In Asheville, “shop local” is more than just a catch phrase: It grows the community’s unique character, boosts the local economy by increasing jobs and wages, and inspires entrepreneurship. This holiday season, keeping your shopping dollars in the Asheville economy is easier and more enjoyable than ever. 

From carefully curated clothing boutiques to eclectic art enclaves to unique gift shops, Asheville is brimming with plenty of interesting, locally based businesses for finding quality wares singular to the city. In addition, quaint and compact districts anchored by local businesses are the hallmark of many surrounding Western N.C. towns, including Hendersonville, Weaverville, Brevard and Waynesville, to name just a few.

Where Asheville art abounds

The once-industrial neighborhood of the River Arts District, nestled next to the French Broad River, is now home to the working studios and galleries of hundreds of artists. From painting and pottery to jewelry, glass, metal and wood, the pieces created and sold in RAD reflect the thriving artistic talent Asheville nurtures. Spending a day shopping in RAD also affords the opportunity to watch local artisans at work, creating pieces that you can purchase on the spot. Doesn’t get much more local than that!

Even though Biltmore Village retains its Old-World charm, today it’s well-known as an exciting commercial hub of local retailers, including specialty gift shops, clothing boutiques and jewelry makers. Galleries featuring a range of local artwork, and an eclectic mix of locally owned furniture shops, make it easy to outfit and decorate your home for the holidays.

Downtown Asheville does local right

When it comes to local retail shops, crafts outlets, specialty stores, and other unique spots for buying local items, downtown Asheville can’t be beat. Whether it’s a holiday party outfit, a host gift, or stocking stuffers for the kids, the downtown shopping district is a one-stop spot for checking everything off your list. And when you’re ready to take a breather from shopping, the countless locally owned restaurants, breweries, bakeries and coffee shops dotting downtown offer the perfect spot to recharge.

For an added bonus when you shop local, bring along a Go Local card. The card offers access to discounts and special offers at more than 590 locally owned, independent businesses in the Asheville area, all to benefit Asheville public schools. Go Local Asheville is committed to strengthening the local economy through businesses that value the people in the community, the health of the environment, and the power of collaboration.

For information about real estate in the Asheville area, connect with us at Info@MyMosaicRealty.com, or call anytime at 828-707-9556.

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For a fun, immersive way to learn about Asheville’s rich history, spend an afternoon following the Urban Trail, a 1.7-mile loop in downtown Asheville. The free, self-guided walking tour is marked by 30 stations, each telling an important story integral to Asheville’s past. Bonus: With the trail weaving through Asheville’s commercially [...]

The Blue Ridge Orchestra, a nonprofit, volunteer ensemble in Western North Carolina, continues its 2022-2023 season with its annual highlight of “BRO Revels!” This year, the program celebrates Engelbert Humperdinck’s fairy tale opera “Hansel & Gretel,” with performances December 3 and 4 in UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium. Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty is honored to be a sponsor of this beloved event.

The adaptation of this famed opera, which first premiered in 1893, will feature a unique, lively production complete with angels, gingerbread children, seven vocalists, and a full orchestra. For this concert presentation, BRO will share the stage with UNC Greensboro’s Opera Theatre under the direction of David Holley.

Bringing world-class performances to Western N.C.

The Blue Ridge Orchestra is dedicated to engaging Western North Carolina’s extraordinary music community with occasions to perform, listen to and learn about great symphonic music. The opportunities for musicians to play and perform challenging repertoire is unparalleled, and the orchestra keeps the arts accessible to the community by presenting multiple performances (including afternoon shows), low ticket prices, and a welcoming atmosphere. 

Since September 2017, BRO has been in residence at UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium, and has enrolled students in the orchestra through a UNC Asheville music course. After taking the course for credit, many have gone on to play as community members.

“Hansel & Gretel” will take the stage at 3 p.m. both December 3 and 4. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 members, and $5 students. For more information, visit https://www.blueridgeorchestra.org/bro-revels-2022-hansel-gretel, or call (828) 782-3354. 

