KNOXVILLE- It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in East Tennessee, with millions of sparkling lights, hundreds of festive trees, old-time Christmas celebrations, homemade decorations and so much more.
From traditional holiday parades with Santa riding on the finale float to the annual Winterfest Celebration that lights up the Smoky Mountains, there are plenty of reasons to be in East Tennessee this holiday season.
Southeast Tennessee-
Chattanooga offers an exciting holiday package filled with half a million lights high atop Lookout Mountain at Rock City’s annual Enchanted Garden of Lights, a ride with Santa on the Southern Belle Riverboat and plenty of holiday shopping at Tennessee’s largest mall. Visitors can also Deck the Falls at Ruby Falls, Dive Into Winter at the Tennessee Aquarium and catch the lighted holiday parade through downtown Chattanooga.
MiddleEast Tennessee-
The Annual Winterfest Celebration in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg has thrilled millions of holiday lovers for years, as these mountain resort towns at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains are transformed into a magical winter wonderland.
For seasonal arts and crafts, Gatlinburg will host the Christmas Arts and Crafts Show from Dec. 2 – 11, featuring unique handcrafted Christmas gifts made by members of the famed Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community.
To experience a traditional East Tennessee holiday, visit the Museum of Appalachia in Norris from Dec. 4 – 31 for the Christmas in Old Appalachia. Musicians playing Christmas carols and old-time songs will entertain visitors while they warm themselves in front of open fires. Christmas trees will be adorned with traditional homemade decorations and stockings will be stuffed with traditional Appalachian Christmas items.
History buffs can catch a glimpse of ancient Greece at the Frank H. McClung Museum in Knoxville with “History Contained: Ancient Greek Bronze and Ceramic Vessels,” an exhibit featuring Greek bronze vessels, ceramic containers, a bronze Corinthian helmet and more.
Northeast Tennessee-
Step back in time to the year 1818 and enjoy a Candlelight Christmas Party at the Netherland Inn in Kingsport on Dec. 9 and 10. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the special music, period decorations and refreshments at the nation’s only historical site that was both a stage stop and a boatyard.
For a mid-1800’s Christmas celebration, from Dec. 3 – 4, visitors can attend the 23rd Annual Christmas in the Country at Kingsport’s Exchange Place, a mid-1800’s living farm.
Or fast forward NASCAR-style into the new millennium and take a ride around the Bristol Motor Speedway in Lights. Through Jan. 7, drive a 4.5 mile route decorated with over a million lights and incredible holiday scenes. Did anyone mention that visitors can drive their own car on the world’s fastest half mile track?
Butler, the town that wouldn’t drown when TVA’s dam system flooded various parts of the state, invites families to share in an old-fashioned Christmas tradition on Dec. 9 – 10 at the Iron Mountain Inn Bed and Breakfast. Pizza and game night, a hearty breakfast the following morning and a hunt for the perfect Christmas tree at a local tree farm will make this an enjoyable weekend for all. Add fondue, homemade cookies and making decorations in front of a wood-burning fire, and you’ve got something for everyone.
Over in Mountain City, Prospect Hill Bed & Breakfast Inn is a great hideaway for a romantic getaway. This 1889 Victorian country mansion offers beautiful rooms, breathtaking views, and plenty of outdoor recreation activities.
Shopping-
No holiday is complete without lots and lots of shopping. Head to Sevierville for premiere outlet shopping at Tanger Five Oaks and Governor’s Crossing.
The Cranberry Hollow Gift Shop in Lenoir City is a great place to find unique holiday gifts like beautiful linens, folk art, candles, tinware, treenware and much more.
Townsend’s Mountain Sage Gallery & Workshop features a unique collection of crafts, antiques, custom furniture, and art from some of the area’s finest artisans.
And Knoxville is full of exciting shopping venues, from eclectic boutiques to elegant antique stores, plus a myriad of avant-garde and unique shops in the newly redeveloped historic Market Square, the Old City and the Homberg area.
