The sculpture of a craftsman gets a holiday treatment at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Joshua Moore
These towns roll out the full range of holiday events, displays, performances and more. As always, check ahead for new details as you plan your travels.
Each of our selected towns welcomes visitors to spectacular displays of holiday joy with festive lighting ceremonies, traditional parades and Santa and Mrs. Claus (who are quite busy making all these stops). And so much more. What elevates the merriment in these towns are the unique, creative and inspired activities brought to life by folks who love their communities.
Let’s take a holiday-towns tour.
West Virginia
Harpers Ferry/Bolivar. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and flavors of an Old Tyme Christmas at this historic location. Luminaries, lights and extensive decorations abound at this confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. Victorian townspeople stroll Lower Town; puppeteers perform at the Gazebo; storytellers captivate listeners at the library; and hammers ping as blacksmiths demonstrate an ancient craft.
Enjoy a diverse array of musical performances including a tuba band, singing groups and choirs, an angel band, fiddles and a harpist. Attend living nativity scenes and a theatrical production of “A Christmas Carol.” Have s’mores with Santa, popcorn at High Street Deck, and learn how to make ornaments from birdseed. While visiting, shop at local stores and visit the Handmade Holiday Market.
To explore the area, be sure to take one of the themed tours: historic inns, holiday lights, horse and wagon interpretive and a historic cemetery experience. To plan your visit, see the detailed online schedule for specific times and locations, and grab a map of this pedestrian-friendly holiday town. For ease of navigation, a trolley runs regularly between Harpers Ferry and Bolivar.
Shepherdstown. For those who want to experience Christmas in the days of old, put this town on your travel plans. First settled by European explorers (possibly) as early as 1719, it is the state’s oldest town and has one of the best maintained historic districts in West Virginia. In keeping with this history, the Christmas holiday festivities are more of a homestyle celebration rather than a sparkly affair.
Come enjoy the bonfire at the town hall and listen to stories told by Mrs. Claus on the day after Thanksgiving. Shops and restaurants are decorated and open to greet visitors with specialty goods and delicious fare throughout the season.
The skill and beauty of handmade items by local artisans make the perfect gifts. Items available include pottery, jewelry, candles, jams and jellies, home décor and an impressive offering of mixed media art. Also, there might just be some chestnuts roasting on an open fire.
And, you might “meet” some unexpected visitors while in town…ghosts! Known as “the most haunted town in America,” Shepherdstown’s stories of spirits from beyond can be heard at the museum, the university, the “Little Yellow House” and the bakery. Guided tours are also available during the holidays.
shepherdstown.info/home/christmas-in-shepherdstown
Virginia
Bedford. Begin your visit during the Thanksgiving holiday at the unique All Good Things Christmas Market. All items at this event are “made and sold by kids”! Your purchases support a nonprofit group whose focus is to provide food for children in need. Take the family the following weekend for a tree lighting celebration with Santa, snacks and hot cider, music, fun-filled activities and even ice sculpting.
Stop by the welcome center for the annual Festival of Trees to see and hear this year’s theme—“Sounds of Christmas.” Visit the Mistletoe Maker’s Market to support local crafters and artists and visit a variety of locally owned shops for just the right gift. Spend a quiet moment sitting amongst the luminaries at the D-Day National Memorial to honor the service of our WWII veterans.
For an outdoor holiday adventure, sign up for the Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic 5K run (or walk). Named for the three peaks overlooking Bedford, the race takes participants on a route through town to compete for prizes while raising money for the local YMCA. There are races for adults, teams and kids—a fun family activity.
Front Royal. Book an extended holiday vacation at this destination in the Shenandoah Valley. Relax at a B&B or cabin decked out with Christmas trimmings. Enjoy holiday fare at a different restaurant every night with the flavors of home cooking, international cuisine, farm-to-table food and fine dining eateries. Then, join events and tours at multiple breweries, a meadery and local wineries for a taste of holiday spirit.
Shop for special gifts at antique stores and boutiques while enjoying the downtown decorations and activities. Stop in museums for refreshments and learn about local art, history and culture. Local churches and businesses host family events and parties for the kids. Christmas pageants and art fairs are popular; and everyone is welcome to attend midnight mass.
Then, suit up for a winter adventure in the nearby Sky Meadows State Park and Shenandoah National Park. The top snowy activities here are snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Gentle slopes and an expansive trail system are the perfect environments to experience this season in the Blue Ridge. Insider tip: Skyline Drive just after a snowfall is closed to vehicle traffic and ideal for a cross-country adventure.
Kentucky
London. Visit this town to feel like “you’re walking though a Hallmark Christmas movie.” While known for the decorations, London citizens have enhanced the experience with their Lights Around London event. Private homes across the county compete for best decorating. Visitors use an interactive map and, in exchange for a donation to a local charity, vote for their top choices.
Also, this destination has earned a state award from Kentucky Mainstreet for their shop-local strategies. Coupons are handed out for cash discounts at local shops. People take an honor pledge to patronize local businesses in any way possible for a month during the holidays, which rewards them with gift cards. And, everyone shares their neat finds on social media.
