🧭 Hundred-Mile Happenings: See Rossville's Christmas Spirit Trees, Shop Knoxville's Retropolitan Craft Fair, Stroll in Machine-Made Snow With Mrs. Claus, Catch the WIVK Christmas Parade, Visit Santa Atop the Sunsphere and Browse a Toy Train Show in Lebanon

Or: Six Fresh Outings From a Small-Town Tree Contest to a Room Full of Toy Trains, Plus One Thing to Remember: Knoxville Is an Hour Ahead, and Friday, Dec. 4, Is Its Big Night

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Saturday, November 14, 2026

Good morning, neighbor. Here are six outings we haven’t told you about before. Next Saturday, Nov. 21, Rossville, Ga., holds its Christmas Spirit Tree Decorating Competition on John Ross Commons, and it’s free. The next day, Sunday, Nov. 22, Knoxville’s Retropolitan Craft Fair celebrates 10 years of handmade and vintage goods, with free entry. In early December, Huntsville’s Stovehouse fills an alley with machine-made snow for Mrs. Claus’ Snow Stroll (Dec. 3–5). Knoxville has a big Friday, Dec. 4: the 53rd WIVK Christmas Parade rolls down Gay Street, and that same weekend, Santa sits atop the Sunsphere (Dec. 4–6). On Saturday, Dec. 12, more than 150 tables of model trains fill a building at the fairgrounds in Lebanon for the Christmas Toy Train Show. What it means for you: three are free, the train show is $8 cash with kids 12 and under free, and the closest one, Rossville, is under an hour away.

⏱️ Your 30-second trip list

• Sat., Nov. 21, 3–5 p.m. Eastern (2–4 our time): Christmas Spirit Tree Decorating Competition, John Ross Commons, Rossville, Ga. Free.
• Sun., Nov. 22, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Eastern (10–5 our time): Retropolitan Craft Fair, Mill & Mine, Knoxville. Free entry.
• Thu.–Sat., Dec. 3–5, from 5:30 p.m. Central: Mrs. Claus’ Snow Stroll, Stovehouse, Huntsville. Price: check before you go.
• Fri., Dec. 4, 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. our time): WIVK Christmas Parade, Gay Street, Knoxville. Free to watch.
• Fri.–Sun., Dec. 4–6: Santa at the Sunsphere, Knoxville. Photo packages $60 or $75.
• Sat., Dec. 12, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Central: Christmas Toy Train Show, Wilson County Fairgrounds, Lebanon. $8 cash; kids 12 and under free.

📝 The one thing to remember: Rossville and Knoxville are on Eastern time, an hour ahead of us. If the Knoxville parade starts at 7 p.m. there, it’s 6 p.m. on your kitchen clock. Huntsville and Lebanon are on Central, same as Dunlap. And if you only make one trip to Knoxville, make it Friday, Dec. 4: see Santa at the Sunsphere in the daytime and stay for the parade that night.

🎄 See Rossville’s Christmas Spirit Trees on John Ross Commons

Here’s a sweet small-town story. Rossville City Council member Erica Harris was watching the Netflix show “Virgin River” when she saw a Christmas tree decorating contest on screen and thought, “I want to do that.” So she did. The Rossville Christmas Spirit Tree Decorating Competition has grown into a community celebration on John Ross Commons, with decorated trees, Santa, caroling and free activities for children.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 3–5 p.m. Eastern (2–4 p.m. our time).
• Where: John Ross Commons, Rossville, Ga., just over the state line south of Chattanooga.
• How far: About 35 miles, roughly 55 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free to attend. Kids’ activities are free; hot cocoa, snacks and pizza are for sale.
• Who’ll love it: Young families, grandparents and anyone who likes to see what a whole town can do with tinsel and a little imagination.
• Good to know: We have the details from one newspaper report, so check before you go for the exact spot to park.

