The festive season is an opportune time to reignite old traditions, start new ones, make memories and, most of all, have fun with family and friends.
So, amidst the general busyness associated with all the holiday preparations, take a break and enjoy the many festivities throughout the region.
Ho-Ho-Ho Happenings
The South loves to celebrate, and the holidays are no exception. Nearly everywhere a party, small or grand, is held, and they all have one thing in common: having something for everyone.
Enjoy the old-fashioned holiday experience at Christmas in Olde Jonesborough (Tenn., through Dec. 21.) Festivities include a Doggone Christmas (Dec. 7), complete with a treat station and pictures with Santa, Santa's Christmas Village (Dec. 14) with crafts, games and more to get everyone in the spirit, and the Christmas Church Stroll (Dec. 21) that participating churches in downtown.
On weekends (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) from Nov. 29 through Dec. 24, St. Charles (Mo.) Christmas Traditions offers visitors hot-roasted chestnuts fresh from an open fire, global Santas, a Wassail Tavern and much more, such as a Holiday Food Hall of Fame. Celebrating its 50th year, St. Charles Christmas Traditions also offers three ticketed events, including Holidays Around the World: An International Dessert Tasting Experience (Dec. 8.)
Marietta (Ga.) Square Winter Wonderland (through Dec. 24) features the Festival of Trees, performances, and, most importantly, photos with Santa, even for pets (Dec. 8.) Families might also want to check out Santa's Magical Moments for something extra.
HEY DAY MARKET in Auburn, Ala., hosts HEY DAY HOLIDAY (Dec. 7 - Jan. 1, 2025) with an ice skating rink, snowfall, movies, Whobilation (Dec. 20) with the Grinch and more. Be sure to check out the Auburn Gingerbread Village, the region's largest gingerbread village on display at The Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center (Dec. 8 - Jan. 1, 2025.)
For six weeks, Louisville, Ky.'s Paristown, transforms into a festive winter wonderland with its annual Fête De Noël. Go ice skating (through Jan. 5, 2025), shop for gifts (through Dec and more. Of course, a holiday experience isn't complete without a visit with Santa (Dec. 4 -8, 11 - 15, and 18 - 24.)
Magic on the Mall in downtown Charlottesville, Va., features a tasty Peppermint Trail (through Jan. 7, 2025), a scavenger-hunt Elves in Cvill (through Jan. 7), community tree lighting and other activities at Grand Illumination (Dec. 6) and more.
In true everything-is-bigger-in-Texas style, City Lights Downtown Holiday Magic in Houston (through Jan. 2025) offers 12 themed locations with various festive activities, many being free of charge. For instance, at the Land of the Sweets at Hilton Americas-Houste, take in the display of a chocolate-crafted holiday scene. Both Twinkle Town and Tinsel Town appeal to dogs and their owners. Deck the Trees at Alley Theatre
features 40 elaborately and creatively decorated trees and wreaths.
Merry Activities
Festive activities of all kinds are plentiful throughout the holiday season.
Find some gifts and more during Cullman (Ala.)' s Christkindlmarkt Market (through Dec. 23); visit the reindeer at the Prescott Family Reindeer Farm in Vanzant, Mo., and The Reindeer Farm in Bowling Green, Ky., before they take that all-important Christmas Eve flight; and take on Blizzard Mountain, a 575-foot-long, eight-story high tubing ride, at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands' License to Chill Snow Island in Buford, Ga.
There's more ~ take a cozy evening tour of the Grandview Clydesdales on the Clydesdale Christmas Experiences (select dates in December and January 2, 4, and 7) in Dunnellon, Fla.; go on a Reindeer Scavenger Hunt (Dec. 2 - Jan. 5, 2025) in Powder Springs, Ga., or Search the Lights -the Ultimate Scavenger Hunt (Dec. 20) in Lake Jackson, Texas; enjoy caroling from ensembles and choirs during Shriners Caroling in the Caverns (Dec. 14) while touring Luray Caverns in Luray, Va.; be dazzled by the lights at The Light Show at Okefenokee Swamp Park (Dec. 6 - 9, 11 - 15, 18 - 23, and 26 -31) in Waycross, Ga.; Graham Creek Christmas Trail (Dec. 7, 13 -15, and 20 - 22) in Foley, Ala., Wythe County's Christmas to Remember (through Dec. 29) in Wytheville, Va.; FrankTown Festival of Lights (through Dec. 31) in Franklin, Tenn.; and Holiday Light Display at Dorothy B. Oven Park (through Jan. 1, 2025) in Tallahassee, Fla. Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Fla., offers a Holiday VIP Tours (various dates in December) that enables guests to intimately view over 1 million twinkling lights, take a stroll through the Avenue of Angels and more.
Holiday Indulgences
It's the tasty and sweetest time of the year. It's just not the holidays without some treats.
Kick off festive feasting with the Gullah Taste of Christmas & Rice Cookoff (Dec. 7) in Beaufort, S.C., showcasing the culinary heritage of the Gullah people.
Enjoy festive sips with the Wassailfest (Dec. 5) in New Braunfels, Texas, Wassail Fest (Dec. 6) in Columbus, Miss., Wassail Fest (Dec. 6) in Madison, Ala., and Wassail Walk (Dec. 21) in Batesville, Ark. Athens, Ala., hosts its annual Sippin' Cider Fest on Dec. 14.
Follow the (yummy) trails, like the Moravian Cookie Trail (while this can be enjoyed year-round, there's something extra special about the cookies during the holidays) in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Hot Chocolate Trail (through Jan. 5, 2024) at Anakeesta in Gatlinburg, Tenn.; the Peppermint Trail (through Jan. 5, 2024) in Knoxville, Tenn.; the McCormick (S.C.) Cookie Walk (Dec. 5); the Sanford (Fla.) Wine Walk Wonderland and Cookie Trail (Dec. 13); the Downtown Daytona's Beach's Holiday Cookie & Wine Walk (Dec. 14); the 2024 Cookie Trail (Dec. 14) in Cape Charles, Va.
And Hermann, Mo., partake in a German Bake Sale (Dec. 14) at the Historic Hermann Museum and a Cookie Walk (Dec. 20 -21) through downtown.