A Day in Swannanoa

Swannanoa is a small mountain town about 10 minutes from both Asheville and Black Mountain. Hurricane Helene hit it hard in September 2024, and the community has pulled together to bring it back. Today the old mill neighborhood, Beacon Village, has new shops, good coffee and a big new park on the way. Here is an easy way to spend a day.

Morning: Coffee and Something Baked

Start at Short Sleeves Coffee (222 Whitson Ave) in the heart of Beacon Village. Daniel and Emily Lancaster roast their own beans and opened the shop in May 2025 inside a nearly 100-year-old former service station. The windows look out on the site of the old Beacon blanket mill. Last winter they roasted a Blanket Town Winter Blend to honor the mill, so ask what’s seasonal.

Want a full breakfast? Moments Coffee Bar & Eatery (2304 US-70) has been a local spot for close to 20 years. Folks come back for the scones baked fresh each morning and the breakfast sandwiches.

If you’re there at the end of the week, look for Ovenbird Kitchen (131 South Ave) for fresh bread, baked goods and coffee, with picnic tables out front. Their days are limited, so check before you go.

Late Morning: Walk Beacon Village

Beacon Village was built in the 1920s around the Beacon blanket mill, once the heart of town. It’s easy to walk, and most of the new shops sit within a few blocks.

• Town Hardware Swannanoa (Alexander Place) opened in April 2026. It’s the second store from Peter and Beth Ballhaussen, who run Town Hardware & General Store in Black Mountain. This one carries tools, equipment and small engine repair, with nods to local history like a vintage clock from the pharmacy that once filled the building.
• The Rite Buy Grocery (106 Alexander Place) is a small local market that opened in December 2025, with meat, dairy and produce mostly from area farms. A good place to grab snacks for the road.
• Roots & Branches (131 South Ave) makes crackers and flatbreads and has its own shop in the same brick building as Ovenbird Kitchen. Pick up a box to take home.

Lunch: Pretzels, Tacos or Greek

• Blunt Pretzels (120 Alexander Place): German baker Eddy Schoeffmann makes Bavarian-style soft pretzels by hand. They’re vegan and pair well with Lusty Monk mustard. There’s outdoor seating, too.
• La Bamba (2298 US-70): A family-owned spot with Mexican and Latin American dishes and a small market.
• Athens Pizza (11 Patton Cove Rd): Greek comfort food and pizza that locals have counted on for years.

Afternoon and Evening: Sliders and a Slow Finish

Daymakers Slider Bar (204 Whitson Ave) opened this summer and is one of the newest spots in town, right in Beacon Village. Come hungry and end the day here, or make it a late lunch.

If you’d like a longer evening, Black Mountain is just 10 minutes east for dinner, a walk downtown or live music.

Coming Soon: Beacon Park and Owen Park

The biggest change in Swannanoa is happening on the old Beacon blanket mill site. Beacon Park is turning those 4.7 acres into a community park with:

• An all-wheel bike park, open to bikes, scooters and skateboards, with a paved pump track expected to be the largest in North and South America
• Outdoor bouldering walls
• An event lawn for concerts
• A one-mile walking loop

A soft opening is planned for this winter, with a grand opening and a concert series in spring 2027. Even now, you can see the work from Short Sleeves’ front windows.

Owen Park (Charles D. Owen Park) is on its way back, too. The nearly 30-acre park along the Swannanoa River, with walking paths, fishing ponds and ballfields, took more Helene damage than any other county park and is closed for now. Buncombe County is working with neighbors on a redesign, so watch for news on when it reopens.

Summer Music: Groovin’ on Grovemont

Visiting in summer? Groovin’ on Grovemont is a free outdoor concert series on select Tuesday evenings at Grovemont Park, next to the Swannanoa Library (101 W. Charleston St.). Food trucks set up on site, and the series supports the Friends of the Swannanoa Library and the Swannanoa Community Council. Bring a chair or blanket, and check grovemontpark.org/groovin for dates.

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