Ten Festive Southern Cities for the Holidays

By Sheridan Alexander, About.com Guide

From the coast to the country to the mountains, Southern cities large and small across the region celebrate the holidays with many time honored traditions. History and the holidays go hand-in-hand in the historic cities of Alexandria, Virginia, George Washington's former hometown, and in Williamsburg, Virginia, where the Colonial Williamsburg Christmas celebrations recall life on the eve of the American Revolution.

In Charleston, South Carolina and Natchez, Mississippi, antebellum mansions and plantations are dressed for the holidays in traditional finery, special seasonal carriage tours explore the historic streets and festive dining, music and other events delight the senses. For big city fun, head to Atlanta for world famous shopping, dinning and celebrations throughout the season, or enjoy the unique heritage and traditions of a Big Easy Christmas in New Orleans. For the best of American country, Nashville also known as Music City offers entertainment and holiday-themed events for all ages.

If Christmas in the mountains is on your holiday wish list, the great downtown vibe and eclectic attractions of Asheville, North Carolina feature everything from the opulent holiday style of the Vanderbilts to local art studios in the River Art District warehouses. If you have a Smoky Mountain kind of Christmas in mind, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, surrounded on three sides by Great Smoky Mountains National Park, celebrates the Winter Festival season with craft shows, family friendly activities at many popular attractions, trolley light tours, winter sports and more.

For great family fun or a romantic getaway on the coast, the summer beach resort playground of Myrtle Beach sparkles with holiday cheer, live entertainment, great local seafood and brilliant winter sunsets. Select from the alphabetical listing below to find out more about each of these ten fantastically festive holiday destination cities and towns:

• Alexandria, Virginia
  
• Asheville, North Carolina
  
• Atlanta, Georgia
  
• Charleston, South Carolina
  
• Gatlinburg, Tennessee
  
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
  
• Nashville, Tennessee
  
• Natchez, Mississippi
  
• New Orleans, Louisiana
  
• Williamsburg, Virginia

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