Signs in front of shops announce the names of books and times for the Christmas Bookwalk—read aloud story time events. Fifty vendors setup at the Maker’s Market in the community center where there are food trucks, free reusable shopping bags and giveaways. Also, Santa researches popular toys so he’ll know what the children are requesting!
Berea. Make memories, learn something new and have a whole lot of fun this Christmas in the Folk Arts & Crafts Capital of the state. Start with a visit to the Artisan Village to shop, watch artists at work and sign up for a workshop or two in your favorite crafts. Stroll the decorated streets, listen to carolers and make some family photos in this quaint area. Stop by the renowned Kentucky Artisan Center (free admission) where over 800 artists from across the state display their work.
Then, head over to the Christmas Country Dance School at Berea College. Here you’ll find a number of classes in the folk arts genre for the family to enjoy. Participants of all skill levels are welcome to join courses in storytelling, singing, musical instrument lessons, dance calling and art. And, of course, lots of dancing! Take classes in clogging, square dancing, English, American and Irish dance styles, waltzing and more. Registration is required, so sign up early for these popular holiday experiences.
Tennessee
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg. Start your tour at the edge of the Smoky Mountains with a drive through 12 Days of Christmas lights in Pigeon Forge. The parkway is a popular area for visitors and locals to see five million lights twinkling in elaborate holiday displays. Spend an evening at Dollywood for live performances of traditional Christmas shows. And, select a favorite holiday-themed show at one of the many local theatres—including country music, sing-alongs, gospel, pop, comedy and mountain stories.
In Gatlinburg, start with a trolley ride down the main street and attend the Festival of Trees to benefit the Boys & Girls Club. Then, take to the sky. First stop, the famous 400-foot Space Needle for panoramic views. Ride the SkyLift 1,800 feet up to see all the lights set within the surrounding mountains. (Insider tip: dress for winter and enjoy the best views on the way back down.) At the top, warm up beside the firepit on the SkyDeck. And, follow this with a walk through a 200-foot tunnel of lights across SkyBridge—the continent’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge.
Rugby. Step back in time with a visit to the Victorian Christmas celebration in this famous town. Established with the aspirations of a Utopian community, this small town of less than 100 people is dedicated to preserving its history. Over two dozen structures, private, civic and religious, date back to the late 19th Century—including one believed to be “the oldest completely preserved public lending library in America.” Many of these restored buildings become part of the holiday story surrounded by the beauty of nature as it once was across the area.
Holiday visitors will experience Christmas “as if it were still 1880.” Carolers are singing at different locations; unique shops offer gifts; historic buildings are decorated in traditional ways and have refreshments on hand; and Father Christmas makes a visit. Churches offer services rich with music and inspiration and a community dinner brings everyone together. To complete the experience, volunteers and organizers dress in Victorian period costumes.
North Carolina
Dillsboro. To see why the best things do indeed come in small packages, take a holiday trip to this mountain town—population 213. The Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries, rated in the top 20 December events in the southeast, transforms the town into a winter wonderland during the holidays. All the citizens and some 30 merchants volunteer to decorate and keep the 2,500 traditional luminaries lit along the streets.
Live music from local groups, university students and Appalachian performers fill the air. Horse and buggy rides, homemade treats and pictures with reindeer await visitors. Shops and studios stay open late and welcome customers with refreshments and handcrafted treasures. Within a two-block area, a spirit of holiday celebration is created.
For the kids, there’s a particularly special Christmas experience—Santa’s Magic Mailbox. Elves are on hand to help write letters to Santa and mail them. Then, each and every letter is answered! This amazing program is made possible with the participation of local high school Honors English students. They personally respond to all the children via good, old-fashioned U.S. mail.
Forest City. Citizens of this town first gathered 94 years ago to witness the amazing lighting of two Christmas trees with new-fangled electricity. Every year since that incredible sight in 1928, the holiday celebrations and decorations have grown—over one million lights now twinkle on historic Main Street. Gospel quartets sing old and new Christmas songs; hayrides and private horse-drawn carriages take visitors on tours; restaurants and shops (competitively) decorate their storefronts; the mayor and a special guest count down the lighting ceremony; and, pets can have their picture made with Santa. Complete your visit to this award-winning town with a stop at the live nativity scene, snap a photo at the gigantic lighted ornament, and take a spin around the ice-skating rink.
Take a short drive to see Santa “come down the chimney”—a 315-foot tall one! Nearby Chimney Rock State Park “has become [his] favorite place to train for his big night of deliveries.” Start the day eating breakfast with the elves; write a letter to Santa; listen to live music; meet some special animal ambassadors of the park; and then watch Santa rappel down the face of this appropriately named rock.
