Christmas 2025 Events in East Tennessee

Christmas is only a month away! So, we are providing links to the Christmas 2025 events coming up in several East Tennessee locations. We're also including a few events in local cities of bordering states as well  in case you have decided to have a traveling Christmas holiday this year. Enjoy this festive season as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Christmas in Kingsport - Lots of lights of course and 'magical snow' at some of the events. Looks like you stepped back in time.

Kingsport Tree Lighting image courtesy of Downtown Kingsport website

Christmas in Bristol - Lots of different Christmas events, contests, classes, and special visits with Santa.

Christmas in Chattanooga - A long list of Christmas events covers the Chattanooga Choo Choo to the Tennessee Aquarium (with Scuba Santa and a Christmas tree lights powered by an electric eel!) to Ruby Falls and everything in between. This truly sounds like a Christmas to remember for those who are looking for adventure.

Christmas in Elizabethton - Another step back into time. Just an adorable downtown especially when decorated for the Christmas season. There aren't many Christmas activities listed on their site. But they provide their Facebook page so you can check for updates as those become available. Elizabethton is famous locally for their covered bridge, which has a Christmas event listed.

Christmas in Johnson City - Not much listed, but you may enjoy the events they have scheduled.

Christmas in Jonesborough - Looks like a scene that Rockwell himself would have painted. Lots of fun for the entire family. Includes special $1 gifts for kids to buy, free gift wrapping for items purchased in downtown Jonesborough and the Marketplace, a Santa mailbox (kids drop their letters off to Santa with their return address on the envelope so Santa can mail them back), Grinch and Whoville activities, and so much more. Really a unique Christmas experience.

Christmas in Knoxville - A few listed events at the time of posting.

Christmas in Pigeon Forge - Being the playground of East Tennessee, Pigeon Forge offers a variety of holiday family fun. Lots to explore on their Holiday page.

Christmas in Scott County, Virginia - Another adventurous Christmas can be found in Gate City, Saltville, Natural Tunnel State Park (dubbed Eighth Wonder of the World), Carter Cabin. Read the information on the website to see all of the Christmas fun waiting for you in Southwest Virginia. Home to the Santa Train that brings gifts to needy children in the region.

Christmas in Blowing Rock, North Carolina - Includes the famous Tweetsie Railroad Christmas season rides. Many more adventures await for those who enjoy colder events!

Christmas in Asheville, North Carolina - Something for everyone, including Biltmore Estate, the largest home in America! Visit the site to find your favorites.

Christmas in Dahlonega, Georgia - Month long old-fashioned Christmas events are scheduled in this town that people say "resembles a Hallmark Christmas movie". Also, the site of the first U.S. gold rush in 1828.

Christmas in Helen, Georgia - Scroll to the December calendar to see the very unique Christmas events - many which are Bavarian-style based on its German heritage. Another "Hallmark Christmas movie" town.

I could list so many more, but there is only so much time. So, if you've enjoyed a Christmas in any of these towns listed in this post or other nearby towns or cities not listed here, feel free to leave a comment and share your great experience with everyone.

Let the holidays begin!

Nutcracker Ballet Performances in Tri-Cities Tennessee

Enjoy the Nutcracker Ballet in Bristol, Kingsport, and Johnson City, Tennessee

With Christmas 2025 on the horizon, the Nutcracker Ballet comes to the minds of many. And the Tri-Cities region of Upper East Tennessee has no shortage of performances. So, if you're in the area in November and/or December and you would like to see a live performance of the Nutcracker Ballet, see the information below, and find a date and time that's best for you.

image courtesy of Anita Austivika via Unsplash

Johnson City Performance of The Nutcracker Ballet

Grand Hall at ETSU (East Tennessee State University)

more information

November 24, 2025 – 7:00 PM

Kingsport Performances of The Nutcracker Ballet

Ballad Health Performing Arts Center in Blountville – Performed by the Kingsport Ballet

more information

December 11, 2025

December 12, 2025

December 13, 2025 

December 14, 2025

Show times are not listed at the time of this post.

Bristol Performances of The Nutcracker Ballet

Paramount Center for the Arts – Performed by Bristol Ballet Company

more information

December 12, 2025 – 7:30 PM

December 13, 2025 – 12:00 PM & 5:30 PM

Bristol Motor Raceway Events in East Tennessee

Bristol Motor Raceway in East Tennessee, of course, hosts some NASCAR and other racing events throughout the race season, but they also host more than that as well as offer camping sites.

A few of the past events include the MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in 2025; the MLB game between the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox in 2021. 

In 2016, they hosted college football games between the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech as well as East Tennessee State University and Western Carolina University. And way back in 1961, they hosted a pre-season pro football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins.

They have also hosted numerous concerts, served as a hurricane evacuation center in the 2017-2019 hurricane seasons, hosted a Mr.Beast event and a Street Outlaws TV episode. 

