[Updated October 27, 2024] This year was not the first time we’ve celebrated Christmas in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
But aside from day trips to see the Rock City Christmas lights, this was the first time we’ve ever devoted multiple days to attending all the biggest Christmas events in Chattanooga.
With a population of around 185,000 people, Chattanooga is the fastest-growing city in the State of Tennessee.
So perhaps it’s no surprise that we found the Chattanooga Christmas attractions to be every bit as impressive as those you’ll find in large mountain towns like Asheville, or even bigger cities like my native Atlanta.
From the Walnut Street Bridge and the Chattanooga Zoo to NoogaLights and Rock City, there are many magical places to see Christmas lights in Chattanooga. And some of our favorites were 100% free!
Read on for our in-depth guide to our favorite events for Christmas in Chattanooga TN, including the Asian Lantern Festival, North Pole Limited Christmas Train, Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights, and more!
READ MORE: The 15 Best Places to Celebrate Christmas in Tennessee
Christmas in Chattanooga Events Guide
- Asian Lantern Festival at the Chattanooga Zoo
- Chattanooga Holiday Market
- Christmas Plays at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre
- EPB’s Holiday Windows
- Festive Forest at Miller Park
- Holidays at the Chattanooga Choo Choo
- Ice On The Landing at First Horizon Pavilion
- NoogaLights
- North Pole Limited Train Ride at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
- Rock City Gardens Enchanted Garden of Lights
READ MORE: The 10 Best Christmas Tree Farms in Tennessee
1) Asian Lantern Festival at the Chattanooga Zoo
READ MORE: The 5 Best Christmas Towns in Tennessee to Visit
2) Chattanooga Holiday Market
Held every Sunday from April to December at the First Horizon Pavilion, the Chattanooga Market is the region’s largest producers-only market for arts & crafts and artisan foods fresh from the farm.
Named by Frommer’s as one of the Top 10 Best Public Markets in America, it’s one of the most popular Chattanooga TN events.
For the first 3 weekends in December, the open-air market moves indoors at the Chattanooga Convention Center, where the Chattanooga Holiday Market adopts a more festive Christmas theme.
There’s live music, Christmas caroling, special events (including The Lodge Cast Iron Cook-Off), and 200+ vendors offering unique handmade items, Christmas decorations, and thousands of cool Christmas gift ideas.
In our experience, this massive Christmas market in Chattanooga is a great place to shop for everyone who made your “Nice” list this year!
READ MORE: The 10 Best Tennessee Mountain Towns to Visit
3) Christmas Plays at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre
One of the oldest and largest community theatres in the USA, the Chattanooga Theatre Centre was created in 1923 as “the Little Theatre of Chattanooga.”
Now celebrating 100+ year, the theatre has grown to become one of the most popular cultural activities in Chattanooga TN, with an 11-show season that draws more than 30,000 visitors each year.
Their holiday shows are among the most beloved Christmas events in Chattanooga, ranging from classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Life to modern hits like Santaland Diaries.
We saw their 2023 Christmas production, Scrooge!, a 1970s musical adapted from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that ran for a season at London’s Dominion Theatre (starring the late Anthony Newley).
As a longtime theatre critic, I was very impressed by the quality of the acting, costumes, and stage design, which were highly professional compared to most community theatre productions.
READ MORE: 20 Ways to Celebrate Christmas in the Smoky Mountains (NC & TN)
4) EPB’s Holiday Windows
Formerly known as the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga, EPB is an electric power and telecommunications company owned by the city of Chattanooga.
Their Downtown Chattanooga headquarters towers above Miller Park, with a high-rise building that stands out among the mountain town’s skyline.
One of the best free things to do in Chattanooga at Christmas, EPB’s Holiday Windows is a beloved local holiday tradition that dates back to the World War II era.
Workers begin constructing the elaborate holiday displays in September, filling many of the windows on the Broad and Market Street sides of EPB’s building at 10 W. M.L. King Blvd.
They reminded us of the Christmas windows in NYC, with an array of colorful displays that dazzle the eyes. There’s also a cool digital display, which showed Scuba Santa at the Chattanooga Aquarium and other local holiday scenes.
READ MORE: 20 Ways to Celebrate Christmas in the Blue Ridge Mountains
5) Festive Forest at Miller Park
Located right across the street from EPB’s headquarters, Miller Park is a lovely 2-acre green space in the center of Chattanooga‘s bustling Innovation District.
The park underwent a massive redesign in 2018, which included elevating the once-sunken plaza to street level and constructing a state-of-the-art pavilion to host immersive, hi-tech productions.
Every December Miller Park plays host to the Festive Forest, one of our favorite free Christmas events in Chattanooga.
There are Christmas lights, sweet selfie spots, and 50+ live Christmas trees that are sponsored and creatively decorated by local businesses and organizations.
When combined with EPB’s Holiday Windows, it’s a fun, free way to celebrate the holidays with kids, seeing colorful Chattanooga Christmas Lights!
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
6) Holidays at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Terminal
We loved seeing the railway station all decked out for Christmas, with Santa making appearances on weekends and special events offered throughout the holiday season.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Scenic Train Rides in Tennessee
7) Ice On The Landing at First Horizon Pavilion
If you’re looking for fun things to do during Winter in Chattanooga, check out Ice On The Landing at the First Horizon Pavilion.
Located right next to Finley Stadium, the 50,000 square foot covered pavilion is home to the Chattanooga Market every Sunday from May to November.
But from the end of November until February, the open-air facility is the best place for ice skating in Chattanooga TN.
Open 6 days a week (closed on Mondays), the temporary outdoor ice rink offers 60-minute ice skating sessions, with reasonably priced tickets for adults and kids ages 10 and under. Skate rentals are included in the price of admission.
Check our their website for a detailed schedule of hours, as well as details on special themes, appearances by Santa, and more Christmas fun!
READ MORE: The 10 Best Romantic Getaways in Tennessee
8) NoogaLights
Though it’s a bit of a drive from the heart of the city (around 20 miles north), NoogaLights is the ONLY place you’ll find drive-thru Christmas lights in Chattanooga TN.
Held in the Soddy Daisy Park Bird Sanctuary, this popular Chattanooga Christmas light display takes visitors on a 1.5-mile drive lined with hi-tech animated lights, many of which are synced to festive holiday music.
When we visited on a Friday night in early December, the line to get in stretched for nearly a mile. But weeknights tend to be slower, and the quality of the lights and affordability ($15 per vehicle advance, $20 at the park) made it worth the wait.
Our favorite elements included the forest of hanging lights at the very beginning and the tunnel of rainbow-colored lights at the very end. But there are some other cool surprises along the way you’ll just have to see for yourself!
READ MORE: The 10 Best Places to See Christmas Lights in Tennessee
9) North Pole Limited Train Ride at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
READ MORE: The 7 Best Train Rides for Christmas in the Blue Ridge Mountains
10) Rock City Gardens’ Enchanted Garden of Lights
If you’re looking for the best Christmas lights in Chattanooga, Tennessee, look no further than the annual Rock City Christmas event, the Enchanted Garden of Lights.
Located atop Lookout Mountain on the Georgia/Tennessee border, Rock City is a 90-year old Chattanooga attraction whose annual Christmas celebration was named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society.
Starting in mid-November and held until the beginning of January, this year’s Enchanted Garden of Lights features a million LED lights that transform the botanical garden into a magical Winter wonderland.
Children will love meeting Santa in his workshop, decorating gingerbread cookies with Mrs. Claus, and wandering through their 7 enchanted realms of Christmas lights.
You can also grab a bite to eat, get some hot cocoa, taste Christmas-themed fudge, and visiting gift shops to buy personalized ornaments and festive Christmas decorations. –by Bret Love; all photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett unless otherwise noted; special thanks to Visit Chattanooga
