Discover Leicester through its farms, nature experiences and local art. The Farm Heritage Trail features rural communities and a year-round event calendar, while hiking and birdwatching are at the heart of the Long Branch Environmental Education Center. When planning your visit, consider whether you want to attend a specific event, arrange a purchase or enjoy a seasonal offering.

Farms and produce

Gaining Ground Farm is located on 70 acres of family farmland in Leicester, where Red Devon cattle are raised. The farm sells its produce at a roadside stand on the property. Before you go, check whether the stand is open if you plan to shop. The acreage and agricultural use may change over time.

Aubrey Wells Farm is a Century Farm that has been owned by the Wells family for more than 100 years. Beef can be purchased by making a prior appointment by phone. Call ahead to arrange this, and check product availability at the same time if needed.

Good Wheel Farm offers guided tours of its fields, where visitors can see sheep, cows, chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. During the tours, crispy chicken thigh sandwiches or marinated chicken thighs with coleslaw are available. A 2026 list of participating farms also includes Durrant Farms Estate, where visitors can meet alpacas and llamas at the fence and walk around the pond. Check with Good Wheel Farm in advance about joining the guided tour and the availability of its offerings. At Durrant Farms Estate, confirm whether meeting the alpacas and llamas at the fence and walking around the pond are available.

Black Thorn Farm & Kitchen in the Big Sandy Mush area of Leicester is also listed for 2026. It offers seasonal prepared sweet and savory foods for eating or drinking. As the offerings are seasonal, it is best to check availability before your visit.

Driving route, events and nature

The Farm Heritage Trail is a scenic driving route through rural farming communities, including Leicester. Its ongoing event calendar runs throughout the year and includes hikes, farm-to-table dinners, educational offerings and activities for the whole family. Individual dates may change; check the dates if you are planning around a particular program. The route and calendar offer different ways to plan: the driving route passes through several communities, while the date of the specific event matters for a particular experience.

At the Long Branch Environmental Education Center in Leicester, visitors can hike the trails and watch birds. You can combine both activities there: it is a good place for a nature outing that focuses equally on exercise and birdwatching.

Art in August

Come to Leicester hosts a studio tour every year in August. Visitors are invited to meet local artists and learn more about their work. The annual event is held in August, but no specific date is given; check the dates for the relevant year if you want to plan your trip around the tour.

The offerings differ mainly in how they need to be planned: buying beef requires an appointment by phone, individual Trail events have specific dates, and the studio tour takes place every year in August. Hiking trails and birdwatching at the Long Branch Environmental Education Center offer another way to experience Leicester’s natural attractions.

Discover more destinations: Black Mountain, Asheville, Swannanoa, Arden, Candler, Weaverville.

See the overview of the wider travel region: Buncombe.