Get your tickets here: Blue Ridge Orchestra's production of Hansel and Gretel

Learn More: About Mosaic's Donation and Volunteer Program

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Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty has a deep history of helping many Asheville-area organizations, with Mosaic agents and employees donating to and volunteering with a wide array of groups that advocate for the vitality and health of our community. Since its inception, Mosaic has given well over $750,000 to hundreds of nonprofits and events. [...]

When you’re ready to indulge in a spa day, Asheville has plenty of traditional options – and a range of delightfully unique ones. Here are a few one-of-a-kind ways to unplug, relax and recharge your body and your mind.

Salt caves

Salt therapy, or halotherapy, involves breathing salty air to treat a range of respiratory conditions as well as other ailments, and to maintain holistic health. Simulating the environment of Himalayan salt caves, special salt spas feature tons of crystal salt rock in a meditative setting of dim lighting, soothing background music, and comfortable chairs. Asheville is home to two salt cave spas – Asheville Salt Cave   and The Salt Spa of Asheville & Himalayan Salt Cave Sanctuary  – offering a variety of experiences, including public and private salt-therapy sessions, couples massage, sound therapy, and even kid-friendly salt-therapy sessions.

Sauna treatments

The Sauna House, located in Asheville’s South Slope, features a range of spa services centered on the mental and physical benefits of hot/cold/relax therapy. Visitors can experience a two-hour bathhouse session, which includes use of an aspen wood sauna, dry cedar sauna, cold showers, cold plunge, heated benches, and a relaxing lounge space. Massage packages, as well infrared sauna sessions, are also available.

Flotation therapy

Still Point Wellness, a spa near downtown Asheville, specializes in sensory deprivation via saltwater flotation atop 1,000 pounds of healing Epsom salt, helping visitors achieve total relaxation. Other services include specialized massage, cranial sacral therapy, and somatic experiencing. Visitors can enjoy a single session, or buy a monthly membership plan.

Outdoor soaks

Enjoying a healing, relaxing soak is the ultimate spa therapy, but adding an outdoor element takes the experience to another level. Two popular spots in Western North Carolina for outdoor tub soaks are Shoji Spa & Retreat in East Asheville, and Hot Springs Resort & Spa in Hot Springs. Shoji offers traditional Japanese bathing and soaking in private outdoor salt tubs, as well as spa-style showers, massage, group forest bathing, and treetop sauna, all tucked away in a restful mountain setting. Hot Springs Resort & Spa features jetted outdoor tubs of natural, hot mineral water. The tubs, of varying sizes and views, are nestled along the banks of the Spring Creek and the French Broad River.

Foot spa experiences

Wake Foot Sanctuary, in downtown Asheville, offers a range of 45-minute foot soaks handmade with essential oils, nourishing clays, and revitalizing salts. Massage add-ons are also available.

To learn about real estate in Asheville or in the Asheville area, contact us at Info@MyMosaicRealty.com, or call anytime at 828-707-9556.

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Photo credit: Digital Visual Lab

Western North Carolina is known as one of the country’s premier road-cycling regions, and for good reason. Plenty of scenic routes, featuring everything from strenuous altitude gains to winding, tree-shaded roads to flat, relaxing riverside rides, await road cyclists. Here are just a few of the scores of road-cycling options available in [...]

The North Carolina Arboretum is featuring “Thanks FLO: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted,” coinciding with the 200th birthday of the “father of landscape architecture.” The indoor portion of the exhibit about the great mind behind both New York’s Central Park and the grounds at Asheville’s Biltmore House wrapped up in [...]

At the heart of Mosaic Realty is its commitment to supporting the many Asheville-area events and organizations that advocate for the vitality of our local and global community. Spring is an especially exciting time as community events around the region ramp up. Mosaic is proud to sponsor a range of spring events, from speaker series to [...]

Whether you’re visiting the Asheville area for the first time, or you’re an Asheville resident looking to learn more about the city you call home, these tours will take your Asheville exploration to exciting new [...]

Being close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the forests of Western North Carolina is a major advantage to calling many neighborhoods around the Asheville area home. Pisgah National Forest, a half-million-acre swath of forest land in Western North Carolina, and the Blue Ridge Parkway area are home to miles of hiking and biking trails, [...]