2022 Chattanooga Family Holiday Events
If you’re looking for some fun, festive activities for your family this Christmas season, look no further! Chattanooga has some great options for the whole family!
Ice on the Landing – Hosted at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, Ice on the Landing is back on November 18th, just in time for Christmas. Ice skating is fun for the whole family, and there are plenty of delicious spots to warm up at the Choo Choo. This year they are offering online tickets.
NoogaLights – NoogaLights is Chattanooga’s newest holiday lighting event! A drive-thru lighting experience to be enjoyed by all ages, taking place nightly for six weeks in Chester Frost Park.
Holidays Under the Peaks at the Tennessee Aquarium – Your adventure through a fun-filled underwater wonderland begins with holiday music and decor in the River Journey lobby. Look for seasonal surprises throughout your tour, including a light-bedecked tree twinkling in sync with the jolly jolts of an Electric Eel!
Rock City Enchanted Garden of Lights – One of Chattanooga’s most famous holiday sights is back this year! Starting November 18th, you can visit this winter wonderland any night of the week. Remember to reserve your time online!
Holiday Jubilee at the Read House – Enjoy the holiday season with all the Read House has to offer!
North Pole Limited – Santa Claus is coming to town, and you can see him on the North Pole Limited Christmas Train! This is something your little ones will remember for years. Starting November 18th and running through December 23rd, the train makes several trips during the weekends leading up to Christmas.
Chattanooga Holiday Market – During the weekends in December, you can find the Chattanooga Market inside the Chattanooga Convention Center. This is the perfect place to find one of a kind gifts for your loved ones.
Ruby Falls – Enjoy Christmas underground at Ruby Falls this season! You’ll take a journey to the North Pole and make sweet memories along the way.
Chattanooga Zoo Asian Lantern Festival – The Chattanooga Zoo is excited to announce for the first time, a new light experience this holiday season: the Asian Lantern Festival at the Chattanooga Zoo. A spectacular celebration of art, culture and the beauty of traditional Asian lantern festivals, this will be the most unique holiday light display in the Chattanooga area.
Creative Discovery Museum Snow Night – Join us for an evening of fun and kick off the holiday season at CDM. Build a snowman in the Art Studio, create a winter hat at Creation Station, bring your best skills to a snowball fight in STEM Zone, and experience the magic of a snowfall with Frosty the Snowman! End the evening with a dance party and liquid nitrogen ice cream. This is a members only event.
Creative Discovery Museum Gingerbread Workshops – Kick off the holiday season and create masterpieces out of gingerbread, icing, candy, and more! We’ll provide the pre-built gingerbread house along with icing and an impressive mountain of candy to make a truly unique design. And what holiday event would be complete without festive music, cookies, and hot chocolate? This will become a family tradition you won’t want to miss! Your reservation includes all day in the Museum for three people in addition to the workshop.
Magic of Lights – Drive through Chattanooga’s Summit of Softball Complex during the holidays to see a dazzling light show! Lights will run from November 18th – January 1st. Cars are $15.
Creative Discovery Museum PJs with Santa – Santa is taking a break from the North Pole and headed down south on Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3! Join us for PJs with Santa, an exclusive, one-of-a-kind event in Chattanooga for families!
Gordon Lee Mansion Candlelight Tour – Christmas Candlelight Tours are typically the first and second weekends in December. Self-guided Christmas tours include musical entertainment as well as homemade cookies and hot apple cider. During season and holiday tours, the home is beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and greenery, including handmade wreaths and garlands, in addition to candles and other items typical of the antebellum period.
Christmas at the Farm – This beloved community event is once again being hosted by Boynton United Methodist Church. With Santa, a petting zoo, crafts for kids, hay rides, hot chocolate, cider, Christmas lights, and a bonfire, what more could you need for some good family fun! You can catch the holiday spirit here on November 27th.
2022 Lighted Boat Parade – Taking place the Friday after Thanksgiving for over the past 40+ years, The Southern Belle and Erwin Marine Sales have lit up the Tennessee River with extravagantly decorated boats. On shore, thousands gather to get in the holiday spirit with pictures with Santa, seeing real, live reindeer and live music. Free to attend for everyone!
Baby Shark Live: The Christmas Show – Splash along with Baby Shark and Pinkfong as they journey into the sea to sing and dance through some of your favorite songs in Baby Shark Live! This one-of-a-kind immersive experience will have fans of all ages dancing in the aisles as they join Baby Shark and friends for exciting adventures into the jungle and under the sea to explore shapes, colors, numbers and so much more! Some of the hit songs in this dazzling kids spectacular include “Baby Shark,” “Five LiFle Monkeys,” “Wheels On The Bus,” “Jungle Boogie,” and “Monkey Banana Dance”! This show is on November 18th.
Winter Wonderland at the Chattanooga Choo Choo – Experience the holidays at the Choo Choo! Enjoy Santa, beautiful decorations, delicious food, and Ice on the Landing.
The Nutcracker with the Ukrainian Ballet – This Christmas, bring the whole family back to a simpler time with Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet. The acclaimed holiday tradition is LIVE in theaters for the 30th Anniversary tour. Gather friends and family to relive your fondest childhood dreams, overflowing with larger-than-life puppets, breath-taking acrobatics and dazzling costumes. Experience the exquisite artistry of the international cast, featuring stars of Ukraine ballet, performing at the highest level of classical technique. Share in the message of Peace and Harmony and get tickets now. This show is being held on November 21st.
The Nutcracker – Southeastern Trust presents Chattanooga Ballets The Nutcracker with their professional company, guest artists, and students from Chattanooga Ballet School. This popular ballet runs the weekend of December 9th at the Tivoli Theater.
Chattanooga Symphony and Opera – One of Chattanooga’s most treasured holiday events returns with a variety of secular and sacred holiday tunes that are perfect for the whole family. Home for the Holidays runs the weekend of December 17th.
Every Christmas Story Ever Told – What begins as another annual production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, soon devolves into a slightly irreverent look at all our beloved holiday classics, including favorites like It’s a Wonderful Life, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and more. Add in topical references as three actors set out to perform every Christmas story ever told in this racy, madcap romp through the holiday season. (Appropriate for ages 13 and up.) This show is running from December 2nd through December 17th.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – In this buoyant musical adaptation of the funny and touching holiday classic, the Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. So when they crash Sunday school and demand parts in the Christmas pageant, the whole town panics. There’s not supposed to be biting or cigar-smoking in Bethlehem, and while these kids have never even heard the Christmas story, they definitely have rewrites. Soon everyone is calling for reluctant director Grace Bradley to cancel the whole thing. It’s up to the Bradleys and the Reverend to help their community see the Christmas story—and the Herdman kids—through new eyes. (Appropriate for all ages.) This show runs from December 9th through December 18th.
Southern Belle Christmas Cruises – Enjoy a Christmas cruise on the beautiful Southern Belle!
Merry Christmas, Chattanooga!
Check back later this month when we update all of our holiday guides!
