12 Best Fall Things To Do In Asheville In October

Nothing beats fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Leaf chasers flock to the Blue Ridge Parkway with that cinnamon and pumpkin-spiced pop of color while cider donut seekers dash off to the orchards. Just as the sunsets become more vivid, the waterfalls take on a magical glow. From locals, keep reading for the best fall things to do in Asheville in October. Pick apples, chase ghosts, get lost in a corn maze, and enjoy seasonal cocktails by a blazing fireplace. Make this a fall you won’t soon forget.

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As locals, there is so much to do in Asheville, it can be hard to choose. Below are our favorite fall activities. If you get caught on a rainy day, read our guide to Asheville’s best indoor attractions. All photos are our own.

Pick Pumpkins At Grace Episcopal Church

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You know fall has arrived when Grace Episcopal Church sets out their fundraising pumpkin patch on North Asheville’s Merrimon Ave. Talk about the Thomas Kinkade of pop-up stands at a gorgeous Gothic Revival church selling orange, white, blue, and light orange-hued pumpkins plus funky gourds by size. This is our top Asheville fall tradition. Tom and I always pick the Doctor Seuss-like pumpkins, and it’s great for family photos. Just be aware that they take down the pumpkin patch early, usually a week before Halloween or if they sell out.

Watch A Grove Park Inn Sunset From Edison

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As one of Asheville’s biggest tourist attractions and perfect for a romantic night out, even we cannot stay away from The Omni Grove Park Inn in the fall. Make sunset dinner reservations at Edison (my pick) or Sunset Terrace. Drink seasonal cocktails at The Great Hall Bar, sitting outside overlooking Mount Pisgah and Downtown Asheville or warming up by the floor-to-ceiling fireplaces showcasing quotes from F. Scott Fitzgerald. I love their wine list (Russian River Valley Pinot!), charcuterie, and cozy ambiance. Just be prepared to pay a hefty parking fee.

Head To Apple Alley For Endless Orchard Activities

From mid-August to early November, the seasonal Hendersonville apple orchards and farms open across Western North Carolina. September is a great time to beat the crowds, but October promises all of those stunning fall colors. As one of the most fun family-friendly things to do, think cider donuts, corn mazes, U-pick flowers, fruits, and vegetables, bamboo forests, apple cannons, apple cider (and hard cider!), and farm animals. Just a 40 to 60 minute drive, find Sky Top, Stepp’s, Jeter Mountain, and more.

Apple Pick At The U-Pick Farms

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Apple picking is a given in Asheville in October. Think Fujis, Pink Ladies, Galas, Honeycrisps, Romes, and Golden Delicious. Each orchard has its own pros and cons – and some are smaller than others. Coston Family Farm is great if you want a smaller orchard with less walking. Jeter Mountain Farm has a wagon to take you to the apple fields, perfect with young kids.

Get Lost In Stepp’s Hillcrest Corn Maze

Growing up in Connecticut with Lyman Orchards, we live for corn mazes. Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard’s is the most challenging. Budget at least 30 to 45 minutes for their 5-acre maze. I highly recommend using the restroom before you enter and staying well-hydrated. Buncombe and Henderson counties may still be quite warm weather-wise. Snap a picture of the map on the wall for when you get desperate. There are no clues along the way, and if you go during a quiet weekday, you might be one of the only ones out there. Grandad’s Apples also has a fun and easier corn maze.

Eat All Of Sky Top’s Steaming Hot Cider Donuts

Our first visit to Sky Top Orchard, we had no idea why everyone was sitting around gorging on donuts instead of playing and apple picking. Now we get it. While all of the apple orchards have their version of cider donuts, I’d dare say Sky Top’s serves the best, made right in front of you and served piping hot. They shake those steamy bad boys in cinnamon and sugar, and they land straight in your mou…container. Fair warning: the donuts are beyond popular, and they may run out on weekends. Sky Top serves hard cider as well as cider slushies to wash down that clump of delicious gooey goodness.

Drive The Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP), “America’s favorite scenic drive,” is one of the best places to catch peak-season fall foliage near Asheville. 469 miles long, the BRP follows the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, running from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.

This 2-lane, typically 45 mph road promises scenic overlooks, cascading waterfalls, and gorgeous hikes. Navigate the parkway via mile markers, and know that cellular service is spotty. Bears and wildlife may cross the road at any time, and if it is foggy, you might end up driving into a cloud with limited to no views. A sense of humor helps.

Hike (Or Bike) A Fall Foliage Trail

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Leaf peeping on Asheville’s popular hiking trails is one of our favorite things to do in Asheville in the fall. Head to the Blue Ridge Parkway – especially the Pisgah Inn area – Pisgah National Forest, Dupont State Forest, and Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Chase those waterfalls. Our “must” hikes include:

• Mount Pisgah
• Fryingpan Mountain Tower
• Graveyard Fields
• Black Balsam via the Art Loeb Trail – add in Sam Knob
• Craggy Pinnacle
• Craggy Gardens
• Mount Mitchell
• The NC Arboretum
• Bearwallow Mountain
• DuPont State Forest’s 3-waterfall hike
• Biltmore Estate – Lagoon and Deer Park Trail to the Walled Garden

If you are more of a mountain biker, head to:

• Daniel Ridge Loop
• Bent Creek Experimental Forest
• Old Fort
• Thermal Belt Rail Trail

Visit One Of NC’s Abandoned Places

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If you are a dark tourist, visiting Asheville in October is a must. Western North Carolina is filled with spooky abandoned places. Two sites of interest include Bryson City’s Road To Nowhere and Henry River Mill Village.

The Road To Nowhere was a broken promise from the government to the people and is located in the Smoky Mountains. Today, visitors can drive down Lakeshore Drive for a gorgeous aerial view of Fontana Lake. The road ends at a tunnel, which is home to fall foliage and hiking trails.

