2023 Festival & Event Guide – November & December

Christmas in Dawsonville begins November 18, Dawsonville, Georgia.

Food and drink! Music and artworks! Seasonal celebrations galore! Pick your favorite festival theme and start planning.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 2-5Mistletoe Market comes to Abingdon, Virginia.

Nov. 3-5Foothills Craft Guild Tennessee Showcase of Fine Artisans comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nov. 3-12New South Comedy Festival arrives in Greenville, South Carolina.

Nov. 3-Jan. 7Christmas at Biltmore enters the Biltmore at Asheville, North Carolina.

Nov. 4 – Find the Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Festival in Strasburg, Virginia.

Nov. 4 – In Townsend, Tennessee, come see the Townsend Grains and Grits Festival to find southern spirits and gourmet grub.

Nov. 4 – The little town of St. Paul, Virginia, hosts the Chili Chili Bang Bang – a chili cook-off.

Nov. 4-Jan. 6Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas celebrates the holidays at the Pigeon Forge park with thousands of lights.

Nov. 4-5Of These Mountains Fall Marketplace comes to Clayton, Georgia.

Nov. 4-5 – 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.

Nov. 4-5 – Sinkland Farms’ inaugural wine festival takes place in Christiansburg, Virginia.  

Nov. 10-12Toe River Arts Studio Tour comes to Burnsville, North Carolina & Spruce Pine, North Carolina.

Nov. 10-12 – Get a head start on holiday shopping by attending Dalton, Georgia’s first ever Christmas Made in the South event.

Nov. 17-Dec. 31Speedway in Lights comes to Bristol Motor Speedway with ice skating, food and Santa in Bristol, Tennessee.

Nov. 18 Christmas in Dawsonville returns to Georgia with their Jingle Market, Christmas parade, tree lighting and more.

Nov. 20-Dec. 31 Winterfest comes to Sevierville, Tennessee, and nearby cities of Sevier County, Tennessee.

Nov. 20– Jan. 1Farragut Light the Park comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nov. 22-26Fantasy of Trees comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nov. 23-Dec. 23Mountain Country Christmas in Lights brings a holiday light show, festive music, food, Santa Claus and much more to Hiawassee’s Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds.

Nov. 23-Jan 1High Country Lights comes to Galax, Virginia. 

Nov. 24-25Blowing Rock Christmas in the Park steps into Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Nov. 24- Dec. 30 Tweetsie Christmas makes steam rise in a loving way at Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Nov. 24 Celebration of Lights comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nov. 24 Travelers Rest Holiday Hop arrives in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

Nov. 24- Jan. 8 Downtown Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nov. 24-25 Festival of Trees & Holiday Art Show comes to Clayton, Georgia.

Nov. 24-Dec. 16 Christmas in the Village at the Heritage Center comes to Townsend, Tennessee.

Nov. 24 – Jan. 3 Holidays on Ice comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nov. 25Christmas in Clayton comes to Georgia.

Nov. 25Light Up Blue Ridge & Christmas Parade marches into downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Nov. 26Light Up Lakeshore comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nov. 30-Dec. 2 Santa Mouse Christmas House showcases the work of the Blount County Arts and Crafts Guild in Tennessee with a show at Maryville.

Nov. 30-Dec. 3 Merry Marion brings a Christmas craft market to Marion, Virginia.

DECEMBER

Dec. 1Chamber Holiday Festival transforms Luray, Virginia, into the North Pole with vendors, Christmas carols and hot chocolate.

Dec. 1Christmas Parade comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dec. 1Light Up Elkin,North Carolina, rings in the holiday season by lighting up Main Street and offering train rides for kids, photos with Santa and more.

Dec. 1-2Christmas at the City comes to Greer, South Carolina.

Dec. 1-3 Fayetteville’s Gingerbread Festival comes to West Virginia.

Dec. 1-3 A Small Town Christmas rings in Banner Elk, North Carolina.

Dec. 1, 8, 15 – Come to Roanoke, Virginia, on Fridays to discover Dickens of a Christmas with music, crafts and holiday lights.

Dec. 1-31Winterfest brings ice skating and children’s activities to Pikeville, Kentucky.

Dec. 2Winter Wonderfest includes a cookie tour plus  horse and carriage rides at downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Dec. 2Main by 24 features 24 hours in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Dec. 2Sevierville’s Christmas Parade comes to Historic Downtown Sevierville, Tennessee.

