Destination: Asheville, North Carolina

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina. The storm’s high winds barreled into the southern Appalachians on the heels of a thousand-year rain event. The French Broad River — which normally runs through Asheville at about half a foot — swelled to a staggering 27 feet. Hurricane-force winds tore down trees, and much of the area was without power and other basic utilities for weeks. A year later and haunting evidence of the storm still lingers.

Asheville, like much of the region, has struggled to rebound. This summer, hotel lodging demand was down about 10% from the same time last year. Employment in the hospitality industry is down by about the same amount. Tourist attractions like Chimney Rock State Park shuttered for repairs, and restaurants have struggled to turn a profit as visitors have stayed away.

But Asheville is climbing back. Trails are clear, shops and attractions are open again, and the music and food scenes hum with Asheville’s singular energy. Whether you’re passing through or planning a long weekend, you can spend in good conscience as you help a mountain city get back on its feet.

Farms and Markets

On Saturday morning, head to the University of North Carolina at Asheville campus for the North Asheville Tailgate Market, a producer-only farmers market with more than 70 vendors each week. Upwards of 80% of the market vendors earn their living from the crafts and products they make and sell. Budget plenty of time to sample vegan and dairy cheeses, browse native plants, and gawk at the vegetable bounty. Look out for Black Trumpet Farm’s dazzling mushrooms, Asheville Tea Company’s local blends, and Conjure Craft Chocolate’s gift-worthy bars. 

The River Arts District, once full of galleries, shops, bars, and restaurants on the banks of the French Broad, was among the neighborhoods Helene damaged most. The River Arts District Farmers Market, in operation for more than two decades, has since relocated to New Belgium Brewing, where, on Wednesday afternoons from 3 to 6 p.m., you can shop from more than 30 local craftspeople and farmers who grow what they sell. East, West, and downtown Asheville, as well as neighboring towns Black Mountain, Weaverville, and Enka-Candler, also host tailgate markets with local producers. If market days don’t line up with your stay, browse the WNC Farmers Market, a vast emporium open daily, for local relishes, pickles, seasonal produce, fudge, and baked goods.

Restaurants and Chefs 

Stop by Chef Meherwan Irani’s Indian street-food restaurant Chai Pani, which won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2022, and don’t miss the vegetarian kale pakora chaat. Another Beard award winner, Chef Katie Button’s downtown restaurant Cúrate, whose name means “heal yourself,” has been serving Spanish tapas and curated wines for more than a decade. Chef Silver Iocovozzi and his husband, Cherry Iocovozzi, opened Neng Jr.’s in 2022. In short order, the Filipino restaurant earned Best New Restaurant nods from Bon Appétit, Esquire, and The New York Times. Make a reservation as soon as you can; the cozy, intimate space has only 18 seats. 

Another 18-seat restaurant making waves well beyond city limits? Good Hot Fish, Chef Ashleigh Shanti’s modern fish camp, serves fish sandwiches, shrimp burgers, and “trout bologna and cheese” in the South Slope Brewing District. Make it part of a brewery-hopping tour of the neighborhood. There are several within walking distance, including Burial Beer Co. and The Funkatorium, which showcases sour beers. Nearby Antidote Cocktail Lounge is worth a visit, too ( Here’s a video on how to mix their “Savory Sailor” cocktail at home.). Find more funky flavors at Anoche, with its extensive collection of tequila and its sultry, smoky cousin, mezcal.   

Ali Casparian, the executive director of Bounty & Soul, a local food justice organization, recommends restaurants and food businesses that prioritize local sourcing, sustainability, and community care. A few favorite restaurants include Posana, for its seasonal, locally sourced menu and commitment to sustainability; Chestnut, which has led Asheville’s composting and local food movement since the early 2000s; and The Blackbird, where modern Southern dishes highlight the Carolinas’ seasonal bounty. These spots, Casparian says, “reflect the values of our region.”

