The region abounds with festive events ranging from reindeer to German markets.
For a Hallmark Christmas visit the quaint town of Hendersonville, N.C. Lighting of the town Christmas tree, downtown carriage rides, Santa’s llamas and a Main Street straight out of a Hallmark movie are some of the highlights during Home for the Holidays, which takes place mid-November through New Year’s Day. Step back in time and nibble on Christmas cookies during the Holiday Tour of Inns & Cookie Caper, and catch a performance of the multi-week Christmas revue at the famed Flat Rock Playhouse, the official state theater of North Carolina.
Another sweet town is Wytheville, Va., where a great spot for dinner and a show can be had at The Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre, a 200-seat German-themed venue that presents Broadway-style professional musical productions. A four-course, themed, plated meal is served before each performance and every seat in the house is a good one. The theatre is also home to the Matterhorn Restaurant and Bier Garten, a full-service restaurant specializing in German favorites, as well as American fare. From Nov. 8–Dec. 22, 2024. Wolfhahrt presents “Christmas in the Park.” Don’t miss Virginia’s favorite Christmas tradition with song and dance. Dazzling production numbers feature everyone’s favorite holiday tunes. Wrap up the evening with the true reason for the season, the nativity.
Hopelands Gardens in Thoroughbred Country, South Carolina, is a 14-acre former estate park featuring wetlands, an arboretum trail with cell phone tour and a labyrinth. From Dec. 14-23, the free, award-winning Christmas in Hopelands offers an enchanting walk-through exhibit with more than 100,000 lights, two miles of lighted pathways and holiday displays. The DuPont Planetarium at USC Aiken will feature “Mystery of Christmas Star,” a five-time Telly Award-winning, 2,000-year journey to discover a scientific explanation for the star that the wise men followed to Bethlehem, including supernova, comets, planetary conjunctions and other celestial phenomena. See show dates and times here. “A Christmas Carol” will be playing at the Aiken Community Theatre running Dec. 6-14, and for gifts and goodies, the historic Aiken County Farmers Market is open year-round 7:30 a.m-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays.
Christmas time is absolutely stunning at Mike’s Farm’s Festival of Lights in Beulaville, N.C. Come for dinner, a hayride and the weekend “Ho! Ho! Christmas Show” Nov. 14-Dec. 28. Lights adorn the farm entryway, barns, restaurant and gift shop…they even light up owner Mike Lowe’s family tractor. The 30-minute hayride begins its nostalgic journey entering a magical archway of lights with whimsical scenes of farm life, present and past. Covered bridges and creek beds draw you in with their lighted beauty. Also, enjoy good cheer with ELJ Farms’ Christmas Town starting Nov. 14 in Jacksonville. Purchase tickets at Santa’s workshop to drive through a myriad of animated Christmas lights, giant toy soldiers, photo ops, and more from either the comfort of your own car/truck or, by tractor ride.
If you love reindeer, head to Bowling Green, Ky. From mid-November through Christmastime, holiday magic awaits at Kentucky's only public reindeer farm! At the family-owned The Reindeer Farm, Christmas cheer-seekers can start their day with a merry breakfast alongside Santa, sip hot cocoa by a cozy fire and get up close and personal with the farm’s enchanting reindeer … including Clarice, Mistletoe and Moodolph. The event also features a variety of traditional holiday activities that promise to create lasting memories, even if you're too busy singing Christmas carols to snap some photos.
Jack Frost and snowball fights are on the menu in holiday-named Frostburg, Md. Located on the Mountain Side of Maryland, Frostburg, is home to the nationally recognized annual Storybook Holiday event, complete with the ever-popular Elf Olympics, kids activities, a Christmas market, shops, a featured children’s author and a parade led by none other than Jack Frost himself. Fitting for a town named “Frost”-burg, Mr. Frost also closes out the day’s activities with a townwide snowball fight. The 21st annual Storybook Holiday is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 7.
As frosty whispers of winter begin to herald the holiday season, Virginia Beach transforms into a coastal haven where the spirit of celebration is amplified by the power of the Atlantic Ocean. The 43rd Annual Virginia Beach Christmas Market will be Nov. 29–Dec. 1 where 175 artisans from across the nation showcase their unique crafts. Holiday Boat Parade of Lights (Dec. 7) features a decorated boats parade along the calm waters of the Lynnhaven Inlet. Offering a dazzling display that reflects on the water, the show is best viewed from waterfront dining spots like Chick’s Oyster Bar or The Back Deck. And that's just a few of the town's many holiday events.
