Upon stepping into Delighted in downtown Asheville, Carolyn Ryden‘s artistic flair is evident. Since its grand opening in March, her gift shop has become a visual treasure trove, offering delights at every turn.
And now, as a participant in Asheville Downtown Association’s Winter Windows Display Contest, Ryden has created a vibrant holiday scene in her store’s window, including two hot pink reindeer.
“Color is at the core of my personality,” Ryden says with a grin. “As an artist, I’m captivated by colors, patterns, designs and all things whimsical. My goal is to spark joy the moment customers walk through the door, then helping them find something special to take home and brighten their lives.”
Along with being delightful and quirky, nearly everything in the shop is also practical — from books and mugs to doormats, hats, signs and greeting cards.
As a first-time store owner, Ryden made her way to Asheville from California during the COVID-19 pandemic. After having spent seven years working in a California gift shop, she set her sights on finding a downtown location to bring her own vision to life. After scouting sites for 4 1/2 years, her dream became a reality when she discovered an available spot at 63 Haywood St.
Unfortunately, just seven months after opening, Ryden, like many other business owners, was forced to close for several weeks due to the impact of Tropical Storm Helene.
“I was counting on Asheville’s ever-popular ‘leaf season’ to boost traffic since summer sales fell short of my expectations,” she says. “I’m especially grateful to be part of this holiday contest and am feeling hopeful it will bring more activity to my shop and all downtown businesses. With more shoppers out and about, I’ve already noticed an increase in foot traffic. Let’s just say I’ve got my fingers crossed.”
Baby steps toward normalcy
Another contender in the Winter Windows Display Contest is Mast General Store on Biltmore Avenue, a downtown staple for over 25 years. Known for its ever-changing, seasonally inspired window displays, the store’s extensive and creative setups are hard to miss.
“Our staff members are the true designers of our displays,” explains General Manager Joey Fuseler. “A merchandising manager for the company provides the monthly themes, and then our store’s visual merchandiser works with three staff members to guide them through the decorating process.”
He continues, “Once a month, on a Monday, the team gets to work gutting the existing display. The next day, they meticulously dress the windows. We call this process ‘telling stories’ because each window display is more than just about merchandising — it’s about creating a brief narrative, like a scene from a movie.”
He adds with a smile, “All of us store members promise not to peek until the decorators give us the go-ahead. The results always pleasantly surprise us.”
Like many other downtown businesses, Tropical Storm Helene forced Mast’s downtown location to close for three weeks. For Fuseler, who has served as the general manager of the downtown location since 2023, the biggest challenge brought on by the storm was the uncertainty.
“I’ve been with Mast General for 11 years, starting at their Columbia, South Carolina, store,” Fuseler shares. “Helene really threw us for a loop. After reopening in mid-November, we still have no idea when things will return to normal.”
He adds that, compared with previous years, holiday traffic is still not where it should be.
“Luckily for us,” he says, “the Asheville Downtown Association, along with the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, have been working around the clock to support downtown stores like ours that were hit hard by revenue loss. These two amazing organizations are spreading the word through their promotions, letting people know that we’re open and ready to welcome you with open arms.
“Every baby step we take toward normalcy feels like a breath of fresh air, and getting people through our doors with the Winter Windows Display Contest is one of those baby steps.”
Nostalgic throwback
Hayden Plemmons, executive director of the Asheville Downtown Association, shares the reasoning behind reviving this year’s display competition after taking a break last year.
“Our decision was primarily due to the complexity of managing it. We realized we needed to take a break to plan a more impactful event,” she explains. “Before Helene struck, we had already intended to hold the competition this year. The aftermath of Helene made this program even more meaningful and motivated us to bring it to life.”
A key part of the revamping process involved changing the judging approach.
“Rather than using a panel of judges,” Plemmons explains, “we’re choosing to let downtown shoppers take on the role of selecting the winners, which makes the process more interactive and engaging. Each business that participates receives a decal to place outside their building, plus a QR code for people’s choice awards to make for an easy voting process.”
She continues: “We’d like to think of this as a nostalgic throwback to simpler times, when people bundled up in their winter attire and did their holiday shopping at their local neighborhood stores.”
Similar to Delighted and Mast General Store, other downtown businesses have been busily transforming their storefronts into holiday works of art. Those who are curious can take a stroll downtown and gaze upon a wide assortment of holiday window scenes. Shoppers have until Tuesday, Dec. 31, to vote for their favorite display. Winners, including the official judges’ selections, will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 9.
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