It’s the most wonderful time of the year, after football season…and after dogwood season…and…well anytime is a wonderful time in Knoxville but we admit the winter holiday season is particularly delightful. We’ve rounded up our favorite activities to enjoy your favorite traditions and make new memories along the way!
The Retropolitan Craft Fair Holiday Market
The Retropolitan Craft Fair is a hand selected indie-craft marketplace featuring the South East’s finest talents in contemporary craft and design while also incorporating upcycled goods with a funky, vintage inspired, and fabulously quirky vibe. Shop til you drop at the Mill & Mine on November 24 from 11AM-6PM.
Countdown to Light the Park will take place Monday, Nov. 25, 5:30-7 p.m. at Founders Park at Campbell Station to kick off the holiday season with the Town of Farragut at this beloved event! Free live entertainment and refreshments will be offered as we wait for Founders Park to be lit up with Christmas cheer.
From 7-10PM nightly from Nov. 26 through Jan. 2, thousands of holiday lights will twinkle along Campbell Station Road from the I-40 commuter lot to Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza at the Campbell Station Inn as part of the Town’s Light the Park event. As always, kids can drop letters to Santa in the big mailbox at Founders Park at Campbell Station. There will be daily giveaways, food trucks and caroling from local organizations.
Also in Farragut, there will be a new ice skating rink to add to their holiday activities! It's a synthetic rink with an ice-like feel (special skates required)! Join the fun November 23 - January 4, 3-9PM nightly (except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve). $5 for 45 minutes of skating time. Campbell Station Inn at 11409 Kingston Pike. (Corner of Campbell Station Road and Kingston Pike)
Fantasy of Trees
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Fantasy of Trees! Wander through a forest of hundreds of beautifully decorated trees at the Knoxville Convention Center. Shop for holiday accessories and visit with Santa at this long-running annual event benefitting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, taking place November 27-December 1.
Join us as we kick off the holiday season in Downtown Knoxville!
Music with Milkman & the Big Band starts at 5:15pm in Krutch Park Ext, followed by the Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6pm, and holiday dances with Maker’s Dance Company at 6:30pm.
Music with Milkman & the Big Band will continue on Market Square Stage at 7:00pm.
After tree lighting enjoy roasting marshmallows, free cookies, free photos with Santa, free crafts and activities with local organizations, write a holiday card for a local veteran, and much more!
Elf on the Shelf® Adventure Scavenger Hunt
The Elf on the Shelf® is a cherished Christmas tradition celebrated in households around the world. This November, for a ninth straight year, Santa will send some of these magical Scout Elves from the North Pole to Knoxville, Tennessee to be adopted by over two dozen downtown Knoxville businesses. Families are invited to explore downtown and find where these little Scout Elves have landed each night for a fun-filled holiday scavenger hunt.
Scout Elves will land in Knoxville to begin the scavenger hunt on Friday, November 29. To help guide them through the adventure, children of all ages are invited to pick up a North Pole Pass at the Knoxville Visitors Center or Mast General Store. The pass includes a list of the elves’ locations and details on the fun-filled holiday experience. As a special treat, Santa has granted permission for these Knoxville Scout Elves to remain in Knoxville until Sunday, January 5.
The 2024 event is again sponsored by Mast General Store (the Downtown Knoxville Santa-Approved Scout Elf Adoption Center), the Downtown Knoxville Alliance and Visit Knoxville. Find information about the scavenger hunt and participating merchants, pick up a North Pole Passport at either Visit Knoxville or Mast General Store. Don’t forget to share your elf sightings on social media using #elvesinknox!
Enjoy the 42-foot Christmas tree on Gay Street, decorated storefronts, and murals galore as you explore the Peppermint Trail!
Follow the trail of peppermints on the sidewalks of Downtown Knoxville to discover all sorts of treats featuring the favorite red-and-white candy. From candy cane coffees at morning brunch to craft cocktails sipped by candlelight, you’ll find peppermint treats round almost every corner – along with plenty of gingerbread, cinnamon, cranberry, apple spice, and other holiday flavors. Plus, boutiques and gift shops feature peppermint-themed t-shirts, scented soaps, candles, and all kinds of holiday surprises. Enjoy from November 29-January 5. Post photos of your favorites at #knoxpeppermint on Instagram!
Holidays on Ice
Whether with family, friends or on a date you'll love skating in the heart of Downtown Knoxville in Market Square!
Holidays on Ice presented by Home Federal Bank is a great way to make memories that will last long after the holidays are over. Enjoy skating under the stars and twinkling lights while listening to music every night. There may even be a panda sighting by our Holidays on Ice Mascot, 'Peppermint Panda'!
Rink is open November 29-January 5, weather permitting. Full details of dates, hours, pricing at link in header above.
Old City Holiday Mini Market
The Old City Market transforms the 100 block of West Jackson Avenue into a curated, outdoor market showcasing artists, crafters, and creative makers. Enjoy their holiday market on Small Business Saturday (November 30) and the second Saturday in December (December 8) from 11AM-4PM on both days. Plus enjoy restaurants, coffee shops, and a fun day in the Old City!
