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+.