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Bryson City

• The 40th annual “Biggest Little Christmas Parade in the Smokies” will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in downtown. Floats, fire trucks, classic cars, beauty queens and Santa. www.greatsmokies.com/christmas. 

• The Nanta Claus Christmas Children’s Benefit will from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at Nantahala Brewing. Attendees asked to bring toy donations. Several holiday craft beers to be on tap and worst sweater contest. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com. 

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• The Bryson City Spirit of Christmas celebration will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 29 at the corner of Mitchell and Everett Street. Join friends and neighbors for caroling from the train caboose to the town square for the town Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Afterwards enjoy a Christmas concert on the square or stop by the visitor’s center for hot cocoa and cookies, letter writing to Santa, and a visit with St. Nick himself. In the true spirit of Christmas, please bring a canned good to donate to the food pantry or a new unwrapped gift for the local toy drive. 828.488.3681.

• An outdoor Christmas concert will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 and 13 at the Swain County Visitor Center. www.greatsmokies.com. 

• “The Christmas Shoes” stage production will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5-6 and 12-13 and at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and 14 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre. Founded upon the story behind the classic Christmas song, the music filled show takes the audience through the lives of two different families. One family, the Layton’s, have all the resources and fortune they want, but still discover something missing in their lives. The second family, the Andrews, do not have much to give at Christmas. However, they have each other and a home bursting with kind-heartedness and love. Join together and see how the innocent love of a child buying a pair of Christmas shoes for his sick mother allows the families and other characters to discover the true meaning of Christmas. $10 for adults, $5 for children. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.488.8227. 

• Breakfast with Santa will be from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Bryson City Rescue Squad. $3. Bring your own camera for photos. 828.488.3681 or 800.867.9246.

• The Polar Express-themed train is now running at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot. The classic children’s book comes to life as the train departs for a special visit at the “North Pole.” Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. The train arrives to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa boards the train, greeting each child and presenting them with their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the depot. For times and prices, click on www.gsmr.com or 800.872.4681. 

• The Appalachian Toymaker & Storyteller will be making wooden toys and telling tale at 2 p.m. Nov. 28-30 at The Storytelling Center. 

• The 12th annual Cookie Walk & Christmas Bazaar will be at 9 a.m. at the United Methodist Church.

Canton

• The Canton Christmas Parade will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, in downtown. The theme is WNC Hometown Christmas. 828.648.2363.

• The “Living Nativity” scene will be recreated from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the 3rd Generation Barn Loft on Frank Mann Road. It will feature a short walk-through of live cast and animals, background music and scripture to illuminate a sense of awe and peace remembering the true meaning of Christmas. In addition, patrons will have the opportunity to donate a non-perishable food item at the Manger for The Community Kitchen soup kitchen. Free.

Cashiers

• The “Christmas on the Green” celebration will be Nov. 28 at the Village Green. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be onsite from 2 to 5 p.m. The 60-foot spruce Christmas tree will be lit at 6:15 p.m. There will also be carolers, holiday music, s’mores and more. 

Cherokee

• The Cherokee Christmas Parade will be at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in downtown. Floats, bands, Santa and more.

• The Cherokee Lights and Legends Christmas will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Nov. 28-Jan. 3 at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds. The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held Nov. 28. Interactive displays of Cherokee legends, ice-skating, carnival rides, and more. Performers include an Elvis impersonator at 7 p.m. Dec. 6, 20 and 31 and Balsam Range (bluegrass) at 8 p.m. Dec. 13. Tickets for the celebration are $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 5. www.visitcherokeenc.com. 

• The Trace Adkins: The Christmas Show will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at Harrah’s Cherokee. The production is a reverent, theatrical production, featuring songs from Adkins’ Celtic Christmas album, “The King’s Gift.” It combines fireside storytelling with performances of classic carols. Adkins’ trademark baritone has powered countless hits (“You’re Gonna Miss This,” “Ladies Love Country Boys,” and “Just Fishin’”) to the top of the charts. Tickets start at $24.50.