South Carolina
Easley. For “A Small Town Christmas” and the opportunity to share the spirit of giving with the community, this is the destination. The third Annual Festival of Lights will once again offer decorated trees displayed throughout downtown stores. What makes these Easley trees unique is that they are sponsored as part of a fundraising effort. The foundation that organizes the efforts also offers decorated trees for auction and sponsors a Gala—all for the purpose of benefitting the county’s “essentially needed cancer treatment center.”
After enjoying a carriage ride in the historic downtown and a visit with Santa, head over to the Greenville-Pickens Speedway for the Upstate Holiday Light Show…and actually drive on the track. Some 32 million lights are synchronized to two FM radio stations (one for adults and one for kids) for a musical sparkling show. Park and hop on carnival rides, eat traditional fair food and stop by the petting zoo and pony rides. This unique holiday experience is open seven days per week from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.
facebook.com/pg/BaptistEasleyFoundation/events
greenvillepickens.com/upstate-holiday-light-show
Anderson. Discover indoor and outdoor holiday fun for the whole family beginning at the Holly Jolly Holiday Fair. For three days the civic center is “a sweeping celebration of all things holiday.” Packed with 200 artists and vendors, the venue comes to life with handmade and vintage Christmas items. DIY opportunities with artists abound for those who wish to make their own creations in yarn, felt, metals and even chocolate. Also, several live musical acts are on the schedule including big band, acoustic, country and singer/songwriter genres along with storytelling and a free kid’s show. Come hungry and enjoy specialty food vendor delights.
Then, pile in the car and drive over to the Anderson Christmas Lights location. In its 29th year, this favorite is decorated with snowflakes, reindeer, gingerbread men and…you guessed it…lights. The 45-acre Whitehall Park is transformed into a wonderland of 3.5 million lights throughout 292 displays. Visitors are immersed in the experience during a 2.5-mile drive in the park. Stop at the Village to toast some marshmallows, warm up with a cup of hot chocolate, shop at the store and maybe even see some surprise guests during the festivities.
Georgia
Blue Ridge. Launch your holiday celebrations with tickets for the renowned live performance of “Elf: The Musical” at the community theater. Then, find the perfect gifts in the Mistletoe Market at The Ridges Resort on Lake Chatuge where over 30 arts and crafts vendors bring their handmade items to sell. Also mark the calendar for shopping at the single day Cozy Country Christmas to find art, jewelry, soaps, rustic crafts and sweets.
Come to downtown for Blue Friday and grab discounts at local merchant shops; eat at a variety of food vendors; and enjoy strolling entertainment on the streets. Stop by the Arts Center to see a real gingerbread village on display. And, have your picture made with Santa at the gazebo. Book a seat on the Holiday Express departing from Depot Street for a one-hour train ride filled with music, storytelling and snacks in the concession car.
Head over to the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds for Mountain Country Christmas in Lights—a multi-evening light show with music, food and photos with Santa. And, plan to attend the New Year Fireworks at the same location where there will be BBQ, firepits and a car show for the festivities.
Dahlonega. The elves are hard at work in this small Georgia town. “Dahlonega’s Old Fashioned Christmas” is packed with weeks of family fun activities starting the day after Thanksgiving. Ride in a carriage or on horseback through the historic district and come to Hancock Park for food trucks, the Festival of Trees and an art market featuring local and state artist creations.
Live performances also take center stage during the holidays. The local theater brings back the popular musical “She Loves Me.” A concert with Kurt Thomas and a production called “Silver Belles: The Women of Country Christmas,” by country music star Katie Deal are favorites. Also, the sing-along celebration with Radford Windham in conjunction with the tree and town square lighting ceremony has received national attention as a “charming” family event.
Spend weekends with Santa and take a Christmas Cookie Walk to collect homemade deliciousness baked by “elves.” There is a live Nativity scene and everyone is welcome to attend the free Advent by Candlelight concert, readings and reception at St. Luke’s Church.
For an extended stay, attend the Golden Nugget Drop on New Year’s Eve; enjoy more live entertainment; and participate in “Light Dahlonega”—a new luminary event around the courthouse to represent messages of hope and love and/or to honor someone special.
Cover Town: Waynesville, North Carolina
See the holidays expressed through the creativity of local talent at this location known for its Art After Dark events.
The community of galleries stays open late the first Friday of the month (May-December) and has demonstrations of artists at work, music and refreshments. Plan to arrive early for a visit and a stay at the nearby Lake Junaluska decorated in lights, garlands and wreaths by 70 volunteers. Stop by the event center where multiple vendors are selling treasures at the annual flea market and fine arts at the Christmas Craft Show. And stroll through the downtown area during A Night Before Christmas time. Luminaries light the brick sidewalks; ribbons and bows wrap the lampposts; ornaments and lights sparkle in trees and windows; and, carolers fill the air with holiday songs.Horse-drawn wagons carry visitors around the sights, and restaurants are open for fine dining in this historic town. Storytelling venues welcome kids and adults alike. Be sure to visit the living nativity—an outdoor presentation organized by a local church—and the Bethlehem market place in addition to the many locally owned businesses. downtownwaynesville.com —AM
The story above first appeared in our November / December 2022 issue.
