2025 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 First Tennessee Pavilion, Ice on the Landing is back on November 24th, 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 back for its third season! A drive-thru lighting experience to be enjoyed by all ages, taking place nightly for six weeks in Soddy Daisy (new location this year!) It opens up for the season on November 22nd. You can also catch their brand new walk through exhibit at the Chattanooga Choo Choo!
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! This event opens on November 29th.
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Rock City Enchanted Garden of Lights – One of Chattanooga’s most famous holiday sights is back this year! Starting November 15th, 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 17th 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.
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. It opens on November 26th.
Creative Discovery Museum Winter Playland – Join us for an evening of fun and kick off the Winter Playland season at CDM!Members will have an exclusive playtime. In addition, themed activities will be available throughout the Museum. The café will be open and selling hot cocoa and special snow treats throughout the evening.
Creative Discovery Museum PJs With Santa – Come dressed in your favorite holiday PJs for a cozy, fun-filled experience the whole family will love! Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, then explore the Museum for more festive activities on December 7th!
Gordon Lee Mansion Candlelight Tour – Candlelight Tours are planned for December 5th, 6th, 12th, and 13th, 2025 from 6pm to 8pm each evening. Note these tours are $10 adults, $2 Child These 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.
Reindeer on the Riverfront & 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! Mark your calendar for November 28, 2025, 4pm – 8pm!
The Nutcracker – There are apparently two different productions of world-famous ballet, The Nutcracker, happening at Memorial Auditorium this year. The first is from Chattanooga Ballet’s The Nutcracker and is December 12 – 14, and the second production is the NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet, which will be happening on December 18.
A Magical Cirque Christmas (Touring) – A Magical Cirque Christmas is a dazzling holiday variety show that captivates audiences of all ages. Bursting with festive charm, laugh-out-loud comedy, and heartwarming magic, this high-flying spectacle showcases the extraordinary talents of the world’s most elite cirque performers. From gravity-defying acrobatics to jaw-dropping feats of strength and agility, every act is set to a modern soundtrack of beloved Christmas classics. It’s a spellbinding winter journey through music, movement, and holiday joy, perfect for the whole family. This will be at Memorial Auditorium on November 22.
The North Georgia Holiday Spectacular – The North Georgia Holiday Spectacular is a large, high-energy, holiday musical production that blends professional singers and dancers, laugh out loud comedy, and pure Christmas magic the whole family loves! Be captivated by dazzling production numbers, dancing elves and toy soldiers that come to life. Be enchanted by the magic of Frozen, and marvel at our on-stage nativity and celebration of the birth of Christ! Start your new family tradition at the North Georgia Holiday Spectacular!
Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Home for the Holidays – 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 20.
Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro – Starting November 1, experience the magic of Christmas at Santa’s Wonderland at the East Ridge Bass Pro Shop. Also, enjoy free weekday giveaways!
Chattanooga Railroad Christmas Tea – Celebrate the holidays with a charming Christmas Tea Room experience at Grand Junction Depot! Enjoy an elegant afternoon of festive teas, savory bites, and sweet treats, with the option to add a Missionary Ridge Local train ride for a truly magical holiday outing. Perfect for families, friends, or a cozy seasonal escape, beginning November 8!
The Polar Express 3D – Experiencing this holiday tale on the giant six-story screen has become a family tradition for many. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks upon a journey of self-discovery, showing him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. Audiences are drawn into this immersive film, grasping at falling snowflakes, ducking as the train screeches into their lap, and feeling the howl of the steam whistle in surround sound.
Holiday Lights Train Ride – The Holiday Lights Train Ride is a festive way to enjoy the holiday season starting after Christmas Day. The train ride takes you through a variety of light displays, from twinkling snowflakes to towering Christmas trees. The Holiday Lights Train Ride is a great activity for families or groups of friends. It’s a fun and unique way to see the holiday lights and get into the spirit of the season.
Nightcap with St. Nick – Celebrate the holidays while enjoying a nightcap with St. Nick! Begin your holiday festivities on a one hour train ride with all the bright trimmings of the season. This experience includes two drinks, a delicious sweet and savory treat box, a souvenir bell, keepsake boarding pass, and a visit from Santa.
Southern Belle Christmas Cruises – Enjoy a variety of Christmas cruises offered on the beautiful Southern Belle riverboat!
MainX24 – MAINx24 is always held on the first Saturday of December, this year is December 6th. MAINx24 is a 24-hour long festival celebrating Main Street and the surrounding Southside, held every December since 2007. The annual event features programming all day long, from parades to music to poetry readings to chili cook-offs. The day has been a way to celebrate and showcase the burgeoning Southside. MAINx24 is organized completely by residents, merchants, and friends of the Southside community.
Merry Christmas, Chattanooga!
Check back later this month when we update all of our holiday guides!
