Whether you're a local trying to enjoy the summer heat or a student looking for activities to keep you entertained until you return to college, Asheville has lots to offer during the summer months.
Here are 7 things every Ashevillian should do this summer:
1. Go Downtown
Downtown Asheville has all the coffee shops, boutiques, and restaurants you could ever want, and almost all of them are locally-owned (calling you out, Urban Outfitters). There's always something to do or a new street to wander down, and the summer weather makes a perfect environment for exploration.
2. Get Outdoors
Asheville and its surrounding area is home to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah National Forest, and Dupont State Park. In a place that's surrounded by beauty, why would you not explore it? Get out there and do an activity you love, or maybe something you've never tried before - hike, bike, camp, climb to the top of a mountain, go river tubing, jump off a waterfall. The opportunities are endless and so much fun.
3. Act Like A Tourist
Yes, Asheville is a tourist town filled with touristy things to do. But who's to say the locals can't enjoy it too? So go visit the beautiful Biltmore Estate, stop and listen to the street performers downtown, eat at 12 Bones or Tupelo Honey Cafe (because let's be real, the food is delicious), and dance at the drum circle like that kid you sorta knew in high school isn't watching.
Bonus Tip: to really act like a Tourist, hit up McCormick Field one summer night to cheer on the Asheville Tourists baseball team! Because having Ted E. Tourist and Mr. Moon (of the previously named Asheville Moonshiners) as team mascots is about as normal as Asheville itself.
4. Get Artsy
Asheville is the home to local artists, galleries, and street festivals for the art enthusiast to enjoy. Whether it's hand-crafted jewelry, pottery, or anything in between, locations like New Morning Gallery, the studio/gallery hybrids filling the River Arts District, or festivals like the Village Art & Craft fair that are held all summer long, anyone can become an artistry expert in Asheville.
5. Mourn the Loss of Bele Chere with a Good Beer
Asheville has more breweries per capita than any US city, so why not try as many as you can? With more local beers to taste than hippies spotted rocking dreads, the beer scene here is pretty incredible. Try a brew at restaurants like Wicked Weed, breweries like Catawba Brewing Company or Hi-Wire Brewing, or take in a tour, a bite to eat, and a few beers you know and love at the newly opened Sierra Nevada brewery and the soon-coming New Belgium brewery.
6. Explore Surrounding Towns
In need of a super-quick day trip? Head to nearby towns like Hendersonville or Brevard for a few hours spent in cute downtown with wonderful restaurants, the same beautiful mountain views, and a charmingly historic atmosphere.
7. Eat. A Lot.
I know that food has been mentioned quite a bit in this list already, but Asheville is truly lucky when it comes to picking where to eat. Packed with restaurants serving incredible, creative cuisine for any budget or taste palette, the food here is downright incredible. And being able to say you've probably driven past the farm where your burger came from or seeing the garden out back where a restaurant grows its vegetables means you're getting fresher and better meals from restaurants who truly care about the food they're serving. Take that, McDonald's.
Asheville has so much to offer during the summer months...now it's time to get out there and enjoy them!
