Candlelight at Biltmore

When Dad first told me that Cantamos (one of his choir's) was invited to sing at the Biltmore House during the Candlelight Christmas Tour, my first thought was, "that is so cool!". My second thought was, "I want to go!". They were scheduled to sing the day after Christmas which made things a little challenging logistically, but also made for a really neat ending to the Christmas season. We decided to go and take Collins (thought she would be impressed by a real-life castle) and see the grandeur of the home during the holidays and support Dad during a really special moment in his life!

Throughout the month of December, I got really excited about our trip to Asheville over the holidays. I kept having visions of a wintry wonderland, millions of tiny lights and the world's largest Christmas tree. Well...I got lots of lights and a giant tree, but I did not get snow. I got hot. It was 74 degrees in Asheville that day! Not festive at all. But as my practical husband pointed out, it was really helpful to have balmy weather while toting our 4-year-old across this enormous property. He was right (as always- which is both a good and a bad thing!).

We had a specific ticketed time to get in the house for the candlelight tour. Before that time we toured the Biltmore Village (and had ice cream- it seemed natural in that weather)...

and the grounds...

It was easy to see why the Vanderbilts chose that location to build their estate. ...a gorgeous view and we caught it at sunset!

As soon as we entered the house, we heard Cantamos singing. They were performing in the "Winter Garden" which was a neat circular space right off the foyer. It wasn't easy to get close to see them, but their wonderful music filled the area. They got to perform four 30-minute sets throughout that night, and they sounded great! Dad has poured his heart and soul into his choirs over the years, and it was really special to see this pinnacle moment in his career. I was really proud of him and loved seeing him in his element! 

And was so glad that Collins got to see Poppy in action!

I might have done some illegal photography in the house...don't tell security! The banquet hall and library were my favorite rooms in the house...simply amazing. Collins was impressed by the indoor pool, but not impressed that the house kept going on and on and on... :) 

Dad found out that the day after Christmas is the most visited day of the year (and Biltmore is open 365 days a year!). How cool for Cantamos that a record crowd got to hear them sing. Overall, such a neat experience for us all!