Venture about 20 minutes east of Asheville to Black Mountain to try South African cuisine at Bush Farmhouse, whose menu features produce grown on site, and Annie’s Cafe & Produce, a garden-to-table restaurant that has doubled as a relief kitchen after local disasters like Helene. (Read more about Annie’s efforts after Helene here.) The menu offers plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Another destination worth the drive is Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s Mills River Taproom, about 20 minutes south of downtown Asheville. The sprawling brewery, set along a river, is a Disneyland for hopheads. A stage hosts local and touring acts, and the restaurant serves modern American cuisine and bar bites. Enjoy seasonal and year-round brews while you walk around the vegetable garden and admire hops vining on trellises, or in an Adirondack chair with a lush forest view.

Back in town, other consistently good standbys include Mehfil for Indian food; El Que Pasa, an unassuming strip-mall joint for Mexican; Tall John’s, a neighborhood tavern in the historic Montford area; and plant, a vegan bistro fit for special occasions. 

Coffee and Tea

Stop into one of Dobrá Tea’s two locations for a midafternoon pick-me-up that doubles as an experience itself. Slip off your shoes and settle onto a cushion before you browse a thick menu of loose-leaf tea varieties from all over the world. Enjoy a vegan (or non-vegan) treat and linger over a pot of tea as you take in the tea house ambiance.

Asheville has no shortage of coffee shops. Three of the best are Rowan Coffee, with two artfully designed locations downtown and in West Asheville; Pollen Coffee + Flower Shop, where you can order a latte along with a bouquet of fresh blooms; and Farewell, which serves wine and light bites in addition to coffee-shop classics.
 

Things to Do and Places to Be

Asheville has a famously vibrant music scene. Look for local bands like Empire Strikes Brass and The Get Right Band gigging around town, or catch a show at The Grey Eagle, The Orange Peel, or Asheville Yards. (Check livemusicasheville.com for daily show listings.) 

Attend an author event or just browse at Malaprop’s, one of the South’s best independent bookstores. Don’t miss the cookbook section, which has beautifully designed new releases, including vegetarian and vegan books. For curated used and local books, stop in at West Asheville’s Bagatelle Books, then get another physical-media fix across the street at Harvest Records. 

Shop for secondhand outdoor gear at Second Gear, which relocated after Helene flooded its riverside space, then put your finds to good use in the mountains that surround the city. Walk the trails and check out a fascinating bonsai display at the North Carolina Arboretum, then joyride and take in stunning vistas on the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. Chase waterfalls: Looking Glass Falls, Triple Falls, and Skinny Dip Falls are popular options, but get off the beaten track and you’ll likely discover waterfalls of your own.

Local Books

The city of Asheville and the spooky, atmospheric ambiance of the Southern Appalachians have inspired writers for generations. Thomas Wolfe, one of the city’s most famous literary sons, wrote the 1929 classic Look Homeward, Angel based on his own coming of age. William R. Forstchen’s One Second After is a terrifying post-apocalyptic thriller about a man trying to save his family after a terrorist attack sends his small North Carolina town back to a dark age. Ron Rash’s story collection Nothing Gold Can Stay spans from the Civil War to the present day and all the stories are set in Appalachia. His novel Serena tells the story of a newlywed couple who set out to build a timber empire in the area in 1929; the effort and their relationship bring shocking, violent twists. Wilma Dykeman’s 1955 nonfiction book The French Broad profiles the eponymous river, and Denise Kiernan’s The Last Castle dives into the sprawling Biltmore Estate and its effect on the city. Annette Clapsaddle is the first member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to publish a novel; her 2020 book, Even as We Breathe, follows a Cherokee man as he leaves his people on the Qualla Boundary in 1942 and seeks a job at Asheville’s glamorous Grove Park Inn. Western North Carolina is home to a number of working writers; stop by one (or more!) of Asheville’s several independent bookshops and ask the booksellers for their latest recommendations.

Read about the North Carolina farmers bringing back America’s forgotten fruit.