Community Events

In recognition of the vital importance of increased visibility and diverse representation of LGBTQ+ communities and issues, particularly in our rural areas, the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art is honored to present Queer Perspectives, a juried exhibition in Fall 2024.

A beloved Christmas tradition shines even brighter!

This holiday season, discover the brand-new Tree of Traditions, a 40-foot Pixel Pine Tree, lighting up festive winter nights in Callaway Christmas Village. Step out of your car and into a real-life Winter Wonderland of twinkling lights, oversized ornaments and a forest of perfectly decorated trees. Then climb aboard the Jolly Trolley for a dazzling journey along the classic seven-mile Fantasy In Lights drive-through experience, illuminated with 10 million twinkling lights and 17 dazzling Christmas scenes! Discover 2,500 acres of Christmas cheer with your family only during Fantasy in Lights presented by Georgia Power.

Join us every weekend at the Callaway Discovery Center for our Woodland Workshops Series! Woodland Workshops is a hands on workshop for children of all ages.

• Sept. 21-22 - Animal Track Molds
• Sept. 28-29 - Bee/Bug Hotels
   
• Oct. 5-6 - “Pebbles” the Stone Snake
• Oct. 12-13 - Make a Garden Stone
• Oct. 19-20 - Monster Pumpkins
• Oct. 26-27 - Monster Pumpkins
   
• Nov. 2-3 - Pinecone Bird Feeder
• Nov. 9-10 - Leaf Pounding
• Nov. 16-17 - Animal Track Molds
• Nov. 23-24 - Gourd Birdhouses
• Nov. 30-Dec. 1 - Dried Leaf Art
   
• Dec. 7-8 - Wood Ornaments
• Dec. 14-15 - Wood Ornaments
• Dec. 21-22 - Make a Winter Wreath
• Dec. 28-29 - Make a Garden Stone

The Madison Artists Guild & Gallery's 6th Annual Holiday Market is filled with one of a kind gifts ready to purchase for the holidays – wreaths, ornaments, pottery, jewelry, glass art, paintings and more.

The market will be open Oct. 18-Dec. 31, during regular MAGallery hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., with extended hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Shop Sip ‘N Stroll Saturdays in November, during Madison’s Fifth Fridays (open until 7 p.m.), Holiday Tour of Homes and Candlelight Shopping (open until 7 p.m.).

With more than 30 artists providing a variety of handmade items, shoppers will find something for everyone this holiday season.

Come early to find the best selections.

“Christmas Belles,” a play by Jones, Hope, Wooten, is an uproarious comedy that takes place in Fayro, Texas, at the local church’s Christmas Eve program. It spins hilariously out of control when feuding sisters, a surly Santa, family secrets and a reluctant Elvis impersonator come to life on the stage. This holiday journey through a misadventure-filled production is guaranteed to bring joy to your world.

Shows are on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at the theater's website or at the theater box office, one hour before each performance.  If you have any questions, send an email to taterpatchplayers@gmail.com.

"A Christmas Tradition" returns to The Strand stage for another unforgettable year of sharing the holiday spirit through sparkling song and dance!  This hometown favorite holiday revue features costumed singers and dancers performing both traditional and funky Christmas favorites.  A Christmas Tradition is a non-stop, high-energy spectacle that is the perfect way to put the whole family in the Christmas spirit this season!

"A Christmas Tradition" is approximately 2 hours long, which includes an Intermission.

Arrive 30 minutes before showtime for a live holiday concert performed on the Mighty Allen Theatre Organ!

Do you have a group of 10+?

Call the Box Office at (770) 293-0080  for a group discount!

How Far to Bethlehem? is a free, Drive-Thru Nativity with live actors and animals depicting the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The event occurs on Dec. 13, 14 and 15 from 7-9 p.m.

Come experience the hope, peace and fulfillment that Christ's birth brings as we celebrate the nativity, a powerful reminder of God's love and the promise of salvation. Join us in this season of reflection and joy. 

This winter, the Byron L. Dobbs Exhibit Gallery is set to host a heartwarming temporary exhibit, A Century of Toys: 100 Years of Play, just in time for the holiday season. Curated by Chuck Douglas, the collection spans three generations of his family’s cherished toys, alongside contributions from other families and History Cherokee’s archives.

Expect to see a blend of modern-day favorites and beloved vintage treasures, ensuring there’s something to stir nostalgia in every visitor. From classic toys that defined childhoods to recent creations, this exhibition promises a captivating experience for children and adults alike.

Admission: Free for History Cherokee members, included with general admission for non-members

Location: Cherokee County History Center, 221 E. Marietta St. Canton, GA 30114

Dates: Nov. 13, 2024, through February 2025

See iconic buildings and spaces of Cherokee County turned into gingerbread works of art by local bakers. The gingerbread creations will represent cities across Cherokee County. Each History Center guest will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite gingerbread creation. The creator of the winning gingerbread building receives bragging rights until next year. Gingerbread houses will start arriving at the History Center Nov. 23, with the full exhibit installation and opening taking place Saturday, Nov. 30.

Admission: Free for History Cherokee members, included with general admission for non-members.

Dates: Nov. 30-Dec. 22

Public Ice Skating

Experience the joy of gliding across the ice under twinkling lights at our fully-covered ice rink. Perfect for family outings, date nights or just a fun day with friends. No cold weather needed!

