Asheville is Back With an Abundance of Nature, Culture and Dining in 2026
As the curtain rises on a new year, the Asheville area continues to bounce back after Hurricane Helene and ascend as a global destination for the arts, dining and awe-inspiring natural beauty.
Each year brings a new way of seeing, and in 2026 travelers are choosing experiences that feel intentional — however indulgent or simple they want them to be. Asheville meets that shift with a season of openings and encounters that invite guests to slow down and awaken the spirit.
The new year ushers in experiences designed to engage the senses. Guests can savor world-class Appalachian cuisine at a MICHELIN-recognized restaurant or slip into a neighborhood deli for a taste of nostalgia alongside the locals. In 2026, art-making becomes a conduit for self-discovery as new studios and workshops debut classes where creativity and community are the true takeaways. Outdoors, a wave of fresh adventures invites visitors to trade screen time for real terrain: the largest mountain bike track in the Americas, newly expanded climbing routes, and a luxury Airstream campsite. If ever there was a year to learn a skill, bring home original artwork or wander deeper into the region’s neighborhoods and mountain towns, this is it.
A thriving food scene and MICHELIN Guide honors
Asheville’s food scene garnered impressive recognition in the MICHELIN Guide American South, announced in Nov. 2025. Modern Italian-meets-Appalachian restaurant Luminosa received a prestigious Green Star for its sustainable kitchen practices and sourcing. Luminosa, Little Chango and Mother also received the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes establishments that offer high-quality dining at a reasonable price. The full listing of MICHELIN’s recommended Asheville restaurants can be found here.
The Asheville area‘s modern-meets-Appalachia dining scene continues to broaden its horizons while staying grounded in the region’s agricultural traditions. The newest arrivals reflect a yearning for neighborhood intimacy and far-reaching flavors that trace generations and continents.
New restaurants expand Downtown’s palate
Asheville’s walkable city center holds an impressive range of global flavors, where diners can choose from Ethiopian injera, Turkish mezze, Indian curries and Japanese ramen – all in just a few blocks. New openings continue to broaden the culinary spectrum:
When Xico opened in late 2025, the scent of wood smoke drifted down the block. The upscale Mexican restaurant’s menu draws on local ingredients and ancestral methods — heirloom corn tortillas hot off the comal and whole fish wrapped in banana leaf and roasted over the flame. Xico’s bar program features an expansive agave selection and inventive craft cocktails.
Just across from Pritchard Park, Jazmin takes diners on a journey through the “seven wonders of Asia.” Chef Sreenivasan Govindarajan moved to Asheville from New Delhi to launch this Asian fusion restaurant, which brings together street food from Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia – all in one setting.
This winter, Le Parisien will bring a taste of Paris to the brick-paved sidewalks of Lexington Ave. Chef Gabriel Attala’s fine-dining restaurant pays homage to the culinary traditions of his native France with seasonally inspired dishes, artful presentation and hospitality that feels polished and welcoming.
In early 2026, Slava Café will bring a homestyle taste of Ukraine, a response and a reflection of Asheville’s sizable and growing Ukrainian community. Owner Svitlanda Eadie was born in a tiny village and grew up baking and cooking alongside her mother and grandmother. Slava is a continuation of her family’s cooking traditions and will offer Ukrainian pastries and comforting dishes, like holubtsi, cabbage stuffed with rice and served in a cozy red sauce.
Linger longer: a taste of the River Arts District
Asheville’s ever-evolving creative quarter continues to blur the lines between gallery and gathering place. This year, new dining options encourage visitors to slow down and linger between studio and gallery stops. After devastating floods, two local favorites are making their return: Sugar & Snow Gelato, reopened in Nov. 2025, and Guajiro Cuban Comfort Food, set to reopen at Cotton Mill Studios in spring 2026. Until then, Cuban sandwiches and pastelitos can be enjoyed at Guajiro’s food truck parked at Hi-Wire Brewing in Biltmore Village.
Tucked between a pottery studio and a mixed-media gallery, Piccolina brings the intimacy of an Italian enoteca to its 22-seat space, serving fire-kissed pizzas, focaccia sandwiches and Italian wines.
A few blocks away, Crusco channels the quiet cadence of Western North Carolina’s seasons with a concise, ever-shifting menu shaped by relationships with local growers and purveyors. The cooking is unfussy yet deeply considered. Ingredients take center stage in dishes, like handmade pasta with white beans and roasted fish with leeks, celery and a dusting of hazelnut.
Artists who call the neighborhood home have found their morning ritual at ButterPunk, a cheery café devoted to the butteriest, flakiest biscuits imaginable. Its lineup of pastries, breakfast sandwiches and espresso drinks has also quickly become part of the neighborhood’s wakeup routine.
Comforting and casual takes hold in 2026
A wave of new delis, diners and bodegas reveals Asheville’s quieter, more grounded side. They join a constellation of upscale neighborhood haunts that earned MICHELIN nods — from Tall John’s in Montford to Leo’s House of Thirst in West Asheville — each offering visitors a chance to slip into the easy cadence of local life.
