Experience Small Town Tennessee Charm This Holiday Season

The Victorian-era Christmas village Rugby comes alive each holiday season to spread joy and cheer to locals and visitors alike. Experience how Christmas was celebrated in the 1880s during Christmas at Rugby with holiday music, hot drinks and cookies, historic buildings decorated for the holidays, carolers throughout the village and a visit from Father Christmas. Take a tour of the historic buildings throughout the village, see the tree lighting ceremony complete with free Wassail and cookies, find the perfect gifts at local shops and see local artisans and shop their creations. 

• This Tennessee Christmas town is located 71.8 miles north near Knoxville
   
• Seasonal events: Guided hikes throughout the year, British Festival & Queen's Tea which includes Maypole dancers outside the historic schoolhouse in May; Irish Road Bowling every month; and the Halloween-themed Ghostly Gathering tour of the historic buildings and chili supper
   
• Parking: Parking available at the Visitor Centre and at trailheads of hiking trails
   
• Rugby's season is mid-March through mid-December with interpretive tours offered Thursdays-Saturdays 9 a.m., 11 a.m. 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. EST

Loudon hosts several holiday events that are not to be missed in this Christmas town in Tennessee.  All through December, you can drive or walk-through the Christmas light displays during Loudon Lights at Loudon Municipal Park. Feel merry and bright during Christmas in Olde Town Loudon featuring a Christmas concert, kids crafts, visits with Santa and festive refresments Dec. 5, 2025.

• Loudon is located about 34 miles south of Knoxville
   
• Annual festivals: U.S. 11 Antique Alley and Yard Sale in May, bass tournaments throughout the year and more
   
• Parking: Street parking is available in downtown Loudon
   
• Boutiques and restaurants are open year-round. Check individual businesses for their hours of operation

There's no shortage of Christmas cheer in Tennessee's oldest town, Jonesborough. Every Saturday from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the Tennessee Christmas town decks its halls for Christmas in Olde Jonesborough, an event featuring a different theme each week, Santa visits for children and downtown shopping in local boutiques. Bring an unwrapped gently used or new toy to donate to underprivileged children in the community. Enjoy the lighting of the Christmas tree which includes caroling, a Christmas story told by a local storyteller and more. The Celebration of Trees, a progressive holiday dinner, the kid-friendly At Home with Santa and the award-winning annual Holiday Tour & Tea are just a few of the events that will help you make precious family holiday memories. Claim your spot on the parade trail for the nighttime Jonesborough Christmas Parade featuring bands, church choirs, floats illuminated with Christmas lights and a live nativity scene. 

• Jonesborough is located 8.2 miles southwest of Johnson City
   
• Seasonal events: Chocolate Fest in February; St. Paddy's Celebration in March; Music on the Square May-September; Brews & Tunes August-September; Jonesborough Days which celebrates the town's founding with live music, a low country boil, local market, parade, watermelon social and fireworks; and the National Storytelling Festival that welcomes world-renowned storytellers and hundreds of thousands of guests each October
   
• Parking: Parking lots and street parking are available in downtown Jonesborough
   
• Boutiques and local restaurants are open throughout the year. Consult individual businesses for specific hours of operation

Make new family memories and traditions at "Light Up Pikeville" that kicks off with the annual Christmas parade through the month of December in the quaint town of Pikeville. Each weekend in December has different events including horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa, a concert by Carrie Hassler, a live nativity, decorated Christmas trees and caroling. Enjoy the festive decorations downtown and pop into the local shops that have unique gifts for all your loved ones.

• Pikeville is located 58 miles north of Chattanooga
   
• Annual events: Cruise Into Summer Nights on Main Street featuring live music and classic cars as well as the Pikeville Fall Festival with handmade crafts, games, warm apple cider and live music
   
• Parking: Free public parking is available throughout downtown

The beloved Leiper's Fork Christmas Parade includes local school bands, antique tractors, horses, surprise appearances by celebrities and creative floats as make their way through Leiper's Fork's downtown. Past Grand Marshals of the parade have included singer/songwriter Lee Roy Parnell, Pam Tillis, Chris Janson, John Schneider and others. After the parade, do some local boutique shopping at Patina Home & Garden or Props Antique, make a s'more at one of the community fire pits. Enjoy a meal and live music at Fox & Locke.

