Brevard, NC
In October my parents moved to Brevard, NC to live the small town life. They kept telling us how cute it was, and how much we’d like it, and blah blah blah. So I checked the town events calendar and when I saw they had a whole big to do at the beginning of December to kick off the Christmas season, I knew that’s when we had to visit.
The special day of Christmas events included a morning reindeer run, an hour long town Christmas parade, a reading of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas by the Mayor, a glorious tree lighting, and then a sip and stroll on Main St. where all the shops had snacks and drinks and sales. It was a damn Hallmark movie town.
Considering the size of this town, an hour long parade was a huge surprise. An even bigger surprise was the bail bonds float with the grinch in a jail cell. It was hilarious and a reminder that even in a quaint little town, people still go to jail. I also really loved the bookmobile.
Next up, food. We ate so much good food in Brevard. The restaurants are cozy, the people are lovely, and the food was really good.
Our first meal was at Magpie Meat & Three. They have delicious southern food, including bbq, craft beer, sun drop in glass bottles, cool bathrooms (you know bathrooms are important), and just a really nice overall atmosphere. I had the pulled pork with mac and cheese, fried green beans, and black eyed peas. It was a ton of food, so I would definitely share this or get a sandwich next time, but damn it was good.
On our second day, we went to Cedar Mountain Cafe for breakfast. They bring you water in a mason jar with a handle, because this is the real south. My dad and I shared the Banana Fosters French Toast special and the WNC Omelette (sausage, onions, peppers, cheddar, swiss), both were delicious.
Before the Christmas parade we had some cookies at Blue Ridge Bakery. Christopher and I shared a molasses and a peanut butter cookies, so damn good. This place had so many tasty options that I cannot wait to go back and try more of them, and as a bonus it’s like a three minute walk from my parents house.
Dinner night two was at The Square Root. We had pecan encrusted Brie appetizer, but it was so good we ate the whole thing before any of us thought to take a picture. They have a nice size covered patio, a bar area, and a medium size dining room. The food was SO GOOD. I had chicken Marsala with Parmesan truffle risotto, my mom had the braised short ribs special, Christopher had the steakhouse burger which had a bunch of onion rings on it, Jacob had the chicken curry, and my dad had the NC mountain trout. Again, so so good.
Our last lunch was at Rocky’s Grill & Soda Shop. This place is adorable and felt like a step back in time. They offer a selection of sandwiches and hot dogs, and most importantly milkshakes. My dad and I shared a chocolate peppermint milkshake, it was the perfectly festive treat.
Brevard and the surrounding towns have so many potters. There are pottery shops everywhere. On Saturday, we stopped into Mud Dabber’s Pottery and bought a couple of ornaments, then realized they were having a holiday open house and in one of their buildings they had live music, pottery demonstrations, cookies and hot cider, and everyone could choose a little mug for free. We each picked out a little mug, filled them up with hot cider and listened to the musicians play. I loved every charming minute of this experience.
We went to The Festival of Trees at the Porter Center at Brevard College. Different companies and organizations around town sponsored/decorated Christmas trees and you got to vote for your favorite. It was a fundraiser or something, but I don’t remember what.
The local bookstore, Highland Books, used a Harry Potter theme to decorate their tree, so obviously this was my favorite and it’s the one I voted for. I almost want to have a Harry Potter tree of my own, but I love all of my ornaments too much to have a tree that specifically themed.
We love a theme, so after going to Festival of Trees, we went to the Transylvania Heritage Museum to see the Aluminum Tree exhibit. These trees were everything you could have ever wanted from a mid-century decoration, bright, possibly dangerous, hideously adorable, and I kind of want a tiny one.
The Sunday we were in Brevard, it was really rainy, so we had a Christmas movie marathon at my parents cozy house. We woke up to the smell of bacon and mulled apple cider, watched movies in our pajamas, and then went to see a giant drive through Christmas light display. We ended the night with lasagna and a few episodes of Nailed It Holidays on Netflix.
Here are a few pictures from Main Street shops, Highland Books and Mantiques. I love the kids + young adult area in the bookstore, it’s in a loft area with a couple of kids size seating areas and a great view of the main bookstore area. I also thought this giant stuffed turkey was amazing and horrifying so I took a picture. You’re welcome.
Brevard is one of the most adorable places I have ever been. They have white squirrels, so that is basically their mascot, the movie theater has one screen, and a puppy pub?!?! COME ON! I am so glad my parents found such a cute town to live in, and I can’t wait to visit again soon.
