Christmas kicks off in Towns County
Community November 30, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga – Christmas starts this weekend for Towns County with several of the area’s big events starting on Friday and Saturday.
Mountain County Christmas in Lights began November 26 and runs through December 26 at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, Ga. It’s open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 6:00 p.m. till 9:00 p.m. The event is an immersive light show with Christmas music, arts and crafts vendors, food, hot chocolate, and pictures with Santa. Those under 12 are free and 12 and older must pay $6.
This year the event features an expanded outdoor craft show which opens from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday. Cowtown is a new activity for 2020 where children can learn how to make butter, ice cream, and soap.
Christmas Parade is on Saturday, November 28 at 6:00 p.m. The Towns County Sheriff’s Office sponsors the event and this year’s theme is “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree.” The parade route begins in the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds parking lot and ends at South State Bank. Everyone’s encouraged to bring their candy buckets, chairs, and enjoy the twinkling lights and floats.
The Brasstown Holiday Show starts on Friday, November 27 at 1:00 p.m. and lasts until Sunday, November 29 at 3:30 p.m. It’s an indoor arts and crafts show.
Southeast Tourism Society recognizes Mountain Country Christmas in Lights and Brasstown Holiday Show as Top 20 events. The society identifies the best tourist attractions in Alabama, Arkansas, The District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
To wrap up the holiday season, Brasstown Resort is hosting a 2021 New Year’s Eve Gala. The party alone costs $299 per couple including taxes and gratuities. The guest room package is $659 with upgrade options available.
The open bar begins at 7:30 p.m. with a gourmet buffet from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Music and dancing will take place throughout the evening and a ball drop at midnight. The event is formal attire and attendees must be 21 or older.
Check out the holiday events in Blairsville, here.
All Special Events Canceled for City of Blue Ridge
City Council, Community, Downtown Blue Ridge, Festivals, News October 22, 2020
Blue Ridge, Ga. – In an unanimous vote the Blue Ridge City Council decided that any special events within the city limits will be canceled until further notice. This includes the cancelation of Blue Ridge’s Halloween SafeZone and Light Up Blue Ridge.
Discussion of canceling future events for the remainder of the year had previously taken place among council but no official vote had been made on the matter.
Blue Ridge Halloween SafeZone 2019
“We need to make it official,” Council member Rhonda Haight spoke, referencing that since their previous discussion special events had been permitted to take place: “I felt like we should have voted last time.”
Mayor Donna Whitener expressed that she didn’t fully agree with the idea of canceling all events with no exceptions and pointed out that the recent prayer vigil held for Blue Ridge Chief of Police Johnny Scearce would technically fall under the special event category.
Haight made the motion of “no more events allowed until further notice”, which carried without opposition.
Although the Halloween SafeZone has been canceled an alternative has been set up according to Cesar Martinez, President of the Blue Ridge Business Association (BRBA).
“We get 5,000 or 6,000 people downtown and we just can’t do it this year,” Martinez said and noted that state guidelines would just not make it feasible for the city to accommodate.
The BRBA will be partnering with Blue Ridge United Methodist Church to offer a drive thru option for families to enjoy. Booths will be set up along this route, where participants can hand out candy.
Lighting of the Tree – Photo courtesy of Light Up Blue Ridge Facebook Page
Other locations that are offering Halloween festivities include Dairy Queen, Home Depot, and Kevin Panter Insurance Agency.
Light Up Blue Ridge will also not take place in an official manner. Festivities of the weekend that draw a large crowd in close proximity have been called off. This includes the annual parade and the lighting of the tree.
Even with these changes, Blue Ridge plans to make the city Christmas ready for those visiting the weekend following Thanksgiving.
The tree will be lit in the park but without the lighting ceremony and Santa can still be found at the park’s gazebo but with safety precautions made due to the ongoing Covid-19 risk.
“We are suggesting that the city close East Main Street for the two days after Thanksgiving,” Martinez recommended to the council stating that this would give more room for the large crowds to social distance that weekend.
No official plans were made on how to handle the influx of visitors for the weekend following Thanksgiving, but discussions are expected to continue in future meetings.
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