• Leiper's Fork, one of the best Christmas towns in Tennessee, is located 28 miles south near Nashville
   
• Annual events: Pickin' Leipers Fork, a beloved antique and vintage shopping event;  and FrokFest, outdoor live music set in a backyard style setting which typically hosts a surprise guest or two.
   
• Parking: Street parking is available along Old Hillsboro Road, in  the parking lot between Fox & Locke and Copper Fox Gallery. There is a field with a sign for parking between Dwell and Den and the vintage police car. Most people park on the sides of the road.
   
• Most shops are open Wednesdays-Sundays, but check individual businesses for specific operating hours.

Herald in the holiday season with Christmas on the Square Nov. 29, 2025 in Cookeville, a beautiful Tennessee Christmas town. The holiday weeks are filled with Christmas-inspired activities ranging from carolers, photos with Santa, concerts, Christmas train rides, bounce houses and hot chocolate and festive snacks. Attend the more-than-50-year-old evening Christmas Parade through downtown Cookeville; the new Upper Cumberland Lights of Christmas, featuring hot chocolate and holiday treats, thousands of dazzling lights, Santa's North Pole experience and more now through Jan. 4, 2025; and the drive-through light attraction Hidden Hollow Lights that is open Thanksgiving evening through New Year's Day. 

• Cookeville is located 81 miles east of Nashville
   
• Annual events: Firefly Festival in April that features a butterly garden, live music, gourmet eats and handcrafted drinks, art and local goods and immersive art experiences; Peach Festival  and Cookeville Bike Fest in May; Red, White & Boom Independence Day event and Tennessee Pickle Festival in July; Fall FunFest in September; and the Putnam County Chuckwagon Festival featuring a chuckwagon meal, Wild West reenactments, cattle roping, cowboy cooking and frontier demonstrations and more in October
   
• Parking: Ample street parking is available downtown

Columbia goes all out for Christmas with a full calendar of community events. Get an early start on your holiday shopping at A Very Maury Christmas. You'll find more than 40 vendors with Tennessee made goods and crafts for sale at the market. Herald in the holiday season at the Columbia Main Street Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. Marvel at the 40-foot Christmas tree and enjoy live entertainment. Finally, take a stroll through the beautiful historic architecture of Columbia at the Maury Christmas Historic Home Tour. Tour some privately owned homes and historic landmarks at your own pace, taking in the beautiful holiday decor and history.

• Columbia is located 46 miles south near Nashville
   
• Annual events: Mule Day in March; and First Fridays, full of live music, local flavor, vendors, makers and food trucks April-December
   
• Parking: Ample street parking is available as well as a few parking garages, metered parking and a free lot located behind City Hall. Parking is free on Sundays and after 6 p.m. on weekdays

The charming town of Bell Buckle hosts the annual Old Fashioned Christmas on Saturdays in December with the annual Quilt Walk. You'll be filled with holiday spirit as you enjoy activities like free sleigh rides with Santa, a Quilt Walk Tour of Homes, a performance by the Flat Creek holiday dancers, a pet parade, s'mores around fire pits and more. Pop into the local boutiques for unique holiday shopping and to support local artists. The Quilt Walk features a stunning display of patterns and styles of traditional and modern quilts. Marvel at the handmade designs and embroidery of the quilts on display at the homes included on the tour. Take a self-driving tour or take advantage of the some of the transportation options. The popular Night Market will take place with outdoor games, holiday shopping and handmade crafters along with live music, food vendors and a showing of classic holiday movies.

• Bell Buckle is located 54 miles southeast near Nashville
   
• Annual events: Daffodil Day & Best of the Butts BBQ Cook-Off in March; RC Cola-MoonPie Festival in June; and Webb School Art and Craft Show and the Bell Buckle Park Scarecrow Festival in October
   
• Parking: Parking is located on or around the town square, behind the Post Office and at the Webb School and Bell Buckle Park. Street parking is discouraged.

Smithville heralds in the holidays with the annual Christmas Parade and Christmas on the Square event. The parade includes floats, bands and more marching. After the parade, Christmas on the Square kicks off with a free photo booth, local shopping at the downtown boutiques, festive outdoor displays and Christmas music at the Smithville City Hall and the DeKalb Courthouse and a "Live" Windows Contest at businesses and offices downtown featuring "live" scenes in the decorated windows. See Santa at the Justin-Potter Library and the lighted decorations at Evins Park.

