Here are some tips for out-of-towners coming in for chair caning classes or to visit the shop.

Our tourist season lasts all year. July and October are the busiest months, with Spring/Summer/Fall steady with visitors to explore the mountains and attend festivals, breweries, live music, and craft events. Booking a place to stay in advance is highly recommended but there are an abundance of options if you don’t book early. We are happy to suggest fun things fun things for your traveling companions if they aren’t into chair weaving and want to explore on their own. We are well stocked with maps at the shop. 

where to stay:

Airbnb is abundant in the Asheville area. You can enter the search “near Weaverville, Woodfin, North Asheville, Marshall, Alexander, Mars Hill, or Barnardsville” and you will be a short drive from the shop.

Asheville’s neighborhoods

  • The Inn at Amaris Farms is operated by very cool and kind folks in a bucolic setting in Barnardsville, just north of Weaverville.
  • Weaverville is super charming and has a walkable main street. There is a newer Fairfield Inn by Marriott that is reasonably priced, clean, with woven chairs in the lobby.
  • If you want to stay closer to Asheville, look for places just North of town, 240 E, or 26 W, near UNCA, Montford, Merrimon, or Charlotte St for easier access to the school.
  • Further East you have Black Mountain & Swannanoa. They are close enough (30 minutes with traffic) and have lots for your traveling companions to check out while you are in class.
  • Anything off I-40 on the West side (Candler, Canton) is more tangled in traffic and more of a drive to start and end your day.
  • Anything in South Asheville off I-26 you will deal with lots of traffic and construction.
  • Downtown hotels are fun and often expensive. Hotels in general in Asheville are priced higher than most small towns. The Grove Park Inn is pricey but a fantastic experience…they also have good chairs.

Campgrounds: Many of our campgrounds were destroyed by the catastrophic flooding in 2024. I will update this section when more information is available.  

Hostels: The classics: Bon Paul & Sharky’s in West Asheville & Sweet Peas Hostel in Downtown Asheville. A newer hostel, The Lazy Tiger, is located on North Merrimon Avenue a short drive from the new location.

what to do:

Go support the artists in the River Arts District, what was a thriving area with 200 artist businesses, almost as many breweries, yummy food, and a greenway along the French Broad River has been reduced by catastrophic flooding, but many studios have rebuilt or suffered no damage except for loss of visitors. Dozens of artists remain and deserve your support!

Downtown & the South Slope are fun but filled with tourists, there are usually more events than you can keep up with should you want shopping, music, or beer.

West Asheville is excellent, packed with local businesses, a few breweries, and good food.

Hiking and waterfalls are all over the place. The NC Arboretum is excellent and has a delicious cafe at the top. Expect crowds on the weekends both in town and on the trails.

See our Resources page for chair and craft related activities.

Asheville Grown is a great guide for local businesses including shopping, food, activities, and more.

where to eat:

It’s hard to find a bad place to eat. Weaverville restaurants are a hop, skip, or jump away: Maggie B’s, All Good Coffee Shop, Well Bred Bakery, Yellow Mug Cafe, Blue Mountain Pizza, and more! Asheville has abundant locally owned restaurants.

Our students often go to the grocery store and stash a week’s worth of food in the fridge. We have Earth Fare, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Harris Teeter, Publix, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Ingles, and a couple of local markets like Tiendas & Asian/Indian markets, West Village Market & Deli and the French Broad Food Coop. Abundant farmers markets happen year round, including the Weaverville Tailgate Market on Wednesdays at the Community Center.