There are lots of events on tap in the area to help you celebrate the holiday season.
Among the events in the area are:
• Sunday, Nov. 8 – Colonial Harvest Celebration at Fort Watauga. There will be demonstrations of 18th Century life and living history.
• Sunday, Nov. 8 – Downtown Holiday Open House from 1 to 5 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 10 – Sesame Street Live – Make A New Friend at Freedom Hall Civic Center. No matter where you’re from or where you’ve been, everyone is special – so join in! Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby, and their Sesame Street friends welcome Chamki, Grover’s friend from India, to Sesame Street. Together, they explore the universal fun of friendship and celebrate cultural similarities, from singing and dancing, to sharing cookies! Tickets are on sale now at the Freedom Hall Ticket Office.
• Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13 & 14 – The Elizabethton Woman’s Club will once again sponsor the annual Christmas Craft Show at the Elizabethton Park and Recreation Building, 300 W. Mill St. This is the fourth annual show sponsored by the club, which will feature all homemade unique items with over 50 vendors, good food and a visit from Santa. The show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
• Friday, Nov. 13 – Auction and Fundraiser beginning at 6 p.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Park. The fundraising is dedicated to raising funds to support improvements to and care of our Interpretive Exhibits and Museum which opened in June of 2013.
• Saturday, Nov. 14 – Old Time Yule at Miller Farmstead at Roan Mountain State Park. Step back in time and experience how Christmas was celebrated years ago, with traditional music and tasty treats. The event is from noon to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 17 – The annual lighting of the Fraser Fir at 6 p.m. Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with Friends of Sycamore Shoals providing hot cider. This year’s honorary lighter will be Angelee Murray, founder of Red Legacy Recovery. Music will be provided by Miss Watauga Valley, the EHS Choral Club, East Side Elementary Fifth Grade, and the Happy Valley Trumpeters.
• Saturday, Nov. 21 – First Presybterian Church Annual Ten Thousand Village Festival Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All sorts of handmade gifts from around the world will be available for purchase.
• Monday, Nov. 23 – Roan Mountain State Park Christmas Tree Lighting at 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving Day) – Tenth Anniversary Johnson City Turkey Trot 5K Road Race and Family Fun Run. The race begins at 8:30 a.m. starting at the Legion Street Parks and Recreation Area. For more information on the race, registration and map of the run, visit the website at www.jcturkeytrot.org
• Nov 29 – Jan. 3 – Winterfest Art Show with opening reception Nov. 29 from 1 to 4 p.m. Art work from the Watauga Valley Art League will remain on display during regular park hours throughout the month of December.
• Nov. 29 – Jan. 3 – Lamplight Christmas Wreath Exhibit at Sycamore Shoals State Park. Display will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The rooms at the park will be graced with wreaths of all designs and colors hung from old time lampposts. Wreaths will be made by community civic groups, schools, and individuals. This year’s theme is “A Christmas Story!”
• Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5 – Christmas at the Carter Mansion from 6 to 9 p.m. Spend a candlelit evening in the oldest frame house in Tennessee, decorated with bright greenery for the holidays. Enjoy music, refreshments and historic interpreters acting out scenes from an 18th century Christmas. This Christmas celebration is by reservation only and space is limited. Contact the park at regular operating hours for more information.
• Saturday, Dec. 5 – Elizabethton’s Christmas Parade will be held at 6 p.m. Parade applications are available at www.elizabethtonchamber.com and may also be picked up at the Elizabethton Carter County Chamber of Commerce. The deadline for entries is Wed., Nov. 25. The theme of the parade is “All Aboard the Tweetsie Express.
• Saturday, Dec. 5 & Sunday, Dec. 6 – Milligan’s Christmas Concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary B. Martin Auditorium, Seeger Chapel. The performance features choirs, orchestra, brass choir, and the organ. The evening also includes a carol sing-along and concludes with a moving candle lighting and singing of “Silent Night.” The concert is free, but a suggested donation of $5 will be taken to benefit the college’s music program
• Saturday, Dec. 5 – Oak Street WMU will have a holiday bazaar from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vendor deadline is Nov. 15.
• Saturday, Dec. 19 – Acoustic Christmas at 7 p.m. at Freedom Hall Civic Center. This year’s Electric 94.9’’s Acoustic Christmas is the Tri-Cities annual holiday concert for all ages. The show features national pop and rock recording artists playing both plugged in and un-plugged shows. Artists scheduled to appear are Panic! At The Disco, Flo Rida, Andy Grammer, Rachel Platten and Tori Kelly. Tickets are on sale now at Freedom Hall Civic Center.