southeast's
best fests
dec 11 | Jan 12 | by Nicole tyler Blair
It is that jolly time of year again and there is plenty to do around the Southeast—from enjoying live music and parades, to experiencing unique artwork and beautiful Christmas décor. Experience the authentic hometown feel of Dahlonega, with caroling, entertainment and wine sampling or Christmas on the Bayou in Gulfport, where you will experience a beautiful, lighted boat procession. Wherever you and your family decide to celebrate the holiday season, the Southeast has something to offer the entire family.
georgia
Dahlonega’s Old Fashioned Christmas
If you are searching for Christmas with an authentic hometown feel and a return to romanticism, you'll find the charming North Georgia Mountains town of Dahlonega an extraordinary place to be during the holiday season. This month-long celebration gets into motion on Friday, Nov. 25, with the Lighting of the Square. A real hometown parade officially bringing Santa to town occurs on Saturday, Dec. 3. Holiday events continue almost daily throughout December with caroling, entertainment, wine sampling and live theater Christmas events. dahlonega.org, 706.864.3513
A Savannah Celebration
You haven’t experienced the holidays until you’ve done it Savannah-style. More than 60 boats and yachts set sail in full holiday decor to the backdrop of fireworks in the Hostess City, which is always a special place to be at Christmastime. Watch the Savannah Harbor Boat Parade and then stay around for the rest of the Southern Lights festivities—from Thanksgiving through New Year’s—to experience cultural festivals, twinkling lights, live concerts and much more. For more information: savannahvisit.com; 877.SAVANNAH.
mississippi
Christmas on the BayouSit by the water in beautiful Gulfport, Miss., on bleacher seating as you watch a Christmas lighted boat parade pass by. During this annual event, scheduled for Dec. 10 this year, boaters compete with their light displays and earn awards at the end of the parade. Traveling the extent of the Bayou Bernard, the 90-minute procession ends with a giant party. Visit christmasonthebayou.org or call 228-861-2040.
alabama
Magical Christmas in LightsBellingrath Gardens in Theodore, Ala., is bedecked for the holidays with more than 3 million lights in 928 set pieces in 13 scenes. Magical Christmas in Lights, from Nov. 25–Dec. 31, is perfect for the whole family or as a special night for two. Choral performances will take place each night in the South Terrace, and Santa will be around for photos with the kids on the weekends and during the week of Christmas. For an additional fee, you can add a tour of Bellingrath to your memorable evening. For more information: bellingrath.org, 800.247.8420.
florida
18th Annual Night of Lights
St. Augustine, Nov. 19 – Jan. 31
Named one of American Bus Association’s 2011 Top 100 events in North America and selected in 2010 by AAA as one of the 10 best places for Christmas Cheer in the U.S. and Canada, Nights of Lights is a two-month long celebration of the Holiday Season in St. Augustine Florida. More than 2 million tiny white lights will glow along the ancient streets and historic buildings of the nation’s oldest city when the 18th Annual Nights of Lights celebration sparkles to life at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19. Through Jan. 31. For more information, visit NightsofLights.com or call 800.653.2489.
louisiana
Celebration in the Oaks
Head down to the Big Easy for a non-stop holiday calendar of events, which is highlighted by the annual Celebration in the Oaks from Nov. 25–Jan. 1 in New Orleans’ famed City Park. Ride in a horse-drawn carriage or traverse by foot through the light displays donned by 100-year-old oak trees. Don’t miss the one-of-a-kind exhibit, “Dripping Snow” Oaks or the new exhibit “Buggin’ Out” in the Botanical Garden. Other sites that are a must-see this year: 50s Retro Holiday House all decked out; life-sized Nativity Scene located in the Garden’s Lath House; and a new “WHO DAT” tree and the Conservatory’s live poinsettia tree. For more information, visit celebrationintheoaks.com or call 504.483.9373
north carolina
Christmas at Biltmore
Set aside the Dec 2–4 and get ready for a weekend of merriment, music and memories at the 23rd annual Dickens Festival in Biltmore Village in Ashville, N.C. The stage will be continuously filled with musicians, choral groups, singers, dancers and Montford Park Players. This year the festival will feature more than 300 performers who, after their stage segment, will rove throughout the Village entertaining on the streets and in the shops and restaurants Later in the evening, the more than 250,000 white lights outlining the historic buildings will combine with the streetlights to enhance the ambiance. Shops will stay open both evenings until 7 p.m. with many of the shopkeepers dressed in Victorian-era garb. For more information, visit biltmorevillage.com or call 274-8788.
south carolina
Christmas in Charleston
Enjoy the local scene of this charming Southern city as it embraces the holidays from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15. Charleston’s calendar is full throughout the winter season with a wide range of activities with everything from festivals, tours and dinners to shopping events and tree lighting ceremonies. Watch the city all aglow at the Holiday Festival of Lights, shop ’til you drop at Charleston’s Holiday Market; enjoy a night at the theatre as you watch the performance of “A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas,” then learn something about the city’s history at Yuletide in Charleston. For a complete list of events, visit christmasincharleston.com/events.
tennessee
Winter at Graceland
Memphis, mid-November through mid-January. Have a blue, blue Christmas with the King himself at Graceland. Take the entire family up to Memphis for an Elvis-inspired holiday season, launched by a lighting celebration on Nov. 18. Aside from a tour of Elvis’s home (decorated for the holidays with lights and an Elvis-Santa drawn sleigh), you’ll enjoy Graceland’s Annual Christmas Lighting Ceremony and the Tours of Graceland Decorated for the Holidays. For more information, visit winter.elvis.com.
Deck the Halls at Ruby FallsEmbrace your inner nature-lover with winter-time hikes around Ruby Falls in Chattanooga. From Nov. 18–Dec. 3, you’ll see nighttime light shows and hear your favorite carols inside the cavern. When planning your visit, be sure to be in town for Ruby Red Christmas on Friday and Saturday nights. Hang around the premises for story time and hot chocolate with Mrs. Claus at the Cavern Castle. For more fun information, visit chattanoogafun.com or call 423.756. 8687.