Wildberry Lodge, LLC

Brilliant Christmas Lights

Check Availability

Guide to the Best 2023 Holiday Lights in Asheville

Updated for 2023

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 1 & 2, 2023
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 24 – December 31, 2023, times vary per activity
Location: Hendersonville, NC 28739

Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries
Date & Time: Dec 1 & 2, 8 & 9, 2023, 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 18, 2023 at 11am
Location: On Biltmore Ave from Charlotte St to Park Square, Asheville, NC 28801

Asheville’s annual Holiday Parade kicks off the season! This 90-minute parade is most certainly one of Asheville’s favorite fun things to do during the holidays. It features attractions for all ages. Once the parade ends, you can shop ‘til you drop in downtown Asheville. You won’t want to miss the lighting of the Winter Lights trees at Pack Square at 6:00 PM.

PAID ADMISSION Holiday Events

The Biltmore

Date & Time: Nov 3, 2023 – January 7, 2024
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 17 – Dec 31, 2023, 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.

Shadrack’s Christmas Light Show

Date & Time: Nov 16, 2023 – Jan 1, 2024;  6-10pm
Location: 3580 Pea Ridge Road, Mill Spring, NC 28756
Telephone: 828-863-1015
Admission: Tickets for Shadrack’s Light Show 

In Mill Springs, the Tryon Resort dazzles the eye with hundreds of thousands of lights at Shadrack’s Christmas 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 November 24-26, 2023, and open ice skating from November 24, 2023 – January 1, 2024.

National Gingerbread Competition

Date & Time: Nov 27, 2023 – Jan 2, 2024 Sundays after 4, Mon – Thur for unregistered guests
Location: Omni Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
Telephone: 800-438-5800

These are different from your traditional structures made of graham crackers! They are works of art that have taken months for their creators to build. The National Gingerbread Competition began in 1992 and has multiple types of entries: adult, teen, youth, and child. Winners have been featured on national TV!

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.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Book DirectBook Direct to Get The Best Rates Book Direct
alp logo
trip advisor logo
Ashville Chamber of Commerce logo in gold and purple.
Ashville way to stay log in two colors of blue.