From the power of storytelling and “unreasonable hospitality” to creative partnerships, customer retention, and building community through small-scale events, the conversation offered practical takeaways for businesses of all sizes. A common thread throughout the evening: authenticity, consistency, and meaningful connection continue to outperform trends and quick wins.

On Earth Day, ADID Ambassadors cleared the courtyard at Pack Memorial Library, a space that had become inaccessible due to accumulated hazardous debris, sitting just steps from the library's children's section. It was the Ambassadors who flagged the problem in the first place.

We’re proud to share that ADID Ambassador Supervisor Chris S. has been nominated for a Hospitality Hero Award presented by Explore Asheville 💙

Chris’ journey to this work is one of resilience, recovery, and service — and today, he helps make Downtown Asheville cleaner, safer, and more welcoming for everyone.

Downtown Asheville showed up in a big way this week for our annual State of Downtown, presented by First Bank. With a sold-out room of business owners, community leaders, and partners, the energy was clear: downtown is moving forward—and we’re doing it together.

This spring and summer, the Asheville Downtown Association is launching a new Downtown-wide campaign: Fabric of Downtown — and we’re inviting businesses across Downtown Asheville to help bring it to life.

Despite the reputation of autumn’s leaf season as Asheville’s banner business period, recent data from the Asheville Downtown Association revealed the holidays to be a close rival, with a higher number of visitors in December 2025 than any other month.

Downtown Asheville belongs to everyone who lives, works, visits, and invests here. The 2026 State of Downtown Survey is now live: and we want your voice. Take 5–10 minutes to share what’s working, what could improve, and help guide what comes next. Survey results will be shared at our upcoming State of Downtown event.

ADID SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: SEVERE WEATHER ALERT, MODIFIED SCHEDULE

Large group of South Slope stakeholders gathers at Antidote