Black Mountain, NC: Where art, flavor, and mountain soul converge

White Horse is a unique performance and event center in Black Mountain, North Carolina, that features a range of events of all kinds, including music, storytelling, poetry, theatre, puppetry, films, community events, workshops, benefit events and much more. The center is occupying the historic 1940 brick McMurray Building, built originally as an automotive dealership. Its 3000 square feet of space can seat 140 people, with additional bar seating and, on big nights, standing room for 60 more people. The curved wooden high ceilings create amazing natural acoustics. White Horse has state-of-the art sound, cabaret-style seating with tables around the stage, an outdoor patio, and a bar area serving beer, wine, and snacks.

105 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain, NC 28711, Phone: 828-669-0816

Black Mountain Ciderworks + Meadery in Black Mountain, North Carolina, produces original dry ciders and session meads. The facility works from an old former furniture factory in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, using local apples and honey. They ferment cider in small batches from heirloom apples harvested in the region, throughout the season. Their cider is real, unfiltered, unpasteurized, and never tainted with added sugars, concentrates, or artificial flavors. The mead is produced with focus on lower-gravity sessionable meads which are less sweet and more approachable than higher-gravity traditional meads.

104 Eastside Dr #307, Black Mountain, NC 28711, Phone: 828-419-0089

The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center was founded in 1989 in the historic 1921 former firehouse in Black Mountain, North Carolina. This non-profit organization is the primary museum of local history in Buncombe County. The museum organizes at least one major exhibition every year in their spacious gallery on the first floor. The permanent exhibition on the second floor paints the picture of the history of the Swannanoa Valley through numerous photos and artifacts. The museum maintains an archive of original source materials such as oral histories, ledgers, and ephemera. School programs and traveling trunks follow the North Carolina’s educational standards. Every month the museum organizes hikes to historic locations in the valley as well as special events inside and outside the museum.

223 W State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, Phone: 828-669-9566

Activities and Attractions for Couples and Singles:

The Red House is an art gallery and art studios in Black Mountains, North Carolina, a venue where local artists can develop their skills and boost their creative inspiration. The Red House is home to life drawing sessions, art groups, programs and workshops. It also has working studios open to the public, as well as gallery spaces with rotating exhibitions. Red House is owned and managed by the Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League, which was established in 1967 in order to inspire artistic growth through art education and exhibitions. The League’s arts exhibits and art-related events set standards of excellence for the entire area. The league's arts education programs have introduced the area's finest artists and sculptors, and instructors of national reputation.

310 W State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, Phone: 828-669-0351

Black Mountain Center for the Arts is a community arts center in Black Mountain, North Carolina, located in the beautifully renovated 100-year old former Black Mountain town hall. Established in 2000, Black Mountain Center for the Arts organizes art exhibits, concerts, theatre performances, festivals and special events. It also offers classes for all ages in music, dance, writing, visual arts and more. The top floor of the building, once the town library, is now an art gallery. The former firemen’s quarters now house a dance studio. The current art studio classroom on the ground floor was once the county jail and the original bars on the windows are still there.

225 W State St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, Phone: 828-669-0930

Oak and Grist Distilling Company was founded in 2015 to craft a regionally-inspired single malt whiskey. The company distills the spirits from grain to glass in deliberately small batches. Each product is crafted from locally grown and malted grains and has a uniquely regional flavor. The company offers a new generation of spirits produced from scratch that follow the traditions of Scotland and are inspired by those of Appalachia. Every product, from the award-winning Genever-style gin, to the blended malt whiskeys and single malt whiskey, starts with locally grown and malted barley, brewed, fermented and distilled by the company. Starting from scratch also supports local farmers and craftspeople.

1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain, NC 28711, Phone: 828-357-5750

Where to Eat:

My Father’s Pizza is a longtime, family owned and operated pizzeria serving gourmet pizzas and delicious pastas to the folks of Black Mountain since 1990. They offer hot from the oven pizzas with a large range of toppings, fresh pasta, Italian subs, fresh salads, and a nice selection of beer and wine. All their sauces, meatballs, hummus, and house salad dressings are made from treasured family recipes and are made in-house fresh every day. There are also gluten free-options of pizza crusts, pasta, and beer, as well as vegan lactose-free cheese. Cozy, spacious dining room and nice sidewalk patio have views of the always beautiful Blue Ridge mountains.

110 Cherry St, Black Mountain, NC 28711, Phone: 828-669-4944

Lookout Brewing opened the doors in 2013 in a remodeled strip mall unit in Black Mountain, North Carolina. The brewery has produced to day over 80 kinds of quality beers ranging from smoked Beer-B-Q Rauchbiers to champagne tasting Saisons. The brewers’, and guests’, favorites tend to be hoppy beers and it shows on the tap list in the tasting room. A lot of Lookout Brewing Company beers use local ingredients, from the Riverbend Malt Company in Asheville to local fruit and vegetable farmers. The hops the brewery uses are grown at Hops to Brew Farm in Old Fort and at Hop'n Blueberry Farm just down the road in Black Mountain. During hop season, buckets of fresh still wet hops come to the brewery and get thrown in the boil kettle within minutes of having been picked from the vine. The brewery tap room is attached to the production facility and offers beer tasting as well as home-brew supplies.

103 S Ridgeway Ave #1, Black Mountain, NC 28711, Phone: 828-357-5169