Friday

1. Literary Landmarks, 2 p.m.

Fun fact: Asheville inspired one of the most famous lines in American literature. “You Can’t Go Home Again,” the title of a posthumous novel by Thomas Wolfe, was based on the author’s stint as a pariah in Asheville, his hometown, after the publication of his 1929 bildungsroman “Look Homeward, Angel.” The book was so unsparing in its barely veiled depictions of actual Ashevillians from his youth (the city was called Altamont in the novel), the local library declined to carry it for years even as it became an American classic. Eventually all was forgiven and now Wolfe’s former home on Spruce Street, where much of the novel was set, is part of a small but fascinating museum about his life and the city in the early 20th century ($5, children $2). More macabre literary fans can drive past the site on Montford Avenue where Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald died in a sanitarium fire in 1948, or even book the “Fitzgerald suite” at the Grove Park Inn, the whimsical granite pile, now an Omni property, where Zelda’s husband, Scott, stayed during his visits. Follow up with a trip to one of the tremendous downtown bookstores, including the wonderfully atmospheric Malaprop’s and Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar, an elegant spot in the Grove Arcade, the airy Art Deco emporium, where you can enjoy wine with your limited edition tome.

2. South Slope Suds, 4 p.m.

Asheville also calls itself “Beer City USA” and it’s hard to argue the point. It has more breweries per capita than any American city — 23 at last count — drawing hopsheads from all over. While you’ll find beer tours, all you really need is some walking shoes — many of the best small breweries are within a few blocks of one another on the South Slope. Burial Beer Co., in a former auto repair shop, makes terrific Belgian ales (samples, $3). Green Man, around the corner, specializes in English styles (pints from $4.50) — opt for the original taproom over the more touristy “Green Mansion” next door. The Funkatorium, by the local fave Wicked Weed, focuses on sours that range from majestic to mouth-twisting (samples from $2). Other South Slope favorites include Twin Leaf, Hi-Wire, Catawba and Asheville Brewing Company.

3. Farm to Chef to You, 7 p.m.

Asheville has been doing farm-to-table since before it was a marketing point, and top-notch restaurants like Cúrate, Bouchon and Tupelo Honey Cafe have turned it into a dining destination. One new bright spot is Local Provisions, by the Southern chef Justin Burdett. The seasonal menu specializes in local ingredients prepared with grace and sophistication, from the N.C. Amberjack crudo ($10) to the apple brandy strip steak with potatoes, beans and mushrooms ($36). Got room for a nightcap? Try Sovereign Remedies, a 21st-century cocktail bar in a former early 20th-century pharmacy that channels both aspects, creating libations infused with botanical ingredients designed to cure whatever ails you. Try the Root Daiquiri, made with rum, lime, sarsaparilla, burdock and dandelion ($8).