x
Breaking News
More () »

10About Town: Parades, Christmas tree shopping and the Nutcracker

East Tennessee is kicking off the Christmas season!

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. —

Thursday

Lenoir City is hosting its downtown Christmas Parade at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Historic downtown Lenoir City provides beautiful lights and sounds that will please parade fans everywhere! This year's theme is 'The Magic of Christmas.' 

Celebrate the holiday season at the Farragut Community Center from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday! Get pictures with the little ones and Santa, enjoy cookie decorating, face painting and crafts! A holiday movie is also part of this free fun evening. 

Friday

Knoxville is kicking off the Christmas Season on Friday with the WIVK Christmas Parade! The parade will feature bands, dancers, floats and Santa Claus! It begins at 7:00 p.m. and will start on Church Avenue near the Coliseum, then turn right onto Gay Street, right onto Jackson Street ending at Jackson and Patton. 

The Blount Mansion Holiday Open House is returning for the first time since 2019! Enjoy the Birthplace of Tennessee as it is decorated with beautiful holiday decorations created by the Knoxville Garden Club. The open house runs from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Still looking for a Christmas tree? Stop by the Central Filling Station on Friday or Saturday to find the perfect tree! The "Raise the Tree" fundraiser will be taking place and will have fresh trees, wreaths and garlands. 10% of all proceeds will benefit local non-profits. The event begins Friday at 5:00 p.m. and will end Sunday at 9:00 p.m. 

Saturday

Sevierville is hosting its 59th annual Christmas Parade downtown on Dec. 4! The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church onto northbound Forks of the River Parkway and is expected to last around an hour.

The Blount County Jaycee's annual Christmas Parade is back and will also take place at 11 a.m. Saturday starting at Midland Plaza and heading through downtown Maryville. This year's theme is "A White Winter Wonderland Christmas." 

It's time for the 6th Annual Foothills Holiday Market! This event is held at the Smithview Pavilion, in the heart of Maryville on historic Brown's Creek. The market will start at 10:00 a.m. and run until 4:00 p.m.

Participate in a Karns tradition and join the 2021 Christmas parade! The parade will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will start in the Ingles parking lot located at 7466 Oak Ridge Highway. Parade walkers and candy are allowed at the Christmas parade.

The S’Mores Run 5k is a family-friendly event that will take begin at Ijams Nature Center at 4:00 p.m. Participants will receive a super cool long sleeve t-shirt, a finisher’s medal, the ultimate S’Mores Extravaganza and other goodies from our sponsors and vendors. Hang out after the race for the ultimate S’Mores Bar, music and fun! 

The Roane Choral Society is presenting the first of a 3-part series with the Oak Ridge Chorus and Orchestra and vocal group Knoxtet entitled "The Human Experience." The event begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the South Harriman Baptist Church in Harriman and features a performance of "Messiah," George Frideric Handel's classic Christmas composition. 

Sunday

The city of Knoxville will kick off the 40th anniversary celebration of the Knoxville World's Fair with an event full of pageantry Sunday at World's Fair Park! Starting at 12:30 p.m., the Budweiser Clydesdale horses will be present for the "Hitching of the Horses," followed by a public reveal of the 40th anniversary World's Fair logo and 2022 celebration timeline at 1:30 p.m.

Are you a fan of the Nutcracker? You won't want to miss the Appalachian Ballet Company's performance of this holiday classic. The performance will take place at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and will being at 3:00 p.m. There is also a show on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. 

Tour the Historic Westwood’s halls decked in holiday splendor! Cookies and hot beverages will be served and Santa will arrive at 2:00 p.m. Tickets must be purchased beforehand.

Before You Leave, Check This Out