Your Asheville tea (or craft beer) for restaurant reviews, local events, itineraries, new businesses, and things to do. Map out nearby day trips and overnight getaways because Tom and I will most definitely drive 2 hours for a cascading waterfall, a cheesy-fun gimmick, an alpaca farm, a mushroom hike, and a picnic with cows on a mountain bald. Give me all the bookstores, wineries, and Blue Ridge Mountain wanderlust. 💙 Christine, your indie AVL travel writer since 2019.
🎃 October in Asheville: Pumpkins, New Restaurants, & SO Many Events
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Good Morning, Reader, ‼️ Warning: This newsletter is PACKED with upcoming events, photos, and updates. I hope you love it! ❤️ The new motto in our household: "No k*ller clowns, zombies, fog, or sea hags after 8 PM." (And now this email went to your spam folder.) Tom and I were a little too inspired by the Emmys, and while I cannot watch creepy shows before bed, you can imagine what TV series we started to transport us back to old New England... Widow's Bay. It's hilarious, with jump scares that give my Graves' disease heart palpitations. Do we even want to talk about the new season of Ted Lasso that is incredible!? Although I literally screamed hysterically at the TV last night. Great British Bake Off is back too... so who needs Asheville travel anyway? Just kidding. Maybe. This newsletter length begs to differ. 🍎 What You'll Find In This Newsletter That I Couldn't Wait To Share:
🥪 Guajiro Is Back In Their River Arts Location Post-HeleneTalk about a comeback. Guajiro reopened their 122 Riverside Drive location at Cotton Mill Studios. This RAD restaurant is stunning inside and out, including that Celia Cruz mural. Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, their Cuban comfort food keeps getting better and better. Tom can’t resist their roasted pork with rice and beans. My go-tos include a Cuban sandwich and coffee, along with fried plantains and yucca fries. See how gorgeous the inside (and outside) murals are in our Instagram reel tour. If you go, tell Chris and the fam "hi" for us. I know you'll LOVE it. Go, go, go! 🍣 New North Asheville Sushi Spot: MiyagiFrom the owners of Murasaki and Maguro, Miyagi recently—and rather quietly—opened in North Asheville's former La Carreta at 1435 Merrimon Avenue. The menu is slightly different from their other two restaurants, but still has sushi, ramen, hibachi, and lunch specials. Expect their usual wonderful service. Tom and I dropped in for lunch after grabbing our Grace Episcopal pumpkins. We had summer and salmon rolls with hot sake and soup. The interior promises loads of seating in a beautifully renovated space, including a new mural. There is on-site parking. These guys are still my all-time favorite sushi owners in town (Umi in Hendersonville is next). 🎃 It's My Favorite Time Of The Year: Grace Episcopal Church's Pumpkin Patch Is Up!Since Tom and I moved here, Grace Episcopal Church's pumpkin patch signifies the official start of fall in Asheville. Located at 871 Merrimon Avenue, they sell pumpkins of all sizes, colors, and shapes. Pumpkin sales go toward Consider Haiti. This year, they have a terrific selection. A volunteer showed me their flyer for a new "Pumpkin Patch Party" on Saturday, October 10th from 2 to 4 PM with music, scarecrow making, face painting, and a vintage snack truck. Go pick your pumpkin(s)! Tom and I might go for round two. 🥙 Asheville Greek Festival 2026 Recap (You Should Go Next Year! It's Our Happy Place.)...Oh, & Let's Dispel Some Rumors...‼️ First, let's clear up some rumors from that day: No, Tom and I are not brother and sister 😂, and no, we are not Greek with our matching Sicilian noses 👃🏼... I love it; Tom was not as amused... Usually around the last weekend in September (the 25th & 26th in 2026), the Asheville Greek Festival should be on everyone's fall itinerary, especially if you love food, fun, culture, and dancing. Tom and I had a blast this year, and we ate it all: gyros, loukoumades, lemon bars, and a giant lemon roasted chicken with rice and beans. We also wine tasted, shopped, and listened to great music. They have the sweetest volunteers. Watch our YouTube Short, starting with those Greek donuts.
