Name: Pumpkin Power Carving at Harvest House
Start: 2026-10-27T10:00:00.000-04:00
End: 2026-10-27T12:00:00.000-04:00
Location: Asheville Parks & Recreation

Carve intricate pumpkin designs with rotary tools and expert help at Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd. $10, ages 18 and up. Sign up with Asheville Parks & Rec.

Asheville Parks & Recreation runs the City of Asheville's parks, community centers, pools and greenways, with more than 50 parks across town. Highlights include the 17,000 square foot Asheville Skatepark downtown, with a beginner bowl, a street course and an advanced vertical bowl, and Splasheville, the splash pad in Pack Square Park. Asheville Municipal Golf Course, the Donald Ross course locals call Muni, dates to the 1920s and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Community centers across the city host afterschool programs, summer camps, youth athletics and classes for kids, teens and adults. Every October brings the Festival of Frights, with costume parties for people and dogs, creepy climbing and crafts. The department office is at 70 Court Plaza downtown, and you can reserve picnic shelters for birthdays and reunions.

Parents all over town count on the city for summer plans and youth sports, and warm weekends bring plenty of families downtown to play.

Asheville Parks & Recreation

Asheville is surrounded by trails, rivers and parks, and a lot of it is close to town. [Asheville Parks & Recreation](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/3370-asheville-parks-recreation) runs more than 50 city parks, plus greenways and a 17,000 square foot skatepark downtown. In East Asheville, the [WNC Nature Center](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1066-wnc-nature-center) has black bears, wolves and river otters on 42 acres. [Jus' Running](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1014-jus-running) on Merrimon Avenue does walk-in shoe fittings and runs Tuesday track workouts. Along the river, the [French Broad River Greenway](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/5329-french-broad-river-greenway) and the [Wilma Dykeman Greenway](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/5330-wilma-dykeman-greenway) link West Asheville to the River Arts District, and [Asheville Canoe House](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2439-asheville-canoe-house) rents canoes at Hominy Creek River Park. [Richmond Hill Park](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/5325-richmond-hill-park) has disc golf and mountain bike trails, the [Asheville Botanical Garden](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2409-asheville-botanical-garden) next to UNC Asheville is free, and [Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/5324-beaver-lake-bird-sanctuary) has a boardwalk loop in North Asheville. [Liberty Bicycles](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/894-liberty-bicycles) has fixed and sold bikes since 1980, and the [Adventure Center of Asheville](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/639-adventure-center-of-asheville) runs ziplines five minutes from downtown. Farther out, [Craggy Gardens](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/5318-craggy-gardens), [Max Patch](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/5320-max-patch) and [Mount Mitchell State Park](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/5319-mount-mitchell-state-park) make good day trips, and the [Hikes & Waterfalls guide](/asheville-nc/dig-deeper/109-hikes-waterfalls-near-asheville-nc) has more. Every spot below has hours, photos and directions.

Outdoor Things to Do in Asheville, NC: Trails, Parks and Rivers

These are the local people who keep Asheville running, from rides and vets to nonprofits. [AVL Ride](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/723-avl-ride) has run taxis and car service around the clock since 2014, with vans that seat 15 for weddings and brewery tours. [All Pets Animal Hospital](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2251-all-pets-animal-hospital) on Patton Avenue has cared for West Asheville pets since 1993, and [Asheville Cryotherapy and Recovery](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/3964-asheville-cryotherapy-and-recovery) on Merrimon Avenue is veteran owned. [Asheville Parks & Recreation](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/3370-asheville-parks-recreation) runs more than 50 city parks, plus community centers, pools and greenways. [Food Connection](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/839-food-connection), which started at Dig Local, rescues surplus chef-prepared food and turns it into free meals. For home and car, [The Organic Mechanic](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/33-the-organic-mechanic) on Haywood Road repairs cars with eco-conscious practices, and [MB Haynes](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1065-mb-haynes-corporation) has handled electrical, plumbing and heating work since 1921. [Asheville Barber Company](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2110-asheville-barber-company) on Merrimon does fades and straight razor shaves, and [Envision Eyecare](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2438-envision-eyecare) is just north of downtown on East Chestnut Street. [Mountain BizWorks](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1508-mountain-bizworks) lends to and coaches small businesses, and the [Asheville Humane Society](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/74-asheville-humane-society) is the county's open-admission shelter. Every spot below has hours, photos and directions.

Asheville Services: Pet Care, Health, Home and Nonprofits

Looking for things to do with kids in Asheville? Find wildlife, hands-on museums, farm days, arcades, bowling and outdoor theater. In East Asheville, the [WNC Nature Center](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1066-wnc-nature-center) has black bears, red wolves, river otters and red pandas on Gashes Creek Road. Near downtown, the [Asheville Tourists](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1418-asheville-tourists-baseball) play minor league baseball at HomeTrust Park, long known as McCormick Field. Downtown, the [Asheville Art Museum](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2071-asheville-art-museum) on Pack Square has a makerspace where kids and grown-ups make art together, and [Asheville Community Theatre](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/997-asheville-community-theatre) on Walnut Street stages youth productions. In West Asheville, [Sky Lanes](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1044-sky-lanes-bar-grill-bowling) has been bowling on Patton Avenue since 1963, with bumpers and an arcade, and [Asheville Retrocade](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1217-asheville-retrocade) on Haywood Road is packed with vintage arcade games and pinball. South of town, [Claying Around](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1106-claying-around) on Hendersonville Road is a paint-your-own pottery studio, and [Sweeten Creek Brewing](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1329-sweeten-creek-brewing) has a big creekside lawn with cornhole and barbecue. Out in Fairview, [Hickory Nut Gap Farms](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/743-hickory-nut-gap-farms) runs hay rides and pony rides on fall weekends. Each summer, [Montford Park Players](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2252-montford-park-players) stage free outdoor Shakespeare in Montford. [Asheville Parks & Recreation](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/3370-asheville-parks-recreation) runs more than 50 parks with playgrounds, swimming, trails and community centers.

Pumpkin Power Carving at Harvest House

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