Dec. 2Poinsettia Christmas Parade arrives in Greenville, South Carolina.

Dec. 2 – Tempt your tastebuds at Longwood Park’s Gingerbread Festival at Salem, Virginia.

Dec. 5 Dickens of a Christmas slips into Spartanburg, South Carolina, with holiday cheer, Christmas markets, live performances, food and drinks.

Dec. 6Spirit of Christmas Parade jingles at Fountain Inn, South Carolina.

Dec. 9The Very Merry Local Christmas Market arrives in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

Dec. 9Girls Day Out arrives in Lewisburg, West Virginia.

Dec. 9Holiday Jamboree on the Mountain comes to Black Rock Mountain State Park in Mountain City, Georgia.

Dec. 9-10 Kringle Holiday Village makes merry in Greenville, South Carolina.

Dec. 9-17DeHart Festival of Lights comes to Stuart, Virginia.

Dec. 10  – Take a drive to Jonesville and Elkin, North Carolina, for the Yadkin Valley Christmas Parade.

Dec. 31New Year’s at the Sunsphere comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dec. 31 – Party at the New Year’s Eve Extravaganza at App Ski Mountain near Boone, North Carolina.

Dec. 31The New Year’s Celebration comes to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with a midnight parade.

Dec. 31 – Ring in the new year with fireworks, live music, craft vendors and tasty food at the fairgrounds in Hiawassee, Georgia.

Discover More Great 2023 Mountain Festivals & Events:




The story above first appeared in our May / June 2023 issue.




You Might Also Like:

Built in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1950s, the “Queen of Steam” remains one of the nation’s most celebrated steam locomotives.

The Queen Still Reigns

More than 70 years after she first took to the rails, the legendary Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 continues to inspire both passengers and the volunteers who keep her running.
In West Virginia, the rugged trails of Dolly Sods Wilderness lead to sweeping overlooks and untamed mountain scenery.

Blue Ridge Base Camp Towns

More than outposts for gearing up, these seven mountain communities are destinations in their own right, pairing easy access to some of the region’s best outdoor adventures with walkable downtowns, local flavor, and much more.
Interior designer Maisie Leach and her pup Stella Bea traded Roanoke’s bustling Grandin Village for a slower pace of life in Eagle Rock

Refuge in the Woods

A log cabin in Eagle Rock, Virginia, is the latest project for Maisie Leach of Hermione Interiors—and her most personal.
Author Tim Carmichael’s grandmother, Granny Woman Stella Gosnell Norton, served her Madison County, North Carolina, community as a trusted healer and caregiver.

The Heart of the Hills

Long before modern healthcare reached many Appalachian communities, Granny Women became trusted healers and caregivers, delivering babies, treating illness and injury, and preserving generations of healing knowledge.
Sherwood Anderson and printer Howard White outside the Marion news office, in one of the last photos taken of Anderson.

Finding Home in the Mountains

In 1926, renowned writer Sherwood Anderson moved from center stage in Chicago to the mountains of far Southwest Virginia. Why?
Carly Pearson smiles at the summit of McAfee Knob in Virginia

Trailblazer

Former wildland firefighter Carly Pearson became an accidental advocate for people with disabilities.
The hotel’s rooftop terrace, affectionately known as The Perch, offers exceptional mountain views.

Walking in the Footsteps of an American First Lady

The owners of Wytheville’s Bolling Wilson Hotel and Graze on Main make sure the town never forgets her legacy.
Roanoke, Virginia, USA downtown skyline at dawn

2026 Happiest Mountain Towns

Ten years after this poll’s inaugural launch, we once again turned to our knowledgeable readers for their picks. The results? A brand-new collection of 71 exceptional Blue Ridge communities that excel at bringing big smiles to the faces of both residents and visitors.
Kayaks on Toccoa River Below the Falls

7 Fabulous Float-to-Stays

Paddling trips on scenic rivers to great mountain towns make for perfect summer getaways.
Sunrise Landscape Great Smoky Mountains National Park Gatlinburg TN and Oconaluftee Valley Cherokee NC

Summer Fun in the Smokies

Our longtime contributing editor knows Great Smoky Mountains National Park like the back of her hand. Drawing inspiration from countless visits over the years, she shares some of her favorite spots to explore during the warm months, plus insider tips for spotting wildlife, discovering waterfalls, finding the best family-friendly experiences in the park—and more!