The 11th annual Comcast Christmas at Chilhowee Park starts at 6 p.m. Dec. 9. The park's Christmas tree will be lit at 6:15 p.m. to kick off the free family event, part of the annual city of Knoxville's Christmas in the City.
Too often December brings those hurry up, dash around, forget to breathe moments. Then you turn around on Christmas Eve and you've missed so much because you were in such a rush. Make this weekend one to enjoy.
Start with 11th annual Comcast Christmas at Chilhowee Park. The festivities begin at 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the 3301 Magnolia Ave. park decorated with lights for the season. The park's Christmas tree will be lit at 6:15 p.m. to kick off the free family event, part of the annual city of Knoxville's Christmas in the City.
Horse-drawn carriages will offer rides around the park; Santa Claus will be there to pose for photos. Food includes marshmallows for roasting, cookies for decorating and snow cream for eating.
After Dec. 9, the park will remain open 5-10 p.m. each evening through New Year's Day. The lights will be on and the decorations up for people who wish to take self-guided driving tours through the park and the light display.
On Saturday, Dec. 10, the East Tennessee Historical Society hosts its Holiday Open House. The 11 a.m.-3 p.m. free event includes demonstrations of quilting and needlework as well as musical performances. Children can make crafts and holiday ornaments; everyone is invited to enjoy cookies, hot cider and some stories from long-ago Christmases.
Visitors may also visit the museum's ongoing exhibits, including the newest one "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War." The events are at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St.
Free holiday music can be heard at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, when the Knoxville Community Band performs in the auditorium of the Knoxville Convention Center. Musical selections include "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." The concert is free; the convention center is at 701 Henley St.
There's nothing like a holiday classic movie to help put the grumpiest Scrooge in the holiday mood. The Clayton Center for the Arts on the Maryville College campus offers the black-and-white classic "Miracle on 34th Street" this weekend. Shows in the Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall are at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. Tickets are $7 for the Dec. 10 show; $5 for the Dec. 11 matinee.
Perhaps you'd enjoy a train ride for the holidays. Knoxville's Three Rivers Rambler has a Christmas Express. The train departs at 10:30, 2 and 5 p.m. Dec. 9 and Dec. 10, at 1 p.m. Dec. 11, at 10:30 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. Dec. 16-17, and at 1 and 4 p.m. Dec. 18. Boarding is adjacent to the University of Tennessee boathouse on 900 Neyland Drive. Tickets are $26.50 for adults, $25.50 for senior citizens ages 55 and older, $15.50 for children ages 3 to 12, $7.50 for toddlers ages 1-2, free for infants. Tickets need to be bought in advance at 865-524-9411. The Christmas Express takes a 90- minute trip along the Tennessee River and includes a holiday story time.
In Oak Ridge, Santa Claus visits the Secret City Excursion Train Dec. 10 and Dec. 11. The holiday-decorated train departs at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Dec. 10; 1 and 3 p.m. Dec. 11. The train boards next to the Heritage Center on Highway 58, about 10 miles from downtown Oak Ridge. Tickets for the hour ride are $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 3 to 12 (cash or checks only). Reservations or more information are at 865-241-2140. This train goes through the site of the Manhattan Project's K-25 uranium enrichment plant and then the Poplar Creek Valley.
© 2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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