2 Best Places to Shop in Asheville, North Carolina

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The Asheville area has many tailgate markets, usually in parking lots where local growers set up temporary sales stalls on certain days, and farmers' markets, which are typically larger than tailgate markets and often have permanent booths. The website of Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) has up-to-date information on all the region’s tailgate markets, U-pick farms, and farmers’ markets.

Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar

Downtown Fodor's Choice

At this unusual bookstore and bar, you can relax on an overstuffed chair or sofa while sipping one of 80 wines and champagnes by the glass. The inventory includes more than 20,000 secondhand books, with special strength in Civil War, American history, and North Carolina subjects. It's pet friendly, too, with an "espresso dog bar." 

Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe

Downtown Fodor's Choice

This is what an independent bookstore should be, with an intelligent selection of new books, many author appearances and other events, and a comfortable café. Staffers speak many foreign languages, including Hungarian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French, and German.