Asheville earns its reputation as a beer town, but summer here has a sporting side too — and after years of steering guests toward the right ballpark seat, the right barstool, and the right patch of grass, innkeeper Dan has opinions. Whether you want to catch a game, watch one over a cold pour, or get out and play yourself, here is his guide to summer sports within easy reach of Pinecrest.
Catch a Game: Asheville Tourists Baseball
If you do one sporting thing in Asheville this summer, make it a Tourists game. The Asheville Tourists — the Houston Astros’ High-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League — play at HomeTrust Park, the beloved downtown ballpark that opened in 1924 and is still known to most locals by its longtime name, McCormick Field. It recently reopened after a major multi-year restoration, but the soul of the place is unchanged.
And what a place it is. This is one of the oldest ballparks in all of Minor League Baseball, intimate enough at roughly 4,000 seats that there is genuinely not a bad seat in the house. A lush green hillside rises behind the outfield wall — so steep the team famously hires goats to keep it trimmed. Babe Ruth roamed that outfield during a 1926 exhibition and pronounced it a “damned delightful place to play,” and Hollywood agreed: the ballpark stood in for scenes in the 1988 film Bull Durham. Bring an appetite for the concourse, too — you can even pick up a grass-fed beef hot dog from Hickory Nut Gap, the beloved Fairview family farm, right there at the ballpark.
Home stands run throughout the summer, and a warm evening under the lights — minor league baseball at its most charming — is one of the best-value nights out in the city. Check the Tourists schedule for home games during your stay. The ballpark sits about two miles from Pinecrest, an easy hop from Montford.
Watch a Game: Asheville’s Best Sports Bars
When the game you care about is happening somewhere else, Asheville has you covered. These are Dan’s picks for pulling up a stool and watching whatever’s on — playoffs, a Saturday of college football in the fall, or your home team from three time zones away.
The Bier Garden
Dan’s first call is The Bier Garden, a downtown institution that has been voted Asheville’s best sports bar for years running. With more than thirty TVs — including several big screens — plus one of the largest beer lists in town and a full menu of burgers, wings, and pub favorites, it is built for game day. It is also an easy walk from Pinecrest, which makes it the obvious choice when you would rather not drive. (For more on getting around on foot, see our guide to walking from Pinecrest to downtown.) A tip from Dan: on a big game night, get there early — the good seats go fast.
The Village Porch
For a more neighborhood feel, The Village Porch in Reynolds Village — just north of town in Woodfin — is North Asheville’s answer to Cheers. Locally owned by the Pfeiffer family, it pairs more than a dozen TVs with a wall of taps, a justly famous smash burger, and a dog-friendly patio. Trivia and karaoke nights keep the energy up even in the off-season. And when you would rather skip the downtown parking hunt altogether, the Porch has its own free parking right out front. It is the kind of place where you arrive a stranger and leave a regular.
Easy Tiger
Downtown on South Lexington Avenue, Easy Tiger is a sharp newer addition to the watch-party scene from the team behind the city’s Flour Cafe. Expect a dozen big screens, elevated pub fare, a thoughtful non-alcoholic menu, and a kitchen that stays open late. They subscribe to the major sports packages and will happily switch a screen to your game if you ask — a small courtesy that tells you everything about the place.
Play Your Own: Get in the Game
Asheville’s best sporting tradition might be that you do not have to watch from the sidelines. Several local breweries have turned their grounds into proper playgrounds.
Highland Brewing
Highland Brewing’s sprawling campus in East Asheville is far more than a taproom. Spread across forty hilltop acres, you will find a free eighteen-hole disc golf course (rent a set of discs at the bar if you did not bring your own), five sand volleyball courts, a cornhole league, and even a weekly run club that heads out from the brewery and circles back for a well-earned pint. The campus keeps adding to the fun — indoor rock climbing is among the newest arrivals. And if you would rather eat and drink than play — or refuel afterward — there is a rotating lineup of food trucks on site daily. Check Highland’s hours before you go, and plan to stay a while. It is about six miles from Pinecrest.
Salt Face Mule
A little closer to home, Salt Face Mule in Woodfin combines an Appalachian-inspired kitchen and house-brewed beer with thirty-six holes of mini golf across two courses, plus bocce courts. It is low-key, genuinely fun, and exactly the sort of place where a friendly round turns competitive faster than anyone expects. Longtime readers know it well: it is the one course Dan and Diane still have time to play.
Everything in One Place: Hi-Wire’s RAD Beer Garden
If you only have time for one stop, make it Hi-Wire Brewing’s RAD Beer Garden in the River Arts District — a sprawling, mural-covered campus built largely from upcycled shipping containers that manages to pack in a remarkable amount under one roof. On the grounds you will find Ace & Eagle, a social sports club with pickleball courts, golf simulators, and billiards, so you can work on your short game whatever the weather. The beer garden itself adds ping-pong, cornhole, darts, and arcade games, plus a daily rotation of food trucks and more than twenty beers on tap. It is the kind of place that covers a lot of ground — play, eat, and drink, all in one visit — and it sits about two miles from Pinecrest.
Make Pinecrest Your Home Base
Pinecrest sits in Asheville’s Montford Historic District — an adults-only inn about a mile from downtown and three miles from Biltmore — which makes it an easy base for a sporting weekend. The Bier Garden and the downtown spots are a short walk away, the ballpark is just up the road, and the brewery campuses are a quick drive. Best of all, you have innkeepers who actually follow the schedule: ask Dan at breakfast what is worth seeing that night, and he will point you to the right game, the right seat, and the right place for a burger afterward.
One thing anyone who knows Dan will tell you: his team, now and always, is the Tennessee Volunteers — his alma mater, orange and all. But hospitality comes first. Every guest is welcome at Pinecrest, rivals included, and Dan will gladly put your team’s game on the TV. Fair warning, though: if it is a close one, he is anything but quiet — and may well excuse himself from the room entirely.
When you are ready to plan your visit, we would love to host you. Reach out anytime — we are always happy to help you build a weekend around whatever sport you are chasing. Or check rates when you Book Now.
Summer Sports in Asheville: Quick Questions
Can I watch the game at Pinecrest?
Yes. Every guest room has a TV with cable or streaming, so you can catch your game in the comfort of your own room. Or take your chances on the biggest screen in the house out on the sunporch — though you may find yourself cheering next to a fan of the rival team.
Where is the best place to watch sports in downtown Asheville?
The Bier Garden on Haywood Street is widely considered Asheville’s best sports bar, with more than thirty TVs and big screens. Easy Tiger on South Lexington Avenue is another strong downtown option, with a dozen big screens and a kitchen open late.
Can you watch live baseball in Asheville?
Yes. The Asheville Tourists, the Houston Astros’ High-A affiliate, play home games throughout the summer at HomeTrust Park (historically known as McCormick Field), one of the oldest ballparks in Minor League Baseball.
Where can you play disc golf, mini golf, or pickleball in Asheville?
Highland Brewing in East Asheville has a free eighteen-hole disc golf course along with sand volleyball and cornhole. Salt Face Mule in Woodfin offers thirty-six holes of mini golf across two courses, plus bocce courts, alongside its kitchen and house beer. For pickleball, golf simulators, and billiards, head to Ace & Eagle at Hi-Wire Brewing’s RAD Beer Garden in the River Arts District.
How far is Pinecrest from downtown Asheville and the ballpark?
Pinecrest is about a mile from downtown Asheville — walkable to the downtown sports bars — and roughly two miles from HomeTrust Park. The brewery campuses in East Asheville and Woodfin are a short drive.