Free Thanksgiving Day dinner, Nov. 28, from 12 to 2 p.m., in The First Presbyterian Church’s Tartan Hall. No reservations are needed and donations are accepted. Takeout is available from 12 to 1:30 p.m., and may be picked up/requested at the sanctuary end of the building. The church is located at 26 Church Street, Franklin.
Winter Wonderland Saturday, Nov. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Franklin. Free carriage and wagon rides, live music, tree-lighting ceremony, and candlelight service on the square. Businesses will be open late for Christmas shoppers. Winter Wonderland will be held again on Dec. 7 with food vendors, book giveaways, and a free showing of “Elf” in the lower-level parking lot of Town Hall. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.
“Hard Candy Christmas Art and Crafts Show,” is Nov. 29-30, in Cullowhee, at the Western Carolina University Ramsey Center, 92 Catamount Road, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 for adults; children under 12 are free. For more information, call Doris Hunter (828)524 3405 or (828)421-8181.
The Annual Christmas Parade in downtown Franklin will commence on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 3 p.m. The parade will start at Town Hall, turn at Lazy Hiker, then left at the light and proceed down Palmer Street to Highlands Road. Registration, entry forms and commercial float information may be found at the Franklin Chamber or by calling (828)524-3161.
A Christmas Concert presented by Mountain Voices Community Chorus is set for Monday, Dec. 2, beginning at 7 p.m., at First United Methodist Church, 66 Harrison Avenue in Franklin. The concert is free; donations are accepted. The chorus is under the direction of Beverly Barnett. For more information, visit Facebook, or call Barnett at (828)524-3644.
The Bethlehem Experience presented by Cartoogechaye Baptist Church is a live nativity drive-thru event Dec. 6-8, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.; and a walk-thru experience Dec. 13-14, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. For the walk-thru, attendees will need to park at Parker Meadows Sports Complex, and Cartoogechaye Baptist Church will provide shuttles to and from the church, so the public can have an up-close experience with the live Nativity.
10th Annual Cowee Christmas and Balsam Bee at Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center is Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 25 vendors of arts and crafts as well as hands-on activities, and homemade soups for lunch, as well as other goodies.
Caroling Bells Christmas Concert presented by Brasstown Ringers, a community handbell ensemble, is Sunday, Dec. 8, at 5 p.m., at First United Methodist Church.
An Afternoon with Ebenezer is a reading of Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 10, 2 p.m., at the Macon County Public Library meeting room. Help with the reading or simply come to listen. Bring a few cookies to share and have a little warm cider. To help read, sign up at the library reference desk and have a section assigned to you so that you can practice or volunteer at the door.
“A Night in Bethlehem” offered by Promise Lane Church, will be held Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 5 to 9 p.m. Anyone interested in attending must register online at www.franklinplc.org. Renew Youth will perform a play; a small reception will follow. Attendees will then register for the census at the City Gate, have a family photo taken, and descend into the Bethlehem Marketplace, where kids will learn about life during Jesus’ time, create keepsakes, and travel to the stable to see the Savior. Admission is a canned good/nonperishable food or hygiene item to be donated to CareNet.
Cookies with Santa Dec. 15, 1-3 p.m., at the Holly Springs Community Center. Cookies for kids to decorate, a model train display, therapy ponies, and Santa.
A Celtic Christmas Ceili, Thursday, Dec. 19, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Otto Community Center. A ceili, (kay-leigh) is a gathering with music, stories, and dance in the tradition of old Scotland and Ireland. Admission is by donation. Finger foods and non-alcoholic beverages available; 60 Firehouse Road, Otto.