Clyde

• The inaugural Hometown Christmas Celebration will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, in the auditorium at Haywood Community College. A night of local music, artisan crafts and gifts, and holiday treats featuring appearances from McKayla Reece, Tim Surrett of Balsam Range, Eddie Rose & Highway Forty, Subject 2 Change, Matthew Curry & The Carolina Two, Sheriff Greg Christopher, and Mr. & Mrs. Santa Clause. Get your child’s photo with Santa from 2 to 4 p.m. and 5:30 to 8 p.m. A $4 donation per family is requested for photographs. Bring your own camera. Tickets for the performance are $8 and can be purchased at Sid’s on Main in Canton and at Ammon’s Drive-In & Dairy Bar and The Mountaineer, both in Waynesville. All proceeds benefit Next Step Ministries, a member organization of the new Haywood Pathways Center in Hazelwood. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.356.5432.

Cullowhee

• The annual “Sounds of the Season” holiday concert, featuring faculty and students in small chamber groups and larger ensembles, will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University. This year’s program will begin with performances by the University Chorus and Concert Choir of “Sing Noel,” “Gloria” and “O Christmas Tree.” Other performers will include the WCU Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Student Trombone Quartet, Percussion Ensemble, Continuum Saxophone Quartet, Euphonium Ensemble and Early Music Ensemble/Recorder Consort also will perform. The Jackson County Children’s Choir also will hit the stage. Tickets are $17 for adults, $11 for WCU faculty, staff and those 60 and older, and $5 for students and children. Proceeds benefit the School of Music Scholarship Fund. www.bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or 828.227.2479.

• A holiday-themed spin on the hit production “GRITS: The Musical!” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University. The all-new musical “Cinnamon Grits: Christmas in the South” will stage as part of the 2014-15 Galaxy of Stars Series at WCU. In addition to some of the holidays’ all-time favorite anthems, the show features songs including “The Christmas ‘BELLE’ Medley,” “You Gotta Re-Gift,” “The Crazy Aunt Blues,” “Yes There is a Santa Claus” and “The 12 Yummy Days of Christmas.” Tickets are $21 for adults, $16 for WCU faculty and staff, $15 apiece for groups of 20 or more, and $7 for students and children. The show is sponsored by Bear Lake Reserve. www.bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or 828.227.2479. 

Dillsboro

• The Festival of Lights & Luminaries will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 6-7 and 13-14 in downtown. With more than 2,500 candles in white bags lining the streets, the lights set the town aglow, Dillsboro will create a winter wonderland at the corner of Front and Webster streets. In addition, the town’s merchant “elves” trim their buildings, many of which date to the late 1800s, in traditional white lights. Shopkeepers also stay open late and serve coffee, warm cider, hot chocolate and homemade goodies to visitors. There will be sing-a-longs throughout town, horse-and-carriage rides, plus Santa and Mrs. Claus setting up shop in Town Hall. The Western Carolina University Holiday Dancers will also be performing at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, on Front Street. The Jackson County Green Energy Park will have a gallery show, demonstration and Christmas sale. Merchants will donate a percentage of their sales on College Night (Dec. 5) to The Christmas Connection, which provides new toys and clothing for children of families in Jackson County who need assistance during the holidays. Festival attendees are also invited to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate. Free, with parking and shuttle transportation available at Monteith Park. www.mountainlovers.com. 

Fontana

• The Christmas in the Smokies holiday celebration will run from Dec. 1-31 at Fontana Village Resort. Winter fun, holiday festivities and events. 828.498.2211 or www.fontanavillage.com. 

Franklin

• The Winter Wonderland Holiday Celebration will begin with a tree lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, in downtown. The celebration continues with the Gingerbread House Competition on Dec. 6 in the lower level of Town Hall. Free wagon rides will be offered at 5 p.m. on both evenings. Live music will also be performed at the gazebo. Downtown Franklin merchants will also get in on the holiday fun by being open late, offering great shopping and free refreshments including hot cider and delicious treats for their patrons. In addition, many will have living window displays depicting different scenes of the holiday season. The annual tree lighting ceremony and candlelight service will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 28 on the town square. The Christmas Parade will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30, in downtown. www.franklin-chamber.com or 828.524.2516 or www.holidaysinfranklin.com. 

• The Brasstown Ringers handbell group will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the First Methodist Church. Free, but donations accepted.

• The Holiday Music & Crafts ARTSaturday will be from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 6 at the Old Cowee School. Free make-and-take holiday cards, decorations, cookies and more. Sponsored by The Arts Council of Macon County. 828.524.7683 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• The Smoky Mountain Christmas Choir will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. $5 suggested donation. www.greatmountainmusic.com. 