For The Hunger Games fans, you might recognize Henry River Mill Village as “District 12.” This once-abandoned mill village offers short tours of the crumbling grounds. I loved our tour as a literary tourist and history buff. See the Everdeen’s house while learning more about North Carolina’s industrial history.

Attend A Fall Festival

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October houses the most fall activities in Asheville, especially popular area street fairs and festivals. Think Oktoberfests, craft fairs, art fests, vintage flea markets, block parties, and Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. We attend Asheville’s VeganFest, Montford’s Greek Festival, Maggie Valley’s Arts & Crafts Festival, and Greenville SC’s Fall For Greenville. Hendersonville is famous for hosting The North Carolina Apple Festival and beer lovers flock to Asheville Oktoberfest.

Take A Haunted LaZoom or Gray Line Ghost Tour

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How many times have you spied a purple bus with eyelashes tearing down the streets of Asheville full of giggling people? That’s LaZoom. LaZoom offers a variety of comedy tours, family-friendly as well as 21+.

The LaZoom Ghosted Comedy Tour is one of the best Asheville fall activities where you get to sit back and relax. Walk into a kitschy bar full of cat pillows and rubber chickens. Our one-hour tour took us through Downtown Asheville as the city’s ghosts hopped on and off the bus. Each character shares the darker history of the city. Think murderers, thieves, and famous dead people while you sip on beverages from their bar in your own personal cooler. Purchase tickets in advance, and get there early as you board the bus based on your arrival order.

If LaZoom looks too wild or cheesy for you (Zelda Fitzgerald did hump a bush in the rain), we’ve also enjoyed Gray Line Trolley’s Ghost Tour, which integrates history with ghosts.

More Asheville Ghost Tours

• Asheville Night-Time Walking Ghost Tour – Grab your ghost-hunting equipment. See the city’s beautiful historic buildings while learning about its ghosts. Stops might include Pack Square, Grove Arcade, and the Basilica of Saint Lawrence.
• Asheville Terrors Ghosts of the Blue Ridge By US Ghost Adventures – Learn about Asheville during the Great Depression, Prohibition, and Gilded Age while ghost hunting.
• Asheville Ghost Tour: A Walk Through Riverside Cemetery & Montford Neighborhood – Riverside Cemetery is full of ghosts and beauty. Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry are laid to rest here.

Drink Up All The Fall Flavors

Whether you fuel up with Asheville’s plentiful coffeeshops like Summit, Pollen, and Rowan, or want to get in the… spirit… Asheville is full of funky bars, hopping breweries, and nearby vineyards.

Craft Brewery Hop

Like its award-winning foodie scene, Asheville is famous for its craft breweries. We live for ambers, stouts, Pilsners, Kolschs, reds, and anything infused with spice. Plus, Asheville in October can only mean one thing: Oktoberfest beer! You can even take a guided walking brewery tour. We cannot keep up with the Asheville breweries and their wild Count Chocula and pumpkin concoctions. However, we are all here for it.

If you want to see a massive beer factory, head to Sierra Nevada for their Oktoberfest or New Belgium for a pumpkin brew. For local Asheville craft breweries try Wicked Weed serving great pub grub and Burial Beer with those freaky fun names perfect for the season.

Wine Taste In The Crest Of The Blue Ridge

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Wine tasting is one of the best things to do in Asheville in October with those stunning vineyard views. Henderson County isn’t only known for its apple orchards. Its wine region, Crest of the Blue Ridge, was named an AVA in 2019. Our favorite Hendersonville wineries include Stone Ashe Vineyards, Saint Paul, and Souther Williams. Flat Rock’s Marked Tree Vineyards gives off major Halloween vibes when the fog rolls in over their haunted chimney. Read our full guide to Asheville’s beautiful vineyards and wineries, and be sure to check their policies. Some are 21+ and don’t allow outside food and drink.

Stroll Riverside Cemetery

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If you are looking for spooky things to do in Asheville this fall, stroll through beautiful Victorian-inspired, Riverside Cemetery. Located in Asheville’s quaint Historic Montford District, Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry are buried here. Grab a self-guided walking pamphlet at the gates that point out historical sites and famous people interned here, or book a Riverside Cemetery and Montford guided walking tour. W.O. Wolfe’s angels greet visitors throughout the grounds. I enjoy the 3.5 miles of paved walking trails, and yes, Riverside Cemetery is allegedly haunted. Which brings us to…

Visit Asheville’s Haunted Houses & Places

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Asheville has fun (and free!) haunted places and ghost stories that you can see without taking a tour. First, pay your respects to Zelda Fitzgerald who died in the Highland Hospital fire. There is a bleak plaque commemorating the former site. Or, head to Helen’s Bridge where a young, brokenhearted woman is said to haunt the area. Just don’t turn off your car or it may not start again.

Of course, The Omni Grove Park Inn is known for its resident ghost, The Pink Lady. Maybe you’ll catch her wandering the halls. And, while taking selfies with the chicken mural in Asheville’s Chicken Alley, listen for the tapping of a cane from a murdered doctor…

Watch Shakespeare In The Park

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May through October, Shakespeare in the Park promises theater under the stars. It’s one of our favorite low-key fall activities in Asheville. Just keep in mind that the Montford Park Players’ season usually ends around the third week of October. This isn’t your average Shakespeare performance either, and you are sure to crack a smile. Bring your own lawn chairs or use theirs. There are on-site restrooms as well as vendors selling snacks and drinks – beer and wine included! Pack a picnic and some bug spray.

Performances and parking are free, but leave a generous donation as players come around mid-show. Be on the lookout for the Montford Moppets too. They perform earlier shows. Both are great outdoor activities perfect for the entire family.

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