It's Holly Jolly Jekyll all season long in Jekyll Island, Ga. Enjoy a ride on Jekyll's jolliest trolley to see more than two million lights across the island. Special events include Cold-Stunned Plunge into the chilly Atlantic on Nov. 30; Winter Carnival & Big Truck Roundup on Dec. 7; the Holly Jolly Jekyll Light Parade on Dec. 14; Holiday Drive-In shows "Frosty the Snowman" Dec. 22 & 29 and enjoy fireworks Dec. 23 and 30. Be sure to stay at the Jekyll Island Club Resort, a historic hotel that Munsey’s Magazine once called “the richest, the most exclusive, the most inaccessible club in the world.” Today, the expanded hotel remains an elegant experience and offers many holiday events.
Beginning Nov. 1, An Ozark Mountain Christmas is a two-month-long celebration of lights, entertainment and merriment throughout Branson. With so many magical experiences to discover, Explore Branson–the official visitors bureau for the town–provides a comprehensive listing of every Christmas Experience in Branson through the Ozark Mountain Christmas Pass. A sneak preview of some festive highlights includes An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City, the community tree and famous Branson Ferris Wheel, Christmas at Shepherd of the Hills, and festive accommodations at The Ozarker Lodge.
Several towns take part in the annual Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights, spotlighting holiday events from Alexandria in the heart of Louisiana through the northern half of the state. We're talking about lots of special events in Alexandria/Pineville, Minden, Monroe-West Monroe, Natchitoches (at left), Ruston, Logansport and the twin cities of Shreveport and Bossier City.
Rickwood Caverns State Park in Warrior, Ala., celebrates the holiday season with a magical underground experience beginning Nov. 23, 2024. "Wonderland Under Warrior" celebrates the sights and sounds of Christmas and the natural beauty of the cavern with a self-guided tour that takes visitors on a journey deep into the cave through different themed rooms such as dancing lights, glacier ice caverns, elf villages and more. Visitors will enjoy 100,000 twinkling lights and to walk the lighted path among the stalactite, stalagmites and other unique geological formations beautifully illuminated with twinkling lights. Hours for Wonderland Under Warrior are 2-8 p.m. on the following dates: Nov. 23-27, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Dec. 4-8, Dec. 11-15, Dec. 18-23, Dec. 26-30 and Jan. 1-5, 2025. Santa hours are 2-8 p.m. Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Dec. 4-8, Dec. 11-15 and Dec. 18-23.
Abingdon, Va., founded in 1778, is one of the oldest English-speaking settlements west of the Blue Ridge. Its enthusiasm for historic preservation and passion for the contemporary make Abingdon a holiday treat: a walkable, bikeable, and drivable town with which to fall in love. During Christmas in Abingdon, virtually every historic structure in town is decorated in period style or a contemporary fusion, from The Tavern (ca. 1779), the oldest bar in Virginia, to the nationally renowned, The Barter Theatre, the “State Theatre of Virginia.” “A Christmas Carol” runs from Nov. 14-Dec. 22, while “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” is performed Nov. 26-Dec. 23. From Nov. 20–Dec. 22 the new musical play “Go Tell it on the Mountain” gives witness to the lives of ordinary Appalachians as they celebrate “the most wonderful time of the year.” Stay at The Martha Washington Inn & Spa, or check into one of Abingdon’s numerous bed and breakfasts or cottages. Get off-season rates at national chain hotels or enjoy a cozy Virginia mountain cabin. See a complete list of lodging options here.
If you want to find small-town Christmas charm, go to Banner Elk, N.C. “A Small Town Christmas” is a three-day celebration, Dec. 6-8, of traditional holiday experiences wrapped in small-town charm. Cookie decorating, ornament making, story time with Santa, choose-and-cut Christmas trees and illuminated train rides in the park make this a special weekend in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. No need to bring a sled … snow tubing is available at two ski resorts: Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain. Read more about Beech Mountain here.
If you’re into lights, glitz, glamour and Dolly Parton, get to Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Winner of Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Legend Award for “Best Christmas Event” after 15 consecutive wins, Dollywood’s beloved Smoky Mountain Christmas returns to east Tennessee from Nov. 1-Jan. 5, 2025. Dolly Parton’s theme park shines extra bright at this time of year, with more than 6 million lights, award-winning shows, elaborate holiday decorations, signature rides and attractions, Christmas-themed food, and the opportunity to watch Santa at work in his Smoky Mountain cabin. Guests can also explore The Dolly Parton Experience, a new attraction that highlights all things Dolly, including some of her signature styles through the years and during the holiday season. Read more about The Dolly Parton Experience here.
