Knoxville Christmas 2026: Christmas at Chilhowee Nov. 20, Smoky Night Lights at the zoo, Holidays on Ice, Chanukah in the City Dec. 6 and Tour de Lights Dec. 12.
Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the City of Knoxville’s Christmas in the City pages, Zoo Knoxville, the Tennessee Theatre, Bike Walk Knoxville and the organizers linked below.
Knoxville’s Christmas season runs from mid-November to early January. The zoo’s light show opens Nov. 13, the city lights the Chilhowee Park tree on Nov. 20, and downtown’s tree lighting and ice rink open on Friday, Nov. 27. The tree lighting and the WIVK Christmas Parade (Dec. 4) have their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.
Who to call
- Christmas in the City: City of Knoxville Office of Special Events, 865-215-4248
- Road closures and parking: Knoxville 311, 865-215-4311
- Holidays on Ice weather closures: the rink’s Facebook page
The dates
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 13 to March 28, 2027, select nights | Smoky Night Lights, 5:30 to 9 p.m. | Zoo Knoxville |
| Fri. Nov. 20 | Christmas at Chilhowee, 6 to 9 p.m. | Chilhowee Park bandstand |
| Nov. 19 to Dec. 19 | A Christmas Carol | Clarence Brown Theatre, UT campus |
| Fri. Nov. 27 | Regal Celebration of Lights and tree lighting | Krutch Park Extension and Market Square |
| Nov. 27 to Jan. 3, 2027 | Holidays on Ice | Market Square |
| Sun. Dec. 6 | Chanukah in the City, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. | Market Square |
| Mon. Dec. 7 | Cookies with Santa | Tennessee Theatre |
| Sat. Dec. 12 | Tour de Lights, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Covenant Health Park plaza |
Light displays
Smoky Night Lights at Zoo Knoxville. A 360-degree music and light show celebrating the Great Smoky Mountains, watched from the Boyd Foundation Boardwalk at Clayton Timber Loop, with musicians along the way and fire pits and rocking chairs. It runs on select nights from Nov. 13, 2026, to March 28, 2027, 5:30 to 9 p.m. The zoo says ticket prices are coming soon. Zoo Knoxville
Downtown. From the tree lighting on Nov. 27, the city’s 42-foot Mickey Mallonee Christmas in the City Tree stands in the Krutch Park Extension. City of Knoxville Last season, Downtown Knoxville wrapped the big oaks on Market Square in red-and-white lights as Peppermint Grove and lit the trees in Krutch Park; the 2026 plans are not out yet. Downtown Knoxville
Santa visits
- Christmas at Chilhowee: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at the Chilhowee Park bandstand; enter at 401 Lakeside St. The city lights the bandstand tree at 6 p.m., followed by free photos with Santa, crafts, hot cocoa and a holiday Touch-A-Truck with decorated construction vehicles, fire trucks and police cars. Free admission and free parking. City page
- Cookies with Santa: Monday, Dec. 7, on the Tennessee Theatre stage, 604 S. Gay St. Children visit Santa and have a photo taken with the theater as the backdrop, with cookie decorating and craft stations. Only children need tickets; arrive in your time slot. The theater lists the time as to be announced. Tennessee Theatre
Ice skating: Holidays on Ice
The open-air rink on Market Square, in front of the Knoxville Chamber at 17 Market Square, opens Friday, Nov. 27, and runs through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027. Admission includes skate rental and unlimited time on the ice; online tickets are valid any day.
| Dates | Monday to Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 27 to Dec. 20 | 4 to 9 p.m. | noon to 10 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 1 to 9 p.m. |
| Dec. 21 to Jan. 3 | 1 to 9 p.m. | noon to 10 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 1 to 9 p.m. |
Holiday hours: Christmas Eve 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Christmas Day; Dec. 26 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; New Year’s Eve 1 to 9 p.m.; New Year’s Day noon to 10 p.m. The rink closes in bad weather. City of Knoxville
Menorah lighting
Chanukah in the City is 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, on Market Square, with live music, crafts and the lighting of the menorah. City of Knoxville
Tour de Lights: Dec. 12
A free, family-friendly holiday bike ride and festival from Bike Walk Knoxville and Visit Knoxville, at a new location this year: the Covenant Health Park plaza. Festivities and bike valet open at 3:30 p.m., costume judging is at 5 p.m., riders line up on Stadium Way at 5:30 p.m. and the ride starts at 6 p.m., through the Old City, Fourth and Gill and downtown. Bike Walk Knoxville
Holiday shows
- A Christmas Carol: Nov. 19 to Dec. 19 at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Recommended for ages 4 and up; children under 4 are not admitted. Clarence Brown Theatre
- Tennessee Theatre: Classical Christmas: Handel’s Messiah with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (Nov. 22), Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Christmas (Dec. 3), It’s a Wonderful Life (Dec. 5), A Charlie Brown Christmas live on stage (Dec. 8), the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra’s A Swingin’ Christmas (Dec. 11) and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Dec. 12). Calendar
- Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet: Tuesday, Dec. 22, at the Tennessee Theatre. Show times, tickets and parking · Listing
- Candlelight concerts: “Christmas Carols on Strings” Friday, Dec. 18, and a Christmas special featuring “The Nutcracker” Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Knoxville Museum of Art. Dates, tickets and parking · Listing
What this means for you
- City garages are free after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend, except a $3 flat fee at the Market Square Garage on Saturday and Sunday, the city says. See our getting around guide.
- Holiday markets and shopping hours are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page. New Year’s Eve is on our New Year’s Eve page.
- Hosting a lighting, a Santa visit or a neighborhood display? Send it through our contact page.
Related: Thanksgiving in Knoxville and things to do this month.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I see Christmas lights in Knoxville in 2026?
Zoo Knoxville’s Smoky Night Lights runs select nights from Nov. 13, 2026, to March 28, 2027. Downtown, the city’s 42-foot Christmas in the City tree in the Krutch Park Extension is lit on Friday, Nov. 27.
Where can kids see Santa in Knoxville?
Christmas at Chilhowee, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, has free photos with Santa. Cookies with Santa on the Tennessee Theatre stage is Monday, Dec. 7; only children need tickets.
When does Holidays on Ice open in Knoxville?
The Market Square rink opens Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, and runs through Jan. 3, 2027. It is closed Christmas Day and open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Christmas Eve.
Is there a menorah lighting in Knoxville?
Yes. Chanukah in the City on Market Square is 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, with live music, crafts and the lighting of the menorah.
What is Tour de Lights in Knoxville?
A free holiday bike ride and festival from Bike Walk Knoxville and Visit Knoxville, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Covenant Health Park plaza. The ride starts at 6 p.m.
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