirits Bright." Drop in during business hours, find the trees with the organizers' tree trail map or brochure, and vote for your favorites at $1 a vote, by QR code or in the donation box at each tree. Every dollar goes to the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry's Fuel Fund, which helps neighbors heat their homes. Now in its 16th year, Deck the Trees has raised more than $545,000 since 2011.

Tree Lightings and Ice Skating

Light the Night in Waynesville

Downtown Waynesville lights the Town's Christmas tree in front of Town Hall at Light the Night on Friday, November 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with live music, hot cocoa, cookies and caroling while downtown shops stay open late. You can adopt an Angel from the community Giving Tree to give Christmas gifts to Waynesville children in foster care.

Holiday Tree Lighting in Hendersonville

On Friday, November 27, from 5 to 8 p.m., Hendersonville's Holiday Tree Lighting gathers everyone on the Historic Courthouse Plaza to sing carols and sip hot cocoa until Santa arrives and flips the switch on the plaza tree and the lights along Main Street.

Grove Arcade Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party

The Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville throws its Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party on Saturday, November 28. The Southern Highland Craft Guild Holiday Market opens at 10 a.m., and the block party runs from 3 to 7 p.m. with the Asheville Ballet, the Bill Bares Jazz Trio, caroling by the Asheville Gay Men's Chorus, Santa Claus for photos, a DJ set by Rock the Disco Sound System, pop-up bars on Restaurant Row and a Letters to Santa craft station for kids.

Holiday Ice Rink at Asheville Yards

The Holiday Ice Rink at Asheville Yards is a real outdoor ice rink, open November 20, 2026 to January 18, 2027, with twinkling lights, holiday music, craft cocktails and hot chocolate, a weekly winter market and weekly theme nights. Sessions run 70 minutes and include skate rental: $15 on weekdays, and $20 to $25 on weekends and on holiday-pricing dates (December 21 to January 1, and January 18). Weekday sessions in November and early December start at 3, 4:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m. The rink is closed November 23 and 30, December 7 and 14, and Christmas Day, and closes early after the 4 p.m. session on Christmas Eve. Tuesdays are a half-price Locals Family Skate. Every skater needs a signed waiver, sessions often sell out, so buy online ahead, and getting into Asheville Yards is free if you're not skating.

Holiday Markets

The Big Crafty

The Big Crafty brings its holiday fair of independent artists and makers to Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville on December 5 and 6, from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is $10 on Saturday and free on Sunday. Our Big Crafty guide covers both of its yearly fairs.

Holiday Sale Markets at the Folk Art Center

The Southern Highland Craft Guild holds its annual Holiday Sale Markets on Saturdays, December 5 and December 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the auditorium of the Folk Art Center, at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Guild artists sell their own work at discounted prices, with a different group of makers each Saturday: ceramic tableware, hand-dyed and woven clothing, fine jewelry, wood-turned bowls, blown glass ornaments, journals and cards. Admission is free.

Marshall Handmade Market

The 16th annual Marshall Handmade Market, held the weekend before Thanksgiving, fills Marshall High Studios, a 1920s brick school on Blannahassett Island in the French Broad River, on November 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The suggested entrance fee is $5 per adult, with part of it going to Madison County nonprofits, and no one is turned away. Shuttles run all weekend from the Madison County A-B Tech campus and Marshall Ingles.

7th Avenue Christmas Farmers Market in Hendersonville

On Saturday, December 5, Hendersonville's farmers market puts on a Christmas edition with a Holiday Cookie Stroll, with open houses at many 7th Avenue businesses.

Holiday Parades

The Asheville Holiday Parade

The Asheville Downtown Association's Holiday Parade returns to downtown Asheville on Saturday, November 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with decorated floats, vehicles, costumes and performances from community groups, schools and nonprofits. It's free to watch, and the Downtown Association will post the route and schedule closer to the day. Our parade guide covers last year's route, street closures and parking.

More Christmas Parades Nearby

• Weaverville Holiday Parade: Saturday, December 5, at 11 a.m., starting from the SECU parking lot on North Main Street in Weaverville.
• Hendersonville Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 5, an evening parade that steps off at 6 p.m. and heads south down Main Street.
• Hometown Heritage Christmas Parade: Monday, December 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. on North Main Street in Waynesville, held every year on the first Monday of December, with floats, marching groups and performers competing for the best take on the year's theme.

Santa and Small-Town Christmas Nights

Santa on the Chimney

At the 29th annual Santa on the Chimney, on two Saturdays, December 5 and December 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, Santa practices for Christmas Eve by rappelling down the 315-foot Chimney Rock with help from Fox Mountain Guides. At Chimney Rock State Park you can also pose for photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hike with an elf, make holiday crafts, listen to live music and meet the park's animal ambassadors.