👉 Read more (Catoosa County News — Rossville’s Christmas Tree Contest Grows Into Holiday Tradition)

🧶 Shop Handmade and Vintage at the Retropolitan Craft Fair

For 10 years, the Retropolitan Craft Fair has grown from a small local market into one of the best-known maker fairs in the Southeast. Every vendor is picked by a jury for one-of-a-kind work, so you’ll find handmade goods, upcycled pieces and vintage-style finds you won’t see at the mall. It all happens indoors at the Mill & Mine, a big event hall by Knoxville’s Old City, so the weather won’t matter.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sunday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Eastern (10 a.m.–5 p.m. our time).
• Where: Mill & Mine, 227 W. Depot Ave., Knoxville, Tenn.
• How far: About 115 miles, roughly 2 hours 20 minutes. A bit past our 100-mile line; check your map app.
• Cost: Free entry. Bring your Christmas list and your budget.
• Who’ll love it: Gift hunters, crafters looking for ideas and anyone who’d rather buy from the person who made it.
• Good to know: Go early for the best pick of one-of-a-kind items. It’s the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so it’s a good time to knock out gifts before the rush.

👉 Read more (Retropolitan Craft Fair)

❄️ Stroll in Machine-Made Snow With Mrs. Claus in Huntsville

We may not get a white Christmas, but Huntsville will make you one. For Mrs. Claus’ Snow Stroll, Stovehouse, a food hall and shopping spot in a renovated old stove factory, runs snow machines that fill Gas Light Alley with flurries. Mrs. Claus says hello and poses for photos, kids make crafts, and the alley shops are open for gifts. At 7:30, Mrs. Claus takes the stage with The Electric Elves to sing holiday favorites live in the Food Garden.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 3–5, starting at 5:30 p.m. Central, our time. Photos with Mrs. Claus are 5:30–7 p.m.; the live show is at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Stovehouse, 3414 Governors Drive SW, Huntsville, Ala.
• How far: About 105 miles, roughly 2 hours 10 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: No price is listed, so check before you go. Food and gifts are extra.
• Who’ll love it: Little ones who’ve never seen snow fall and grown-ups who still get excited when they do.
• Good to know: The Tipsy Tinsel pop-up bar on the terrace (6–10 p.m.) is 21 and over only; the alley and Food Garden are the family parts. Bring a hat if you don’t want flakes in your hair.

👉 Read more (Stovehouse — Mrs. Claus’ Snow Stroll)

🥁 Line Gay Street for the 53rd WIVK Christmas Parade

Knoxville has been throwing this parade for 53 years. The WIVK Christmas Parade brings more than 100 floats, community groups and marching bands down Gay Street on a December Friday night, with radio hosts Heather Harrington and Bob Thomas calling the show. And, of course, Santa Claus rides at the very end to close the parade and officially open the Christmas season.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Friday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. our time).
• Where: Gay Street in downtown Knoxville, starting at Main Street and marching north to Jackson Avenue, finishing past Covenant Health Park.
• How far: About 115 miles, roughly 2 hours 20 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free to watch.
• Who’ll love it: Marching-band fans, kids who want to wave at Santa and anyone who loves a hometown parade, only bigger.
• Good to know: Arrive early for a sidewalk spot, bring chairs and warm layers, and expect Gay Street to close to traffic. Allow extra time to get out of a parking garage afterward. It’s also December’s First Friday downtown, so shops and galleries will be busy.

👉 Read more (WIVK — 2026 WIVK Christmas Parade)

🎅 Visit Santa on the Sunsphere’s Observation Deck

The gold ball you’ve seen in pictures of Knoxville is the Sunsphere, built for the 1982 World’s Fair. For one weekend, Santa sets up on its observation deck, high above the city. Santa’s helpers meet families in the Welcome Center and ride them up. Each photo package covers up to three children and comes with all the digital photos by email, plus a candy cane, a sticker and Christmas cookies from Food City.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Friday through Sunday, Dec. 4–6. Daily hours aren’t posted, so check before you go. Santa takes a break from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Eastern (11:30–12:30 our time) to feed the reindeer.
• Where: The Sunsphere, World’s Fair Park, Knoxville, Tenn. Check in at the third-floor (Level 3) Welcome Center.
• How far: About 115 miles, roughly 2 hours 20 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Package A, $60 (photos and treats). Package B, $75 (adds a wrapped gift from Santa).
• Who’ll love it: Families who want a Santa photo with a view nobody else back home will have.
• Good to know: Visit Knoxville says a limited number of packages are sold in person at the Welcome Center; call 865-314-0660 before you drive. There’s no on-site parking; they suggest the Fort Kid or Locust Street garages.