Finest Deli – Nostalgia is the house special at this Italian-American deli in West Asheville, where childhood photos of the owners line the walls. The menu carries the same warmth, serving up bodega-style breakfasts and classic sandwiches inspired by the owners’ grandparents and made the “finest” way – like hand-pulled mozzarella and slow-simmered Sunday gravy.
Sistas on Montford – This new counter-service soul food spot is a love letter to the Wynns’ late mother, Sista, who once ran a beloved downtown café and whose recipes still anchor the menu. Fried catfish, chicken wings, and slow-simmered daily specials meet soulful sides like collards, broccoli casserole and potato salad.
Eggs Rancheros Kitchen – Breakfast from both sides of the border comes together at this new Mexican diner in the South Slope, where terracotta tile floors and clay coffee mugs nod to the owners’ roots. Chilaquiles (verde or rojo), huevos rancheros, omelets and pancakes round out a menu that bridges Mexican tradition with Southern comfort.
Finch Grocery – Biltmore Village celebrated the reopening of this modern bodega, stocked with artisanal food products and elevated grab-and-go essentials. Finch’s deli prepares sandwiches, soups and baked goods daily, while its patio invites guests to linger over a charcuterie board and a glass of wine.
Trillium Table – Inside the cheery Red Rocker Inn in Black Mountain, Chef Ewan Willis turns Appalachian staples into quietly elegant dishes. The menu centers on farm-fresh, humble ingredients and elevated sensibilities – like beet carpaccio topped with smoked trout, Thai basil oil and hazelnuts. It’s farm-to-table that feels both deeply rooted and beautifully unexpected.
Book a stay at the Red Rocker Inn here.
At Spicewalla‘s flagship store in the Grove Arcade, Culinary Director Alyse Baca leads Walla Workshop, a new hands-on class where participants explore the essentials of a well-balanced spice blend and each guest leaves with a signature mix of their own creation.
Arts after the floods
In the year after Hurricane Helene, art emerged as a vital force, offering solace and glimpses of possibility. In 2026, that spirit endures, from immersive installations that transform landscapes to intimate workshops where the act of art-making leads to self-discovery.
Art comes alive outdoors
Two large-scale art installations invite discovery and wonder in Asheville’s forests, gardens and grand estates:
The North Carolina Arboretum hosts the limited-run U.S. debut of “Trolls: A Field Study,” a traveling exhibition by internationally acclaimed Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Twelve curious “baby trolls” crafted from reclaimed materials transform the Arboretum’s gardens and forested trails into an enchanted, eco-minded expedition. Visitors are invited to follow a custom map, uncover each troll’s distinct personality and experience this storytelling-in-nature installation before it disappears (through Feb. 17).
An evening experience, Luminere, is set to transform America’s Largest House and gardens into a luminous dreamscape. The installation projects moving imagery, set to a custom score by Julian Grefe and performed by the Asheville Symphony. Guests can enhance the evening with artisan picnics on the grounds or exclusive guided tours of the house, making Luminere a wholly immersive and unforgettable way to see Biltmore in a new light (Mar. 26–Oct. 18, 2026).
The theme of illumination carries into the Asheville Art Museum’s upcoming exhibition: “In a New Light: American Impressionism 1870–1940,” which assembles works by more than 75 artists to trace the movement’s evolution in the U.S. The collection highlights how painters from Childe Hassam to George Inness captured rural, maritime and urban life with luminous color and an evocative sense of atmosphere (Feb. 6–June 9).
Art classes spark self-discovery, transformation
New hands-on art workshops invite students of all levels to explore new techniques, make inner discoveries and create meaningful connections.
Therapeutic art making at Conspire Studio – Founders Dani Austin and Kim Wayman guide private and community sessions, where participants explore art-making as pathways to self-discovery and insight. They describe their approach, known as creative inquiry, as “yoga for the brain.” Conspire Studio‘s therapeutic art-making sessions are designed to help participants reconnect with their inherently creative and intuitive selves.
Art Parties, by Miranda Wildman – “Art is for everyone.” That’s the philosophy that guides Miranda Wildman’s inclusive art experiences, who treats her classes as a collective journey. Wildman offers regular community classes and private art parties in mediums including cyanotype, collage and shadow play.
Fiber-curious and cocktails via Gather Studio – Fiber artist and instructor Kimmy Tolbert launched this roving craft workshop to connect with community and to help fiber-curious individuals access classes. She holds regular Craft Club workshops at Local Cloth in the RAD and at Periscope, a new craft cocktail and natural wine bar inside S&W Market. Class offerings include making beaded sardine keychains, Celtic knot wall hangings and traditional loom weavings with yarn and wool.
Beginners welcome at AVL Clay – In a light-filled 4,300-square-foot studio in South Asheville, potters of every skill level can settle in to spin, shape and glaze. Ceramicist Arleen Ferrara opened the space in 2025 as a place for community, craft and renewal – a reflection of the region’s broader artistic resurgence after Hurricane Helene.
