Easter is among the most celebrated holidays in the United States and worldwide. It recounts the resurrection of Jesus and is also an occasion to mark the return of spring, warmth, and life after the winter months. 

In addition to its religious meaning, Easter has become a secular celebration with various traditions, including the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs and treats, festive meals, and family reunions.

Traveling to Asheville for Easter is always a great idea! Early spring temperatures range from the 50s to 70s, with lots of sunny days and chilly nights, ideal for staying cozy by a firepit. 

In case you’re planning an Easter trip to Asheville, I’ve compiled a list of some fun local Easter events for you. From Easter egg hunts to workshops to make Ukrainian Easter eggs and a nondenominational sunrise service, you’ll find something special for everyone to enjoy. 

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12 Family-Friendly Easter Events and Activities in Asheville

1. Hunt for Giant Easter Eggs at Biltmore Estate

This is one of the most popular Easter events in Asheville for a reason. It involves a scavenger hunt to find gigantic Easter eggs on the grounds of the famous Biltmore Estate while learning fun facts about America’s largest home. Your kids will go home with a bag of treats, photos with the Easter Bunny, and a commemorative Easter egg.

There will be live music, arts and crafts activities, and other family-friendly entertainment. This event is free for kids 9 and younger, but you must be a guest at one of Biltmore’s hotels or have a daytime ticket or annual pass to participate.

Depending on the date of Easter, you might catch the first blooms of Spring at Biltmore, a two-month festival of flowers and color and one of the best spring events in Asheville. Complete your Easter celebration in Asheville with a fabulous local brunch or the elegant Afternoon Tea in The Dining Room.

2. Make Ukrainian Easter Eggs

Pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter eggs, are fun to create and a colorful addition to your Easter weekend in Asheville. Andrea from Studio A hosts a workshop where you will learn about the history of this beautiful Ukrainian folk art and then apply the method of batik dying to make your own designs to take home. 

The workshops last for three hours, and all the supplies are provided, including the emptied eggshells and the varnish. You can make as many pysanky as you want. If you loved the workshop (and you will!) and want to make more at home, you can purchase all the necessary pysanky-making materials.

Call Andrea and ask if you can join a class or book a private workshop for you or your group. While the studio is in the River Arts District, she offers courses at other locations or can go to your place. 

3. Attend an Easter Sunrise Service 

Attending Chimney Rock State Park‘s nondenominational Easter Sunrise Service is one of the most extraordinary ways to celebrate Easter in Asheville. You’ll be moved to tears watching the sunrise over the mountains and Lake Lure. 

The best part? It’s free! But you must make reservations. The cozy Old Rock Café near the park’s entrance will serve a breakfast buffet after the service to warm you up and get your day started. 

The trails will be open, so you can explore the 535-million-year-old monolith or enjoy an energetic Easter hike to Hickory Nut Falls Trail leading to the base of the 404-foot-tall waterfall, which was featured in “The Last of the Mohicans!”

Then you can explore Lake Lure, one of the settings of the classic movie “Dirty Dancing!” 

4. Join Montgomery Sky Farms’ Easter Egg Hunt 

This is one of the most perfect Easter events near Asheville. Montgomery Sky Farms hosts an annual pre-Easter celebration with over 1,800 eggs, cupcakes, balloons, adorable fur farm babies, and a stellar Easter Bunny ready to pose for photos.

Your kids will love getting muddy at the farm, hunting for eggs, and petting the sheep, pigs, donkeys, and Scottish Highlands. In addition, the farm offers the “Sheep for Peeps” experience, which consists of a baby lamb delivering a DIY Easter Bunny Cake Kit. Yes, you read that right! 

You need to purchase tickets to this event, but it’s totally worth it.

5. Attend one of the Free Easter Egg Hunts

• Easter Egg Extravaganza in Fletcher features inflatables, live music, and different schedules and areas for different age groups. (Kids 11 and younger.)

• The Egg Hunt at Bent Creek Community Park offers a 2-minute head start for kids 4 and under and features an Easter Bunny and a community potluck.

• Trinity Baptist Church hosts a fun Easter egg hunt for kids 12 and younger with music, games, cornhole, prizes, food, and treats.

