Country Christmas This Weekend At Granville, As Community Celebrates

More than 225 volunteers from across the Upper Cumberland have historic Granville decked out for the season.

More than 30 trees have been decorated, and the entire historic town showcases the season. President of the Granville Museum Randall Clemons said Christmas is the community’s second biggest tourism event of the year.

“Granville has become a tourist destination,” Clemons said. “We have about 35,000 guests a year. We are Tennessee’s Mayberry town. So, we have a strong tourism. We have eight festivals a years, to which the Christmas season is one of those.”

Clemons said the goal is for the city to look like a Christmas movie.

“We are a Hallmark movie town at Christmas,” Clemons said. “So, we have decorated the town in a grand fashion that’s really something to see whether you are coming during the day or at night either one.”

The Country Christmas Festival will take place in Granville on December 9. The event will feature children’s games and events, clowns, artisans, craft booths, food and a special appearance by Santa Claus.

“Granville is a step back in time,” Clemons said. “We have ten major venues here that you can see any day you come Wednesday through Saturday and those are only enhanced with the Christmas season.”

Granville could not wait to start celebrating Christmas and began hanging lights in early November. Guests can see the festival of trees, Christmas characters on parade or go through Santa’s toy chest from the past running all the way to December 30, every Wednesday through Saturday night.

“We’ve taken our antique toy show to another level, and we’re doing the decades of history,” Clemons said. “In our cabin we have toys prior to 1920. In our Artisan Building we have toys of the 1930s and 40s. In our antique car museum we have toys from the 50s and 60s, and in the Granville Museum we have toys from the 1970s and up.”

For a full list of events check out Granville’s website.