Music, performances, festivals and exhibitions
Asheville’s 2026 arts calendar invites audiences to experience creativity in every form, on every stage and across the city’s vibrant cultural landscape.
A handful of new and renovated spaces welcome live music fans across the Asheville area, just in time for the return of AVL Fest – a multi-day, multi-venue music festival – in August 2026.
Contemporary dance troupe Stewart/Owen Dance will put on the Asheville premiere of “The Front” as part of its 2026 season. The original work of choreography, commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, is a satirical exploration of the friction between polished public personas and the messy truths beneath. (May 1-2).
Asheville Symphony season soars, with added star power – three-time Grammy-winning vocalist Isabel Leonard returns as the symphony’s artist-in-residence. She’ll lend her voice to a variety of performances and venues, showcasing the beauty, versatility and storytelling power of vocal music (Mar. 16-23).
Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird makes his Asheville Symphony debut, performing his 2005 album “The Mysterious Production of Eggs” in full with orchestral arrangements, capped by a suite of fan favorites from his 30-year career (May 29).
The YMI Cultural Center, one of the nation’s oldest Black cultural centers, is kicking off monthly Jazz & Soul Sessions, led by Affrilachian folk musician Kelle Jolly and the Will Boyd Project. Held every fourth Friday and Saturday of the month, the series fills the landmark building with the warm pulse of jazz and soul, marking a full-circle return to Eagle St., where music and art have long shaped the rhythm of daily life. VIP and pay-what-you-can tickets available (through April 25).
The region’s Appalachian, do-it-yourself spirit and storytelling traditions continue in the present. Two new artist-led festivals celebrate the legacy of handheld, handmade art forms:
The first-annual Crankie Fest at The Grey Eagle celebrates Appalachia’s folk-art tradition of “crankies,” long illustrated scrolls that move through a viewing box like a miniature panorama. Live musicians accompany the visuals, weaving ballads and stories that guide the audience along each unfolding scene.
Returning later in the year, Asheville Zine Fest spotlights the city’s independent creators, from zines and comics to small-press books and artist editions. The inclusive and community-minded gathering offers an intimate space for storytelling, creativity and engagement with the local arts scene.
Outdoors and wellness
The Asheville area’s outdoor scene enters an exciting new chapter in the year ahead. The region, framed by ancient mountains, offers fresh new ways to explore. New climbing routes, riverside stays, and mind-clearing experiences offer travelers fresh ways to step into the landscape.
After a year-long delay from Hurricane Helene, AutoCamp Asheville is now welcoming bookings. Set on a serene,16-acre site overlooking the French Broad River, the property offers modern Airstreams, cabins, suites or Bambi suites – ideal for solo travelers or couples. Amenities include a mid-century modern clubhouse, all-season plunge pool and daily dining at The Kitchen and General Store.
Outdoor nonprofits Access Fund and the Carolina Climbers Coalition have secured more than 16 acres of land near Chimney Rock State Park, unlocking access to more than 50 new routes with sweeping views of Hickory Nut Gorge. The area — called Lower Ghost Town, after the bygone amusement park — adds a major new draw for climbers. Half of the climbing area is expected to be completed by April 2026.
Cultivate Climbing has opened a new bouldering gym on Foundy Street in the River Arts District after its previous space was destroyed by flooding. In 2026, Cultivate will also debut a 20,000-square-foot top rope gym, Highland Station, next to Highland Brewing. The facility will feature 45-foot walls, climbs ranging from slab to steep, and the country’s second Quantum Board — a tech-forward training system that lets multiple climbers work different problems simultaneously.
In Swannanoa, one of the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, the new Beacon Bike Park and Events Lawn is transforming a former blanket manufacturing site into a hub of recreation and renewal. The sprawling complex features a public walking trail, a bike park anchored by North America’s largest Velosolutions pump track and a 4,000-capacity outdoor venue poised to host concerts, festivals, races and community events as the area rebuilds. The pump track’s grand opening is on track for Spring 2026.
The newly reopened Okie Dokies Smokehouse in Swannanoa turns out wood-fired, low-and-slow barbecue, perfect for a post-ride refuel. Pitmaster Steve Dunning’s award-winning ‘cue, seasoned with house-made rubs and a unique smoking process, is as authentic and satisfying as it gets.
New studios and nature-based experiences are deepening Asheville’s appeal as a wellness destination. In the River Arts District, two openings bring fresh energy to the local yoga scene: RAD Yoga, a bright, airy studio on Artful Way led by longtime instructor Kristin Mitchell, offers classes designed to support strength and mindfulness goals; while Blue Ghost Yoga, named for the region’s elusive fireflies, introduces infrared-heated Vinyasa, kettlebell-infused strength sessions, and restorative practices that emphasize mobility and balance. For a deeper reset, the ZenHike Women’s Retreat (July 16–19) blends guided classes, meditative hikes, sound healings, and spacious time for reflection at a private mountain sanctuary.
From classes paired with a wood-fired sauna to sunrise vinyasas on a mountaintop, Asheville’s wellness scene offers a variety of ways to unwind on the mat. Goats optional.
