Southern Byways

No doubt about it, the holidays are here. It seems as if this weekend kicks off a lot of celebrations across the region. This, combined with other events, makes for a very busy and fun weekend in the South.

If you want to start on your holiday shopping, there the…

31st Annual Holiday Crafts and Gift Sale, November 21-22, in Jacksonville, Ark.

• Deck the Halls Christmas Craft Extravaganza, November 21-22, in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.
• Marble Falls (Texas) Art Crawl on November 21-23.
• Weihnachtsmrkt, November 21-23, in New Braunfels, Texas.
• East Austin (Texas) Studio Tour on November 22-23.
• Via Colori Street Painting Festival, November 22-23, Houston, Texas.
• 12th Annual Christmas Merry Marketplace Arts & Crafts Show, November 23, Giddings, Texas.
• Annual Broadmoor Arts & Crafts Festival, November 21-22, Baton Rouge, La.
• Handworks Annual Holiday Market, November 21-22, Jackson, Miss.
• 12th Annual VanCleave Views Arts & Crafts Fair & Annual Book Sale at VanCleave Public Library in Biloxi, Miss.
• Festival of Arts, November 22-23, Edgewater Mall in Biloxi, Miss.
• 25th Annual Peterman (Ala.) Station Arts & Crafts on November 22.  
• Centennial Holiday Show, November 22-23, Franklin, Tenn.
• 6th Annual Jack Stoddart Photo & Craft Gallery Open House, Crawford, Tenn., November 21-23.
• Christmas at the Fair, November 22, at the Bay County Fairgrounds in Panama City, Fla.
• Lauderdale (Fla.) by the Sea Arts and Crafts Show on November 22-23
• Holiday Craft Fair, November 22, Palm Bay, Fla.
• 12th Annual ArtWorks, November 22-23, Eau Gallie, Fla.
• Charleston’s (S.C.) Holiday Market on November 21-23.
• Annual Christmas Art Bazaar at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., happening through November 23.
• Colonial Williamsburg (Va.) Employees’ Arts and Crafts Show on November 22-23.
• Indian River Christmas Craft Show, November 23, Chesapeake, Va.
• Capital City Arts & Crafts Show happening through November 23, Charleston, WVa.
• Amish Quilt Auction, November 22, Mechanicsville, Md.

Foodies will love the…

• Brudley’s Annual Wild Game, Seafood and Jambalaya Cook-Off, November 22, New Iberia, La.
• New Orleans (La.) Po-Boy Preservation Festival on November 23.
• Plant City (Fla.) Pig Jam on November 22.
• Mighty Mullet Maritime Festival, November 22, Panacea, Fla.
• Yankeetown (Fla.) Seafood and Arts Festival on November 22 -23.
• Palmetto Bluff Lowcountry Celebration in Bluffton, S.C., is happening through November 23.

Spend time with nature with the…

• Hayride and Campfire at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, November 22, Little Rock, Ark.
• Charlotte Harbor Native Festival, November 22, Port Charlotte, Fla.
• Secrets of the Spanish Mount at Edisto State Park, November 22, Edisto Island, S.C.

Celebrate the start of the holidays at the…

International Winter on the Waterway, November 22, The Woodlands, Texas.

31st Annual Holiday Tour of Homes, November 22-23, Plano, Texas.

Holiday Heritage Home Tour, November 22-23, Brenham, Texas.

The Trains at NorthPark, November 22 - January 4, Dallas, Texas.

• Deck the Falls (Ruby Falls), November 21 - January 4, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• Christmas at Graceland, November 21 - January 11, Memphis, Tenn.
• Annual Candlelight Tour Festival in Warm Springs (Ga.) Village on November 21-23.
• A Warm Springs (Ga.) Thanksgiving on November 22.
• Amelia Island (Fla.) Bed & Breakfast Association Holiday Cookie Tour on November 22.
• Christmas Tree Lighting & Space Coast Boat Parade, November 22, Cocoa, Fla.
• Lighting of Fisherman’s Village, November 22, Punta Gorda, Fla.
• Enchanted Tree Lighting Ceremony at Hyde Park Village, November 23, Tampa, Fla.
• Candlelight on the Plantation (Rose Hill), November 22, Union, S.C.
• 3rd Season of Celebration, November 21 - December 20, downtown Wilmington, N.C.
• National Gingerbread House Competition & Display happening through January 11, 2009, Asheville, N.C.
• A Hometown Holiday Celebration, November 21-22,

downtown Mebane, N.C.

• Farm City Festival & Christmas on the Roanoke, November 21-22,

Plymouth, N.C.

• Coleman’s Winter Wonderland in Olde Towne Portsmouth (Va.) on November 21 - December 31.
• Christmas Holiday Kaleidoscope Parade, November 23, Marion, Va.
• Downtown South Boston (Va.) Christmas Open House on November 23.
• Holiday Open House in Downtown Culpeper, Va., on November 23.
• Grand Illumination Parade, November 22, downtown Norfolk, Va.
• Baltimore’s (Md.) Thanksgiving Parade on November 22.

And then there’s the…

• 73rd Annual World Championship Duck Calling Contest & Wings Over the Prairie Fest, November 22-29, Stuttgart, Ark.
• Ordinal Greek Festival, happening through November 23 in Houston, Texas.
• Brazos Valley Worldfest, November 22, Bryan, Texas.
• Cowboy Campfire Activities, November 22, Jasper, Texas.
• Camp Moore Annual Civil War Living History Encampment, November 22-23, Tangipahoa, La.
• Celebration in The Oaks at New Orleans (La.) City Park on November 23.
• 25th Annual Mobile (Ala.) International Festival on November 22.
• Battle of Griswoldville Commemoration at Jarrell Plantation Historic Site, November 22, Juliette, Ga.
• “Come & Take It!” - A Revolutionary War Encampment at Ft. Morris Historic Site, November 22, Midway, Ga.
• SalsaFest, November 22, Loxahatchee, Fla.
• Battle of Blackstock’s Anniversary Celebration at Musgrove Mill State Historic Site, November 22, Clinton, S.C.
• Zachary Taylor’s 225th Birthday Celebration, November 23, Orange, Va.

Photo credits (top page) Thanksgiving Centerpiece, flickr, creative commons by alasam; (bottom page) Christmas Ornaments, flickr, creative commons tlindenbaum