Tourism

Honoring Our Heroes

Monuments, historical markers, mural, museum, and parks in McMinn County which honor our veterans

Merrier in McMinn

Events

Holiday House at McMinn County Living Heritage Museum. This annual holiday event hosts a delicious buffet dinner, bake sale, and live and silent auctions to benefit the Museum Guild on November 14. Tickets can be purchased at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum or online. 

Christmas Market at the Cove, this is a holiday shopping event held in the new Country Cove Venue on November 16. Local crafters and businesses will be set up and celebrating the kickoff of holiday shopping season. 

Christmas Market at Whispering Winds, holiday shopping vendor event at the new Whispering Winds venue in Etowah on November 16. Kick off your holiday season with a fun Saturday afternoon full of shopping, eating, and taking in a beautiful view. 

Southern Ray Farm's Open House and Holiday Market Stop in and see the beautiful rust barn while shopping some local vendors. The barn will be festive and sure to get you into the holiday spirit on November 17.

3rd Annual Small Town Christmas Vendor Event Local vendors will be set up at the Englewood Community Center on November 23. 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the Arts Center on November 21, 23, 24. Barbara Robinson’s misfit Herdmans crash the church pageant and end up teaching the true meaning of Christmas in this multigenerational romp. Tickets available with the Arts Center. 

Holiday Bazaar at the Arts Center on November 23 & 24. Join the Arts Center for holiday treats and craft activities on the hour and professional photos with Santa between performances of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Old Fashioned Downtown Christmas in Historic Downtown Athens on November 22. Join Main Street Athens in celebrating the upcoming holiday season in Historic Downtown Athens. Visitors will enjoy evening shopping with your local businesses and vendors. Watch for Santa sightings, tree lighting, hot chocolate and more!

Easy Holiday Appetizers & Drink Pairings with White Street Market. Join White Street Market on November 25 for Holiday Wine and Easy Appetizers. White Street Market will provide the Appetizers and Muddy Waters of Athens will provide the wine. Come shop local with White Street Market and will remain open till 8:00PM for extended shopping hours.

Calhoun Christmas in the Park Enjoy the largest Christmas light display in McMinn County! Special activities include photos with Santa, treats, thousands of lights and displays to enjoy throughout Meadowland Park. Join this annual event on Friday, November 29 in Calhoun!

Santa's Magical Movie Express on November 30. Gather your family and friends for an afternoon filled with festive cheer. Start your adventure at the Gem Theater for a special viewing of the beloved holiday classic, The Polar Express. Then make your way to the historic L & N Depot to snap a selfie with Santa and treat yourself to cookies and hot chocolate. Tickets are required for this event.  

Lessons and Carols by Tennessee Wesleyan University. Celebrate the Christmas season with the beautiful, talented sounds of students and staff on December 3. 

Milk and Cookies with Maggie & Santa at the Mayfield Dairy Farm Visitors Center on December 5. This event is held from 4-6pm and guests are treated to milk and cookies and get to take photos with Santa and Maggie!

Jazzy Little Christmas with the Arts Center is held December 6-8. This beloved tradition ushers in the Holiday season with choral performances of sacred and popular music as well as featured soloists and small group numbers.

Red Shoe Gala fundraiser for CASA Corridor on December 6. Come ready with your best red shoes for an elegant evening graced with big band Christmas music by Sweet Georgia Sound, a silent auction including Christmas trees, as well as a night full of supporting the children of our community and fundraised to better support the mission of CASA! 

Sustainable Holiday Crafts Heritage School on December 7. Join the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum for a fun crafts class where you will learn how to make sustainable holiday crafts using all natural materials like pinecones, twigs, recycled cloth, acorns, and leaves. Sign up online or with the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum. 

Matt Cordell Christmas Variety Show at the Gem Theater in Etowah on December 7. This year's event features two-time 2024 Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year, Matt Cordell, who will deliver his high-energy Ultimate Variety Christmas Show to support the nonprofit Christmas for Kids organization. Tickets available by visiting the Etowah Police Department or Etowah Community Center. 

Breakfast with the Grinch “Then he got an idea! An awful idea! The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea!” Join the Athens-McMinn YMCA for their annual Breakfast with the Grinch on December 14. Tickets must be pre-purchased online. 

Old Fashioned Christmas Festival and Parade with the City of Niota. Outdoor Fun for the whole family starts at 2pm on December 14, with live music, photo booths, craft vendors, Fire Pits. The parade will begin at 6pm and the memorial tree lighting at 7:30pm.

Merry Tuba Christmas at the Gem Theater in Etowah on December 21. This holly jolly night features local musicians, tubas, euphoniums, baritones, and sousaphones! This year will feature a special opening performance by the quintet- Craggy Top Brass Quintet!

Christmas Festival at the Mayfield Farm Park. New this year at the Mayfield Farm Park! Get into the holiday spirit at the new Christmas Festival featuring visits from Santa, a silo light show, and 40+ family activities! Tickets are available online and the festival is open November 29-December 23. 

Tree Lightings

November 22- Athens Old Fashioned Downtown Christmas

December 5- Tennessee Wesleyan University Campus Tree Lighting

December 14- Niota Old Fashioned Christmas

Parades

December 2- Jimmy Liner Memorial Christmas Parade in Athens. Hosted by the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. 

December 5- Durrant Tullock Memorial Christmas Parade in Etowah. Hosted by the Etowah Chamber of Commerce. 

December 6- Englewood Christmas Parade in Englewood. Hosted by CAGE- Community Action Group of Englewood. 

December 14- Old Fashioned Christmas in Niota kicks off their celebration with a parade hosted by the City of Niota. 


