Series of community Christmas events starts this week

Community Christmas events will soon ramp up in White County.

Some festivities kickoff this weekend after Thanksgiving with the Lighting of the Village in Helen on Friday, Nov. 27. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lighting has been moved from the downtown marketplatz to Riverside Park at 854 Edelweiss Strasse to allow more room for social distancing. Kids will be able to meet with Santa from 5-7 p.m., but they will have their temperature taken before meeting with him. The actual lighting will occur around 6 p.m.

The first two weekends after Thanksgiving will be busy. The annual Christkindlmarket will be held in the marketplatz in Helen on Nov. 28-29 and Dec. 5-6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also on Dec. 5-6 in Helen will be the Mistletoe Market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Helen Arts in Heritage Center.

In Cleveland, the Christmas in the Mountains celebration and parade will be Saturday, Dec. 5, from 5-8 p.m., with the parade starting at 7 p.m. There will be vendors on the square as part of the holiday market, and a Christmas tree lighting in Freedom Park at 6:20 p.m. The parade will follow its normal route from Jack P. Nix Elementary School through the Cleveland Square to White County Middle School.

That next weekend will be the Helen Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. The parade will begin near the Helen Festhalle on Edelweiss Strasse, then turn left onto Chattahoochee Strasse, making a right onto Main Street and ending near Betty’s Country Store.

Also during this time will be the Victorian Christmas event at the Hardman Farm State Historic Site on Dec. 4-5, 11-12, 18-19. This event is a chance for people to experience what Christmas was like in the 1871s and 1880s, complete with docents and staff dressed in outfits from the era. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, there will be a limit on the amount of people allowed at each time and tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Visit the Hardman Farm State Historic Site Facebook for updates and for the link to purchase tickets.

Not one to be left out of the holiday spirit, the Village Shops of Historical Sautee will be hosting a Victorian Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 12, from noon to 6 p.m. This event will include carriage rides, carol singers, Santa, and more.

BabyLand General Hospital is also getting into the holiday spirit with the 42nd Annual Appalachian Christmas and lighting of BabyLand. However, to keep visitors safe, instead of a one-day event, guests can visit all season long and enjoy the decorations, lights and Mt. Yonah Magical Forrest, which is new this year. Babyland General Hospital is located at 300 N.O.K. drive. For more information, visit www.CabbagePatchKids.com.