Home for the Holidays in Downtown Hendersonville

Now in its third year, Hendersonville’s Home for the Holidays offers a packed community calendar with family-friendly events through November and December. The celebration started as a collection of community events to build up the economy during an otherwise slow season, but it has grown into a well-loved series of activities for locals and tourists alike. The economic impact is obvious, too: the 2018 occupancy tax in the community was up $30,000 from the previous December. “That’s huge economic growth for us,” says Beth Carden, executive director of the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority (HCTDA). “Home for the Holidays identifies Hendersonville, with its mild climate, as a great place to come for the holidays. It’s been very beneficial to businesses all over the county, even outside of the downtown area.”

New to the schedule this year is the Peppermint Bear Scavenger Hunt. A stuffed teddy bear named Peppermint will appear in participating businesses throughout downtown. Children will get a treat in the stores where they can find the bear. Additionally, if they find a bear in every store, they’ll earn a chance to win a grand prize.

Highlights for the calendar in November include performances of The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe at Flat Rock Playhouse from Friday, November 8, through Sunday, November 17, followed by the opening of A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas on Friday, November 29. Also on November 29, Santa visits downtown Hendersonville for the Downtown Street Lighting at the Historic Courthouse on Main Street. Once students are out of school for winter break, the calendar ramps up to include the Iceless Skating Rink in downtown, which opens on December 17; Main Street tractor hayrides from 5–8 p.m. on December 20, 21 and 22; and a variety of Christmas markets and fairs. “There is something for everyone,” says Carden. “Hendersonville is full of activities that families can enjoy doing together, which is what the season is all about.”