Deck the halls with boughs of holly! The sights, sounds and smells of Christmas past and present invade your senses. If you embrace this joyous season as I do, you are driven by memories, tradition and curiosity, searching out experiences to enhance its meaning in distinctive ways. Starting around Thanksgiving, you begin your mental and physical approach to the holidays. You secretly start to tuck gifts away in the back of the closet , savoring your addiction to candy canes and wassail in sweet anticipation. You are ready to search out events ahead to taunt your imagination, to add to your holiday thrill.
Whether you live in Chattanooga or plan to visit for the holidays, attractions to satisfy your deepest holiday cravings are plentiful. Indulge your whims every Sunday at the Chattanooga Market which features farm products, live entertainment and handcrafted works by local and regional artists. Start your holiday season early with an Autumn Steam Excursion beginning October 7 through December 1. Relive the Golden Age of Railroading with a trip on the Missionary Ridge Local. Take a nostalgic day-long excursion through the Chickamauga National Military Park and tour the small southern towns of Rock Spring, Lafayette, Trion and on down to Summerville, Georgia. Savor the fall colors as you have lunch in the dining car on your way to see the exquisite Hiwassee River Gorge.
If you enjoy caroling, storytelling and a visit with Santathenyou will enjoy The North Pole Limited, running from November 1 through December 31. Children at heart know that the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, the largest operating historic railroad in the Southeast, has been carrying good boys and girls to visit Santa at the North Pole since 1999. His elves have been working hard this year as you will see when you are routed through Santa’s Workshop. . Hear the story of The Polar Express and have chocolate and cookies on your trip. Or you can take the Chickamauga Christmas Special, a fine event to share with friends or family, as it takes you to this picturesque Georgia town for a holiday dinner celebration.
Be sure to start Thanksgiving Day with the healthy Grateful Gobbler Walk, an annual event that benefits the Homeless Coalition and its member agencies. Take a Christmas Carol Dinner Cruise on the Chattanooga Riverboat Company’s Southern Belle and join the singing deckhands for caroling, live entertainment, shrimp creole or prime rib and a visit from Santa. Slip away from the Christmas rush for a leisurely stroll through the River Gallery or Hunter Museum. The Children’s Discovery Museum puts on its winter coat for Cool Wonders, allowing children to try their skills at climbing an ice mountain, winding through a snow maze, ice fishing or virtual snow skiing. Savor the performance of Ballet Tennessee’s “Sleeping Beauty” or Chattanooga Symphony and Opera’s “Home for the Holidays.” Bring your sugar plum fantasies to life at an unforgettable performance of Chattanooga Ballet’s “Nutcracker” at the Tivoli. Chattanooga Theatre Centre presents plays for all ages during the holidays. “Sleeping Beauty” will delight small children while “Smoke on the Mountain” will leave adults laughing and toe tapping through the season. Put a little mystery in your holiday with a Murder Mystery Dinner Show at the downtown theater.
Recognized for over a decade as a Top Twenty Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, Winter Days and Lights brings Chattanooga alive as more than 130 downtown buildings are illuminated from street to sky. “Downtown Chattanooga radiates energy and excitement during the winter holiday season,” says Carla Pritchard, Executive Director for Downtown Partnership. “The Winter Days & Lights schedule presents popular events for all ages, combined with other traditional holiday spectacles such as the animated windows at EPB and Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Singing Christmas Tree and the Nutcracker. All these activities create great experiences downtown, punctuated by the holiday lighting on downtown’s streets, buildings, bridges and parks.”
Winters Days and Lights is initiated by Breakfast with Santa at the Chattanoogan Hotel on Friday morning,f November 24. Reservations are required. Then, more than three weeks of holiday activities start with Christmas on the River and the Grand Illumination, a free event, on the evening of Friday, November 24. You can gather at Ross’s Landing to see the sparkling parade of boats decorated for the season and showcased between Veteran’s and Olgiati Bridges. The Metropolitan Bells will be featured on the riverbank stage. A live nativity scene will be presented by First Baptist Church, Soddy Daisy. Crafts and concessions will be available for food and drink. The Lindsay Fussell Dancers and Choo Choo Kids will provide song and dance and a gift of entertainment to the community.. Then Singing Santa wll bring the holiday spirit to the child in all of us. He will lead his audience through an inspiring candlelight ceremony, encouraging one and all to share the light and joy of the Yuletide, one person at a time. At the signal, 130 downtown buildings will join the parade on the river to bring the city aglow for the holidays. A dazzling fireworks show will bring the event to an unforgettable finale and set the mood for holiday events ahead. The Holiday Starlight Parade comes next in downtown Chattanooga on December 1. Christmas Parades are also scheduled in surrounding municipalities, so check those out as well. Appalachian Christmas will delight your senses on December 8 at Waterhouse Pavilion, Miller Plaza from 6:45 to 9:00 PM. Holiday music fare will be rendered by Appalachian and bluegrass musicians, followed by a headline performance by Barbara Lamb, the Laura Love Band, The John Cowan Band and Asleep at the Wheel.
“There's just no event like the Enchanted Garden of Lights,” says Karen Baker, Rock City Ruby Falls Marketing Director. “Words really don't do it justice. We all get so busy during the holidays, wrapped up in end of the year events, shopping, and all the deadlines. With just a short drive up the mountain, it feels as if you're really in a winter wonderland. Just bundle up and grab the hand of someone you love. Walk through the Enchanted Trail in the evening while starlight mixes with twinkling lights and holiday scenes that add to the unique natural beauty of Rock City. It's a quiet time to pause and reflect and cherish your experience with loved ones. Those times become memories you'll share for a lifetime,” she says. This event starts November 16 through January 6 from 6 to 9 pm except for Christmas Eve. Be sure to Deck the Falls at Ruby Falls where the thundering 145 foot waterfall has been magically transformed by light and sound. A spectacular holiday light show and music, St. Nick and a beautifully decorated lobby and grounds will enhance your holiday spirit.
Go from the mountain top to the riverfront and the Tropical Holiday Adventure at the Tennessee Aquarium. You will explore exotic wildlife and bask in balmy breezes while enjoying dive shows in the new saltwater Secret Reef tank. This is the home of sand tiger sharks and multitudes of colorful reef fish. You may watch seahorses, bamboo sharks and stingrays feed and admire the multihued hyacinth macaws. Don’t forget to check out the Penguins Rock exhibit. After an exciting tour of the aquarium, you may want to relax in the comfort of the IMAX Theater and watch the Polar Express 3D show. You will duck as the train screeches into your lap and reach up to gather snowflakes from the sky during this winter wonderland adventure.
If you crave the great outdoors, Chattanooga boasts wonderful year-round attractions in its riverfront entertainment district with river walks, parks and unsurpassed natural beauty. Exciting opportunities for hang gliding, white water rafting, rock climbing and minor league baseball are within reach from Chattanooga in nearby areas. The Nature Center and Reflection Riding Arboretum and Botanical Gardens offer a delightful menu of events. If you can’t make it through the holidays without a game, The Annual NCAA Division I Football Championship will be played on December 14 at Finley Stadium. The Triple Crown Bouldering Competition (The Stone Fort) will be held in Chattanooga on December 1.
There are many good reasons why Southern Living Magazine has designated Chattanooga as the “best spot to take the kids,” but Chattanooga’s numerous activities will delight and thrill all ages throughout the holidays. Christmas in the city virtually offers something for everyone.