Unique Holiday Celebrations Across the Country
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Wreathed panthers
Location: Downtown Charlotte, NC
Downtown Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium also hosts a unique wreathing tradition each year. While I wouldn’t say it is an iconic as the Art Institute, it’s worth a quick look if you will be downtown anyways. The Panthers in front of the stadium are dressed in festive gear each season. Also quite impressive is the annual Panther’s Christmas tree, a massive 60 foot Norway spruce with over 60,000 lights.
The Clemson tree
Location: Downtown Greenville, SC
Uniqueness Factor: The tree is decked out in the Clemson colors (purple and orange).
Downtown Greenville is known for its’ many eclectic shops and restaurants. I love local shopping and dining on the gorgeous tree-lined Main Street. It is one of the best small downtowns in the country in my opinion and I took full advantage of it while living here for 2 years.
With Clemson being in the area, it’s no surprise that the popular football team has a Tiger Sports team shop downtown. Every Christmas, there is a huge tree adorned with Clemson team color lights. For every college football fan out there, it’s a must-see if you happen to be in town strolling Main Street.
Other holiday events in the city Ice Skating on Main Street (one of the only real rinks in the state!), the annual Festival of Trees (over 80 beautifully decorated trees across 4 hotels), and the festive Poinsettia Parade.
Despite being from the north and missing a traditional winter, I found a lot of fun festive events during my time living here. Check out my guide to spending the holidays in the Upstate for more fun to add to your bucket list.
The National Gingerbread Competition
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Uniqueness factor: It’s the largest gingerbread competition in the country!
The National Gingerbread Competition, held each year at the beautiful Omni Park Grove resort in Asheville, North Carolina has been going strong for 30+ years. This event has grown massively since its inception and now attracts top notch talent (and judges) from around the country. I attended this event every year that I lived in Greenville and Asheville. I was in awe of the creativity and talent of these artists.
All of the houses are incredibly creative and 100% edible. Many of the houses are really extravagant, requiring a precise attention to detail that’s really impossible to imagine. I’ve seen a Monopoly board game, to a cuckoo clock, to reindeers playing a game of poker. These are anything but ordinary gingerbread houses.
The public is invited to view the entries the entire month of December on select dates. If you are not staying at the resort, you will need to pay a $30 parking fee. Or better yet, plan for a night at the gorgeous Omni property which features stunning views of the Blue Ridge mountains. I love sipping cocoa by the giant lobby fireplace and browsing the on-site shops. Breakfast in the stunning Blue Dining room is also a must – the views are so incredible! I really love this resort although it is super expensive around the holidays.
Check out some of the amazing winning entries I saw during my visit.
NYE Pinecone drop at the historic Weatherford Hotel
Location: Flagstaff, Arizona
Uniqueness factor: It’s the oldest and most haunted hotel in the city
While living in Flagstaff, I came across this unique holiday tradition where a hotel downtown drops a pine cone. It takes place at the oldest hotel in town – the Weatherford. Each year since 1999, a 6 foot, 70lb pinecone drops down from the 100+ year old hotel. If you have ever wanted to see the famous NYE ball drop in person but not willing to stand in line for 15+ hours, this is a great alternative.
The pinecone drops at Noon, 10pm and Midnight which helps disperse the traffic a bit! On a side note, there is a great little restaurant here called Charly’s on-site. They serve really delicious Native American specialties including an amazing Navajo taco.
