Fall in Asheville, North Carolina is the woman we all aspire to be! She’s beloved, she’s beautiful, she’s fun and she definitely leaves us longing more! Sadly, the season is so short, too short actually. Which makes her return each year that much more joyful! As an Asheville mama (and native of WNC), I definitely look forward to fall’s return along with these treasured seasonal traditions that we enjoy year after year! So, without further adieu, I give you: my personal list of the Top 5 Fall Activities for Families in Asheville!
1. The Haunted Trail at the Adventure Center of Asheville
This is one of Asheville’s Must Do Fall Activities for Families in Asheville! Only five minutes from downtown Asheville, the Adventure Center is the most easily accessible, fun activity for your family whether you’re local or visiting Asheville this fall! I took my son to the Haunted Trail and Aerial Glow Trail last year and it was easily one of our most fun, memorable fall activities! Asheville’s only family-friendly haunt, The Adventure Center’s Haunted Trail is sponsored by Mellow Mushroom and created and brought to life by Asheville Plays. This event is ideal for Halloween lovers of all ages, however, kids age 3-12 is the suggested age range according to the website! In addition to the neon, aerial glow trail (ropes course) and the haunted trail, there’s also a Pirates Cove area with a 30 ft pirate ship, an escape room, obstacle course and live mermaid for photo ops! Under the big festival tent, there’s food, games, music, face paint and balloon animals! It’s truly such a fun night out with your children, 10/10 recommend!
Dates / Time Info:
6-10pm nightly on the following dates in October:
Oct 6-7
Oct 13-14
Oct 20-22- Oct 22 is Sensory Friendly Night *
Oct 27-30
Address:
85 Expo Drive
Asheville, NC 28806
PS: Planning a Fall Family Portrait Session while you’re at it is always an amazing idea! Do that here:
Asheville’s #1 Family Photographer
2. Grandad’s Apples-N-Such – Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze!
Grandad’s Apples-n-Such is one of the most beloved Fall Activities for Families in Asheville! The barn & famous silo are situated on 30 acres of Apple & Peach Trees! In addition to Apple & Peach Picking in the summer, Grandad’s also has a Pumpkin Patch and a Corn Maze to visit in the fall as well!! The farm is gorgeous, surrounded by those big, beautiful blue ridge mountain views! In the farm market, you’ll find local honey, canned goods including apple butter, jams, jellies, and chow-chow! You can also purchase fresh pressed apple cider, cider slushies and they fermented apple cider on site as well! And of course, they have apple cider donuts, apple pies, carmel apples and lots of other delicious apple treats for your enjoyment!
Hours:
Grandad’s is open every day from 8am – 6pm.
Address:
2951 Chimney Rock Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792
PS: Planning a Fall Family Portrait Session while you’re at it is always an amazing idea! Do that here:
Asheville’s #1 Family Photographer
3. Take a Hike!
In my opinion, the very best of the Fall Activities for Families in Asheville!
Autumn in Asheville would not be complete without taking a Hike in the mountains! The sunny days, cooler temperatures, changing leaves and the sights, smells and sounds of autumn in the mountains is nothing short of spectacular! Do yourself a favor and get out in nature during this time of year! If you’re not much of a “hiker”, visiting Biltmore Estate, NC Arboretum or UNCA Botanical Gardens trails will give you a little taste of the sweetness of fall in Asheville without actually taking you out into the wilderness! But, if you do fancy yourself a walk in the woods, might I suggest a few of my personal favorite Family Friendly Hikes near Asheville:
- Linville Falls
- Crab Tree Falls
- Craggy Gardens
- Craggy Pinnacle
- Catawba Falls (closed until spring 2024 for trail reconstruction)
- Graveyard Fields
- Doupont Falls
- Black Balsam Knob
- Max Patch
Wanna know more about my personal Favorite Family Friend Hikes in Asheville!? Check out that Blog Post here: Best Family Friendly Hikes in Asheville, NC
PS: Planning a Fall Family Portrait Session while you’re at it is always an amazing idea! Do that here:
Asheville’s #1 Family Photographer
4. Hickory Nut Gap Farm:
Hickory Nut Gap Farm is a lovely little farm out in Fairview (just 25 minutes outside of downtown Asheville)! Surrounded by those big, beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain views and situated along the Eastern Continental divide, this farm is a ton of fun for the whole family! If you’re local, Hickory Nut Gap Farm is a household name because everyone here knows that they have a strong focus on regenerative agriculture and ethical animal welfare practices which means they sell the highest quality, best tasting meats to be found in WNC! The fairview farm has a Farm Store and Butchery on site where you can purchase allllll the fresh meats your heart desires and they have a ton of fun things for the whole family to do while you’re there!
Visit with Farm Animals on site, let the kids play in the old silo that’s filled with corn kernels, have a Giant Tricycle derby in the old cattle barn, slide down the 50ft culvert slide built into the hillside or play in the creek or on the playground or take a walk in the pumpkin patch! Seriously friend, you don’t wanna sleep on this one!
Hours:
Hickory Nut Gap Farm is open Wednesday through Sunday 10am – 5pm.
Location:
57 Sugar Hollow Road
Fairview, NC 28730
Photos of (my) baby at HNG Farm in 2018:
PS: Planning a Fall Family Portrait Session while you’re at it is always an amazing idea! Do that here:
Asheville’s #1 Family Photographer
5. Dollywood’s LumiNights
Just a short hour and a half drive from Asheville, a visit to Dollywood’s Harvest Festival & LumiNights is one of our most cherished fall traditions! During the day, you can experience the charm of traditional Dollywood with train rides, rollercoasters, music and food but after sundown, the park comes alive with the Great Pumpkin LumiNights featuring over 12,000 creatively carved pumpkins, twinkling lights everywhere, fog and jusssst the right amount of spooky halloween charm for the whole family!
Hours: Dollywood is open six days per week (closed on Tuesdays) from 10am – 9pm.
Address: 2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Planning a Fall Family Portrait Session while you’re at it is always an amazing idea for Fall Activities for Families in Asheville!
Do that here:
Asheville’s #1 Family Photographer
Learn More + Get your Harvest Festival & LumiNights tickets here: Show me the Punkins’
If you’d like to know more about Hickory Nut Gap Farm, visit them here: Give me the Meat Sweats!
Feeling Adventurous AND Spooky? Visit the Asheville Adventure Center here: BOO!
Want wholesome Fall Fun? Learn more about Grandad’s here: Corn Maze Baybeeeee!