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Disclaimer: It is up to readers’ discretion to determine whether they feel comfortable participating in any mentioned events based on COVID-19 protocols and precautions. If you have questions, please contact the event’s organizers directly.
Seasons greetings, Chattanooga. ❄️To help you get the most out of the most wonderful time of the year, we’ve compiled our Chattanooga winter bucket list, complete with 40+ events and activities to try. So jingle all the way through this list to make sure you don’t miss anything. ☃️
👟 Activities
- Gingerbread workshops | Saturdays + Sundays in December | Various times | Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St. | $55 for non-members, $32 for members | The museum provides hot chocolate, cookies, pre-built houses, icing, and candy. Children and their families decorate a house and gingerbread cookies.
- Hiwassee holiday train ride | Saturdays + Sundays in December | Various times | Departs from 9406 Highway 411 in Delano, TN | Coach $24, dome + observation $40 | This is a round-trip one hour and 15 minute ride along the Hiwassee River Gorge + includes refreshments and a keepsake bell.
- North Pole Limited Train Ride | Weekends in December + Dec. 21, 22, and 23 | Various times, starting at 5:30 p.m. | Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Rd. | $35 | Take your family on a train ride to the North Pole, with refreshments and the chance to write a letter to Santa that you can deliver once you reach the North Pole. 🚂
- 6th Annual NorthShore Holiday Treasure Hunt | Nov. 18-Jan. 3 | NorthShore, Chattanooga | Visit any or all of the 28 participating businesses on the NorthShore to pick up a game card, then find the hidden treasure in each location’s window display — match that item with the store on your game card, return the card, and be entered into a drawing for prizes.
- HolidaysUnder the Peaks | Nov. 20-Dec. 31 | Various times | The Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. | $34.95 per adult, $21.95 per child — must purchase tickets online | Walk through a lit up aquarium and solve a seasonally-themed scavenger hunt + catch a showing of The Polar Express at the IMAX.
- It’s a Wonderful Life — A live radio play | Dec. 4-20 | Various times | Chattanooga Theatre Center, 400 River St. | $25 | Frank Capra’s classic holiday film is adapted for the stage as a 1940’s radio broadcast with an ensemble cast of five playing a few dozen characters to tell the story. 🎙️
- Breakfast with Santa | Sat., Dec. 5 | 9:30 a.m. | The Southern Belle Riverboat, 151 Riverfront Pkwy. | $30.95 per adult, $18.95 per child | Cruise for 1.5 hours on the Tennessee River with Santa + a magic show, holiday coloring sheets, and pilot house tours and a buffet-style breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage links, biscuits & gravy, pancakes, orange juice, and coffee.
- First night of Chanukah | Thurs., Dec. 10 | 2-5 p.m. | Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. | Free, RSVP by Dec. 7 | Drive thru to pick up a celebration box with latkes, donuts, gelt, and first night candles. 🕯️
- Christmas cookies and fancy treats baking class | Tues., Dec. 15 | 6-9 p.m. | The Sweet and Savory Classroom, 45 E. Main St. | $79 | Make peppermint patties, fudge, madeleines, and a couple other surprises. Everything you make in class will go home with you to enjoy.
- Great Russian Nutcracker: Christmas stream | Sat., Dec. 19 | 8 p.m. | Stream at home | $25-$99 | See the full on-stage performance + an up close look at behind-the-scenes action, all from your living room. 🩰
💡 Where to see lights
- Bluff View Arts District | 411 E. 2nd St. | Free | Grab a coffee, hot chocolate, or tea from Rembrandt’s before exploring the arts district’s historic buildings + sculpture museum decorated in thousands of lights to create the “enchanted forest,” “candy cane lane,” and more. ☕
- Chattanooga homes + neighborhoods | Various locations | Free | Check out WRCB’s interactive holiday lights map to plan your route for a drive-by light show at local festively decorated homes. Don’t forget to bring along popcorn + hot cocoa for the perfect light-sighting drive. 🍿
- Chattanooga Zoo Holiday Lights | 301 N Holtzclaw Ave. | Dec. 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19 | $6-$16 | See the Chattanooga Zoo transformed for the holidays (plus, watch the animals open their presents as you walk through!) 🦒
- EPB’s holiday windows | 10 W. MLK Blvd. | Free | This holiday light show lit up in the windows of EPB’s downtown building can be enjoyed in-person or virtually, where you can a livestream of the lights + performances by local musicians.
- Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights | 1400 Patten Rd, Lookout Mountain | Nightly Nov. 20-Jan. 2 | $8.95-$26.95 | Walk through the Rock City Gardens’s holiday Yule Town, Arctic Kingdom, and Magic Forest. All tickets must be purchased in advance online. ✨
- Walnut Street Bridge | 1 Walnut St. | Free | After walking through Bluff View’s winter wonderland, continue your holiday light journey by walking across the snowflake light-adorned Walnut Street Bridge.