• Burton Street Community Center’s Spring Egg-stravaganza is super fun for the whole family.

• Crossroads Church hosts a free and open Easter egg hunt and celebration.

• The Asheville Mall also has an Easter Bunny.

• Follow the City of Asheville Parks and Recreation on social media for updates about their Easter events. 

6. Hop Aboard the Easter Trolley Train

Riding the Craggy Mountain Line Railroad’s Easter Trolley in Woodfin is one of the most special things to do near Asheville during Easter. Your family will love the old-fashioned ride and the 4-mile round-trip adventure. The ride includes an Easter egg hunt at Riverside Park and a basket full of treats. Plus, children under 3 ride for free!

This track was first traveled in 1889, and the people who maintain it and the volunteers who make this experience possible are passionate about the attraction. Make sure you spend time touring the visitor’s center to learn more. 

7. Fill an Easter Basket with Local Products

Here are a few ideas:

• Get hand-decorated Easter eggs from The Chocolate Fetish – the big Easter chocolate bunnies can be the centerpiece of your basket!

• French Broad Chocolate‘s Spring Eggs are double the size of their bonbons and have delicious salted caramel and crunchy hazelnut fillings. But everything at their store will make a great Easter basket goodie.

• Mast General Store has a great selection of Easter candy, stuffed animals, and old-fashioned toys and games.

• Get blooming plants and funky decor items at Rose’s Garden Shop, located in a lovely historic home in Albemarle Park in North Asheville. 

• Visit the best farmers’ markets in Asheville to get supplies to grow flowers and herbs. 

• Go to the Botanical Gardens‘ gift shop (entrance is free) and buy supplies to build a fairy garden. 

• Breezy spring afternoons call for kites. Go to the awesome Dancing Bears Toys and get a couple! 

• Find stuffed animals, chalk, hula hoops, cute kids’ umbrellas, bubbles, art supplies, and other fun toys at Curio (downtown) or Whist (West Asheville).

8. Book a Photo Session with Real Bunnies

Jena at JB3 Photography captures beautiful images that your family will cherish forever. She offers Easter sessions with real baby bunnies. This alone will be a fantastic experience, and as a bonus, you’ll get the sweetest family portraits. You’ll love the authenticity of her photos and how she captures the essence of each person and relationship. 

9. Enjoy Easter-Themed Fun at We Rock the Spectrum

We Rock the Spectrum is an indoor kids’ gym and playground that provides a safe and fun environment to foster social skills and activities for children across the spectrum, although all are welcome to join.

They offer an open play time slot with the Easter Bunny in the sensory-safe gym, featuring therapy equipment and a calming room. This laidback yet fun Easter event in Asheville includes crafts and treats, too, but you must make reservations as spots fill up quickly. 

10. Brunch at Blue Ridge Restaurant 

Blue Ridge Restaurant at the Omni Grove Park Inn offers a lavish farm-to-table Easter buffet featuring all the Easter menu staples. Not only is this artisanal brunch incredible, but the vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains are breathtaking. (You must make reservations.)

The Omni Grove Park Inn is a wonderful place to spend Easter. Besides the world-class menu, you’ll love walking around the resort, learning about its history, and taking breaks to enjoy the spectacular views. 

11. Order an Easter Cake from Rabbit Hole

Rabbit Hole is the sibling bakery of Sunny Point Café, one of the best brunch spots in Asheville. They have an excellent menu of sweet and savory treats, and the cinnamon rolls and the bread pudding are to die for. 

The cakes baked by Jasmine are the best! You’ll love their simplicity, the high-quality ingredients, and the fresh flower decorations. The pineapple-spiced carrot cake with orange zest, coconut cream filling, and cream cheese frosting decorated with carrot cardamom moon pies is perfect for celebrating Easter in Asheville. 

12. Hunt for Monarch Butterfly Eggs

I love this Asheville Greenworks’ initiative, which encourages folks to plant milkweed – which has been here since colonization – to attract the area’s endangered native monarch butterflies. Their arrival from their overwintering sites in southern Mexico happens around the same time as Easter!

There you have it. The 12 best family-friendly Easter events and activities in Asheville. Did we miss any fun local Easter events? Let us know in the comments below!