Alcoa Tree Lighting, Festival of Trees, and H.O.M.E. for the Holidays: The Other Local Holiday Kickoffs (Nov 30 to Dec 5)
If the Downtown Maryville Holiday Market on November 28 is the big kickoff, these are the smaller local ceremonies that round out the first week of the season. All three are free, all three are aimed at families, and all three are a short drive in Blount County.
City of Alcoa Tree Lighting Monday, November 30, 2026. Food trucks and craft vendors open at 4 PM, and the tree lighting is at 6 PM. It happens at the pedestrian bridge at the Springbrook Corporate Center, 223 Associates Boulevard in Alcoa. It's free. After the ceremony there's music, refreshments, and visits with Santa.
Blount County Festival of Trees Thursday, December 3, 2026 at 6:30 PM, on the Blount County Courthouse lawn at 345 Court Street in Maryville. The courthouse is lit up with live Christmas trees in all sizes and themes, and opening night brings entertainment, refreshments, and Santa. The trees stay up through the end of December, so you can drive by or walk through any evening after that. If you want to enter a tree, the deadline is November 6, and you can call the Parks & Rec office at (865) 983-9244.
H.O.M.E. for the Holidays Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 6 PM at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 209 E Franklin Street in Alcoa. H.O.M.E. and the MLK Center partner for this annual community celebration with family fun and light refreshments, plus a tree lighting at 6.
A couple of practical notes. The Maryville tree lighting on November 28 ties into the downtown holiday market, which has its own guide if you're planning that day. For these three, the evenings get chilly once the sun is down, so bring jackets and maybe a thermos of something warm for the kids. All of these run as posted on the Parks & Rec Hometown Christmas page, and it's always worth a quick check before you head out in case a time shifts.