Open Nov. 14 till Jan. 18, 2025. 

Weekends $13 Weekends/ Prime Days $17 Seasonal Pass $140 

Check the website for dates and times.

Bring your family for a wonderful holiday tradition.

The Lights Of The South will be open Nov. 22 until Dec. 30. They will be closed Christmas day. Enjoy a hayride or stroll thought acres of beautiful Christmas lights. Kid-friendly food is available on site.

See the world's largest vertical American Flag make out of Christmas Lights.

Experience the legendary tale of the Titanic like never before with Titanic: An Immersive Voyage.

Featuring over 300 artifacts, life-sized reconstructed rooms, 3D views, video animations and state-of-the-art technology, this immersive experience offers a riveting and emotional journey through one of history’s most iconic tragedies. From the ship’s grand construction to its fatal collision with the iceberg, you’ll get to fully immerse yourself in the Titanic's captivating story.

Wander through its lavish halls, watch the iceberg appear and relive the ship’s dramatic final moments in an immersive gallery. Plus, with a virtual reality exploration of the Titanic’s wreck site more than 2.5 miles deep into the ocean, it promises to be a retelling of the Titanic story like no other.

Get your tickets now for Titanic: An Immersive Voyage in Atlanta!

Find tickets at the link below.

All are invited to skate under the stars Nov. 15 -Jan. 20 at Atlanta’s largest outdoor skating rink!\

View the exciting lineup of theme nights here. General Admission tickets ($17) and Season Passes ($90) must be purchased online in advance. Skate the Station hours are Monday through Friday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday, 12-8 p.m.

Celebration at the Station kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 23. Enjoy this interactive experience with a festive video featuring holiday lights set to the music of some of our holiday favorites and swirls of snow.

During the holiday season, check out this fantastic display at the top of every hour, from 5-9 p.m., through Wednesday, Dec. 25.

Holiday royals Princess Joy and Prince Goodtidings invite all children to join them for a very special Christmas tea party at The Strand! Royal guests will enjoy tea, juice, and sweets with the Prince and Princess.

After, the party will retire to the Grand Hall for an excerpt of “The Nutcracker” performed by Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre’s dancers and a story read by Sir Randall of Symphony of Toys. The event will conclude with a dance party, carols and photos with the Prince and Princess at the Grand Yuletide Ball. Children (and their guests, too!) are encouraged to dress up for the special occasion.

Tickets are $40 and include a gift bag of goodies from Symphony of Toys for our young guests. Festivities will last approximately an hour and a half.

All children and adults attending will need their own ticket. Limited tickets are available.

Please note that ticket sales for the remaining time slots will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024.

Warm your heart during Chattanooga’s most enchanted holiday celebration.

Experience Rock City Gardens as a nighttime winter wonderland. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the season amidst the unparalleled natural beauty of this enchanted place. This uniquely festive light experience has become a beloved holiday tradition and is not to be missed during this anniversary event.

Journey down the all-new Christmas tree walk to visit Santa at Carter Cliffs, the original home of Rock City’s founders. Decorate your own GingerGnome cookie and experience the enchantment of a winter celebration like no other – all after dark.

Don’t miss creating holiday memories with your family and friends as we celebrate 30 years of magic, moments and memories during Rock City Gardens Enchanted Garden of Lights!

Modernizing the Traditional Still Life is a reinterpretation of artists elements and principles typically used in classical art technique and theory. We will introduce methods from a variety of previous artist movements in order to modernize our current "classical" ideas and still life painting application process. Understanding specific common philosophy or goals within movements such as Impressionism, Tonalism, and Abstraction, in-combination with Traditional-Realism, will allow the painter to explore and translate their art into a more personal and contemporary manner initially based off academic ideas. 

Renovating and Updating light and shadow, and composition design. Various techniques of drawing along with preliminary sketches, value, and color studies, and fundamentals of color mixing in order to prepare for the final painting will also be reviewed. Updating the Classical approach of monochromatic underpainting, direct observation and brush and tool application of color, followed by glazing techniques, will also be discussed and shown. 

Class will consist of lectures, slide analysis, and individual critiques, while the student paints his or her own still life. 

Students should obtain their own still-life reference photos, beginning on the second zoom session. We will discuss still life reference possibilities in the first zoom session. 

Oct .7-Dec. 16, six sessions, every other Monday, 9-11 a.m. $695

The Festival of Trees is a holiday highlight!  Take a walk through a collection of beautifully decorated Christmas trees throughout the Museum of Aviation Rotunda and on the second and third floors. The view from above is amazing!

The Festival of Trees is open to the public and admission is free. This community-wide affair will put you in the holiday spirit.

Plus, this is a chance to wear your ugly Christmas sweater and take photos by your favorite tree. Don’t forget to post those pics on Facebook!

Starting in November through Christmas Eve, grab a Santa Shuffle card from a participating business! Once you spend $100 downtown you are entered to win unbelievable prizes. Ask participating businesses for a card!

In recognition of the vital importance of increased visibility and diverse representation of LGBTQ+ communities and issues, particularly in our rural areas, the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art is honored to present Queer Perspectives, a juried exhibition in Fall 2024.