Christmas in the Smokies: the year we traded the rush for twinkle lights

For years, the holidays were a sprint. Year-end deadlines, school concerts squeezed between meetings, and a December that disappeared before we noticed it. The year we finally slowed down, we wanted a real Christmas: family together under one roof, cold mornings, warm lights and nowhere to be.

So we gathered the grandparents and cousins in the mountains. Our three-year-old saw frost on the grass the first morning and announced that it had snowed. It had not. Nobody corrected him. Our seven-year-old woke everyone at sunrise because his dad had promised to photograph the frost with him.

Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas

From early November to early January, Dollywood becomes one of the biggest Christmas light shows in the country, with millions of lights, Christmas shows, carolers and hot cocoa on every corner. Go in the late afternoon so you see it in daylight and then watch it glow at dusk. Read our Dollywood guide .

Grandpa, who claims to dislike theme parks, stood in front of the big light display holding his grandson's hand for ten full minutes. It was the best present any of us got that year.

Winterfest lights

Each winter, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville light up their towns for Winterfest, usually from November into February. You can drive the light displays on your own, and the towns often run trolley tours of the lights. In Gatlinburg it is called Winter Magic.

The Gatlinburg Christmas parade

In early December, Gatlinburg holds its Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade down the main street, with lighted floats, marching bands and giant balloons. It is free. Get there early with chairs and blankets, because the sidewalks fill fast.

Fourth of July

Gatlinburg starts Independence Day at midnight with its Fourth of July Midnight Parade, often billed as the first Fourth of July parade in the nation. Fireworks follow in the evening around the area.

As someone who chose this country, I find the Fourth in a small mountain town deeply moving. Flags on the porches, neighbors waving, kids with sparklers. It reminds me how much I love America, and how grateful I am that my boys get to grow up here.

New Year's Eve

Gatlinburg rings in the new year with a ball drop and fireworks at the Space Needle downtown, free to attend. Pigeon Forge has fireworks too. Or do what we did with the little ones: watch the countdown on TV, then step outside at midnight to hear the distant booms echo off the mountains.

Other holiday seasons

• Spring break and Easter: blooming dogwoods, waterfalls running full and Dollywood's Flower & Food Festival.
• Thanksgiving: the quiet start of the holiday lights, crisp weather and a big kitchen for the turkey.
• Fall break: peak leaf color in late October. See our fall foliage guide .