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Happy Holly-Days in Athens, Georgia
Holiday Events and Happenings
Athens, Georgia- November 1, 2013 - The holiday season in Athens, Georgia, offers opportunity for endless celebration! Visitors can enjoy festive heritage events, artist markets for one-of-a-kind gifts and, as always in Athens, live music.
Held for the first time ever in The Classic Center, audiences will be able to celebrate the season with a very special version of the Second Thursday Concert Series. The University of Georgia's Holiday Concert brings together the UGA Symphony Orchestra, Hodgson Singers, and University Chorus for a night of holiday music magic. Attendees can enjoy this community tradition on December 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. More information can be found at music.uga.edu. Tickets are available at pac.uga.edu.
The Downtown Christmas Parade of Lights ushers in the holiday season in Athens. This popular annual event gives viewers and participants the opportunity to enjoy an evening parade in Downtown Athens while it is decorated for the holiday season. On December 5th, dozens of floats, bands and groups will wind through downtown streets awash in twinkling lights. This year's theme, the "Sounds of Christmas," will have Christmas cheer ringing all through the city. The hour-long parade begins on the corner of Dougherty and Pulaski Streets at 7 p.m. and ends in front of City Hall. The traditional tree lighting ceremony hosted by Santa and Mrs. Claus will follow. Downtown retailers will have great deals and extended hours for visitors. More information is available at 706-613-3620.
Athens is well-known for its art scene, making holiday artist markets and special events the perfect opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts. This year the Indie South Fair (formerly Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa) is expanding to a 2-day festival. The Holiday Hooray! on December 7th & 8th brings an eclectic selection of emerging artists and crafters from the southeast and beyond to downtown Athens. The fair provides a venue for artists to directly connect with the community by sharing their techniques and creative processes as well as market their wares in a recreational, street-fair atmosphere that is always free and open to everyone. More information is available at www.indiesouthfair.com. Additionally, Handmade for the Holidays will be held at The Classic Center On December 14-15. Over 60 local artists will present everything from pottery and paintings to jewelry, skincare and accessories. Admission is free and the market will be open from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. More information is available at www.AthensArtistMarket.com.
From December 14 - 22, Christmas at The Classic Center will transform the Grand Hall into a winter wonderland complete with a series of ongoing events including a festival of trees, ice skating, pictures with Santa and more. Other highlights of the festival include professional gingerbread houses on display, local choral group performances and holiday story and movie time, in addition to the aforementioned Handmade for the Holidays artist market December 14-15. Families can enjoy a special breakfast with Santa and other holiday characters on Saturday December 14 or December 21 at 9 a.m. In Santa's workshop, children will be able to decorate cookies and create holiday crafts. Additional information, including full schedule of events and ticket prices, can be found at www.ClassicCenter.com or at 706-357-4444.
The Holiday Spirits Museum Mile Tour on December 14th will transport participants to Christmases past. This special holiday version of the Museum Mile tour will focus on period holiday traditions spanning the 19th century by exploring four unique historic houses from the Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian periods. The tour includes live music, professional theatre and light refreshments and culminates with a glorious Victorian Christmas at the Ware-Lyndon House. The tour begins at 2 p.m. and is hosted by the Athens Historic House Museum, a committee of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation. Tickets are $25 each and are available through the Athens Welcome Center at 706-353-1820.
No holiday season would be complete without the twinkle of Christmas lights. From December 12 - 21st, the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department will host
Deck the Hollow Holiday Lights at Bear Hollow Zoo. Visitors are invited to celebrate the holiday in lights from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. nightly. Other activities will include live music, animal encounters and photo opportunities in the zoo illuminated by lights. Admission is $2 per person, free for ages 2 and under. More information can be found at www.athensclarkecounty.com.
For generations, no other holiday activity has represented the spirit of Christmas as memorably as a family outing to see "The Nutcracker." This holiday season, The Classic Center will host Rudolph Nureyev State Ballet Theatre's "The Nutcracker" for three special performances. On December 21-22, the magic of Christmas will come alive as audiences enjoy the spectacular sets, beautiful costumes and enchanting choreography. Audiences have three chances to catch this holiday classic come to life: Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Ticketing information can be found at www.ClassicCenter.com.
What better holiday present could there be than plans for a New Years Eve getaway to Athens? The Hotel Indigo and Foundry Park Inn & Spa are offering special hotel packages complete with Athens' renowned live music to make sure the first memories of the New Year are ones to never forget. Packages are posted at www.VisitAthensGA.com/packages
The Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau is an excellent resource for planning a holiday getaway to Athens, Georgia. More information about these events, other holiday-themed activities, special offers, hotel recommendations and other travel resources is available at www.VisitAthensGA.com or by calling 706-357-4430.
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