NASHVILLE, Tenn. – New holiday festivities are abundant in Tennessee. More celebrations and family-friendly events happen across the state to interest every age. Here’s what’s new for the 2016 holiday season:
T.G. Sheppard “flips the switch” on the traditional lights and decorations during the annual lighting ceremony 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 at Elvis Presley’s Graceland®. Tours of the new, 450-room luxury resort, Guest House at Graceland will take place following the festivities. The Christmas display includes hundreds of blue lights along the driveway, a life-size Nativity scene, and Santa and his sleigh all originally displayed at Graceland by Elvis and his family. The interiors of Graceland mansion features the Presley family’s Christmas décor for seasonal holiday tours through his birthday celebration in January.
Smoky Mountain Winterfest takes place across Sevier County with award-winning shows, attractions and the winter beauty found in America’s No. 1 most visited park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. New for 2016’s festivities are Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas’ $2.5 million Parade of Many Colors and the new production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” in Pigeon Forge; The Island in Pigeon Forge’s $1.5 million Winterfest experience with 40,000 ornaments, 300,000 lights, and a 40-foot walk-through Christmas tree; Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland in Sevierville debuts Santa’s Safari – a half mile of the largest and most vibrant light displays this award-winning show has ever presented; and for the winter adventurer, chilly excitement overflows at Ober Gatlinburg.
Knoxville has created the first-ever, community-wide Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt featuring 24 downtown Knoxville businesses like Visit Knoxville, Knoxville Museum of Art and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame among others Nov. 25-Dec. 24. Children of all ages are invited to pick up a North Pole Pass at any of the participating businesses to help guide them.
A Country Christmas is Nashville’s annual holiday celebration that captivates visitors at Gaylord Opryland Resort. The 33rd annual celebration runs now through Jan. 1, 2017 and features a new theme for ICE!, presented by Pepsi as Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and his friends are carved from 2 million pounds of colorful ice. A new Build-A-Bear Workshop experience features a polar bear plush, exclusively designed for Gaylord Hotels that guests can personalize with winter clothing and accessories.
Below is just a sampling of what Tennessee’s towns have in store this Christmas. For a full list of events, visit tnvacation.com/calendar.
Nov. 25–Dec. 17
Gatlinburg – Winter Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales takes place Friday and Saturday nights in downtown Gatlinburg. Enjoy musicians and entertainers at different locations along the Parkway.
Nov. 26-Jan. 1, 2017
Nashville – Start a new holiday tradition by viewing more than 750,000 lights, live reindeer, s’more pits, carolers, drinks for purchase and more during Holiday Lights at Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art.
November–January
Bristol – Speedway in Lights is a stunning display of more than 2 million lights and hundreds of displays. See it by car or make a reservation to bring your group through by bus.
Dec. 1–23
Chattanooga – Ruby Falls Christmas Underground takes place Thursdays through Sundays. Visit the Ruby Falls gem mines and discover Joystone, a rare gemstone that helps spread the spirit of Christmas. Watch miners play; catch a view of the Northern Lights; and journey through the Sugar Plum Fairy Village.
Dec. 1-31
Union City – The Let It Glow Light Show has more than half a million lights on display for its drive-thru wonderland open the month of December (except Mondays) at Discovery Park of America. Tickets are $5.
Dec. 3-24
Clinton – Christmas in Old Appalachia tell the story of how pioneers celebrated Christmas including cabins decked out in paper chains and other ornaments, music, filled stockings with apples, nuts and homemade toys, and even a Candlelight Christmas Tour 5-8 p.m. ET Dec. 2-3.
Dec. 10
Leiper’s Fork – The “Almost World-Famous” Leiper’s Fork Christmas Parade is a charming small town experience not to be missed. With Clydesdale horses, pot-belly pigs, floats and vintage cars and bicycles, folks flock to experience the Tennessee hospitality.
Paris – Get a taste of small town charm with the Downtown Christmas Festival featuring Santa in his gingerbread house. Browse craft booths, hear Christmas stories, and enjoy hot chocolate and s’mores. The Holly Jolly Electric Christmas Parade kicks off 5 p.m. with lighted floats, cars and trucks with Christmas lights galore.
Rocky Top – Holiday Homecoming Celebration transforms the rustic cabin area at 125 Village Green Circle into a winter village of Christmas activities including live animal demonstrations, old time music, holiday treats and a historic depiction of Appalachian life.
Dec. 10–11
Covington – The historic town square is transformed into a 19th century Victorian England for Dickens Christmas with characters from “A Christmas Carol” browsing the streets. Carolers, storytelling, puppet shows, bell choirs and shopping experiences bring soul-filled warmth to the Christmas season in downtown Covington.
Franklin – Dickens of a Christmas is a Victorian-themed Christmas with more than 200 costumed characters reenacting several works of Charles Dickens on the Main Street of Franklin.
For more information, visit www.tnvacation.com/season.
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Tennessee is the birthplace of the blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly, and rock ‘n’ roll— delivering an unparalleled experience of beauty, history, and family adventure, infused with music, that creates a vacation that is the “Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee.” Tennessee’s tourism industry generates $18.4 billion in economic impact, more than $1.6 billion in state and local sales tax revenue and more than 157,400 tourism-related jobs.
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