Christmas in the Backcountry the Saturday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 30, 2024) visitors will see how colonists celebrated Christmas at the Living History Park in North Augusta, S.C.. This free event includes tours of the building, demonstrations of daily life by re-enactors in period costume and appearances by Father Christmas. Shop the indoor/outdoor Christmas Craft Show Dec. 6-7, where crafters from all over the Southeast sell handmade treasures. For its annual holiday performance "Home For the Holidays" on Dec. 8, the Aiken Symphony Orchestra and Aiken Civic Ballet will present time-honored favorites such as “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” “The Christmas Song” and more.
The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group of New Orleans will deck the halls in delectable cheer for the holiday season when Santa and his elves visit Red Fish Grill for the Gingerbread House Building Workshop with two seatings [10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) on Saturday, Dec. 14; Friday, Dec. 20; Saturday, Dec. 21; and Sunday, Dec. 22. Children will decorate Gingerbread Houses with handfuls of holiday candy, royal icing and celebratory sprinkles. Families may feast a la carte from the special Seafood Brunch, for an additional cost, featuring brunch dishes, a full kid’s menu and holiday cocktails for the adults.
Take a magical and festive train ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, in vintage rail cars that wind along the Toccoa River, transporting visitors to and from the neighboring town of McCaysville. From Nov. 29-Dec. 24, the Railway offers a one-hour ride on its “Holiday Express.” Children will be treated to holiday music, a reading of the classic “The Night Before Christmas” story and a visit from Santa. They’ll go home with a special Blue Ridge Scenic Railway jingle bell and candy cane. This generation-bonding adventure starts at the historic 1905 downtown depot. Delicious hot chocolate and other snacks are available for sale in the concession car.
Created and produced by Arts New Orleans, LUNA Fête showcases the city’s dynamic contemporary art, film and technology industries in a large-scale, free, public festival that inspires locals and visitors alike. This year, LUNA Fête’s 11th Edition returns home to Lafayette Square and will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly, Nov. 14-17. This year's theme is "Melody and Mythology." "Flux," by artist Kasawery Komputery (at right) will be featured in the Piazza D’Italia area of the festival grounds.
Step into the grandeur of the Christmas Mansion for the 2024 “Christmas Spectacular!” at Stetson Mansion in DeLand, Fla. Built in 1886 for famed hat maker and philanthropist John B. Stetson, this winter retreat was the only richly detailed “Gilded Age” mansion built in Florida. Now rescued, restored and updated, its current residents are carrying on the tradition of extravagant displays with an event that has been named among the “Top 10 Christmas Homes” by Bob Vila, “Best Holiday Home Tours in America” in the USA TODAY’s “10Best” Readers’ Choice Awards and among the “Top 10 Best Attractions in the US” by TripAdvisor. Guided and self-guided tours include 10 room themes. Decorations are over-the-top examples of elegant and reverent displays that complement the mansion’s rich architectural details. The 60-75-minute tours are held multiple times a day from Nov. 1, through Jan. 18, 2025. Advance reservations are required; booking is available online.
North Alabama’s must-see attraction is the German-themed Cullman Christkindlmarkt happening Nov. 21-Dec. 23, 2024, at Depot Park, 304 First Ave. NE in downtown Cullman. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Beginning Dec. 16, 2024, it will be open seven days a week (closed on Thanksgiving Day). Admission is free. The Cullman Christkindlmarkt is a great opportunity to find German ornaments, unique gifts and other handcrafted goodies and treasures.
Highlights of the Cullman Christkindlmarkt include:
• Lighting of Christmas Pyramid (6 p.m. Nov. 21)
• Christkindlmarkt Parade (6:30 p.m. Nov. 22)
• South's largest tree lighting show with fireworks with Host James Spann, musical guest Taylor Hicks, Santa Claus, The Grinch and Buddy the Elf (8 p.m. Nov. 22)
• Ice skating in the largest outdoor ice rink in Alabama
• Christkindl Express (enchanting little train ride)
• Kinderplatz (Santa’s Village full of activities for children)
• Largest Ferris wheel in Alabama
• Old-fashioned, German-style, pop-up Christmas street market with artists, craftspersons and other makers of gift-type goods
• Authentic German flavors, from traditional sausages to sweet chimney cakes
For more information on the Cullman Christkindlmarkt including a schedule of events, visit https://www.cullmanchristkindlmarkt.com/ or call (256) 734-9157.
Weird, Wacky & Wild South is written. byCheré Dastugue Coen, who just came back from experiencing Christmas in the Smokies (that's me at Dollywood). Thanks to all the PR folks who provided me with information and photos!
Happy Holidays y'all.
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