Calendar

Your guide to event-related travel in the Southeast

GEORGIA

Lookout Mountain — Rocktoberfest, happening weekends in October, includes live German music, polka lessons, German food, specialty beer, costumed characters and more. seerockcity. com.

Twin City — The annual Sugar Cane Festival, Nov. 16, allows visitors to watch sugar cane being ground, sample cane juice and enjoy food vendors, craft vendors and tour a covered bridge/grist mill. explore.gastateparks.org. Warm Springs — The annual Christmas Candlelight Festivities, Nov. 22-30, include strolling carolers, musicians and other entertainers while stores are open late to shop for holiday gifts. www. warmspringsga.com.

Folkston — Pioneer Day, Nov. 23, shows how the early homesteaders lived in the Okefenokee area and includes crafts, food, syrupmaking, demonstrations and music. exploregeorgia.org. Kingsland — The 37th annual Kingsland Catfish Festival, Nov. 23, features a parade, arts and crafts booths, Southern-fried catfish with grits, a kids’ area, a 5K and more. www.kingslandcatfishfestival.org.

Cornelia — Christmas in the Park, Dec. 12-14, features ice skating, s’mores, a holiday market, music, dancing, photos with Santa and more. exploregeorgia.org. Thomasville — Victorian Christmas, Dec. 12-13, includes carriage rides, live nativity, Santa visits, marshmallow toasting and chestnut roasting, live entertainment and street performers and more. thomasvillega.com.

Rutledge — The Winter Festival, Dec. 14, features a hay ride, Santa’s parade, Santa’s photos, games, mini golf and a gingerbread house contest. exploregeorgia.org.

Blue Ridge — The Fire and Ice Chili Cook Off Festival, Feb. 15, includes live music, ice sculptures and a chili competition. bestofblueridge. biz.

ALABAMA

Orange Beach — The Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival, Nov. 7-17, welcomes nearly 200 songwriters from around the world to play all types of venues. www.fbisf.com.

Huntsville — Galaxy of Lights, Nov. 29-Dec. 31, is a drive-through light display of dinosaurs, wild animals, twinkling icicle forest, garden scenes, animated snowmen and more. hsvbg.org. Athens — The North Pole Stroll, Dec. 2-27, returns with decorated trees sponsored by area agencies, groups, businesses and families. www.visitathensal.com. Demopolis — Christmas on the River, Dec. 4-7, is an annual event with a reading of the Christmas Story and the lighting of the park with a Santa visit, children’s plays, a barbecue cook-off, arts and crafts show, parades and more. www.demopolischamber.com. Tuscumbia — Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont, Dec. 8, includes costumed docents to explain the history of the mansion, along with Christmas music, vintage ballroom dancing and refreshments. bellemontmansion.org. Montgomery — The Bicentennial Culmination, Dec. 13-15, climaxes with parades, fireworks, a laser light show and free admission to most of the area’s historic attractions. alabama200.org.

Gulf Shores — The annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parade, Dec. 13, travels the Intracoastal Waterway Canal. alabamacoastalchristmas. com.

FLORIDA

Stuart — The Stuart Air Show, Nov. 1-3, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a 5K and performers including the F-16 Viper Demo Team, the Black Daggers, Aeroshell and the Twin Tigers Aerobatic

Team. www.stuartairshow.com. Pensacola — The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, Nov. 1-3, features more than 200 craftsmen, live music, a children’s arts festival, student art show and more. ww.ggaf.org.

Amelia Island — The Pentaque Amelia Island Open, Nov. 8-10, is open to novices and champions, and offers good grub and locally made souvenirs. ameliaisland. com.

Siesta Key — The Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival, Nov. 15-18, features 24 hours of sand sculpting over four days as well as vendors, amateur contests and a party tent. www.siestakeycrystalclassic. com.

Pensacola — The Winterfest, Nov. 23-24, Nov. 30, and Dec. 1, 7 and 14-16, includes an elf parade, city lights, performances, reindeer games and more. www.pensacolawinterfest.org.

Fernandina Beach — The annual Holiday Home Tour, Dec. 6-7, features Victorian homes decorated for the holidays by a local florist/ decorator. ameliamuseum.org. Cocoa Beach — The 10th annual Surfing Santas event, Dec. 24, features nearly 600 surfing Santas trying to break their own record for the number of Santas simultaneously riding the waves. There’s also a costume contest for winter-themed outfits (snowman,

Santa & Mrs. Claus, gingerbread men, reindeer, elves) for a chance to win prizes. surfingsantas.org.

NORTH CAROLINA

Huntersville — The Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze, through Nov. 3, is a 7-acre corn maze featuring more than two miles of interconnecting paths and you can enjoy local beer, wine and cider, hiking trails and mini mazes. www. ruralhill.net.

Clayton — The Shindig, Nov. 2, is a music and craft beer festival which includes a beard competition. www.theshindig.net. Southport — The Southport Wooden Boat Show, Nov. 2, displays some of the Southeast’s wooden boats and also offers boat building demonstrations, live music and fresh food. www. ncbrunswick.com.

Sylva — The WNC Pottery Festival, Nov. 2, includes artwork from more than 40 exhibitors from 16 states displaying their handmade pieces. www.wncpotteryfestival.com. Wilmington — The Cucalorus festival, Nov. 13-17, is a performing arts and film festival. www. cucalorus.

Raleigh — The American Indian Heritage Celebration, Nov. 23, brings together musicians, dancers, artists, storytellers and authors from North Carolina’s eight recognized tribes for craft demonstrations, hands-on activities, games, food and more. www. ncmuseumofhistory.org. Wrightsville Beach — The North Carolina Holiday Flotilla, Nov. 30, includes a boat parade, tree lighting ceremony, visit from santa and more. www.ncholidayflotilla.org.

Beech Mountain —The ’80s Retro Ski Weekend, Feb. 20-22, features a parade with residents dressed in their best 1980s garb, nightly performances by popular artists and tribute bands, cosmic tubing, neon dayglo rides and more. www.beechmountainresort.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Myrtle Beach — The Dickens Christmas Show & Festivals, Nov. 14-17, includes festivals of trees, wreaths, tables and more. There also is a marketplace. www.dickenschristmasshow.com.

Charleston — The Holiday Festival of Lights, Nov. 15-Dec. 31, is a driving tour of lights, but also includes a sand sculpture, treats from Santa’s Sweet Shoppe, giant greeting cards, a Victorian carousel and more. www.holidayfestivaloflights.com.

Beaufort — The Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla, Dec. 7, features boats, yachts, kayaks and commercial vessels decorated for the holiday season. maritimefriends. com.

Beaufort — The Christmas Candlelight Tour, Dec. 14, is a tour of private homes via a ride on the double-decker bus with carolers from local churches. beauforthistoricsite.org.

TENNESSEE

Chattanooga — Dread Hollow, through Oct. 31, is a haunted experience with special effects, sinister freaks and chilling storylines in addition to two extreme escape rooms. www.dreadhollow.com. Chattanooga — Ruby Falls Christmas Underground, Dec. 1-8 and 12-23, features a visit with Santa, a glittering ice cave, mining for joystones and playing in snow flurries in the cave. www.rubyfalls. com.

VIRGINIA

Danville — The Community Holiday Light Show, Dec. 12-25, is a drive-through light show featuring displays built by families, organizations and businesses, along with crafts and photos with Santa. danvilleva.gov.