Asheville’s Wortham Center for the Performing Arts – located in the heart of downtown’s Pack Square Cultural District – will soon kick off its “Wortham Center Presents” 2021-22 season. The ever-popular annual season of national and international touring artists offers live and virtual performances, bringing the best in music, dance, theatre [...]
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Asheville and the surrounding areas are overflowing with public-access lakes perfect for lazing away an afternoon, enjoying water activities, fishing, hiking or camping. Here are a few [...]
The Asheville area is brimming with exciting activities to keep kids happily engaged. From kid-centric museums to factory tours to adventure courses, there’s an array of experiences aimed at the young – and the young at heart. Following are a few to check out:
Asheville Museum of Science – This museum, in the heart of downtown Asheville, features the Colburn Hall of Minerals, STEM lab, dinosaur skeleton and fossil displays, Southern Appalachian Forest tree climb, and other exhibits supporting experiential science learning, discovery and exploration.
Asheville Art Museum – Every Friday, this downtown Asheville museum’s Art PLAYce space features kid-focused events in a sensory-rich environment, inviting exploration of art via fun activities as well as unique interactives created by regional artists.
Hands On! Children’s Museum – This colorful children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville is famed for creative hands-on exhibits, as well as events, programs and classes.
Adventure Center of Asheville– This in-town center has it all for the outdoor adventurer in your kid. KidZip is a unique zipline course designed for kids 4-10 featuring nine ziplines and four climbing elements. Its Treetops Adventure Park is an aerial challenge course with 77 unique climbing, rolling, walking, jumping, swinging, and rappelling challenges specific to different ages (4 and up) and experience levels. Kolo Bike Park offers 4 miles of purpose-built mountain bike trails, two pump tracks for beginner and experienced riders, and even a Littleville bike playground for the youngest shredders.
Pinball and arcades – Rainy days don’t have to drown out the fun: Downtown’s Asheville Pinball Museum offers 75 pinball and classic video games to play for a flat admission price. West Asheville’s Retrocade features video games, pinball, billiards, Skeeball and Foosball for flat-fee indoor fun (and both boast bars for the adults!).
ClimbMax – This climbing gym has two in-town locations featuring varied indoor terrain, along with expert instruction and equipment. The downtown location, with numerous top rope and auto-belay features, is well-suited to younger climbers.
The N.C. Arboretum – These gardens offer plenty of opportunities to learn about nature in a fun, immersive environment. Among the activities are TRACK Trail, which explores the Natural Garden Trail through the eyes of Shelly, the Arboretum’s resident eastern box turtle; and Rocky Cove Railroad, which highlights the entry of trains into Western N.C. in the early 1900s via an intricately detailed garden-scale model railroad and trains.
Biltmore House and Grounds – Kid-centric activities abound at this famed destination. Offerings include: a kids’ audio guided tour of the house; a model train exhibit meandering through the gardens; guided bird walks and falconry experiences; horse-drawn carriage rides; kids’ lagoon fishing with instructor and equipment provided; and Antler Hill Village, featuring Pisgah Playground, the Farm with hens, goats, lambs and calves, and the Barn with blacksmith, broom-maker and woodworker demos.
Sweet factory tours – Visitors to the River Arts District’s French Broad Chocolate Factory can take a tour of the facility to learn about the journey of the cacao bean, from farm to factory; the Hop Ice Creamery in West Asheville offers three different tours highlighting the history of ice cream and the Hop.
For information about real estate in the Asheville area, please email Info@MyMosaicRealty.com, or call us anytime at 828-707-9556.
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Asheville and the surrounding area of Western North Carolina are renowned for mountain biking. Whether it’s a local spot to get a quick after-work ride in, or a nearby destination offering an all-day mountain-biking adventure, the Asheville area doesn’t disappoint. Here are a few [...]
The North Carolina Arboretum, the 434-acre public arboretum and botanical garden located within Bent Creek Experimental Forest just south of downtown Asheville, is pleased to unveil its one-of-a-kind exhibit Wild Art, an eclectic sculpture showcase inspired by nature and situated throughout its spacious gardens. The outdoor exhibit – of [...]
Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty has always been a proud sponsor of local nonprofit organizations in and around Asheville. In these unprecedented times, such support has taken on even greater importance; it has also inspired some creative thinking.
Because the coronavirus pandemic has curtailed live events, performing arts organizations have taken a particular hit. Thanks to Mosaic’s sponsorship of the [...]
Nestled at the base of the Hickory Nut Gorge amid breathtaking shoreline, mountain peaks, and rare plant and animal species, the town of Lake Lure in Western North Carolina is a nature lover’s dream. The town, which encompasses the famed lake of the same name, sits at an elevation of 1,000 feet and is surrounded by peaks topping out over [...]
For Ashevillians seeking to bolster independent businesses this holiday season, these movements and resources can be a good starting point.
One simple way to help local business in Asheville is to patronize area restaurants, particularly hard-hit during the coronavirus pandemic. Many restaurants offer [...]
The Cherokee Indians of North Carolina were among the earliest inhabitants of Western North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and their legacy has created a rich cultural imprint on our region. The tribe’s influence is evident in the artifacts, art and agricultural methods that remain today.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a federally recognized Indian tribe descended from a small group of 800 Cherokee who were either able to stay or escaped and remained here after the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced 16,000 Cherokees to walk to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears in 1838. Others later returned from Oklahoma to their native land.
Cherokee art that still thrives in the region includes basketry, pottery, stone- and wood-carving, finger-weaving and traditional masks. Ancient American Indian agricultural methods of burning and deadening the trees and underbrush to provide needed grazing and cropland are evident today in the many fields still visible at the base of the mountains. Mountain and river names along the Blue Ridge Parkway also reflect the American Indian influence.
The heart of the Cherokees’ rich tribal history is, of course, Cherokee, N.C., located 50 miles from Asheville in Jackson County at the main N.C. entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Most of the 15,300 members of the tribe live on the Cherokee reservation (properly called the Qualla Boundary), slightly more than 56,000 acres held in trust by the federal government.Visitors to Cherokee can experience the tribe’s past and its present, brought to vibrant life, at a museum, visitor center and arts cooperative, as well as at festivals and other events throughout the year.
The state-of-the-art Museum of the Cherokee Indians here features exhibits that tell the Cherokee story, from ancient times until today. Inspired by the beauty and ingenuity of the Cherokee people, the cultural and historical tour blends interactive video and intriguing displays into a full sensory experience. https://www.cherokeemuseum.org
A Village Brought to Life: Cherokee of the Blue RidgeThe seasonal Oconaluftee Indian Village shows what Cherokee life was like in the 1750s Southern Appalachians. Self-guided tours allow visitors to interact with craft demonstrators and other villagers in the traditional attire of the era. Winding paths, flanked with traditional Cherokee dwellings, work areas, and sacred ritual sites are the backdrop for viewing villagers as they hull canoes, sculpt pottery and masks, weave baskets, fashion beadwork, and perform cultural dances. https://visitcherokeenc.com/play/attractions/oconaluftee-indian-village/
The Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc., in Cherokee, founded in 1946 with the purpose of preserving and advancing Cherokee arts and crafts, is the oldest Native American Arts cooperative in the U.S. Part shopping experience, part gallery dedicated to the preservation of Cherokee’s craftsmanship and skill, the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual promotes the work of more than 350 Cherokee artisan members. https://www.quallaartsandcrafts.com
For a completely immersive experience, visitors to Cherokee can enjoy the seasonal “Unto These Hills” outdoor drama. One of the longest-running outdoor dramas in the country, “Unto These Hills” portrays the unique story of the Cherokee from a historical perspective, from 1780 to the 21stcentury. https://visitcherokeenc.com/play/attractions/unto-these-hills-outdoor-drama/
For information about real estate in Asheville, email us at Info@MyMosaicRealty.com, or call anytime at 828-707-9556.
Search: Asheville Area Real Estate
Asheville is an enjoyable place for every member of your family – including the four-legged ones. Dog-friendly restaurants, hikes and parks abound in and around town, promising that your furry pals can join in on all the non-stop fun Asheville has to offer. And with a growing number of restaurants and other establishments shifting to [...]
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