Christmas in Wears Valley kicks off Friday, November 29th with tree lighting ceremony
By Jeaneane Payne

Wears Valley wants to take you back in time to the days of old-fashioned Christmas trees, horse-drawn wagon rides, hayrides, and storytelling. Lots of fun awaits you in the Valley during the holiday season. A four-week long event, "Christmas in Wears Valley" will begin with a tree lighting ceremony at 6:00 pm on Friday, Nov. 29, 2013 at Wears Valley Ranch which borders Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The event will run through December 31st.

In the late-November dusk on Nov. 29th, a choir will gather at Wears Valley Ranch, 3601 Lyon Springs Road, Sevierville, TN for a magnificent tree lighting ceremony. A blazing bon-fire will warm the night air as favorite Christmas carols warm our hearts as a trumpet plays. A storyteller will spin some tales, and a rich tenor voice singing "Oh Holy Night" with the words echoing throughout the Valley could cause us to hear the angels' voices. After the final "Silent Night," everyone heads to Friendly Falls for "The Best Cup of Hot Chocolate in the South!"

Earlier in the day fun attractions, stores, art galleries, and restaurants will be bustling with activity. Food vendors at Cove Creek RV Resort on Wears Valley Road will be serving up tasty items like barbecue pork, turkey legs, Philly cheese steaks, smoked sausage, chicken, ribbon fries, funnel cakes, corn dogs, and caramel or candy apples. A tree tour throughout the Valley will feature trees decorated the old-fashioned way. Hayrides, horse-drawn wagon rides, and carolers will liven up the day's activities.

Wears Valley Ranch is hosting Wears Valley's first Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Wears Valley (population 7,486) is situated in a valley known as Wear Cove, which is nestled beside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In winter, cars travel between Townsend, TN and Pigeon Forge, TN on Wears Valley Road. Not everyone stops, but those who do discover the part of the Smoky Mountains they have been hoping to find.

Special events are spread over four weekends, November 29-30, December 13-14, December 20-21, and December 27-28. The first weekend is the tree lighting ceremony on November 29. On November 30 professional storytellers will tell you stories that will make your jaws drop. Throughout the four-week event, you can enjoy a tree tour, hayrides, horse-drawn wagon rides, and shopping for a live Christmas tree – all available daily. Storytelling events will be held on Saturday afternoons. On Saturday, December 7 at 2:00 pm, Bill Landry from The Heartland Series will tell stories at our tree festival at Cove Creek RV Resort, 3293 Wears Valley Road. An aroma of freshly baked cookies will fill the air each Saturday at the tree festival. Free cookies and hot beverages will be offered to attendees.

Santa Claus will make a special appearance on Friday and Saturday, November 29-30, from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm at his special house at Cove Creek RV Resort.

Wears Valley consists of unique shops, mom and pop restaurants, art galleries, overnight cabin rentals, bed and breakfast inns, a ranch, and several churches including Headricks Chapel, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Wears Valley turns back the clock. Arriving during the winter season is like entering a Christmas card. Although it is a short drive to nearby busy towns, Wears Valley on a wintry night seems a long way from anywhere. With the often snow-peaked Smoky Mountains as a backdrop the Valley beckons you to retreat for a while into the serenity of one of America's most beautiful valleys. The chilly night air and the sounds of silence will lead you to your mountain cabin where you can rest by a warm, cozy fireplace or relax in a hot tub on the deck. Enjoy the beauty of the mountains while sipping on a cup of coffee on your deck or joining us in one of our mom and pop restaurants where you will find a hearty breakfast awaiting you.

Event Coordinator is Jeaneane Payne, CEO of Image Builders. Christmas in Wears Valley is an event of the Wears Valley Area Chamber of Commerce and is sponsored by Image Builders • Fireside Chalets and Cabin Rentals • Wears Valley Ranch • Cabin Fever Vacations • Brainstorm Café • Smoky Mountain Property Management by Wyndham Vacation Rentals® • Black Bear Ridge Resort • Imagine It Embroidery • Quality Roofing & Remodels • Frank Markowitz Ins. • Tom Lolio Property Management, Cornerstone Insurance • and William Knight Insurance Agency.

For more information, please visit www.christmasinwearsvalley.com, Facebook at www.facebook.com/christmas.wearsvalley, or Twitter at twitter.com/ChristmasWV.

Published November 23, 2013