Create Unforgettable Memories: A Family Holiday Itinerary in Hendersonville

Make magical holiday memories with your family in Hendersonville! This quaint southern town feels like you stepped out of real life and into a movie scene, with its friendly shopkeepers, festively decorated accommodations, downtown that is adorned with holiday lights, wreaths and trees, and many special holiday events.

This family getaway to the mountains will have you residing at Kanuga, a conference and retreat center set on 1,400 wooded acres, complete with a lake, hiking trails, a labyrinth, playground, tennis courts, a library, a great room with crackling fire, a children’s summer camp, and much more.

This is a place you can really unplug and unwind. Lodging options include a hotel, cottages and guest houses, but if you plan to stay for 3+ nights the week leading up to Christmas, your cottage or guest house reservation will include a live Christmas tree for your family to decorate, as well as meals included, Christmas crafts for the kids, evening programs and a worship service.

Check in starts at 4, but if you arrive early feel free to explore the property before you check in. Kanuga offers dinner in its dining hall starting at 5:30 (which is included in the cost of reservations made the week before Christmas), so the easiest plan for food on your first night in town is just to stay at Kanuga.

Wake up early and enjoy a coffee overlooking the lake, using the time to reflect on the season and yourself. For breakfast, swing by Pita Express for an authentic Mediterranean breakfast. They don’t have a lot of room to sit inside, but you can take your food to go if needed.

You will spend most of the day in Downtown Hendersonville, where there are a lot of fun options for kids. We recommend parking in the parking deck on Fourth Avenue & Church Street or at the Welcome Center.

At the Welcome Center, you can pick up your Peppermint Bear Scavenger Hunt guide. Spend the day doing a mix of hunting for the “missing” Peppermint bear cubs, crossing names off your holiday shopping list, feeling festive, and participating in family friendly activities.

For gift buying, you’ll find something for everyone on your list: The Doll Clothes Factory for your niece, Vessel for jewelry for Grandma, A Walk In The Woods for your artistic or quirky friend, Mast General Store for your outdoorsy brother-in-law, The Lazy One for family holiday PJs, and so many more. Be sure to also stop in front of the Historic Courthouse (located in the 200-block) to snap a family photo in front of our ginormous tree.

Lunch is at Mike’s On Main, a historic soda fountain shop, which will transport you back in time.

After lunch, keep exploring downtown while doing the Peppermint Bear Scavenger Hunt, and plan to stop at either Hand’s On! Children’s Museum with younger kiddos or The Appalachian Pinball Museum with older kids.

All your walking and playing will work up an appetite, and Downtown Hendersonville has so many great places to eat, but tonight dinner is at Tartan’s Sports Bar. You’ve had a long day exploring, so you can have a moment to zone out while watching sports on one of 12 TVs, and enjoying a truly authentic Philly cheesesteak.

 If you are in town on December 6th, be sure to check out Olde Fashioned Christmas in Downtown Hendersonville! Santa will be here, plus there will be free carriage rides, carolers strolling Main Street, and many businesses stay open late to offer sweet holiday treats on this special night. On December 20th, be sure to check out the Hendersonville Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker.

For breakfast, start your day off right at one of Flat Rock’s newest restaurants, Hubbaloo, where the menu includes breakfast tacos, pancakes, biscuits, eggs and more. Hubbaloo is located in the historic village of Flat Rock, which has fondly been known as “Little Charleston of the mountains” by the Charlestonians who have vacationed here since the 1820s.

After breakfast, take a short drive over to Holmes Educational State Forest, home to the “Talking Trees” as well as outdoor exhibits of forest fire fighting equipment. Even in December, temperatures are often warm enough for outdoor recreation.

Wash your hands, and then lunch is served at the Flat Rock Village Bakery, where the menu includes wood fired pizza, sandwiches and salads. There are a few tables inside, or step onto the back porch. If the weather is cool, they have outdoor heaters.

Afterwards, wander into the Wrinkled Egg, which adjoins the bakery, to find some great local gifts and souvenirs. Your kids will love discovering the shop’s furry mascot in the back room. The historic building itself used to be a small, local grocery store called Peace’s Grocery, so the floors creak in the most nostalgic way!

Next up, it’s time to catch the 2:00 pm matinee of the Flat Rock Playhouse’s annual Christmas Show, which will have you dancing in your seat, singing along to your holiday favorites. (Dress is casual, but you may want to bring a change of clothes, just in case anyone got messy on your hike.)

After the performance, head back to Kanuga to rest or to let the kiddos run wild – whichever your family needs most!

For dinner, drive into Downtown Hendersonville. A great, family-friendly option is Champa. Located right on Main Street, where all the action is, they offer a variety of sushi, Thai, hibachi and Asian cuisine.

If you are in town on December 7th, be sure you are in Downtown Hendersonville at 6pm for the annual Christmas Parade, where the holiday floats light up the night, and the Big Guy in Red is guaranteed to make an appearance. If it’s a different weekend, the North Carolina Arboretum hosts their annual Winter Lights, open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights!

Head back to Kanuga to unwind and turn in for the night.

Take it easy this morning with breakfast at Kanuga’s on-site dining hall, then head back to your room to gather your belongings and check out.

The first stop today is drive up to Jump Off Rock to take in the epic views, play in the field at the top of the mountain or hike the few, short trails if you’re up for it.

Next up, it’s off to Elijah Gem Mine for the kiddos to dig and sift for buried treasure! Depending on the weather, the property also has an outdoor obstacle course and some farm animals. (Everything is open year-round, weather dependent, but as you can see from the video here, you may need to change clothes afterwards!)

In the afternoon, there is still time to squeeze one more fun activity into your itinerary, so if you are in town during the first 3 weekends of December, check out Jeter Mountain Farm, a local apple orchard who offers all sort of apple goodies and fun farm experiences (including an indoor playground for the kids, and a coffee shop or hard cider tasting room for the adults). They have a permanent food truck on-site, so plan to grab a plate of slow roasted BBQ for lunch on the farm.

Head home knowing you’ve made some very magical memories for your kiddos, feeling grateful for time spent together.