Winter Wonderland at the Grove Arcade in Asheville NC

November 21 - January 4, 2015   Winter Wonderland at The Grove Arcade   Asheville's historic downtown arcade displays all the trimmings of the holiday season along with exhibits from the annual National Gingerbread House Competition display, co-hosted with The Grove Park Inn. 

Santa will be visiting the Arcade on Saturdays from noon – 4 PM, November 29 and 30 and December7,14,21 . Photos with Santa will be available for purchase. In addition to the Arcade’s restaurants regular evening hours, many shops will be open until 8:00 PM on Fridays, starting November 28 until December 20.

The Historic Grove Arcade on Battery Hill decks its halls and lights the building for its 2014 Winter Wonderland. Sing holiday carols with the Asheville Symphony Chorus and make holiday ornaments. View the gingerbread houses from Omni Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread House competition. Have photos with Santa and listen to holiday stories while enjoying hot cider and refreshments. “It promises to be a memorable evening,” says Darr Conradson, President of Grove Arcade’s Merchants Association.

For a $1 donation to MANNA Food Bank’s Back Pack Program, children make a holiday ornament to decorate a Grove Arcade Christmas tree or to take home. Mountain Made and artists organized by the Asheville Area Arts Council help design and make these ornaments. 

The Asheville Symphony Chorus is the evening’s main event. Over forty chorus members are on hand to celebrate the evening with traditional and contemporary carols. The chorus sings for approximately 45 minutes, finishing with a rousing version of the classic Hallelujah Chorus. “We are so excited to be a part of this celebration, our music will soar in the Arcade-what a thrill!” says Asheville Symphony Chorus’s Cynthia Sprau. All the while, visitors can enjoy cider and cookies.

The Grove Arcade  - Built by E.W. Grove, the visionary and creator of the Grove Park Inn, the Grove Arcade opened in 1929 and thrived until World War II as one of the country's leading public markets. Asheville's historically renovated Grove Arcade has once again returned as a destination featuring the best the region has to offer from fabulous foods to delicious dining and local crafts. The wonderful design and architecture alone are worth a trip to Asheville. Located at 1 Page Avenue, downtown Asheville NC. Some of the Grove Arcade shops, restaurants and galleries include: 

Daily Essentials Asheville barber and beard Fresh Quarter Produce Make Up at Grove Arcade Marc Edwards and Co. Printville Private Mtn. Communities Realty World RENCI Studio Flora Dive The Eye Center The Watchmaker's Shop Wake Foot Sanctuary

Shopping and Galleries
Alexander and Lehnert
Appalachian Strings
Asheville Area Arts Council
Asheville NC Homecrafts
Bath Junkie
Battery Park Book Ex.
Caravans
Enter the Earth
Four Corners Home
Mission at the Grove
Mountain Made
Roberto Coin
Stevenson Rare Coin
Tic-n-Time

Dining and Desserts
Burgerworx
Carmel's Ktchen and Bar
Chorizo
Modesto
Nutz About Fudge
Santé Wine Bar/Tap Room
Thai Tara
True Confections

En Plein Air
The Portico Market on our south end has a variety of vendors; some have been there from day one, others come through occasionally. It is always a thrill to find out what you might find at our truly unique Portico Market.