👉 Read more (Visit Knoxville — Santa at the Sunsphere)

🚂 Browse 150 Tables of Toy Trains in Lebanon

If you grew up with a Lionel set around the tree, this one’s for you. The 32nd annual Christmas Toy Train Show, put on by the Music City Chapter of the Train Collectors Association, fills a building at the Wilson County Fairgrounds with more than 150 tables of model trains of every size, new and used. There are operating layouts to watch, hard-to-find parts for your own set, door prizes, refreshments and drawings for new train sets for children throughout the day.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Saturday, Dec. 12, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Central, our time.
• Where: “Made in Tennessee” Building, Wilson County Fairgrounds, 945 E. Baddour Parkway, Lebanon, Tenn.
• How far: About 90 miles, roughly 2 hours 10 minutes by way of McMinnville. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $8 for adults, cash only. Children 12 and under get in free. Parking is free.
• Who’ll love it: Grandpas, grandkids, collectors and anyone hunting for a train to put under the tree.
• Good to know: Bring cash for admission and for the dealers. Questions? Call 615-417-3094.

👉 Read more (Wilson County Source — 32nd Annual Lebanon Christmas Train Show)

✅ Your Trip-Planning Checklist

• ✅ Clock check: Rossville and Knoxville are on Eastern time (7 p.m. there = 6 p.m. here). Huntsville and Lebanon are Central.
• ✅ Sat., Nov. 21: Rossville’s Christmas Spirit trees, 3–5 p.m. Eastern. Free; bring a little cash for cocoa.
• ✅ Sun., Nov. 22: Retropolitan Craft Fair in Knoxville. Free entry; bring your gift list.
• ✅ Dec. 3, 4 or 5: Mrs. Claus’ Snow Stroll in Huntsville, from 5:30 p.m. Bring a camera for the flurries.
• ✅ Fri., Dec. 4: Santa at the Sunsphere by day (call 865-314-0660 first), WIVK parade at 7 p.m. Eastern. Pack chairs and warm layers.
• ✅ Sat., Dec. 12: Christmas Toy Train Show in Lebanon, 9–3. Bring cash; $8 adults, kids free.
• ✅ Fill up before you go. Need gas, a tire check or a good breakfast spot on the way? Look on Dunlap.Directory.

— Dunlap.Today

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Which of these is closest to Dunlap?

The Rossville Christmas Spirit Tree Decorating Competition, about 55 minutes away just south of Chattanooga.

Which ones are free?

The Rossville tree contest, the Retropolitan Craft Fair and the WIVK Christmas Parade are all free. Kids 12 and under also get into the Lebanon train show free.

Can I do Santa at the Sunsphere and the parade on the same day?

Yes, on Friday, Dec. 4. The Sunsphere sits at World’s Fair Park, a short walk from downtown. Visit Santa in the daytime, eat an early supper and find your Gay Street spot before 7 p.m. Eastern.

Is the snow in Huntsville real?

No, it comes from snow machines, but it falls just like flurries, which is all most little ones care about.

Do I need to know anything about trains to enjoy the train show?

Not a thing. The running layouts are fun to watch, and kids can enter drawings for new train sets.

Why do some times look an hour off?

Rossville and Knoxville are on Eastern time. Subtract one hour to get Dunlap’s Central time.

🔗 Other Resources

• Catoosa County News — Rossville’s Christmas Spirit Tree Decorating Competition
• Retropolitan Craft Fair
• Stovehouse — Mrs. Claus’ Snow Stroll
• WIVK — 2026 WIVK Christmas Parade
• City of Knoxville — Christmas in the City
• Visit Knoxville — Santa at the Sunsphere
• Wilson County Source — Lebanon Christmas Train Show
• Dunlap.Directory — local businesses and services

🌅 Take It Easy, and Pick the One That Fits

You don’t need to do all six. If you want something close and easy, drive down to Rossville next Saturday to see the Christmas Spirit trees. If you’d rather shop, spend Sunday at the Retropolitan Craft Fair. If you want one big Christmas day out, make it Knoxville on Friday, Dec. 4, with Santa up high and a parade down below. And save Dec. 12 for the toy trains in Lebanon. Jot down three things: Rossville and Knoxville are an hour ahead; bring cash for the train show; and call before you go for anything we flagged. For more calm, useful news from right here at home, keep reading Dunlap.Today and find local help on Dunlap.Directory.