Updated for 2024.
*Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene,
some events may be rescheduled or unavailable this year.
It seems ridiculous to think of the winter holiday season with fall leaves still on the trees. Planning ahead with our guide to the best holiday lights in Asheville will ensure experience all that Asheville has to offer. Put on some holiday music and dream about these magical decorated spots.
FREE Holiday Events:
Biltmore Village and the Dickens Festival
Date & Time: Dec 6 & 7
Location: Biltmore Village, 7 Boston Way, Asheville, NC 28803
You won’t want to miss Biltmore Village dressed for the holidays, straight out of a Dickens novel. Modeled initially after an English village, Biltmore Village is especially festive during the Dickens Festival. The shops are decorated with holiday lights while carolers, actors, and musicians, all in full costume, stroll about the streets. You can even get roasted chestnuts!
Light Displays in Neighboring Villages
Hendersonville Home for the Holidays
Date & Time: Nov 29 – December 31, times vary per activity and some activities may be altered or canceled this year
Location: Hendersonville, NC 28739
Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries
Date & Time: Dec 6 & 7, 13 & 14, 2024, 5-9pm
Location: Dillsboro, NC 28779
Some neighboring villages also have some holiday light displays. About an hour away, Dillsboro hosts its annual Lights & Luminaries event. Adopting a Scandinavian celebration to light the way for the Christ child, you will see over 2,500 luminaries lining the streets with quaint shops and galleries to explore. In Hendersonville, just a little over 30 minutes away, you can celebrate Home for the Holidays.
Asheville Holiday Parade
Date & Time: Nov 23 at 11am
Location: On Biltmore Ave from Charlotte St to Park Square, Asheville, NC 28801
Due to Hurricane Helene, the annual Asheville Holiday Parade has pivoted to a holiday jamboree this year to kick off the season! This 2-hour event will include short (5-minute) performances. Additionally, select organizations may represent vendor tents. The Jamboree will be fun for everyone while allowing the City of Asheville to continue Huricane Helene response efforts. Once the jamboree ends, you can shop ‘til you drop in downtown Asheville.
PAID ADMISSION Holiday Events
The Biltmore
Date & Time: Nov 2, 2024 – Jan 5, 2025
Location: One Lodge Street, Asheville, NC 28803
Telephone: 800-411-3812
Admission: Tickets for the Biltmore
You won’t want to miss The Biltmore itself – Christmas at Biltmore is a celebration for the senses. You can see the daylight decorations and participate in complimentary home decor seminars as part of your daily admission fee. Candlelight Christmas Evenings offers the romance of flickering candles, glowing fireplaces, and live music. The Biltmore will indeed provide brilliant holiday light displays with over 100 decorated trees, 10,000 ornaments, and 100,000 twinkling lights. There is so much more to experience, so plan ahead and secure your admission tickets.
Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum
Date & Time: Nov 15 – Dec 31, ticket purchase determines times
Location: 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806
Telephone: 828-665-2492
Admission: Tickets for Winter Lights
This is another can’t-miss holiday lights extravaganza! Winter Lights is celebrating its 10th year of twinkling displays in the gardens. You’ll once again see the famous 50-foot-lighted tree and the Quilt Garden.he Winter Lights is also accessible for those with mobility challenges.
Winterfest Christmas Light Show
Date & Time: Nov 25, 2024 – Jan 5, 2025; 6pm or 9pm
Location: 3580 Pea Ridge Road, Rutherfordton, NC 28139
Telephone: 828-863-1015
Admission: Tickets for Winterfest Drive-Thru Light Show
In Rutherfordton, the Tryon Resort dazzles the eye with hundreds of thousands of lights at the Winterfest Drive-Thru Light Show. Watch this light show from the comfort of your car as you drive through the display. While you are at Tryon, spend some time at Winterfest. Enjoy live performances by your favorite Christmas characters on select nights, plus a live nativity!
There is a Christmas Market on Nov 29 – Dec 1, and open ice skating from Nov 29 – Dec 1, 11am–10pm.
Twinkling Lights at Wildberry Lodge
One other place we’d like to share is our own Wildberry Lodge. We’ll be decking the halls with twinkling lights, stoking the fires in our cozy rooms, and stirring up a scrumptious breakfast to warm your cool, winter mornings. Whether you stay in, venture out to see the light displays, or choose another fun activity, we’d love to host your holiday getaway.
Check availability today.