Lakeshore Holiday Lights
Lakeshore Park will be shining bright this holiday season. Trees throughout the park will be lit through sponsorships. Drive through December 1 until January 1.
Festival of Lights at the Cove
The Cove at Concord Park in Farragut will be lit with animated holiday-themed light features and characters. Enjoy hot chocolate as you stroll through the greenway path at this west Knoxville annual favorite from December 3-January 3, 2024 excluding Christmas Day.
During the Festival, The Cove’s three-quarter-mile greenway trail is illuminated by a sparkling light display coordinated to music. The Knox County Parks and Recreation Department staff does all the decorating, which includes placing displays and thousands of lights. An onsite vendor—found inside the River Sports Outfitters facility—will have hot drinks available for purchase most nights. The Cove has several fire pits available for guests to warm up or roast s’mores. Pets on leashes are welcome.
WIVK Christmas Parade
Everyone loves a parade, and this fun-filled evening of bands, dancers, lighted floats, characters, and Santa Claus is no exception! The 51st annual parade takes place on Gay Street on Friday December 6 at 7PM, and is quite the two-fer as December’s First Friday happens to be on this day, so be prepared for a jam-packed night of art and holiday spirit!
The parade starts at westbound Howard Baker near the Coliseum, will go west up Church Street, and turn right onto Gay Street, continue past the Bijou Theatre, the Tennessee Theatre, and the Regal Riviera movie theatre toward Summit Hill. The route will continue by crossing over Summit Hill Dr. and will turn right ending onto Magnolia.
Santa at the Sunsphere
Come see Santa at the Sunsphere December 6th-8th! Visit Knoxville will be hosting photo reservations with Santa on the 4th Floor Observation Deck—reservations must be made in advance. Photo packages range from $40-$60.
Purchase your photo package here.
While you're here, Visit Knoxville invites you to enjoy the brand new Sunsphere Welcome Center, opening November 20th!
Christmas at Chilhowee Presented by Xfinity
A free holiday event on November 22 from 6-9PM in Chilhowee Park with a tree lighting in the bandstand followed by free activities, free photos with Santa, crafts and a holiday 'Touch-A-Truck' where kids will be able to see decorated construction vehicles, firetrucks and police cars up close. Also enjoy a free hayride around the park to look at the lights!
The Winter Farmers Market is an open-air, producer-only farmers market managed by Nourish Knoxville and held on Saturdays 10AM-2PM, December through March in the heart of downtown Knoxville.
Everything at the Winter Farmers Market is grown, raised, and/or made by our vendors within a 150-mile radius of Knoxville, TN. Products vary by season and include fresh fruits & vegetables, eggs, honey, pasture-raised meats, edible & ornamental plants, cut flowers, bread & baked goods, jams & jellies, coffee, artisan crafts, and more!
Tour de Lights presented by Visit Knoxville and Bike Walk Knoxville
Tour de Lights is a fun, free, family friendly holiday bike ride on Saturday, December 14 starting at 5:30PM! Participants are encouraged to get in the holiday spirit by decorating themselves and their bikes. The event engages neighborhoods and businesses, along with others who come out to view the festivities. The ride will start and end at Mary Costa Plaza.
Registration is free and enters participants to win a mountain bike from AMBC!
Schedule of Events
- 3:30pm – 7:30pm Holiday Market & Expo
- 3:30pm – 6pm Special Appearance & Photos with Santa at Peppermint Village (nominal fee for photo)
- 4:15pm Costume Contest Judging (Sign up for the costume contest at the registration link above)
- 5:30pm Ride Starts
- 5:45pm – 7pm Stage Performances
- 7:15pm AMBC Mountain Bike Drawing (Must be registered & present to win!)
- 7:20pm Costume Contest Winners Announced (Must be registered & present to win!)
New Years Eve at the Sunsphere
Bring in 2025 with your friends and family at World's Fair Park with food trucks, free activities including a silent disco at 9:00pm, DJ music with Knox Vegas DJs on the main stage starting at 9pm, live music with Mikki Norwood Band starting at 10:00pm-11:55pm with the Ball drop from the Sunsphere at Midnight.Plan an evening enjoying the lights and restaurants in Downtown Knoxville, ice skating at Holidays on Ice will be open until 9pm and then take the short walk over to World's Fair Park to continue your evening celebrating the start of a new year!
Free parking is available all day long in all City-owned garages, including Locust Street and Market Square, as well as the 11th Street Garage. For a map of available garages and lots, visit DowntownKnoxville.org/Parking. This is a rain or shine event. Please feel free to bring chairs; however tents and canopies are not allowed. This is an alcohol free family friendly event.
All Christmas in the City events and updates are posted on the City of Knoxville’s website.
An updated list of county-wide holiday events including, Christmas at Cherokee Caverns, a Candlelight Christmas at the Museum of Appalachia, historic home tours, all kinds of holiday themed performances, and MORE can be found at visitknoxville.com/holidays.