8 Ways to Share a Family-Friendly April and Easter in Asheville

Header photo: The Biltmore Company

Can you smell that? It's the sweet smell of flowers opening up and buds popping on trees throughout the mountains of Western North Carolina. It's finally warm enough to venture outside and enjoy the blossoms, birdsongs, and fresh air of spring in Asheville.

Celebrate April's blooms, catch the opening of minor league baseball season, or take a relaxing or vigorous hike in our many forests and parks. Whatever you choose to do, April is a fantastic time to visit.

Best of all, the whole family can stay at The Residences at Biltmore, with 2- and 3-bedroom suites with room for as many as 6 to sleep comfortably. Keep reading for our ideas for family fun in April.

Biltmore

Biltmore Blooms

Biltmore in April means it's time for Biltmore Blooms, the annual explosion of colorful flora throughout the property and in the Walled Garden. Thousands of tulips, flowering cherry and magnolia trees, and many more blossoms create a kaleidoscope of sights and smells.

New plants are popping up every day, such as forsythia, quince, and spirea. Azalea flowers are on their way up in April, and their vibrant colors turn the Azalea Garden into art.

Learn what is currently in bloom by visiting the online Bloom Report before you go.

Chihuly at Biltmore

The Chihuly at Biltmore installation is a specially curated display at the Amherst at Deerpark™ exhibition space. Glass artist Dale Chihuly’s pedestal works, Drawings, and large-scale installations of Chandeliers, Towers, Mille Fiori, and Neon will be featured. Admission is included with your Estate admission.

Venture Out

Asheville has plenty to do off the grounds of the estate, too. For a unique spring celebration, head to one of the small towns on the outskirts of Asheville, walk through flower fields, or visit animals while you run a 5K. Read on for more things to do in Asheville in April.

Root for the Home Team

The Asheville Tourists’ Minor League baseball team will host their first home game of the season on April 5 against the Winston-Salem Dash. The team plays at McCormick Field in Downtown Asheville, and general admission ticketsare between $11 for General Admission and up to $38 for Dugout seats.

Greening up the Mountains

The quirky small town of Sylva celebrates spring's arrival with the Greening Up the Mountains annual Downtown festival. Scheduled for April 27, the festival features vendors, local artists, craft displays, musicians, youth talent contests, food, drinks, and more. It starts at 10 a.m., and it’s best to arrive early - in the past, as many as 12,000 attendees joined in on the festivities.

Run with the Goats

Join the Friends of the WNC Nature Center for the 4th annual Running of the Goats 5k and Nature Walk on April 21 to support the animals who live there. Your race entry fee is your ticket to free admission to the WNC Nature Center on race day, and friends and family can cheer you on with the Nature Center's goats during and after the event when they purchase tickets before 10 a.m. The after-race festivities will include snacks, music, a costume contest, and of course, prizes.

Cider, Wine & Dine Weekend

Hendersonville, Asheville's cousin to the south, will showcase its wineries and cideries April 19-21. The events on tap include tours, tastings, wine releases, food trucks, music, and plenty more activities over the three days. Find more information, including specific times, participating businesses, and locations on the website. In all, about 12 wineries and cideries are participating, and most have activities to keep the kids busy.

The North Carolina Arboretum

One of the treasures of the Asheville area is the North Carolina Arboretum. Many acres of cultivated gardens and miles of trails feature some of the most beautiful and diverse plants in the Eastern part of the country.

Several spring-inspired events and displays are on tap for this month at the Arboretum, including Nature’s Blueprints: Biomimicry in Art and Design The exhibit is based around the idea of biomimicry - how the forms, patterns, and processes found in the natural world can inspire the design of everything from clothing to skyscrapers - and is on display through May at the Baker Exhibit Center.

Get ready for the solar eclipse and join the Arboretum for viewing it April 8th from 1-4 p.m.

The Asheville Orchid Festival features world-class and regional orchid growers and breeders exhibiting their blooms at this annual show by the Western North Carolina Orchid Society. Expect to see hundreds of orchids presented in carefully crafted displays April 13-14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. .

Fluorish Flower Farm

For a truly unique (and heavenly scented) experience, head to the 9-acre farm just 15 minutes from downtown Asheville. The farm features idyllic pastures, a babbling creek, mountain views, and specialty and heirloom floral varieties. In addition to selling local cut flowers and bouquets, Fluorish Flower Farm offers workshops and private sessions on several growing-related topics. Check out the website for all the offerings.

But Wait, There's More

April signals the beginning of some of Asheville's most popular spring and summer-long events. Make time to catch the Drum Circle every Friday night at Pritchard Park, bands and musicians at Downtown After Five every third Friday, or the Annual Spring Herb Festival at the WNC Ag Center, April 26-28.