13 Things to do in McMinn County during Spooky Season!

Festivals

Etowah Fall Festival Experience the harvest season on the Historic L&N Depot Lawn. Tons of vendors, incredible food, games, and wonderful live entertainment will keep you entertained all day! Event is held on Saturday, October 5, in Etowah, Tennessee. 

Fried Green Tomato Festival Niota's annual Fried Green Tomato Festival brings a 5K race, food trucks, craft and baked good vendors, family fun games and live music to the City of Niota, Tennessee. Fried Green Tomato Festival Bingo night will be held on Friday, October 11, 2024. 

Pumpkintown Festival The 21st Annual Pumpkintown Festival will take place on Saturday, October 12, in Historic Downtown Athens, Tennessee. The festival features over 200 vendors, food, shopping, doggie costume contest, powwow, and tons of activities and entertainment all day!  

Special Events

Murders on Main Stroll through Downtown Etowah, Tennessee and discover murders that occurred in this quaint community more than 50 years ago. Stories are from local historian Durant Tullock and performed by the Gem Players. Event dates are October 17-19, 2024 and recommended to purchase tickets ahead of time! 

Trick or Treating in the Wetlands Bring the family to the E. G. Fisher Public Library's Wetlands for an evening of trick or treating and activities with local businesses. Event will be held rain or shine on October 24, 2024. 

Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Athens Movie Palace Movie will be showing and prop bags are available for purchase! This event is on October 24, 2024, and tickets can be purchased online at the Athens Movie Palace website. 

Monster Mashup Guys, girls, ghosts, and gremlins are welcome to join in for a night of karaoke, costume contests, and more all to benefit the Athens Area Council for the Arts + The Arts Center. Moster Mashup will have something for everyghost: karaoke, dancing, costume contests, life size party games, a selfie station, and surprise entertainment. Halloween-themed tasty treats and a cash bar will be available. Costume contest prizes will be awarded in three categories: individual, couple, and family. Prizes ranges from drink tickets to Arts Center concert tickets. This unique event takes place on October 26, 2024 and is recommended to purchase tickets ahead of time through the Arts Center. 

Dining with the Dead Attendees will learn about local Civil and Revolutionary war figures who they have may not heard about in the textbooks but were buried right here in the cemetery where the event takes place. Local actors recreate their big battles and tales in such an entertaining way, you may feel like you were back in time. Limited tickets are available and this event sells out quickly, all tickets must be purchased in advance. The event takes place in Englewood, Tennessee on October 26, 2024. 

Downtown Ghost Walk Spooky season is in full force in Historic Downtown Athens. October 27-31, Main Street Athens hosts the shadows of history coming alive through tales of legend and lore. Join us as we walk through the streets of Athens, uncovering stories of untimely deaths and mysterious happenings that have lingered for generations. From haunted buildings to mysterious encounters, each stop along the way reveals a hidden side of Athens' past. Limited number of spaces are available each night for the full experience and tickets are recommended ahead of time. 

Boo & View The Boo & View is a special movie event hosted by the Athens Movie Palace. Enjoy trick or treating with local businesses on your way into the theater for a viewing of a specially picked Halloween themed movie. This event is on October 29, 2024 at 6:00 pm…. and it's FREE!

All Month Long

The Scream Chamber This year The Scream Chamber takes fear to a whole new level. On the outskirts of Athens, Tennessee, there's a place so haunted the locals won't go. After 200 years of death and murder within its walls, it is now guarded by the bodiless spirits that protect the chamber of the dead. If you're ready to come face-to-face with your deepest, darkest fears, they'll be waiting for you. 

Fall Foliage Train Ride The Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association and the Tennessee Valley Rail Road host train excursions running along the Hiwassee River over the famous Hiwassee Rail Loop. Stop mid-day for lunch and shopping in Copperhill, Tennessee and McCaysville, Georgia. The beautiful fall foliage and breathtaking views of the Hiwassee River should be at the top of your “fall bucket list.” Snacks and souvenirs area also available for purchase on the train. 

Guthrie Pumpkin Farm & Corn Maze Celebrate 25 years of a family-owned farm by attending the Guthrie Pumpkin Farm and Corn Maze this season. The farm tour offers tons of activities and toys for the kids to play on including rubber duck races, hayrides, pumpkin patch, and a corn maze. Bonus, the farm just celebrated the birth of two donkeys!

Mayfield Farm Park Who doesn't want to go to a pumpkin patch in the fall? The Mayfield Farm Park will keep you and your kiddos entertained and active all day long! Pumpkin patch, flower patch, corn maze, zip lines, hog races, goats, super slides, bouncers, and TONS more. Purchase pumpkins, flowers, and gift items along with concessions right from the farm. 

McMinn County Living Heritage Museum Quilt Show Enjoy the best quilt show in East Tennessee for the entire month of October. Take a tour through the museum and you will find over 100 quilts from regional quilters. We take great pride in our textile heritage in McMinn County and in addition to the McMinn County Living Heritage Museums Annual Quilt Show, the Arts Center also will have a Gospel Quilts II Exhibit by local artist Karen Malone beginning October 28, 2024. In addition to these beautiful displays, all year round throughout Historic Downtown Athens you will find the Patterns of the Past Quilt Tour, where local artists recreated quilt patterns and are on public display. 

Scary Sundays at the Athens Movie Palace Watch thrilling movies every Sunday in October. Each week a different movie will be featured!

Spooky season wouldn't be the same without candy. Here's a list of the local trick or treating organized city events or follow Halloween in Athens, TN's Facebook Page. 
Niota hosts Trunk or Treat/National Day Out on October 27, 2024.
Athens Parks and Recreation hosts a Costume Contest at Market Park. (October 31)
Calhoun (October 31)
Englewood hosts a Halloween Block Party (October 31)
Etowah hosts Candy Junction. (October 31)

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