And we couldn't end this post without mentioning the Ice Rink and Speedway in Lights that happen annually from the end of November to the first of January.

Speedway in Lights image courtesy of BMS

That's just a few of the events. If you like these types of entertainment, Bristol Motor Speedway should be on the top of your list. Definitely save their Events hosting webpage that we provided in the first paragraph.

Have a blessed day!

Haunted Chattanooga Ghost Walks and Tours

Further south in East Tennessee, we'll look into Chattanooga hauntings. Known for its heavy involvement in the Civil War and as being part of the Trail of Tears, Chattanooga residents and visitors have had many ghostly encounters. But there are other reasons for Chattanooga's paranormal activities, which you can explore through one of their local ghost tour group. They even have tours that allow patrons to use ghost hunting equipment! Very exciting. If you're unable to decide between the ghost tour or the hunt, they have a combo package that provides both experiences. Our family will definitely book one of the packages for our 2026 Chattanooga vacation. 

image courtesy of Sandra Seitamaa via Unsplash 

      

   

image courtesy of Maria Hochgesang via Unsplash

At the moment, there are only two booking days available through November. So, hopefully, there will be more dates available once the new calendar year arrives. They have the option to buy other items, such as t-shirts, other souvenir pieces, and ghost hunting equipment, if you want your own, when you buy tickets online. They also have a page displaying some of the spooky pictures that people have taken while on the ghost tours/hunts. Most of their tours are child friendly, but check before booking. 

Of course, there are other Chattanooga ghost tour groups to consider. So, be sure to check them all out so you can choose the best tour for your group.

Haunted Johnson City Ghost Walks

Ghost Walks operate year-round in East Tennessee and the surrounding areas. Today, I want to highlight one of the Johnson City Ghost Walk tours that you might find intriguing. These tours delve into the rich history and tragic events that have led to occasional hauntings in this northern region of the state. 

Johnson City, for example, is nicknamed "Little Chicago," a nod to the Al Capone era. During the Haunted Johnson City Ghost Walk, you'll learn about the town's only mass murder linked to that gangster era. Additionally, you'll hear about the haunting history of the John Sevier Hotel/Center, which has seen its share of tragic deaths and at least one suicide. 

One particularly tragic event occurred on December 24, 1989. Living in the region at the time, I personally remember passing by the hotel—then senior citizen apartments—when it was engulfed in flames. Fire engines and other emergency personnel from multiple communities responded, and the incident even made national headlines. Sadly, sixteen people lost their lives in that fire. Johnson City's local haunted TV news station also has more sad details about this tragedy.

image courtesy of Johnson City Press/Ron Campbell

Other Johnson City Ghost Walk tours include: Haunted ETSU, a beautiful university campus, and Haunted Tipton-Haynes, a historic farm. They also offer tours in nearby Jonesborough, the oldest city in Tennessee and the county seat of Washington County, of which both cities are part of. Our family took the Jonesborough Ghost Walk tour many years ago, and it was so much fun. And I hope we will have time to take all of those fascinating tours eventually.

For a glimpse of what you might experience on these and the other tours they offer, I recommend checking out their DVD sets. We don’t receive any compensation for suggesting these DVDs or their tours; we simply find these stories fascinating and believe you'll enjoy learning about the region’s haunted history.

On a side note, this ghost tour group is Christian based and is child friendly, making ghost hunting ethical and fun. They are also investigators, who bring a lot of truths to light. And they have a superior knowledge of local history. Whether you're a native East Tennessee resident, just moved to East Tennessee or its surrounding areas, want a vacation that isn't routine, or simply curious about the paranormal, you'll enjoy these ghost walks.

Many blessings!

Welcome to East Tennessee!

We are so happy you're here! East Tennessee is in the eastern U.S. time zone and has so many entertainment venues for you to explore when you visit or move to our region. From shopping to eating to theater to state parks to national parks to mountain views to the Cherokee National Forest to seasonal activities, there is always something to do in East Tennessee. And we would like to share some of these experiences and locations with you. Occasionally, we might sneak in a few adventures only a few minutes' to a few hours' drive (depending on your East Tennessee location) across the borders into western North Carolina, southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and northern Georgia.

States that border East Tennessee
image courtesy of Britannica Kids

So, we invite you to bookmark this site, https://visiteasttennessee.blogspot.com/, and visit often as we highlight these activities for you. From the beaten path to the hidden treasures, we're going to make you feel as welcome as possible.

If you enjoy history and want more facts about East Tennessee, you can read about them at Wikepedia. As we post about certain areas and entertainment, more Wikipedia links or Tennessee.gov links will be provided. 

In the meantime, enjoy the mini photo gallery below of some of the locations we have enjoyed in the past.

Downtown Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town,

decorated for Christmas 2015

Quaint fall scene in Jonesborough, TN 2015

Sycamore Shoals State Park 2019

Sycamore Shoals State Park quilt show 2019

Have a blessed day!