After the Holidays-
There is still plenty to do in East Tennessee after the holidays! Because more than ten million people a year visit the Smoky Mountains, Pigeon Forge hosts an annual Wilderness Wildlife Week with more than 100 experts on nature and outdoor life to help explain the goings-on of this magnificent mountain region. To learn more about this natural treasure, attend some of the fun educational sessions that will be given Jan. 7 – 15.
Pigeon Forge will also host the 15th Annual Smoky Mountains Storytelling Festival from Feb. 2 – 4, featuring the nation’s most talented tellers of tales, including the National Youth Storytelling Showcase and Haunts ‘n’ Haints Trolley Tales.
Later in the month, from Feb. 23 – 26, the 6th Annual Saddle Up! returns to Pigeon Forge, with concerts of western music and cowboy poetry by artists including Red Steagall, Chris Isaacs and Donnie Blanz.
For more information on East Tennessee, visit EastTNVacations.com, or visit TNVacation.com for a free Tennessee vacation guide.
Welcome the Holidays with Festive Parades:
KNOXVILLE – Santa Claus usually flies into town on a float and then lands at the mall for photos ops, hugs and wish-granting. But there are other exciting characters that brighten up East Tennessee’s annual holiday parades – from M&M and Disney characters to local celebrities and military heroes.
Southeast Tennessee…
Cleveland: December 3 at 6:00 p.m. The evening Cleveland Christmas parade features lighted floats with M&M characters dumping bucket loads of candy in front of the spectators. Local celebrity William Breuer, author of The Great Raid, will be the Grand Marshall this year. A highlight of the season is Carols in the City, a unique reverse caroling concept, which takes place December 2 at 6:00 p.m. Visitors can visit Cleveland’s downtown churches for mini-concerts on the steps.
Chattanooga: December 3 at 6:00 p.m. The annual Holiday Starlight Parade is a Chattanooga tradition, with every float and marching unit strung in twinkling lights.
Athens: December 5 at 7:00 p.m. Enjoy an Old Fashioned Christmas Parade in Athens. This hometown parade has been a tradition for 40 years and attracts over 15,000 spectators each year.
Other area parades:
Etowah’s Annual Christmas Parade – December 1. This year’s theme is “100 Years of Christmas in Etowah.”
MiddleEast Tennessee…
Gatlinburg: December 2 at 7:30 p.m. Enjoy lighted floats, marching bands and giant helium balloons at the 30th Annual Gatlinburg Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade.
Sevierville:
December 3 at 12:00 p.m. The theme for the 43rd Annual Sevierville Christmas Parade is “Shake Up Winterfest,” with a focus on snow globes and shaking/doing the twist. This year’s Grand Marshals are members of the 278th Howitzer Battery, who will lead a parade of floats, bands, majorettes and, of course, Santa Claus. The Sevierville Christmas parade opens a day-long celebration for the returning Sevier County members of the 278th.
December 3 at 1:30 p.m. During the Heroes’ Homecoming Parade, more than 20 floats will parade down the main parkway from historic downtown Sevierville to the Pigeon Forge Community Center where there will be a presentation at 2:30 p.m. honoring the returned members of the 278th. Refreshments will be provided for the community.
Loudon: December 10 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. The Loudon Christmas Parade travels through the historic district with the theme, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” in honor of the parade’s Grand Marshal, the 278th National Guard Unit, who recently returned from Iraq. Other festivities include carriage rides, a petting zoo, music, a live nativity, pony rides, crafts for children, a traditional community bonfire, choirs in the historic Lyric Theatre, and plenty of food.
Townsend: December 4. Follow Santa Claus to the Little River Museum for cookies, punch and a picture with Santa.
Other area parades:
Dandridge Christmas Parade – December 17 at 1:30 p.m.
Jefferson City Christmas Parade – December 10 at 1:00 p.m.
White Pine Christmas Parade – December 2 at 4:00 p.m.
Northeast Tennessee…
Mountain City: December 3. Enjoy storytelling, Santa and his elves plus many famous character's such as Pooh, Tigger, Mickey, Minnie, plus many others at the Johnson County Welcome Center before and during the Annual Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade.
Other area parades:
Jonesborough – December 10 at 6:00 p.m. This year’s theme is “A Picture Perfect Christmas.”
Greeneville – December 4 at 2:00 p.m.