Swannanoa Winterfest brings family-friend festivities to Grovemont Square

Annual Holiday Market returns with local vendors, food and live music

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 14, 2022

The Asheville Ukulele Society will return to the Swannanoa Winterfest, Dec. 17, as the annual Holiday Market comes back to Grovemont Square. Photo by Fred McCormick

The sights, smells and sounds of the Holiday Season will fill the air around Grovemont Square, from 3-8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17, when the annual Swannanoa Winterfest returns for its third year.

The free family-friendly event, which will feature dozens of local vendors, live musical performances, a food court and games and crafting activities for children, is presented by the Swannanoa Community Council, Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS) and the Friends of the Swannanoa Library.

Inspired by traditional European Christmas markets, Winterfest is a holiday gift to the community, according to Marco Rozenbroek, who is in his fourth year serving on the SCC Board of Directors. The nonprofit organization, which owns and manages the library building, Grovemont Park and Grovemont Square, has served the local community for over 50 years.

“We want to bring the neighborhood together,” said Rozenbroek, one of many volunteers from the trio of Swannanoa-based nonprofit organizations hosting the market. “It’s a great opportunity to meet other people in the community, support local craftspeople and businesses and really just build up that sense of community.”

The gathering will coincide with the library's “huge used book sale,” which will be set up in the basement of the adjacent branch.

The 2022 Swannanoa Winterfest, which will return to Grovemont Square, Dec. 17, will include games and craft activities for children, and an appearance by Olaf. Photo by Fred McCormick

“There will be a lot of activities for kids, including organized games and crafting,” Rozenbroek said. “The library’s book sale will be right next door, we’ll have a food court set up with pizza, a coffee bus and all kinds of things. The SCC will also be serving bratwurst and sauerkraut from its tent.”

Winterfest will also feature a live performance from the Asheville Ukulele Society, and a dance performance by students from nearby ArtSpace Charter School.

Nearly 40 vendors from Swannanoa and neighboring Black Mountain, including Four Sisters Bakery, Brew Naturals and various local artisans, are scheduled to participate this weekend, Rozenbroek added.

Four Sisters Bakery will make the trip from Black Mountain to attend the Swannanoa Winterfest in Grovemont Square, from 3-8 p.m., Dec. 17. Photo by Fred McCormick

“We’ll also have nonprofit organizations,” he said. “Bounty & Soul, which does important work in our community, will be there. People can bring them food items or donate money for the Holiday Season.”

The market, which Rozenbroek calls a “wonderful collaboration” between the SCC, FANS and the library, continues to grow each year.

“It did well in 2019, and of course with COVID it was canceled in 2020, but last year was great,” he said. “It will be a little bigger this year, with a few more vendors, but our goal is to keep to building it a little every year.”