2022 Festival & Event Guide - November & December

NOVEMBER

Nov. 5 – Over in Townsend, Tennessee, come see the Townsend Grains and Grits Festival to find southern spirits and gourmet grub. The little town of St. Paul, Virginia, hosts the Chili Chili Bang Bang, a chili cook–off. You can also find the Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Festival in Strasburg, Virginia.

Nov. 5–Jan. 1 – Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas celebrates the holidays at the Pigeon Forge theme park with thousands of lights plea holiday shows.

Nov. 5–6 – Of These Mountains Fall Marketplace arrives at the Rabun County Civic Center Pavilions in Georgia. Over in Tennessee, see more than 5,100 competitors ages 14–89 representing 29 states and countries from Chattanooga’s riverfront at the Head of the Hooch regatta, a 3.1–mile course down the Tennessee River, passing by Chattanooga’s Riverfront and Bluff View Districts.

Nov. 11 – Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland lands at the Tennessee Smokies Stadium at Sevierville.

Nov. 13–14 – Southwest Virginia’s handsome town of Big Stone Gap  hosts its Holiday Craft Show.

Nov. 13–Feb. 19 – Pigeon Forge Winterfest opens in Tennessee with holiday and winter seasons in lights in conjunction with Gatlinburg and Sevierville at the Tennessee Smokies.

Nov. 18 – Tweetsie Christmas opens at Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

 Nov. 18–Jan. 8 – Speedway in Lights opens at the Bristol Motor Speedway of Bristol, Tennessee, with thousands of bulbs and dozens of exhibits.

Nov. 19–Dec. 30 – Come see the Illuminights at Explore Park in Roanoke, Virginia.

Nov. 25 – Holiday Shopping Expo and Festival of Trees can be found at the Rabun County Civic Center in Georgia.

Nov. 25–26 – Georgia’s Blue Ridge kicks off a two–day celebration with Lights in the Ridge as a Christmas season start. Come to North Carolina’s Christmas in the Park & Parade at Blowing Rock.

DECEMBER

Dec. 2–3 – Hiawassee, Georgia, kicks off American Made Christmas Fest. Santa Mouse Christmas House showcases the work of the Blount County Arts and Crafts Guild in Tennessee with a show at Maryville, featuring over 50 members of the Guild showcasing their work.

Dec. 2–4 – Create lasting family memories during a special weekend filled with traditional holiday activities with A Small Town Christmas in Banner Elk, North Carolina. The Balsam Range Art of Music rings out at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.

Dec. 3 – Sevierville’s 60th Annual Christmas Parade comes to Historic Downtown Sevierville, Tennessee.

Dec. 2, 9, 16 mark the return of Dickens of a Christmas  to Roanoke, Virginia. Spartanburg, South Carolina’s version of the event takes place December 6.

Dec. 9 – A forest of lighted trees floating on the lake, performances by Knox County School choirs, train rides, photos with Santa Claus, marshmallow roasting, hot cocoa, face painting and balloon animals are all part of Christmas at Chilhowee in Tennessee.

Dec. 9–19 –  Christmas in the Village at the Heritage Center comes to Townsend, Tennessee.

Dec 10 – Tour De Lights is a fun, free, family–friendly bike parade through downtown and North Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dec. 31 – Party like it’s 2023 already at the New Year’s Eve Extravaganza at Appalachian Ski Mountain near Boone, North Carolina. Over in Roanoke, Virginia, you can be a part of the Big Lick Downtown Countdown.

Meanwhile, the New Year’s Celebration comes to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with a midnight parade starting Jan. 1, 2023 at 12:01 a.m.

Discover More Great 2022 Mountain Festivals & Events:

The story above first appeared in our May / June 2022 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!