Olde Fashioned Christmas in Hendersonville

Olde Fashioned Christmas turns historic downtown Hendersonville into an open house on Friday, December 4, from 5 to 8 p.m., with shops, family entertainment, restaurants and horse-drawn rides past the twinkling lights. Henderson County Parks and Recreation hosts Santa on the Square in front of the Historic Courthouse, with selfies with Santa, hot cocoa, games and crafts.

Holly Jolly in Black Mountain

Holly Jolly, the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce's Christmas celebration in downtown Black Mountain, starts Friday, December 4, from 5 to 9 p.m. The Chamber holds it on the first Friday and Saturday of December, with music, dancing, food trucks, visits with Santa and activities hosted by local businesses, and the Christmas parade closes out the weekend on Saturday night, December 5.

Weaverville's Candlelight Stroll

On Friday, December 11, from 6 to 9 p.m., the 21st annual Candlelight Stroll brings holiday shopping, storytelling, music and kids' crafts to Main Street in Weaverville and to the Community Center, with a shuttle running between the two. Kids can hunt for holiday characters hidden along Main Street and collect a glow stick for each one they find. The Town's Winter Wonderland on Florida Avenue has hot chocolate, heated seating and photos with Santa's sleigh, Santa himself is on hand, and local school choirs carol through the evening.

A Smoky Mountain Christmas Celebration in Waynesville

On Saturday, December 12, from 6 to 9 p.m., A Smoky Mountain Christmas Celebration fills Main Street in Waynesville with luminaries, music and old-fashioned Christmas charm. There are horse-drawn wagon rides under the lights, Santa in Santaland, an Elf Trail with surprises at participating Main Street businesses, art and ice carving demonstrations, alongside First Baptist Church's Little Bethlehem Live Nativity.

Home for the Holidays at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial dresses the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse in its Christmas finest for Home for the Holidays, a Victorian holiday open house on Saturday, December 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. Walk through the house at your own pace to see a pop-up Holiday Traditions exhibit, then head to the Visitor Center for holiday crafts, Christmas cookies and warm apple cider. Tickets are $10 per person, and the last entry into the house is at 6:45.

Holiday Train Rides in Hendersonville

Mountain Fresh Orchards runs holiday train rides on Main Street in downtown Hendersonville on Saturday, December 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. Board at the Historic Courthouse, where the orchard also has fresh baked and canned goods.

Story Time with Appalachian Santa

Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester closes its Christmas season with Story Time with Appalachian Santa, now in its 4th year, on Sunday, December 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. Come in holiday clothes (pajamas are encouraged) for a Christmas story with Santa, a chocolate charcuterie board, warm drinks and cookies, and every child goes home with a gift from Santa. Space is tight, so it's two adults per child at most, and tickets are nonrefundable.

Theater and The Nutcracker

• A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas: a 10th anniversary edition of the Playhouse's holiday show of Christmas hits and carols, November 27 to December 20, with shows at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $60.
• Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol: North Carolina Stage Company's retelling of A Christmas Carol from the side of Marley's ghost, December 2 to 20. Downtown street parking is free after 6 p.m. and on Sundays, and the Rankin Parking Garage is on the same side of Walnut Street.
• A Christmas Carol: Brevard College Theatre, Friday, December 4, at 7 p.m., and a Saturday, December 5, matinee at 2:30 p.m., in the Porter Center's black box theater. Tickets are $15, or $5 for Brevard College students, staff and faculty.
• Frozen: the stage musical of the Disney film, at Asheville Community Theatre, December 4 to 20, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
• Home for the Holidays: a holiday show at Asheville Community Theatre with its Tanglewood youth troupes and guests from ACT shows of Christmas past, present and future, Wednesday, December 16, at 7:30 p.m.

Three Nutcrackers at the Wortham Center

• The Nutcracker & the Mouse King: Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre's adaptation of the original story, Friday, December 4, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 5, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27 to $37, with $5 off for seniors.
• The Nutcracker: The Asheville Ballet, North Carolina's oldest professional nonprofit ballet company, dances the full-length classic to Tchaikovsky's score on Friday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, December 12, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 13, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 to $60.
• The Nutcracker: the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville's full-length production, with Kira Robinson and Ethan Wilson of Dance Theater of Harlem as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, Thursday and Friday, December 17 and 18, at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 19, at 10 a.m. Reserved seats are $32 to $37, $25 to $32 for students and $20 to $25 for kids 12 and under.

