6 Reasons to Head to Hendersonville

…because summer isn’t over yet

August 2, 2024

Vanessa Infanzon,

Thebookandbee 6114w Credit Tim Robison — The Book and Bee Cafe and Tea. Photo courtesy of Tim Robison.

Want to savor the last few weeks of summer? Here are six reasons to plan a weekend getaway in Hendersonville, just two hours from Charlotte.

You can book a room with a view. Brightwaters Vacation Rentals hosts families in cabins, cottages, and lodges and many have been restored with modern amenities. Most are clustered around a play area with a firepit, picnic tables, grills, gazebo, and sitting areas—perfect for a multi-family or multi-generation vacation. The Horse Shoe Farm is an 85-acre property with cottages, two estate homes for large groups, and its newest addition, The Pond Cottages.
An Ice Cream Trail awaits. When you need a sweet escape, follow the Ice Cream Trail and rate your favorite flavors at the 13 ice cream shops in Henderson County. Harry’s Grill and Piggy’s Ice Cream serves 40 flavors in a space decorated with license plates and other memorabilia. The Baker’s Box, which specializes in a custard-based desserts, rotates six to seven flavors at a time. More than 170 Lego sets—Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, Star Wars and more—are displayed throughout the dining area.
Afternoon Tea is on the agenda. Reserve a table for an afternoon tea party at The Book & Bee Café and Tea. Choose from 15 types of tea served in vintage teapots and cups, and enjoy a three-tier stand with sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats. Ask for one of the themed rooms when you make the reservation: Jubilee, Garden, Stratford, and Eagle and Child. Walk-ins are welcome for lunch, which includes homemade soup and crackers, meatloaf, pot pie, sandwiches, and quiche. All desserts and breads are made locally.
There’s plenty of playtime. Visit the Hands On! Children’s Museum for STEM and pretend play in a town setting. Kids can fight fires from the fire truck, make sandwiches at the deli counter, or build small cars at the Lego station and race them around the track. Check out the Steel Drum Performance on August 8, from 2-3 p.m. TWO O’CLOCK ROCKS! are Monday through Friday from 2-3 p.m. Don’t miss the pollinator garden and bee mural, part of The Good of the Hive, a global art project to paint 50,000 bees across the world. Both are outside, on the back of the museum. The People’s Museum and Walk of Fame celebrates the history and culture of Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The museum is adjacent to Hands On! Children’s Museum and open at the same hours.
Nature is all around. Holmes Educational State Forest (HEST) is a member of iNaturalist, a nonprofit connecting people to nature, and EcoExplore (Experiences Promoting Learning Outdoors for Research and Education) is a science-based program. Admission for kids is free and they can earn badges in ecology, field focus, and mycology for completing specific tasks. The Talking Tree Trail is an easy half-mile hike where kids can push a button on seven trees to hear them talk about their ecological and historical significance. For a longer and more strenuous hike, walk the Forest Demonstration Trail. It’s three miles and passes exhibits, a small pond, and an observation deck.
You can usher in Fall. The North Carolina Apple Festival is held in downtown Hendersonville August 30 through September 2. For four days, the town features apple-themed arts, farm products, and food. Enjoy educational sessions, a parade, live music, and a Family Fun Zone. A few weeks later, on September 21 and 22, McConnell Farms hosts its fourth annual FigFest. Tour 68 varieties of fig trees, learn what type grows best in your area, and how to care for one. The farm is also on the Ice Cream Trail and features about 20 homemade flavors including five fig options during the festival.