• Smithville is located 65.5 miles southeast near Nashville
   
• Annual events: Middle Tennessee Cornbread Festival in May; Smithville Fiddlers' Jamboree and Crafts Festival in July; Amateur BBQ Bash Competition in September; and Pumpkin Festival in October
   
• Parking: Parking lots and street parking is available in downtown Smithville

See more than 1 million lights synchronized to Christmas songs during Discovery Park of America's "Let It Glow" light show in November and December. The annual, drive-thru light show occurs on the 50 acres of the heritage park. You can even walk through part of the light show on the grounds. Food and beverages like hot chocolate will be for sale. Shop local, handmade gifts, Christmas carol karaoke and more holiday surprises.

• Union City is located 113 miles north of Memphis
   
• Annual events: Discovery Park of America hosts events throughout the year that include King Day in Janaury; Carboard Boat Regatta in May which invites brave sailors to construct sailing vessels out of cardboard to sale across the South Lake; Celebration of Native American Culture in September; and Pumpkin Village when the 1800s Settlement transforms into an autumn haven, full of festive displays of gourds and pumpkins in October
   
• Parking: Ample parking is available at Discovery Park of America
   
• Hours of Operation: Discovery Park of America is open every day except Thanksgivind Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and Easter. Open August-December Tuesdays-Sundays; January-February Tuesdays-Sundays; and March-July Mondays-Sundays

Savannah, Tennessee and other surrounding Tennessee Christmas towns in Hardin County light up for the holiday season with festive events and decorations. The Pickwick Christmas Parade kicks off the holiday season each year featuring floats, bands, light displays and more. Savannah hosts the annual Christmas on Main, a series of weekend events in December that brings thousands of light displays to the historic district along with carriage rides, movies, ice skating, local crafts and more. Additional events include the Savannah Christmas Parade, Christmas in the Park at Pickwick Landing State Park, and Wreaths Across America at Shiloh National Military Park.

• Savannah is located 118 miles west of Memphis
   
• Annual events: Savannah Music Festival in March; Universal Day of Culture International Festival in April; Savannah Bluegrass Festival in July; and Catfish Derby & Riverfest in September
   
• Parking: Free street parking is available in downtown Savannah

Each year, Collierville goes all out for Christmas, transforming the beautiful town into a charming Hallmark Christmas town in Tennessee. It all starts with the Christmas Tree Lighting on the Collierville Town Square followed by the Christmas Parade. Each Saturday, you can find the town square bustling with holiday activity from Santa visits in the gazebo to horse-drawn carriage rides, a Holiday Photo Stroll where you can take the perfect photo-worthy photo, local boutique shopping, a quarter of a million lights strung around downtown and much more. All events are free and open to the public.

• Collierville is located 29 miles southeast of downtown Memphis
   
• Annual events: Fair on the Square each May is Collierville's largest public arts and crafts event; Summer Concert Series in June and July featuring local and regional artists on the town square; and the Collierville Independence Celebration each July
   
• Parking: Parking spaces are located around the historic Town Square, both on-street parking and nearby lots

Experience a Victorian-era Christmas during Dickens Christmas in Covington, Tennessee. The historic town is transformed into a Christmas village filled with Victorian characters, horse drawn carriages, carolers and more. Enjoy refreshments, local boutique shopping and more. Join in on the fun and don a Victorian era costume yourself. Additional holiday events taking place in Covington include the Festival of Trees at the Tipton County Museum and performances at the Historic Ruffin Theater. 

• Covington is 43 miles northeast of Memphis
   
• Annual events: Chocolate Tour the Saturday before Valentine's Day that takes place around the historic square; the free Music on the Square every April and May featuring local and regional artists with a children's music time held during the half-time activities; Heritage Day on the 4th Saturday of September with live music, arts and crafts, antiques, and more; and the Tipton County Bar-B-Que Festival, heralded as the world's oldest bar-b-que cooking contest, in June which includes a Memphis in May sanctioned barbecue cooking contest, demolition derby, truck pull, live band and lots of barbecue
   
• Parking: On-street parking is available around the square
   
• Operational hours: Ideal day to visit is Saturday as most shops are closed on Sundays

Make even more holiday memories in Tennessee by checking out the full calendar of events this Christmas season.