What Makes Highlands, North Carolina the Ultimate Christmas Destination

If you are thinking of escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life this Holiday season, Highlands, North Carolina is the place to be.

Highlands is an incorporated town in Macon County, North Carolina. It is located on a plateau of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in the Nantahala National Forest. It is known for its charming shops, inns and performing arts centers as well as its spectacular scenery.

The town is wonderful to visit year -round but it’s especially delightful during the holiday season. Here are some things you can check out when you visit.

Light Up the Park

The Light Up the Park event takes place on Black Friday at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park and kicks off the holiday season. People gather to eat sweet treats and sip hot chocolate while singing carols. Then Santa comes to light up the park with twinkling illuminations. The park stays lit throughout the holiday season offering a terrific place to come and soak up the spirit.

Trim Our Town

Trim Our Town kicks off with the Light up the Park event and lasts until Christmas Eve. Many local shops enter in a storefront decorating contest. Vote on your favorite for a chance to win a $200 gift card. While checking out the stores, you can also have fun shopping, eating, and taking it all in.

Santa’s Mailbox at the Park

Santa’s Mailbox is set up at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park during the Light up the Park event. Children can come by to place a letter in the mailbox telling Santa what they want for Christmas. Santa’s mailing address is 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. The box stays up until Christmas Eve.

Holiday Photo Opportunities

As you can imagine, Kelsey-Hutchinson Park is a great place for holiday photo opportunities. In addition to being lit up for the season, it also features a decorated Santa sleigh which is the perfect site for selfies and family photos.

Olde Mountain Christmas Parade

The Christmas Parade is a long time Highlands tradition. The procession goes down Main St. featuring bands, camels, and spectacular floats. It takes place on a weekend day in early December.

Ice Skating

Ice skating is a terrific holiday activity. The Highlands Ice Rink opens in mid-November offering tons of family fun. Reservations are no longer needed so come down at any time. Skate rentals are available, and you can also rent the space for private parties.

Winter Activities

Highland’s mountainous areas make it the ideal destination for winter activities. You can go to one of the many nature sites for a day of sledding, tubing, or snowshoeing. There are also several nearby ski resorts including the Scaly Mountain Outdoor Center, the Sapphire Valley Ski Area, the Cataloochie Ski Area, and the Wolf Ridge Ski Resort.

Kilwin Highlands

If you truly want to get into the holiday spirit, you can’t miss out on a trip to Kilwin Highlands. This vintage inspired confectionary chain has locations around the country including one located on Main Street in Town Square. It’s a great place to find caramel corn, brittle, old fashioned toffee apples and more.

The Highlands Playhouse Holiday Performance

The Highlands Playhouse is a community theater established by a troupe of actors in the mid-1930’s. It is one of the country’s oldest professional stock theaters. It hosts a variety of plays, cabarets, film events and musicals throughout the year and often features a holiday spectacular during the Christmas season.

Ornament Shopping at Bascom Center for the Visual Arts

The Bascom Center is located on a local horse farm. It is an indoor- outdoor facility that offers rotating art exhibits and educational programs. During the holiday season, you can come by to shop unique handmade ornaments produced by local and regional artists. They offer a variety to fit all tastes and budgets.

If you are thinking of getting out of town for the holiday season, Highlands makes the ideal destination. It offers so many terrific things to see and do. Which of these activities will you be getting to first when you make the trip out there?

Read more of A Christmas Blog or Shop Now at Schmidt Christmas Market