• The Heritage Christmas Progressive Celebration will be Dec. 5-7. There will be holiday wine, cheese and appetizers at 5 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Macon County Historical Museum, followed by dessert at the Scottish Tartans Museum. Value-added farm products and holiday-themed kid’s art projects will be offered at the Cowee Christmas from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Cowee Pottery School in the Macon County Heritage Center. Hot chocolate, cookies and festivities will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. Dec. 7 at The Stewart Family Homestead Cabin on Coon Creek Road. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at The Historical & Scottish Museums and The Franklin Chamber of Commerce. All proceeds to benefit The Historical and Scottish museums and Cowee Pottery School.   

• The Manhattan Transfer’s Cool Yule Swings Christmas show will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Riding a wave of nostalgia in the ‘70s, the Manhattan Transfer resurrected jazz trends from boogie-woogie to bop to vocalize in a slick, slightly commercial setting that sometimes failed to gel with the group’s close harmonies. Originally formed in 1969, the quartet recorded several albums of jazz standards as well as much material closer to R&B/pop. Still, they were easily the most popular jazz vocal group of their era, and the most talented of any since the heyday of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross during the early ‘60s. Tickets start at $25. www.greatmountainmusic.com. 

Highlands

• The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, in downtown. Santa, caroling and refreshment. 828.526.2112.

Robbinsville

• Breakfast with Santa will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center.

• The Christmas in the Mountains craft fair will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center.

Sylva

• The Sylva Christmas Parade will be at 3 p.m. in downtown.

• Breakfast with Santa will be from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 6 at the Jackson County Senior Center. $5 for breakfast, free for children ages 10 and under. 828.586.4944.

• Cookies with Santa will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Jackson County Family Resource Center. Bring your own camera. 828.631.3900.

• The Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table will host its Christmas Party at 6 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Quality Inn in Sylva. The event begins with a social hour (cash bar and snacks), then followed by a 7 p.m. buffet. The program for the evening will be Dr. Stephen Davis whose topic will be “What the Yankees Did to Us” based on the material and research from his recently published book by the same title.  In addition to this full evening, there will be a silent auction of several vintage Civil War books and Civil War collector plates. Tickets are $25 per person. In order to reserve a “chair at the table,” you must send your check by Nov. 30 to WNCCWRT, P.O. Box 3709, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723. 828.293.5924 or 828.293.7404.

Waynesville

• With the theme “Peace on Earth,” the Waynesville Christmas Parade will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, on Main Street in Downtown. www.downtownwaynesville.com or 828.456.3517. 

• The classic holiday production of “A Christmas Carol” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11-12, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Dec. 13, and 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6 for students. www.harttheater.org or 828.456.6322.

• The Haywood Community Chorus Christmas Concert will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 at the First United Methodist Church. The 70-member ensemble will offer a program of new arrangements of traditional carols, some new compositions, and seasonal favorites to stir the senses and warm the heartstrings. The chorus is a nonprofit organization. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

• The Jacob Johnson Christmas Show (singer/songwriter) will be at 7:45 p.m. Dec. 4 at The Strand at 38 Main. Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for students and children under age 12. www.38main.com. 

• A Night before Christmas will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, on Main Street in downtown. Shops, galleries and restaurants are open late. Hundreds of luminaries line the sidewalks. Enjoy carolers, live music, Santa, storytelling, and old-fashioned wagon rides. Stroll through the Tour of Bethlehem with a live nativity and bustling first century marketplace. www.downtownwaynesville.com. 

• A Season Light: A Celebration of the Season’s Multicultural Holiday  will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Pigeon Multicultural Development Center. The event will include a potluck dinner, a sharing of holiday customs from different cultures and music from a variety of traditions. The event is free, but participants are asked to bring two non-perishable food items for the center’s food pantry, as well as a potluck item. 828.456.7232.

• A wreath-making class will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Cooperative Extension Office on Raccoon Road. Master gardeners will provide the materials. Cost of class is $20. Proceeds fund horticultural projects and grants in Haywood County. RSVP by Dec. 4. 828.456.3575.

• The Community Cheer Breakfast with Santa will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Dec. 6 at the First Presbyterian Church. 

• The Light of the World Children’s Christmas musical will be at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the First Baptist Church.

• The Holiday Greens Market will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 10 in the Badcock parking lot on North Main Street. Live greenery arrangement, centerpieces, bundled greens and more.