Brevard NC historic mountain town

Brevard NC is the central town for Transylvania County, in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. You may have seen this beautiful area in the Hunger Games or The Last of the Mohicans.

Brevard is south of Asheville off of Route 26. Brevard and Transylvania County are known for amazing outdoor attractions. These include the ancient French Broad River, Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Recreational Forest, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you want to hike, bike, run, fish, or see some amazing waterfalls, this is a great place to start.

Apparently some white squirrels escaped in Brevard about 70 years ago. The squirrels are protected by city ordnance. The annual White Squirrel Festival is a May event.

The Brevard area attracts artists. It’s easy to find galleries and studios for pottery, art, and jewelry. The Brevard Music Center features musicians for 10 weeks each summer and the Mountain Song Festival showcases bluegrass.

Brevard Bites Food Tours are held on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm. The tour takes about 3 hours. You get a taste of each restaurant’s offering and at some stops some libation too! Brevard has a nice compact downtown so you can do this walking tour and visit some amazing places. http://www.brevardbitesfoodtours.com/

Shops

Proper Pot is a kitchen and gourmet shop. They carry lots of locally made jellies and sauces and North Carolina wines. I picked up a roasted tomato jam I can’t wait to try in a savory dish.

O.P. Taylor’s toy store is a huge amazing store. The wooden floors and displays make you feel like you’re in an old general store made just for children. I was completely carried away by the Playmobil and Lego displays. They even had a huge soft horse that kids could sit on and ride around the store! http://www.optaylors.com/

Brevard NC area map

Grabbing a bite

Blue Ridge Bakery is a great spot to sit down for a meal or pick up baked goods. The owners use their Greek heritage to make some wonderful Mediterranean-style foods and desserts.

A cozy place to try wines and cheeses is Wine Down on Main.

The Phoenix gastropub takes farm-to-table very seriously. The young head chef works hard to find suppliers and make delicious moderately priced food. The live music brings in an interesting crowd (you might sight a visiting celebrity!) http://www.thephoenixbrevard.com/

Brevard Brewing Company is right on the Main Street. The brewery specializes in lagers. The dark beer rounding out the tap offering is Munich Dunkel, a lager with chocolate malt.

Kiwi Gelato gets its name from its owners’ New Zealand roots. Fantastic flavors of gelato and sorbetto include chocolate hazelnut and raspberry. Fresh espresso drinks are also available.

Quixote’s chef hails from Guadalajara and he is very passionate about honoring that area’s cuisine. Dishes use ingredients such as tamarind, orange, pecans, apple, pineapple, various peppers, and chimichurri. http://quixotebrevard.com/

Resource links

• http://www.brevardnc.org/
  • Heart of Brevard, a Main Street city
• http://brevardnc.com/
  • Brevard insider’s guide
• http://www.blueridgeheritage.com/attractions-destinations/french-broad-river
  • French Broad River
• http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48114
  • Pisgah National Forest
• http://www.dupontforest.com/
  • DuPont State Recreational Forest
• http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/v.php?pg=69
  • Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
• http://www.visitwaterfalls.com/the-great-outdoors/waterfalls/
  • Waterfall guide from Land of Waterfalls

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