KNOXVILLE, Tenn. —
Friday
Experience the serenity of an Appalachian Christmas at the Museum of Appalachia! Enjoy an evening tour of the museum’s Pioneer Village. The cabins will be decorated with old-fashioned Christmas décor and will be festivity lit for the occasion. Activates will include storytelling, live nativity, music and wagon rides. Demonstrations will include blacksmithing, apple butter churning and more! The tours run on both Friday evening and Saturday evening.
Head over to Chilhowie Park and Exposition Center on Friday for a drive-in movie! “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” released in 2000, will be showing. Before the movie, there will be some fun activities, pictures with Santa, free hot cocoa and free donuts! Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the movie starts at 7:00 p.m. Make sure to get there early! Cars are not allowed in once the movie starts.
Saturday
Tour de Lights is a fun, free, family friendly bike ride through the Old City, North Knoxville, and downtown. 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 begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Old City at the corner of Willow Street and Patton Ave.
Head over to the Bijou Theatre to watch the Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus’ present their annual Holiday Extravaganza – Slay, Belles! This event will be a drag-filled trip through the magic and mess of the holiday season. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m.
Norris Dam State Park is hosting a new holiday event! Christmas in the Park will take place from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. and will have live music, refreshments, crafts for kids, a visit from Santa and more! The park will be collecting donations for the Norris Food Bank and Norris Area Community Foundation. Visitors are requested to bring a non-perishable food item or a new or gently used children’s book to donate.
Sunday
Experience the magic of the Santa Hustle Smokies 5k and Half Marathon on Sunday! The race will start at the Wilderness in the Smokies in Sevierville. There will be cookie, candy and water stations throughout the race. The half marathon starts at 7:30 a.m. and the 5k starts at 7:45 a.m.
Join the Nativity Pageant of Knoxville for the 53rd year! The show will kick off at Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. The combination of realistic settings, effective lighting, real animals, orchestral and choral music, and authentic costumes produces a powerful and dramatic hour-long presentation of the Christmas story. If you can’t make the Sunday show, there is also a show on Saturday and Monday.
The Oak Ridge Community Band will be hosting a Christmas Concert and Sing Along at the Oak Ridge First Baptist Church on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. This is a free event and is an excellent opportunity to enjoy your favorite Christmas music and to sing familiar Christmas carols accompanied by the band.