🎄 Local tree farms
- Courtney Christmas Trees | Nov. 28-Dec. 12 | Mon.-Fri 4-8 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | 1513 Williams St. | Chattanooga’s newest Christmas tree farm located in the Southside just sold out of Fraser firs, but still has Swedish fire logs + holiday wreaths.
- Weaver Tree Farms | Open daily 9 a.m.-9 p.m. | 308 Signal Mountain Rd. | Located at the same place many of you may have picked pumpkins two months ago, Weaver Tree Farms has North Carolina-grown Fraser Fir Christmas trees, along with other holiday decor to make your quarters a bit cozier.
🎟️ Winter festivals
- Chattanooga Holiday Market | Sun., Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 + 20 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter Plaza | Free entry | The Chattanooga Market is indoors now for the holiday market, with 200+ local vendors. 🛍️
- The Holiday Market on 55th | Sat., Dec. 5 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | 5500 St. Elmo Ave. | Free entry | This outdoor + socially distanced holiday market will feature a variety of local vendors, fire pits, and hot coffee.
- Yuletide on the Southside | Sun., Dec. 6 | 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., market hours 2-5 p.m. | Chattanooga Brewing Co., 1804 Chestnut St. | Free entry | This outdoor holiday celebration will feature over 30 local artists + vendors, live music, a live Christmas tree farm, and more. 🎄
- Ridiculously Irresponsible Bitter Block Bash | Sat., Jan. 9, 2021 | 4-11 p.m. | The Bitter Alibi, 825 Houston St. | Free entry | This party is going to have it all. No, seriously — from tattoos and an ice luge to axe throwing and the national anthem, it’ll be a night for the books.
☕ Food + drinks
Drinks:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CII_doQHb4g/
- Mint for Cold Weather Matcha + Mocha Latte | Frothy Monkey
- Peppermint Mocha | Be Caffeinated
- Nutty + Nice Special | Velo Coffee
- Eggnog Latte | Sunnyside Cup
- The Grinch Hot Chocolate | Together Cafe
- Winter Warmer Beer | Chattanooga Brewing Co.
Food:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CITF9SMJjXA/
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookies | Be Caffeinated
- Holiday Dessert Gift Sets | Alms + Fare
- Vegan Cranberry Orange Scones | SleepyHead Coffee
- Holiday Croissant | Together Cafe
❤️ Donating
- Donate food items to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and feed families during the holidays (in need of low-risk volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic).
- Habitat for Humanity’s Restore needs holiday volunteers at both locations (1201 E. Main St. + 9408 Apison Pike) to organize inventory, stock shelves, and clean/sanitize. You can also call (423) 756-0507, ext. 15 if you want to volunteer.
- Help coordinate the activities or sponsor a wreath for Wreath Day, Dec. 19, to honor 47,000 fallen veterans with a wreath. Currently, Wreaths Across Chattanooga still needs funds to honor over 3/4 of the veterans.
See our full roundup for more ways to give back to the community this holiday season.
❄️ Hiking, ice skating + snow tubing
- Experience Chattanooga winter hike | Book your own date + time | $75-$110, per person | Get out there and explore a chilly Chattanooga. Not sure you want to hike in the cold? Check out this story.
- Ice on the Landing | Nov. 13-Jan. 25 | Open daily | Various hours depending on day/week | Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. | $8-$10 | Enjoy Chattanooga’s open-air ice skating rink located right outside of the Choo Choo. ⛸️
- Ober Gatlinburg snow tubing | Open daily through Easter 2021 | 1406 Tyrolea Ct, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 — about three hours from Chattanooga | $30 on weekdays, $35 on weekends + holiday periods | Enjoy a snowy ride down a mountain in an inflatable tube.
🍾 NYE events
- Early bird New Year’s Eve dinner cruise | Thurs., Dec. 31 | 4 p.m. | The Southern Belle Riverboat, 151 Riverfront Pkwy. | $51.95 per adult, $24.95 per child | A two-hour cruise on the Tennessee River with a DJ and tour of the pilothouse + a one-time-through buffet. 🍽️
- New Year’s Eve with Mutzie | Thurs., Dec. 31 | 7:30 + 10 p.m. | The Comedy Catch, 29 Station St. | $20-$38 | Look back on 2020 and laugh with “class clown”-like comedian Mutzie.
- New Year’s Mask-erade Party | Thurs., Dec. 31 | 8 p.m. | The Read House, 107 West MLK Blvd. | Call to reserve | This party will be capped at 50 couples and will include a three-course dinner for two, a NYE party, and overnight accommodations. 🥂
- New Year’s Eve on the River | Thurs., Dec. 31 | 9 p.m. | The Southern Belle Riverboat, 151 Riverfront Pkwy. | $129.95 | Start off the evening with Hors D’oeuvres on Pier 2 and board at 8:30 for a 9:00 departure on a three hour cruise. There will be a DJ, pilothouse tours, party favors, a souvenir wine glass, bottle of champagne, and our one-time-through buffet-style dinner. 21+.
