Five months after Hurricane Helene devastated communities and riverside areas in Western North Carolina, signs of the ongoing recovery remain, but we are also proud to say that a lot of progress has been made in our region, and the people in our communities have exhibited incredible resilience. The Army Corps of Engineers recently projected that they will have removed 1 million cubic yards of debris from right of way and waterways by June 2025.
At this stage in the recovery, we know that the healing of our mountains will take time, but our resonant message is that Asheville is open for business, and our community is ready to welcome back visitors from far and wide. Be part of our comeback!
There is a lot of exciting news to report. Major attractions like the Biltmore Estate have been in operation since November. Musicians have been showing up for Western North Carolina by throwing benefit concerts. For example, Billy Strings played 6 nights of concerts in Asheville in February and brought in millions of dollars of economic impact. Other major artists, including Ani DiFranco, Soccer Mommy, and Chris Thile, are headlining on Asheville stages through the spring. The SoCon Basketball Championships are returning to Asheville this year from March 6 to 10. This year, the SoCon Wrestling Championships will be a part of "SoCon Week."
While the lower River Arts District has a longer road to recovery, the upper River Arts District has reopened and has been going strong for a few months. The upper RAD area opened for a two-day celebration of the communities' perseverance on November 9-10, and popular locations like the Grey Eagle Concert Hall, All Souls Pizza, Baby Bull, Ultra Coffee, Wedge Studios, and many artist studios in Upper RAD are open for business.
Other exciting openings include:
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Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 405.5 through 421, which includes amazing hiking locations Graveyard Fields, Art Loeb Trail, Black Balsam Trail, and Looking Glass Rock Trail—all located within proximity of Asheville NC. In addition, mileposts
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382.5-393.6 and 285.5-305 are also open. If you are visiting the Parkway prior to the warmer months, it's worth checking road closures -
NC Arboretum opened in late October, along with 30+ Asheville city parks
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The WNC Nature Center will reopen on March 17th
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Over 300 amazing Asheville restaurants, 40 breweries/cideries, and 90+ art galleries and studios are open. You can explore all open restaurants with this great search tool from ExploreAsheville.com.
Our Asheville, Black Mountain, and Western North Carolina businesses have worked tirelessly to reopen over the past few months and have been enjoying welcoming residents and visitors through their open doors. If you've been considering purchasing Asheville real estate, this is a great time to join our vibrant community and be part of our efforts to come back stronger than ever.