Asheville’s holiday shopping ranges from Guild-selected crafts at Grove Arcade to food gifts at neighbourhood producer markets. Choose the market for what you want to take home, whether that is an artist-made present, baked goods or something to browse between seasonal activities.
The five choices below start with central venues, then move to North and West Asheville. They have separate schedules rather than forming a continuous Christmas-market circuit. Pack Square is the reference point for getting there, so you can compare a downtown walk with a bus outing without assuming you need a car.
Which holiday market suits your visit?
| Criterion | Grove Arcade | The Big Crafty | Asheville Yards | North Asheville | West Asheville |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market admission | FreeBest | Saturday $10, online processing fees may apply, Sunday freeBest | — | FreeBest | — |
| Access from Pack Square | Walk: about 7 minutes, about 0.3 milesBest | Walk: about 8 minutes, about 0.3 miles | — | N1 bus with access walks: about 15 minutes, about 2.5 miles | W2 bus with access walks: about 23 minutes, about 3.3 miles |
Choose Grove Arcade for Guild-curated gifts, The Big Crafty for handmade art, or Asheville Yards for browsing beside seasonal activities. North and West Asheville suit food gifts. The Big Crafty is the indoor choice for wet weather, though occasional stalls are outdoors.
The holiday events are temporary, while West Asheville’s regular producer market continues towards Christmas. Pair your chosen shopping session with separate Christmas events in Asheville rather than expecting every market to coincide.
Grove Arcade Holiday Market
Grove Arcade Holiday Market brings Southern Highland Craft Guild-curated gifts to the arcade’s tree-lighting block party. Browse the temporary craft stalls for presents, then enjoy the street performers and the gathering around the decorated arcade. This is an established recurring seasonal event, with its dates and details varying from year to year.
The block party, including its outdoor holiday market, is free. The event stalls are distinct from Grove Arcade’s permanent shops, so the seasonal gathering is a particular outing rather than shopping that lasts throughout the Christmas period.
Browse before the tree-lighting gathering for more room at the stalls. Warm clothing and rain protection are useful because the market itself is outdoors. The arcade’s decorated architectural setting gives this choice a different focus from a large maker fair: gifts and the tree-lighting celebration share the visit.
Jane023 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edited
The Big Crafty
The Big Crafty puts you face to face with makers selling their own work, from backyard artists to juried prize-winners. Choose it for handmade art and crafts bought directly from the people who make them. The range of makers is the attraction, so allow yourself to browse before settling on a present.
Its recurring winter edition takes place at Harrah’s Cherokee Center on a Saturday and Sunday in early December, with shopping from noon–6pm both days. The afternoon opening leaves your morning free for another downtown outing before you turn to the makers’ stalls.
Sunday is the lower-cost day for adult shoppers. Advance booking is not required, and Saturday tickets are available online or at the door. Online purchases may carry additional processing fees.
The shopping is indoors, making this the strongest choice when rain would make an outdoor market uncomfortable. A handful of outdoor vendor spaces may occasionally be included, so a coat remains useful if you want to browse those too. Arrive near opening for easier browsing and a chance to look closely at the work before the aisles become busier.
- Name
- The Big Crafty
- Location
- Harrah’s Cherokee Center, downtown Asheville Maps
- Site
- harrahscherokeecenterasheville.com
- Hours
- Mon Closed
- Tue–Fri 10am–4pm
- Sat–Sun Closed
- Essential fact
- A handmade-art and craft fair at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville.
- Price
- USD 10 Saturday, adult
- Free Sunday · children
Warren LeMay · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Edited
Winter Wonderland Market at Asheville Yards
Winter Wonderland Market at Asheville Yards, on Coxe Avenue, suits browsing within a larger festive outing rather than concentrating the whole visit on specialist craft shopping. Seasonal treats, art installations and the seasonal rink give you other things to enjoy around the market.
Treat the shopping session separately from skating or film activities, which are different parts of the setting. Browse near the beginning of a market session if the stalls are your priority, then leave room for a treat or a look at the art installations.
North Asheville Tailgate Market Holiday Bazaar
North Asheville Tailgate Market Holiday Bazaar is producer-only, bringing farmers, craftspeople and bakers together for edible presents, handmade gifts, seasonal produce and prepared food. It is a useful choice when you want both gifts and something to eat.
The recurring bazaar runs on Saturdays from the Saturday after Thanksgiving through the Saturday before Christmas, 10am–1pm. Visitors can browse without advance booking. Arrive near opening and bring a reusable bag.
At UNC Asheville, enter from Edgewood Road and head to the back of the car park. From downtown, take N1 to “UNC Asheville at Edgewood Rd”, near the entrance. N2 also serves that stop. The standard N1 adult one-way fare is $1.
The paved outdoor shopping area slopes uphill from the entrance, and some stalls can be tight for mobility devices, although most are wheelchair-accessible. Leave room to turn rather than assuming every stall has the same clearance. Wear warm layers and rain protection for outdoor browsing.
- Name
- North Asheville Tailgate Market Holiday Bazaar
- Location
- UNC Asheville, near Edgewood Road Maps
- Site
- northashevilletailgatemarket.com
- Hours
- Mon–Fri Closed
- Sat 8am–12pm
- Sun Closed
- Essential fact
- The holiday bazaar of North Asheville Tailgate Market at UNC Asheville.
- Price
- Free · adults
West Asheville Tailgate Market
West Asheville Tailgate Market offers holiday shopping at the Grace Baptist Church site, 718 Haywood Road. Browse seasonal vegetables, local specialities and baked goods for food gifts, alongside wreaths and other presents. This is the regular neighbourhood producer market continuing towards Christmas, rather than a separate holiday fair.
It runs Tuesdays from April through Christmas, 3:30–6:30pm. Arrive near the start for browsing. The market is open to the public without advance booking, and optional pre-orders are arranged directly with individual vendors.
From Pack Square, walk to the ART station and take W2 to Brevard Road at Haywood Road for the market. W2 operates during the Tuesday shopping window, and the standard adult cash fare is $1 per one-way trip. This suits an afternoon food-shopping outing rather than the weekend craft-fair pattern of the central venues.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: fares and charges, opening hours, key figures, and services.
- The Big Crafty — opening hours
- Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville — fares and charges
- Testimonials – The Big Crafty
- Artist Information – The Big Crafty
- West Asheville Tailgate Market — opening hours
- Asheville Rides Transit (City of Asheville) — service
- City of Asheville / Asheville Rides Transit — fares and charges
- Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) — key figures
- Grove Arcade — fares and charges
- City of Asheville (Asheville Rides Transit) — fares and charges
- North Asheville Tailgate Market — service
- North Asheville Tailgate Market — key figures
- Asheville Plays — fares and charges
- Adventure Center of Asheville — service