🍏 Commence The Best Time To Apple Pick (Hint: NOW)Tom and I made our first apple crisp of the season with delicious Fuji and Blushing Gold apples from Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard. It was our first—of many—visits this season. Tom really wanted to moon you all in that "I love fall" photo. My food model acts out sometimes. To fuel up for apple picking, Tom had a strong iced coffee from ShareWell while I downed an apple cider slushie, both sold at their farm market. We bought cider for home. Since it was still in the 80s, we skipped their corn maze. However, I want to go back as it's usually great. Even on a Monday morning close to opening, Stepp's was jumping. Unlike a few other orchards this year, you do not need to make reservations to u-pick. However, go early and on a weekday, if you can.
📆 Mark Your Calendar: October 2026 Events in Asheville
🎄 Start Planning Your Biltmore Christmas ASAPTickets sell out quickly for Biltmore's Christmas celebrations. If you have your heart set on going, book NOW whether you are a local, passholder, visitor, first-timer, or long-timer. I updated our Biltmore Christmas guide to help you decide:
✨ In this guide, find our top insider tips for having the best visit, including dining, what to wear, and when to book. It's all revamped. This article might also be great for your visitors; please feel free to forward the link or this email to them.
🎥 And don't miss the newest Hallmark movie, A Grand Biltmore Christmas, premiering Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 8:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM CT. ⛄️ While Planning Biltmore, See How To Spend December in AshevilleFrom Winter Lights to those cool gingerbread houses, start planning your December in Asheville with our updated guide. This includes must-know dates, our favorite winter hiking trails, and a few insider tips.
📖 It's Not Too Late To Join Uncorked Reading Challenge BingoIf you love a good reading challenge, our sister site, The Uncorked Librarian, has a brand new bingo card starting this month. Join today! If this isn't your jam but you love books, you can always see what everyone is reading for the challenge and beyond in our small and private Facebook group, Uncorked Readers. Unlike the positive vibes of Uncorked Asheville, I am not afraid to get real with books. Theo of Golden had me raging—and I'm not currently on Prednisone...
🍂 Upcoming For Uncorked Asheville*Takes a gulp of air and debates pouring more coffee with her apple crisp.* I honestly questioned splitting this email into MANY different ones since everyone skims. I don't want you to miss an update. However, I personally cringe when people slam my inbox. Plus, I know most of you actually do make it to the end. I hope it was worth it. Thank you. I am ending here even though we have so much more to talk about, like all the gossip over The Majestic. Tom and I still have to go, but we have been intentionally waiting a bit as they settle in. I'm cheering for them, and I laughed at their Frogger FB post reference. 🕸️ Not to mention, this is the first time we've had no cats, ever, and I didn't realize how many spiders we get in our Asheville treehouse home. I love them, but not in my face or DOWN MY SHIRT. We will be fallin' hard, along with trips to Florida—our previous home because I need old friends and the beach—and Massachusetts since my IBD team is still trying to keep me stable/put me back together. I'm partway through updating winter/holiday guides, and my bucket list of new places to try is growing. What is on your AVL bucket list? Reply to this email to let me know. Lastly, if you loved this newsletter, a video, photos, a blog article, or an email response, say thanks with a secure (Stripe) tip. It all goes right back into these newsletters and website operating expenses. Happy October! |
Uncorked Asheville
Your Asheville tea (or craft beer) for restaurant reviews, local events, itineraries, new businesses, and things to do. Map out nearby day trips and overnight getaways because Tom and I will most definitely drive 2 hours for a cascading waterfall, a cheesy-fun gimmick, an alpaca farm, a mushroom hike, and a picnic with cows on a mountain bald. Give me all the bookstores, wineries, and Blue Ridge Mountain wanderlust. 💙 Christine, your indie AVL travel writer since 2019.