HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – Main Street carriage rides. Santa lighting the town tree. Fa-la-la llama tours. Twenty-five shows of “A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas.” A family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration with giant apple rise.
Hendersonville’s annual Home for the Holidays celebration transforms this mountain town into a winter wonderland from late November through New Year’s Day. The town has made a list of 70-plus events – and checked it twice – to entice visitors this holiday season.
“Home for the Holidays is more than a schedule of events. It’s a gift of place, time and togetherness,” says Michelle Owens, executive director of Visit Hendersonville. “We invite you to unwrap the joy and make it your own.”
Festivities kick into high gear the Friday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) with the Holiday Tree Lighting. Santa arrives at the historic courthouse to illuminate the town tree and the lights along Main Street. The evening includes carriage rides, live music, sweet treats and shopping.
The following Friday night (Dec. 5), Main Street again comes alive with an Olde Fashioned Christmas. Stores extend hours to serve holiday treats, and carolers stroll the sidewalks. Santa visits with kids on the courthouse plaza, while carriage rides return to Main Street. The llamas of Ellaberry Llama Farm dress in their holiday finest for festive photo ops.
Saturday, Dec. 6, is another festive downtown evening with the Hendersonville Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. Events earlier that day include a tacky sweater party at Souther Williams Vineyard, the Land O’Sky Garden Club’s Christmas Bazaar and the annual Holiday Farmers Market.
On Dec. 20, chug on down to Main Street for Holly Jolly Train Rides, plus more photo ops with the Ellaberry llamas, while enjoying freshly baked goods from Mountain Fresh Orchards.
New this year for those who can’t attend in-town holiday llama appearances, Ellaberry Llama Farm hosts Fa-La-La Llama Tours on Dec. 12, Dec. 13, Dec. 19 and Dec. 20.
Season-long activities include the holiday song-and-dance revue “A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas,” with 25 performances from Nov. 28-Dec. 21, and the Peppermint Bear Scavenger Hunt, Nov. 28-Dec. 23, a fun-filled search for Peppermint’s lost cubs, who are hiding in shops and stores.
Another multiweek activity is Wine in Winter Wonder at Marked Tree Vineyard. From Nov. 28 to Jan. 5, enjoy a lighted holiday landscape as you ascend the hill to the tasting room. Sip award-winning wines by the firepits or stroll amid the twinkling lights.
A family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration on Dec. 31 culminates at 7 p.m. with a giant apple rise downtown. It features a DJ dance party and games leading up to the early countdown.
For a full list of events go to: https://VisitHendersonvilleNC.org/home-for-the-holidays.