Holiday / Winter 2025 Festivals & Events Guide

Fall Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival, November 8, Lynchburg, Virginia.

For every weekend for the rest of the year, there’s a great excursion awaiting, with a perfect event built in.

Photo Above: Fall Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival, November 8, Lynchburg, Virginia.
Photo Courtesy of Jenny Griffin.

NOVEMBER

Nov 1 — Montpelier Hunt Races. Montpelier Station, Virginia.

Nov 1-2 — Everything Outdoor Fest. Simpsonville, South Carolina.

Nov 1-2 — Head of the Hooch Regatta. Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Nov 1-Jan 4 — Christmas at Biltmore. Asheville, North Carolina.

Nov 1-Jan 4 — Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Nov 6 — Winter Magic & Chili Cookoff. Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Nov 6-9 — Film Fest Knox. Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nov 8 — Fall Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival. Lynchburg, Virginia.

Nov 8-9 — 3rd Annual Christkindlmarkt. Collegedale, Tennessee.

Nov 13-16 — Food & Wine Festival. Highlands, North Carolina.

Everything Outdoor Fest, November 1-2, Simpsonville, South Carolina.
Everything Outdoor Fest, November 1-2, Simpsonville, South Carolina.
© Jeff Nass Productions

Nov 14 — Greer Alive. Greer, South Carolina.

Nov 14-16 — Toe River Arts Studio Tour. Mitchell County and Yancey County, North Carolina.

Nov 14-Jan 4 — Rock City’s HoliDAYS. Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

Nov 15-16 — 4th Annual Christkindlmarkt. Signal Mountain, Tennessee.

Nov 15-16 — Chattanooga Christmas Village Holiday Market. Cleveland, Tennessee.

Nov 22-23 — 2nd Annual Christkindlmarkt. Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Nov 22-24 — Mistletoe Market Craft Show. Blairsville, Georgia.

Nov 25-30 — Great Smoky Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Show. Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Nov 26-30; Dec 5-7, 12-14, 19-24 — Christmas Wonderland at Darnell Farms. Bryson City, North Carolina.

Nov 27-Dec 23 — Mountain Country Christmas in Lights. Hiawassee, Georgia.

Nov 28 — Christmas in the Park & Lighting of the Town. Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Nov 28 — Lighting of the Village. Helen, Georgia.

Nov 28-29 — Light Up Blue Ridge & Christmas Parade. Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Nov 28-Dec 24 — Holiday Express Tour on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Nov 28-Dec 30 — Tweetsie Christmas. Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Nov 28-Dec 31 — Be Merry in Mitchell. Mitchell County, North Carolina.

Nov 29-30 — Helen’s Christmas Market. Helen, Georgia.

Nov 29-Jan 3 — Festival of Lights. Buchanan, Virginia.

DECEMBER
Christmas in the Country, December 6, Kingsport, Tennessee.
Christmas in the Country, December 6, Kingsport, Tennessee. © Exchange Place

Dec 4 — A Merry Mauldin Christmas. Mauldin, South Carolina.

Dec 5 — Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. Galax, Virginia.

Dec 5 — Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade. Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Dec 5 — Greer Christmas Tree Lighting. Greer, South Carolina.

Dec 5 — Light Up Woodstock and Holiday Parade. Woodstock, Virginia.

Dec 5 — Night of Lights. Greenville, South Carolina.

Dec 6 — Christmas at the Choo-Choo. Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Dec 6 — Christmas in the Country. Kingsport, Tennessee.

Dec 6 — Christmas on Main. Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Dec 6 — Christmas on the Square. Blairsville, Georgia.

Dec 6 — Hometown Christmas Festival. Hinton, West Virginia.

Dec 6 — MAINx24. Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Dec 6 — Poinsettia Christmas Parade. Greenville, South Carolina.

Dec 6 — Winter Wonderfest. Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Dec 6 — Wintertide. Monterey, Virginia.

