For a festive day trip, short getaway or holiday vacation to the Southeast U.S., here are 50 fun seasonal attractions and fun places to visit. Enjoy Christmas lights, visits with Santa, exploring time honored traditions and more. Entry prices range from free to moderate, offering choices for all travel budgets.
This listing is arranged alphabetically by state and city.
This listing is arranged alphabetically by state and city.
Alabama - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 1. Huntsville - Huntsville Botanical Garden Galaxy of Lights
- 2. Huntsville - Santa's Village
- 3. Mobile - Bellingrath Gardens and Home Magic Christmas in Lights
Florida - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 4. Orlando - Walt Disney World Holiday Events
- 5. Orlando - Macy's Holiday Parade and Grinchmas at Universal Orlando
- 6. Orlando - SeaWorld's Holiday Celebration
Georgia - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 7. Atlanta - Holiday Lights, Ice Skating, Macy's Pink Pig, Atlantic Station and More
- 8. Lake Lanier Islands - Lake Lanier Magical Nights of Lights
- 9. Lookout Mountain - Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights
- 10. Pine Mountain - Callaway Gardens Fantasy in Lights
- 11. Stone Mountain - Christmas at Stone Mountain Park
Kentucky - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 12. Berea - 12 Days of Christmas (Festive Workshops)
- 13. Lexington - Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park
- 14. Louisville - KaLightoscope Christmas at the Galt House Hotel
- 15. Louisville - Lights Under Louisville at the Louisville MEGA Cavern
North Carolina - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 16. Asheville - Christmas at Biltmore Estate
- 17. Asheville - National Gingerbread Competition and Display at the Grove Park Inn
- 18. Asheville - A Dickens Christmas in the Village
- 19. Clemmons - Tanglewood Festival of Lights
- 20. McAdenville - Christmas Town USA (McAdenville)
- 21. Wilmington - Enchanted Airlie
- 22. Winston-Salem - Holiday Season at Old Salem
- 23. Belmont - Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden - Holiday Lights at the Garden
South Carolina - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 24. Charleston - Holiday Festival of Lights
- 25. Columbia - Riverbanks Zoo Lights Before Christmas
- 26. Myrtle Beach - Holiday Shows, Broadway at the Beach, Ripley's Festival of Trees + More
- 27. Murrells Inlet - Brookgreen Gardens Nights of a Thousand Candles
- 28. Sumter - Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights
- 29. Wellford - Holiday Lights Safari Benefit
Tennessee - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 30. Bristol - Bristol Motor Speedway in Lights
- 31. Chattanooga - Ruby Falls - Deck the Falls and Ruby Red Christmas
- 32. Clarksville - Christmas on the Cumberland
- 33. Gatlinburg - Gatlinburg Winter Magic
- 34. Memphis - Winter at Graceland
- 35. Nashville - Gaylord Opryland's A Country Christmas
- 36. Pigeon Forge - Dollywood Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival
Virginia - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 37. Alexandria - Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk
- 38. Alexandria - Christmas at Mount Vernon
- 39. Charlottesville - Monticello Holiday Events
- 40. Norfolk - Dominion Garden of Lights Norforlk Botanical Garden
- 41. Richmond - GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
- 42. Richmond - Richmond Tacky Lights Tours
- 43. Richmond - Victorian Holidays at Maymont
- 44. Vienna - Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long
- 45. Williamsburg - Colonial Williamsburg Christmas, Busch Gardens Christmas Town + More
- 46. Richmond to Virginia Beach - 100 Miles of Lights
More Southeast U.S. Locations - Featured Holiday Attractions
- 47. Natchitoches, Louisiana - Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights
- 48. National Harbor, Maryland - Gaylord National Christmas on the Potomac and ICE
- 49. Wheeling, West Virginia - Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights
- 50. Various Cities and Towns - Holiday Parades and Holiday Flotillas