Holiday Concerts

• Rocky Mountain High Experience: A John Denver Christmas: Rick Schuler sings the Denver classics, then pays tribute to Denver's Christmas specials, Tuesday, November 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the Wortham Center. Tickets are $59.
• A Candlelight Christmas with Erick Baker: the Emmy Award-winning singer-songwriter plays Christmas classics by candlelight at The Barn at Honeysuckle Hill on Saturday, November 28, from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Handel's Messiah at Brevard Music Center: the BMC Chamber Orchestra and Chorus with conductor David Gresham, Thursday, December 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Parker Concert Hall.
• Holidays in Hendersonville: the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, Friday, December 4, at 7 p.m. at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock.
• Yuletide Candlelight: the Asheville Choral Society's holiday concert, Friday, December 4, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, December 5, at 4 p.m.
• Hendersonville Chorale Holiday Concert: familiar holiday choral music, Sunday, December 6, at 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Hendersonville. It's free, and donations are welcome.
• Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra Winter Concert: Monday, December 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the Asheville High School Auditorium.
• Bill Kirchen and the Two Turtle Doves: Honky Tonk Holiday Show: rarely heard holiday songs from blues, rock 'n' roll and honky tonk at The Grey Eagle, Sunday, December 13. Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7, tickets $35.90 to $46.20, all ages.
• The 2026 Christmas YARN Ball: the band Yarn at The Grey Eagle, Tuesday, December 15. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8, tickets $27.66, all ages.
• An Appalachian Christmas with DePue Brothers Band: Tuesday, December 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Parker Concert Hall at Brevard Music Center.
• Christmas in Appalachia: a singin', strummin' family show of mountain music by John Hall at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts in Black Mountain, December 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and December 19 and 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20, or $15 for ages 17 and under.
• Asheville Symphony: Handel's Messiah: the Asheville Symphony and Asheville Symphony Chorus with four soloists and conductor Darko Butorac, Saturday, December 19, at 2 and 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Asheville.
• The Music of "A Charlie Brown Christmas": Dr. Bill Bares and the Constellations Orchestra play Vince Guaraldi's holiday music for URSA Asheville, Wednesday, December 23, at 3 and 7 p.m. at the Wortham Center. Tickets are $35 to $65, or $20 for students and kids 12 and under.

How to Plan Thanksgiving Weekend

• Thursday, November 26: Candlelight Christmas Evenings isn't offered on Thanksgiving night, so save Biltmore's evening tour for another date.
• Friday, November 27: Pick between Hendersonville's tree lighting (5 to 8 p.m.), the first night of the Winter Wonder Walk, or opening day of A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas.
• Saturday, November 28: The Grove Arcade's Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party downtown (3 to 7 p.m., with the Craft Guild's holiday market from 10 a.m.), A Candlelight Christmas with Erick Baker at 6 p.m., or Winter Lights after dark.
• Sunday, November 29: Skate at Asheville Yards, then see Antler Hill Village Illumination from 5 p.m. if you have Biltmore tickets.

A Few Tips Before You Go

• Go to Biltmore midweek and book ahead. Midweek tickets cost up to $55 less than weekends, and Biltmore suggests booking at least seven days out.
• Check Candlelight's dark nights. Candlelight Christmas Evenings isn't offered on November 17, November 26 or December 24.
• Buy Winter Lights tickets early. They're priced per car, peak dates sell out, and gate tickets cost $10 to $15 more.
• Book your skate session. Asheville Yards sessions often sell out, and every skater needs a signed waiver and an ID that matches it.
• Watch for the rink's closed days. It's closed November 23 and 30, December 7 and 14, and Christmas Day.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Christmas at Biltmore in 2026?

November 3, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Candlelight Christmas Evenings runs November 3 to January 9, except November 17, November 26 and December 24, and Antler Hill Village Illumination stays lit through February 15.

When is Winter Lights in 2026?

November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027 at The North Carolina Arboretum. Gates open at 6 p.m., last entry is at 9, and tickets are priced per car.

What Christmas events in Asheville are free?

The Asheville Holiday Parade, the Folk Art Center's Holiday Sale Markets, The Big Crafty on Sunday, December 6, the Hendersonville Chorale's Holiday Concert and entry to Asheville Yards if you're not skating are all free. The Marshall Handmade Market asks for a suggested $5 per adult and turns no one away.

Where can kids see Santa near Asheville?

Santa lights the tree at Hendersonville's Holiday Tree Lighting (November 27), poses for photos at the Grove Arcade's Holiday Tree Lighting Block Party (November 28), hosts Santa on the Square at Olde Fashioned Christmas in Hendersonville (December 4), rappels down Chimney Rock and poses for photos with Mrs. Claus at Santa on the Chimney (December 5 and 12), turns up at Weaverville's Candlelight Stroll (December 11), visits Santaland at A Smoky Mountain Christmas Celebration in Waynesville (December 12), and reads a Christmas story at Story Time with Appalachian Santa in Leicester (December 20).

What is there to do after Christmas?

Winter Lights and the gingerbread display run through January 3, Christmas at Biltmore through January 10 (Candlelight through January 9), the ice rink at Asheville Yards through January 18, and Antler Hill Village Illumination through February 15. For cozy spots and snow days, see our Winter in Asheville guide.