Dec 6-7 — Helen’s Christmas Market. Helen, Georgia.

Dec 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 — Merry Makers Market. Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Dec 7 — Greer Christmas Parade. Greer, South Carolina.

Dec 13 — Christmas in the Country at McDonald Farm. Sale Creek, Tennessee.

Dec 13 — Christmas Parade. Buchanan, Virginia.

Winter Wonderfest, December 6, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Winter Wonderfest, December 6, Harrisonburg, Virginia. © Noussaiba Garti

Dec 13 — Helen’s Annual Christmas Parade. Helen, Georgia.

Dec 13 — Tour de Lights. Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dec 14  Yadkin Valley Christmas Parade. Elkin and Jonesville, North Carolina.

Dec 14-15 — Journey to the Manger. Bakersville, North Carolina.

Dec 20-21 — Last Minute Market. Collegedale, Tennessee.

Dec 31 — Dropping of the Edelweiss. Helen, Georgia.

Dec 31 — New Year Fireworks at the Fairgrounds. Hiawassee, Georgia.

Dec 31 — New Year’s Eve Bash at The Virginia. Somerset, Kentucky.

Discover More Great Mountain Festivals & Events:




The story above first appeared in our May / June 2025 issue.




You Might Also Like:

A Virginia Historical Marker stands at the entrance to Green Pastures.

Green Pastures’ picnic area was build by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s.

Green Pastures Reborn

When it officially opened in 1940 — in the depths of the Jim Crow era — Green Pastures was likely the first U.S. Forest Service recreation area in the nation constructed for African Americans.
Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park rewards a steep climb with exceptional mountain views.

Inset: Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s Chimneys Picnic Area sits beside the West Prong of the Little Pigeon RIver.

11 Picnics with a View

These bucket-list destinations are perfect spots to kick back, enjoy a delightful meal and take in the great outdoors.
At Hayfields State Park in Highland County, Virginia, easy-to-moderate trails wind through quiet forests and past historic structures.

Greening the Blue Ridge Region

New Parks, Healthier Creeks, Solar Power, Protected Lands and More.
Vernon and Toni Wright turn grains grown on their family farm into freshly distilled spirits.

Virginia Century Farm Home to New Distillery

For nearly 200 years, Vernon and Toni Wright’s family has raised corn, cattle and quarter horses at Hill High.
Spring wildflowers bloom early in the New River Gorge of West Virginia. From the photographer: “Bloodroot is one of the first to blossom, fittingly coming in around the first day of spring. The reddish sap that exudes from all parts of the plant — especially the root — when cut is what gives bloodroot its common name.”

Scenes of Spring: A Photo Essay

Our contributing photographers reveal the fresh sights and subtle joys of the season.
John Scrivani bags female flowers from atop a 40-plus-foot-tall chestnut.

The Good Steward

Veteran forester John Scrivani dedicated his career to restoring American chestnut trees — and helped lay the groundwork for the effort’s next generation.
The pond next to the visitor center entrance is easily accessible and a beautiful spot for a selfie or an afternoon of plein air painting.

How to Make a State Park

The opening of Virginia’s newest state park marked the culmination of a community dream carefully nurtured for more than a decade.
Several bridges help hikers make their way over the stream.

Kentucky’s Bad Branch Falls: A (Fairly) Tame Trek Through the Forest

You’ll know the impressive 60-foot cascade is near when the path turns rugged.
Daybreak at Elakala Falls in West Virginia’s Blackwater Falls State Park on a perfect winter morning.

Quiet Beauty of Mountain Winter: A Photo Essay

Our contributing photographers braved the chill to capture the calm of the cold months.
The original Academy burned in 1911.

Curios: When Lynchburg, Virginia, Was King

With the likes of Douglas Fairbanks, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong performing live, the little city with the highest per capita income in the U.S. was a national hotspot for entertainment.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS